Improving complaints handling: a message from Ombudsman Margaret Kelly
Since 1969 my Office has been dealing with complaints about public services. Over that time we have dealt with around 40,000 complaints and we have worked with public bodies to support them to handle complaints well.
But it remains the case that many people find the act of complaining very difficult. Our research[1] shows that this may be because they simply do not have the time to make the complaint, are reluctant to criticise the actions of others, or because they do not understand how to make a complaint. We also see that sometimes organisations do not take people’s claims of service failures seriously enough, treating complaints as unwelcome distractions rather than taking the time to give them a considered response.
We want to improve the complaints system in Northern Ireland. That is why my Office is currently consulting on a set of new proposals for how public services should handle complaints. We are asking you, either as members of the public, public bodies, or support and advocacy groups, to respond to our consultation so that you can tell us what you think of these plans and to suggest ideas of your own.
We want to make it easier for those with genuine grievances to make a complaint. We also want to help create a common set of standards across the public sector, so that people know broadly what to expect when they complain, regardless of whether their complaint is about a school, a government department, their local hospital, or any another public body.
But we also want to create a culture that lets public bodies learn and improve from complaints. I know that it’s not easy to receive a complaint, and that it’s human nature to be defensive in the face of criticism. But actually there can be enormous value in stopping and listening to the feedback which comes in the form of complaints, and to look at the broader lessons which can be learned from them. I believe such a culture is essential if we want to keep on improving public services.
We have already had an excellent response to our consultation, but we want to hear from as many people as possible in this final week before it ends on 30 September. I therefore encourage you to read our proposals and respond to our questionnaire, both of which are available at: https://nipso.org.uk/nipso/publications/complaints-handling-consultation/
Your help is really important in shaping the way future complaints are handled in Northern Ireland.
Margaret Kelly
Ombudsman