La Asociación Aragonesa para la Dependencia (ARADE) traslada a la Justicia de Aragón sus objetivos, actividades y reivindicaciones

Date of article: 10/01/2025

Daily News of: 14/01/2025

Country:  Spain - Aragon

Author: Regional Ombudsman of Aragón

Concepción Gimeno se ha interesado por la formación de los profesionales que trabajan en residencias y centros de mayores y ha expresado la necesidad de avanzar en su mejora continua y prestigio social

La Asociación Aragonesa para la Dependencia (ARADE) se constituyó en 2012 y representa a los directivos de 116 centros de personas mayores de todo Aragón que suman más de 8.000 plazas y 3.000 trabajadores.

Esta mañana, el presidente de la entidad, Santiago Cosculluela, y la gerente, Paquita Morata, han mantenido una reunión con la Justicia de Aragón, Concepción Gimeno, en la que le han transmitido sus objetivos, actividades y principales reivindicaciones.  Morata ha hecho hincapié en que que el fin último del servicio que prestan a sus asociados es mejorar en todo lo posible el bienestar de los usuarios.

ARADE defiende el modelo de servicio de Atención Centrada en las Personas (ACP) que tiene en cuenta su historia de vida con el fin de acompañar y prestar una mejor atención mejor.

Ante la Justicia de Aragón, han mostrado su preocupación por la falta de profesionales para cubrir los puestos de trabajo y han reclamado, un mayor esfuerzo de financiación de las administraciones para que el acceso a una plaza residencial sea más asequible, así como el reconocimiento de la sociedad al servicio que prestan.

Concepción Gimeno se ha interesado por la formación de los profesionales que trabajan en residencias y centros de mayores y ha expresado la necesidad de avanzar en su mejora continua y prestigio social.

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Ombudsman investigation finds Brentwood gatekeeping homelessness applications

Date of article: 09/01/2025

Daily News of: 14/01/2025

Country:  United Kingdom - England

Author: Local Government Ombudsmen for England

A Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman investigation has found Brentwood council has been gatekeeping access to its homelessness services when people approach it for help.

Following an investigation into a complaint, the Ombudsman has raised concerns with the way the council assessed homeless applications, including the level of detail it required before it would even allocate cases to an officer.

The investigation found the council required far more information at the earliest stage of the application process than it needed to make an initial assessment, including bank statements and a five-year address history.

The council also set an arbitrary limit to the time it should take people to make their applications, and closed their cases if they failed to provide all information, or did so after the deadline had passed.

Over a six-month period investigated by the Ombudsman, the council closed around two-thirds of cases (216 cases out of 326) despite those applicants meeting the low threshold, set out in law, in which it must make inquiries. This is where the council has ‘reason to believe’ the applicants might be homeless. This means the council had a duty to consider, and make a decision on, all 216 cases. In all, it made a proper decision in just 22 cases.

Ombudsman, Ms Amerdeep Somal said:

“We have issued this report because I have serious concerns about the way the council has been managing its homelessness service, in a way that suggests it has been artificially restricting numbers by putting unnecessary barriers in the way.

“Councils have a duty to assess whether people are homeless, but this duty arises when they have reason to believe an applicant might be homeless or threatened with homelessness. Not when they decide the applicant has jumped through all the right hoops.

“I am also concerned the council has been closing cases where people have not completed all its required steps, regardless of their circumstances. In some cases this has left particularly vulnerable people, such as those threatened with domestic abuse, or those who are rough sleeping, being dismissed without proper consideration.

“This overly-rigid approach amounts to gatekeeping – and it is likely the council has been failing in its duties to the people most at risk in the borough.

“I hope the council will learn from the issues we have highlighted and the change of approach it is now undertaking will ensure it meets its duties to other people at risk of homelessness in the borough.”

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman remedies injustice and shares learning from investigations to help improve public, and adult social care, services. In this case the council has agreed to review its housing advice and other correspondence to identify cases where people may be in need and where the council owes them a duty. It will also contact all applicants whose cases were closed during the period to invite them to continue their applications.

The council will also review and amend its triage process to ensure it meets its obligations to homeless people and those people threatened with homelessness.

 

Article date: 09 January 2023

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Dossier de la semaine : Distribution d'eau : fuite cachée

Date of article: 08/01/2025

Daily News of: 14/01/2025

Country:  Belgium - Wallonia and Federation of Wallonia-Brussels

Author: Regional Ombudsman of Wallonia and Federation of Wallonia-Brussels

Les faits

Madame E. a été victime d’une fuite cachée, localisée dans un mur. Cette fuite a été réparée.
Toutefois, l’octroi d’un geste commercial de son distributeur était conditionné au remplacement dans un délai donné du clapet anti-retour obsolète par un nouveau, répondant aux normes actuelles.

Madame E. a fait procéder à ce remplacement dans le délai prescrit et a donc sollicité une réduction tarifaire pour fuite cachée.

Le distributeur la lui refuse pour cause de délai de mise en conformité dépassé.

L’intervention du Médiateur

Madame E. contacte le Médiateur.

Le Médiateur interpelle le distributeur et lui rappelle que, par un courriel du 24/02/2023, il accordait à la réclamante un délai de réparation de 60 jours pour mettre son installation aux normes afin que sa demande de réduction tarifaire soit finalisée.

La réclamante a fait effectuer les travaux demandés et envoyé les photos réclamées par mail le 04/04/2023, donc dans le délai imparti.

Suite à cela, elle a reçu le 24/05/2023 un courriel accusant réception du mail du 04/04/2023 mais lui refusant le bénéfice de la réduction tarifaire pour délai de réparation trop long, ce qui est un non-sens en l’occurrence.

Par ailleurs, elle a entretemps reçu une mise en demeure de Venturis lui intimant de payer la facture litigieuse d’un montant de 4247,37 € pour le 21/08/2023.

Etant donné que la réclamante aurait dû bénéficier de la réduction tarifaire et vu l’échéance de la mise en demeure, le Médiateur demande au distributeur de faire rapidement le nécessaire pour l’octroi du geste commercial et l’arrêt de la procédure de recouvrement auprès de Venturis.

L’issue de la médiation

Après analyse du dossier, le distributeur reconnait son erreur. Il édite une nouvelle facture prenant en compte la réduction tarifaire et met fin à la procédure de recouvrement.

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(CoE) Member states should enforce standards to combat online disinformation while protecting human rights for all

Date of article: 09/01/2025

Daily News of: 14/01/2025

Country:  EUROPE

Author: Commissioner for Human Rights - Council of Europe

“The recent measures for adjustments of its fact-checking policy taken by META, which were preceded by similar measures taken by X, may have adverse implications for human rights. Platforms must not retreat from facts. If they do so, they create a vacuum where disinformation thrives unchecked and the harm to democracy is deep,” said today the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty.

“At the heart of this controversy lies a fundamental tension: how to curb the spread of harmful speech while safeguarding freedom of expression and protecting human rights for all. This challenge is not new, but it has taken on greater urgency in current times, where harmful speech can spread faster than corrections, and content-shaping algorithms often amplify the most polarising messages. Sometimes such harmful speech comes from state actors or personalities close to them, making the risks to democracy even bigger.

It is important to stress that combating falsehoods and preventing the spread of hateful or violent messages is not censorship. It is a commitment to protecting human rights.

As reflected by the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights, respect for individual’s dignity is the foundation of a democratic, pluralistic society. Therefore, states can limit or prevent speech that spreads or supports hatred based on intolerance, as long as interferences are proportionate to the legitimate aim. The prevention of harmful speech is also enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which prohibits “any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence”.

On this basis, states have adopted international human rights norms to guide their authorities and private companies in balancing freedom of speech with the obligation to protect against harm. These legal standards emphasise that measures to combat disinformation must meet the criteria of legality, necessity and proportionality. They also call for transparency, accountability and a commitment to uphold human rights.

I urge Council of Europe member states to redouble their efforts and demonstrate principled leadership in enforcing these legal standards by ensuring that internet intermediaries mitigate the systemic risks of disinformation and unchecked speech. This includes requiring greater transparency in content moderation practices including in the deployment of algorithmic systems. At the same time, state measures must remain grounded in international human rights norms to prevent overreach that could stifle legitimate expression. Indeed, transparency and accountability are the antidotes to both disinformation and overreach.

The goal is to protect human rights for all by striking a balance that upholds freedom of expression within its well-established limitations. As debates on content moderation continue, state actors, platforms and civil society should work genuinely together to uphold human rights and democratic principles.”

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Ángel Gabilondo asiste al 201 Aniversario de la creación de la Policía Nacional

Date of article: 13/01/2025

Daily News of: 14/01/2025

Country:  Spain

Author: National Ombudsman of Spain

El Defensor del Pueblo, Ángel Gabilondo, ha asistido este lunes al acto conmemorativo del 201 Aniversario de la creación de la Policía Nacional, celebrado en el Salón Memorial de la División de Formación y Perfeccionamiento de la Policía Nacional en Madrid.

En el acto, en el que se han entregado las condecoraciones de la Orden al Mérito Policial a miembros de la Policía Nacional, han intervenido el director general de la Policía Nacional, Francisco Pardo, y  el secretario de Estado de Seguridad, Rafael Pérez.

La Policía Nacional ha celebrado en 2024 sus 200 años de historia con diferentes eventos y actividades que se han resumido en un vídeo recopilatorio que ha sido  proyectado en el acto conmemorativo celebrado hoy.

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Link to the Ombudsman Daily News archives from 2002 to 20 October 2011