Investigation reports

The Ombudsman has found that an RQIA inspection and subsequent report was completed according to relevant standards, but that it should have taken further steps to provide the registered manager of a care home with a copy of the draft report so that she could comment on its factual accuracy.

The Driver & Vehicle Agency failed to manage a complainant's medical assessment in a timely manner, thereby increasing the risk that his licence would expire while his renewal was being processed. The Ombudsman also found that the DVA failed to communicate with the Occupational Health Service to ensure the application was treated as a priority.

An Ombudsman investigation has found that a complainant should have been given the chance to comment on the factual accuracy of a report by the Charity Commission prior to its publication.  However, the complaint that the report was biased and written in ‘bad faith’ was not upheld.

An Ombudsman’s report has criticised the Northern Ireland Environment Agency for not keeping proper records about its decision firstly to commission, and then ultimately not proceed with, an independent engineer’s report relating to effluent treatment structures at a location on the River Faughan at Drumahoe.

An investigation into the way Transport NI (now DfI Roads) dealt with consultation responses to a planning application has led to the Ombudsman making a number of recommendations.

A number of recommendations have been made by the Ombudsman after an investigation revealed that unclear guidance to applicants led to confusion over eligibility of Single Farm Payments.

The Ombudsman has recommended that the Northern Ireland Civil Service review elements of their Dignity at Work policy after she found maladministration in the way the Department for Communities handled a complaint from a member of the public.

Ombudsman finds no maladministration over decision to approve discharge of effluent into stream, but recommends Agency apologise to complainants for failings during complaints process.

The Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman has issued a finding of maladministration against the former Department of Environment for its failure to monitor the numbers of late flights into and out of George Best Belfast City Airport.