We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and pay our respects to all Elders past and present, and to the children of today who are the Elders of the future.
Artist: Jasmine Sarin, a proud Kamilaroi and Jerrinja woman.
The NSW Ombudsman has tabled the Casebook January 2025: Investigations and complaint-handling case studies, (“Casebook”) highlighting some of the myriad of complaints it has dealt with across a range of NSW government agencies, local councils and community services providers.
The Casebook includes a summary of all investigations completed by the NSW Ombudsman between 1 July 2024 and 31 December 2024. It also includes a sample of complaints handled by the Ombudsman’s office over that same period.
“Every year we receive over 12,000 complaints from members of the public, concerned that they have not received the right services or been treated fairly”, the Ombudsman, Paul Miller stated. “Our recent Casebook provides a window into both the variety of those complaints and the outcomes achieved.”
Anyone can complain to the NSW Ombudsman if they have been impacted by a decision or action of a relevant NSW government agency, local council of NSW Government-funded community service provider that they believe was unlawful, unreasonable or otherwise wrong.
In most cases the Ombudsman seeks to resolve complaints informally and as quickly as possible. However, in cases where maladministration is suspected the Ombudsman can use Royal-Commission style powers to investigate and make formal findings and recommendations.
The Casebook reports on the 8 formal investigations completed by the Ombudsman in the 6-month period. The other complaint-handling case studies highlighted in the Casebook demonstrate outcomes achieved through less formal and alternative dispute resolution processes, including making inquiries and conducting a conciliation.
The Casebook references the 6 principles for effective complaint management set out in the Ombudsman’s Effective Complaint Management Guidelines, a new edition of which was published in November 2024.
“One of the key principles of good complaint handling is communication, and it is a failure of adequate and timely communication which is the most common issue people raise with us.” said Mr Miller.
“Almost every case study in our Casebook demonstrates an opportunity where agencies could have avoided or resolved complaints earlier with better and more proactive communication.”
View Casebook January 2025: Investigations and complaint-handling case studies here.
Watch the summary video here.
We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and pay our respects to all Elders past and present, and to the children of today who are the Elders of the future.
Artist: Jasmine Sarin, a proud Kamilaroi and Jerrinja woman.