PPSOWA2 , Cadeirydd y Pwyllgor
Safonau, Gwasanaeth Tân ac Achub Canolbarth a
Gorllewin Cymru / Parc Cenedlaethol
Bannau Brycheiniog | Chair of Standards Committee, Mid
and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service/ Brecon Beacons National
Park Authority
Senedd Cymru |
Welsh Parliament
Y Pwyllgor
Cyllid | Finance
Committee
Adolygiad ôl-ddeddfwriaethol o Ddeddf Ombwdsmon Gwasanaethau
Cyhoeddus (Cymru) 2019 |
Post-legislative review of
the Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Act 2019
Ymateb gan:
Cadeirydd y Pwyllgor Safonau,
Gwasanaeth Tân ac Achub Canolbarth a Gorllewin Cymru /
Parc Cenedlaethol Bannau
Brycheiniog| Evidence from: Chair of Standards Committee,
Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service/ Brecon Beacons National
Park Authority
1. Have you used the Ombudsman’s service to make a
complaint?
1a. What did your complaint(s) relate to?
(We would be grateful if you could keep your
answer to around 500 words).
1b. If your complaint was about health which included a private
health related element, do you have any comments about the process
of making that complaint?
(We would be grateful if you could keep your
answer to around 500 words).
1c. Was your complaint(s) made on or after 23 July 2019?
1d. How did you make your complaint(s)?
1e. Do you have any comments about the process of submitting an
oral complaint to the Ombudsman?
(We would be grateful if you could keep your
answer to around 500 words).
2. Have you made a complaint to a public body since 23 July
2019?
2a. Do you have any comments on the standard of complaints
handling at public bodies, and whether they have improved since the
Act came into force in 2019?
(We would be grateful if you could keep your
answer to around 500 words).
Organisations
appear to take differing views of what constitutes a "complaint".
Some ignore unless the complainant is lucky enough to find the
correct recipient.
3. If you are a public body, have you engaged with the
Ombudsman or used resources and/or guidance produced by the
Ombudsman to change or improve your complaints handling policies
and processes?
3a. Do you have any comments in this area?
(We would be grateful if you could keep your
answer to around 500 words).
PSOW and team
have been helpful in managing Standards Ctte work, and provide good
advice. The PSOW casebook was always a helpful summary of cases,
and its disappointing that this has been discontinued.
4. Are you aware that the Ombudsman can investigate on their
own initiative where evidence suggests that there may be systemic
service failure or maladministration?
5. Are you aware that the Ombudsman can extend an investigation
of a complaint into matters that have a substantial connection with
a matter already being investigated?
6. Have you been involved in an own initiative investigation
conducted by the Ombudsman and/or read or used an own initiative
report, such as the report about homelessness in Wales (https://www.ombudsman.wales/own-initiative-wider-investigations-reports/)?
7. Do you have any comments about the Ombudsman’s own
initiative powers?
(We would be grateful if you could keep your
answer to around 500 words).
8. Do you have any views on how the changes implemented by the
2019 Act compares with current best practice, both within the UK
and internationally?
(We would be grateful if you could keep your
answer to around 500 words).
9. Do you have any other comments regarding the 2019 Act which
are relevant to the Committee’s Terms of Reference for this
inquiry?
(We would be grateful if you could keep your
answer to around 500 words).