Consultation display
Consideration of powers: Public Services Ombudsman for Wales
- This consultation has completed. It ran from Monday, 26 January 2015 to Friday, 20 March 2015
- View the background to this consultation
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Response to the consultation
Evidence submitted in response to this Consultation
- PSOW 01 - Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service
PDF 1 MB
- PSOW 01a - Welsh Independent Healthcare Association Credentials 2013-2014
PDF 1 MB
- PSOW 01b - Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service Action Points from 4 February 2015
PDF 3 MB
- PSOW 01c - Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service Action Point
PDF 1 MB
- PSOW 02 - Connah’s Quay Town Council
PDF 136 KB
- PSOW 03 - Mochdre with Penstrowed Community Council
PDF 61 KB
- PSOW 04 - Older People's Commissioner for Wales
PDF 734 KB
- PSOW 05 - Abergele Town Council
PDF 122 KB View as HTML (14) 6 KB
- PSOW 06 - One Voice Wales
PDF 196 KB View as HTML (15) 12 KB
- PSOW 07 - Auditor General for Wales
PDF 790 KB
- PSOW 07a - Auditor General for Wales – Additional Information
PDF 501 KB
- PSOW 07b - Letter from Wales Audit Office
PDF 57 KB
- PSOW 08 - Welsh Local Government Association
PDF 236 KB View as HTML (19) 44 KB
- PSOW 08a - Welsh Local Government Association Additional Information
PDF 306 KB View as HTML (20) 73 KB
- PSOW 09 - Dr Nick O'Brien
PDF 160 KB View as HTML (21) 21 KB
- PSOW 10 - Children's Commissioner for Wales
PDF 631 KB
- PSOW 11 - Welsh Language Commissioner (Only Available in Welsh)
PDF 1 MB
- PSOW 12 - Wales Council for Voluntary Action
PDF 727 KB
- PSOW 13 - Law Commission
PDF 270 KB View as HTML (25) 93 KB
- PSOW 14 - Citizens Advice Cymru
PDF 515 KB
- PSOW 15 - Care Council for Wales
PDF 265 KB View as HTML (27) 18 KB
- PSOW 16 - Northern Ireland Ombudsman Briefing Note
PDF 356 KB View as HTML (28) 40 KB
- PSOW 16b - Northern Ireland Ombudsman
PDF 344 KB View as HTML (29) 56 KB
- PSOW 17 - Penarth Town Council
PDF 150 KB View as HTML (30) 23 KB
- PSOW 18 - Pontaradawe Town Council
PDF 98 KB View as HTML (31) 5 KB
- PSOW 19 - Healthcare Inspectorate Wales
PDF 885 KB
- PSOW 19b - Additional Information from Health Inspectorate Wales
PDF 76 KB
- PSOW 20 - Marshfield Community Council
PDF 433 KB View as HTML (34) 11 KB
- PSOW 21 - University of Liverpool
PDF 205 KB View as HTML (35) 34 KB
- PSOW 22 - Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales
PDF 218 KB View as HTML (36) 18 KB
- PSOW 23 - Wrexham County Borough Council
PDF 155 KB View as HTML (37) 64 KB
- PSOW 24 - The Welsh NHS Confederation’s
PDF 275 KB View as HTML (38) 81 KB
- PSOW 25 - Care Forum Wales
PDF 189 KB View as HTML (39) 10 KB
- PSOW 26 - City of Cardiff Council
PDF 219 KB View as HTML (40) 31 KB
- PSOW 27 - Jennifer Brown
PDF 128 KB View as HTML (41) 27 KB
- PSOW 28 - Mold Town Council
PDF 213 KB View as HTML (42) 22 KB
- PSOW 29 - Holywell Town Council
PDF 143 KB View as HTML (43) 5 KB
- PSOW 30 - Conwy County Borough Council
PDF 150 KB View as HTML (44) 25 KB
- PSOW 31 - Joint response of the Brecon Beacons and Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authorities
PDF 297 KB View as HTML (45) 48 KB
- PSOW 32 - Standards and Ethics Committee – City of Cardiff Council
PDF 274 KB View as HTML (46) 33 KB
- PSOW 33 - University of Sheffield
PDF 203 KB View as HTML (47) 36 KB
- PSOW 34 - Carmarthenshire County Council’s
PDF 37 KB View as HTML (48) 12 KB
- PSOW 35 - Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
PDF 90 KB View as HTML (49) 33 KB
- PSOW 36 - Vale of Glamorgan Council's Standards Committee
PDF 58 KB
- PSOW 37 - Isle of Anglesey County Council
PDF 107 KB View as HTML (51) 74 KB
- PSOW 38 - Community Housing Cymru Group
PDF 361 KB View as HTML (52) 1 KB
- PSOW 39 - Anne Carys Jones (Only Available in Welsh)
PDF 113 KB View as HTML (53) 36 KB
- PSOW 40 - Deputy Children’s Commissioner for Wales Acting as Children’s Commissioner for Wales
PDF 525 KB
- PSOW 41 - HM Courts and Tribunals Service
PDF 1 MB
- PSOW 42 - Brynmawr Town Council
PDF 1 MB
Purpose of the consultation
The
Finance
Committee is undertaking an inquiry into the Consideration of
Powers of the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales (“the Ombudsman”). The role
of the Ombudsman was established by the Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Act 2005.
The current Ombudsman has highlighted five main areas for changes to the 2005
Act that he believes will strengthen the role.
The
Committee will consider these five areas:
- own-initiative powers – this would enable the Ombudsman to initiate his/her own investigations without having first received a complaint about an issue;
- oral complaints - at present, the Ombudsman can only accept complaints in writing, this would allow the Ombudsman to accept oral complaints;
- complaints handling across public services – this would enable the Ombudsman to have a role in advising on complaints handling across public services;
- the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction (to include private health services) – this would extend the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction to enable him/her to investigate when a patient has received private healthcare (self-funded, rather than being commissioned by the NHS) in conjunction with public healthcare; and
- links with the courts - the removal of the statutory bar which would allow the Ombudsman to consider a case that has or had the possibility of recourse to a court, tribunal or other mechanism for review (this would give complainants the opportunity to decide which route is most appropriate for them).
In
addition, the Committee may also consider the following:
- jurisdiction – given the changes to the devolution settlement have led to new areas coming into jurisdiction over time, whether consideration should be given to other bodies being included in the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction;
- recommendations and findings - whether the recommendations of the Ombudsman to public bodies should be binding. This would mean that bodies cannot decide to reject the findings;
- protecting the title - there has been a proliferation of schemes calling themselves ombudsmen, often without satisfying the key criteria of the concept such as independence from those in jurisdiction and being free to the complainant. Whether anyone intending to use the title ombudsman should have to gain approval from the Ombudsman;
- code of conduct complaints – the Ombudsman would prefer to focus on the element of his/her work that deals with service users and service delivery, rather than local authority and town and community councils’ resolutions. Whilst a local resolution procedures exists and has been adopted by 22 local authorities, variance exists in practice; and
- any aspects of future planned or proposed public sector reforms that would impact on the role of the Ombudsman and any other aspects of the 2005 Act.
Invitation to
contribute to the inquiry
The Committee welcomes responses in Welsh or English from both individuals and organisations and will hold oral evidence sessions in due course.
Submissions should be no longer than five sides of A4, with numbered paragraphs, and should focus on matters set out above. Please see guidance for those providing evidence for committees.
Disclosure of information
You
can find further details about how we will use your information at http://www.assembly.wales/en/help/privacy/Pages/help-inquiry-privacy.aspx.
Please ensure that you have considered these details carefully before
submitting information to the Committee
Supporting documents
- Background Paper - Public Services Ombudsman for Wales
PDF 567 KB
- Consultation Letter
PDF 194 KB View as HTML (2) 72 KB
- Additional Information from PSOW (from evidence session 21 January 2015)
PDF 60 KB
- Additional Information from PSOW (evidence requested by Chair) - 25 February 2015
PDF 124 KB
- Additional Information from PSOW - 25 March 2015
PDF 97 KB
- Letter from the Minister for Public Services
PDF 99 KB
Contact details
Should you wish to speak to someone regarding this consultation, please use the below contact details:
Finance Committee - Fourth Assembly
Welsh Parliament
Cardiff Bay
Cardiff
CF99 1SN
Email: Contact@senedd.wales
Telephone: 0300 200 6565