Public service reform is fast becoming one of the defining themes of the new Scottish Parliament. A new Cabinet Secretary is in place with a dedicated portfolio and tasked with delivering on last year's Public Service Reform strategy – it’s clear there is renewed focus on effectiveness, efficiency and prevention. The debate is gathering real pace. 

Yet amid the burgeoning discussion of reform, there is a question that cannot be overlooked: what happens when public institutions themselves become the origination of harm? 

Public services exist to provide the essential support we all rely on. But for many, interactions with public bodies can also leave a different legacy – one measured not in improved outcomes, but in debt.  Because public institutions can deepen financial hardship for the people they’re meant to serve. 

People across........

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