The complaints refer to a selection process held for the post of Assistant Commissioner with the Police Corps.

The complainants had been interviewed by the selection board and were not successful. Complainants petitioned the Public Service Commission, which did not overturn the result of the board. Subsequently, they then complained with the Ombudsman, alleging that the procedures used by the board had been unfair because the board did not take cognisance of their experience, qualifications, and exemplary service during their long years of service in the Police Corps.

The Ombudsman investigated these complaints and found that the process was indeed vitiated. The documents pertaining to this selection were thoroughly reviewed. The Ombudsman found subjective bias in the process, and the whole procedure was weighted against the complainants. The crucial point here was not that the complainants had to be promoted but that they were never given a fair opportunity to compete with other promoted applicants.

Outcome

The Ombudsman declared that the complaints were justified and recommended that the Commissioner of Police issue a fresh call of applications for the post or pay the sum of €15,000 in moral damages.

Documents:

Case R0146

26.05.2021 – Final Opinion 

23.06.2021 – Letter from the Permanent Secretary MHSE

13.07.2021 – Letter to Permanent Secretary MHSE

24.08.2021 – Letter to Minister for Home Affairs and National Security 

11.10.2021 – Letter to the Speaker of the House

(...)

Como todos los años por estas fechas y con motivo del Día Internacional de los derechos del niño, el Síndic de Greuges organiza la VI Jornada de Infancia y Adolescencia. Este año lleva por título «Jóvenes en conflicto con la ley: entre la sanción y la educación». El evento tendrá lugar durante la mañana del 17 de noviembre en la Universidad de Alicante.

La jornada se compone de una ponencia central  y de dos mesas redondas en las que participarán profesionales, funcionarios y autoridades que trabajan en este ámbito concreto. El programa y el formulario de inscripción están disponibles en nuestra web.

 17 de noviembre de 2021

 Salón de Actos del Aulario II. Universidad de Alicante

Programa e inscripción: https://acortar.link/i1HpQL

     Aforo limitado.

A Gloucestershire woman was left malnourished and without the support she needed for her medical conditions because the county council ignored professional advice, a Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman investigation has found.

The woman, who has ME – or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome – plus a number of other health needs including severe dietary intolerances, complained to the Ombudsman the council failed to ensure her needs were met at home when her partner could no longer cope looking after her.

Her eligible care needs included help with preparing meals, and toileting in the night, but the council did not provide enough hours for the care workers to carry out the tasks needed.

The council also decided the woman could eat foods from supermarkets’ ‘Free From’ ranges, despite both the woman’s GP and a specialist dietician writing to say this was not the case and her care hours needed to be increased to allow for the extra time needed to prepare meals. As a result, the woman was not eating enough and was being put at risk of malnutrition. The council also did not provide appropriate night-time care to help with her needs.

As a result, the woman was hospitalised twice.

The Ombudsman’s investigation criticised the council for not meeting the woman’s care needs and acting contrary to the Care Act when it failed to take account of the advice from the dietician and GP. The council also failed to reassess her needs properly, in line with the Care Act, when requested. The investigation also criticised the lack of communication from the woman’s social worker when the woman and her representative made repeated attempts to contact them about her situation.

The investigation also found the council did not ensure a proper carer’s assessment was carried out on the woman’s former partner when he asked for support and respite.

Michael King, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said:

“This case is a prime example of the council simply not listening to people involved in the case. It failed to take on board information from the woman, her former partner and the medical experts involved in her care.

“It seems very likely that, had the council assessed the woman’s former partner properly and arranged appropriate support and respite, he may have been able to carry on with his caring role for longer. And because it did not act sooner, the council had to put in place hastily arranged support when their relationship broke down.

“The council has already agreed to my recommendations to improve its services, and I welcome its pledge to carry out a review of its adult social care and complaints processes.”

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman’s role is to remedy injustice and share learning from investigations to help improve public, and adult social care, services. In this case the council has agreed to apologise to the woman and pay her £2,050 to reflect the injustice caused. It will also apologise to the woman’s former partner to reflect his injustice.

The Ombudsman has the power to make recommendations to improve processes for the wider public. In this case the council has agreed to remind staff about their responsibilities under the Care Act, and share the report with relevant staff including management, and discuss its findings at appropriate team meetings.

The council has also said it will undertake an independent review of its Adult Social Care processes and pathways, and review its complaints process.

Article date: 28 October 2021

When: 28 October 2021

Where: Virtual, Slovenia

Website: Stamping out hate crime and hate speech

External event

On 28 October, the FRA Director will participate in a virtual Slovenian Presidency conference on 'Stamping out hate crime and hate speech – Effective responses to hate crimes and hate speech online, and protection of victims'.

• VISIT EVENT SITE

He will be joined in the opening panel by the German, Portuguese and Slovenian ministers for justice, as well as by the European Commissioner for Justice.

The conference will address the topics on combating hate speech online and on fostering the exchange of good practices among Member States on support and protection of victims of hate crimes.

The conference will gather representatives from the European and international organisations, national authorities, civil society organisations, experts and representatives of IT companies.

Vitoria-Gasteiz

En el marco del encuentro de la Región europea de la Red de defensorías de la mujer de la Federación Iberoamericana de Ombudsman (FIO), se ha llevado a cabo una reflexión sobre la situación actual de la respuesta institucional ante la violencia de género, así como sobre las debilidades y fortalezas de nuestros sistemas de protección de los derechos de las mujeres víctimas de violencia de género.

En dicha reflexión, liderada por la Diputación del Común de Canarias, ha participado el Ararteko junto con las siguientes defensorías: Defensor del Pueblo Español, Defensor del Pueblo Andaluz, Justicia de Aragón, Síndic de Greuges de Catalunya, Procurador del Común de Castilla y León, Síndic de Greuges de la Comunidad Valenciana, Valedor do Pobo de Galicia, Ararteko- Defensor del Pueblo de Navarra y Provedor de Justiça de Portugal.

Todas estas defensorías han debatido y aportado su visión sobre dos aspectos esenciales para la defensa de los derechos de las mujeres víctimas de violencia de género: la acreditación de la condición de víctima y la homogeneización del concepto de víctima de violencia de género por lo que respecta a las prestaciones y servicios de los que estas puedan beneficiarse en los distintos territorios del Estado español y Portugal.

En este documento se presentan las conclusiones de esa reflexión conjunta, junto con unas breves recomendaciones tendentes a la mejora de los problemas detectados.

Vitoria-Gasteiz 27 de octubre de 2021