When the previous Service Complaints Ombudsman (SCO) says 90% of those who should complain, don’t, and 70% of those whose complaints get to her office should have been resolved before hand. 100% of those in the complaints system suffer mentally. The SCO describes a broken system. The current SCO continues to agree.

We do not have the ability to deal with individual grievances, but we listen to generate a collective understanding. There is more power in a story with substance and mass; so many experiences are shared. We provide a collective voice.

We are not endorsed by the MoD, we strive to do most of our work behind closed doors, talking influencing, developing and changing attitudes where necessary. We are a flag up a flag pole, but we have influence.

We are here to help defence as much as the people in Defence and those who have served. We strive to bring focus where there is myopic thinking and clarity where there is clouded thinking.

We aim to serve, to serve those in defence who are unrepresented by any independent body by lobbying those in power with the authority to implement change both in Parliament and in the MoD. That is why we set up the IDA on 1st December 2020.