BackSenior citizens unable to file statements online, a ratepayer charged over $7,000 to remove a tree, and the worried mother of a prisoner are just some of the members of the public Victorian Ombudsman staff deal with every day.
Tabling the Ombudsman enquiries: Resolving complaints informally casebook in the Victorian Parliament, Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass said that while her office’s large own motion investigations gained the most public attention, the day-to-day work of her office can effect real change in people’s lives.
‘I am tabling this report to draw attention to the less public work of my office - resolving complaints informally - and to highlight some of the common mistakes agencies could easily fix.
‘Many complaints are resolved informally simply through the intervention of Ombudsman staff. In these cases, I cannot help reflecting it is a pity an agency’s management did not grip the problem before it came to my office,” said Ms. Glass.
Grouped under three themes – ‘Minor mistakes with larger consequences’, ‘Responding quickly to serious concerns’ and ‘One complaint can fix an issue for many’ – the casebook compromises 14 summaries of matters dealt with by Victorian Ombudsman staff during 2015/16.
Source: Victorian Ombudsman - Australia
