A plan to transform how public bodies handle complaints has been launched today by the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman (NIPSO).

The plan, which follows an extensive consultation exercise, aims for all public bodies to follow a similar approach, so that regardless of whether the complaint is about a school, a hospital, or a government department, there is greater consistency across the public sector.

Launching the plans, Ombudsman Margaret Kelly said,
“Today is an important day. It marks the end of a long period of research, consultation and planning, and the start of an exciting journey which we believe has the potential to transform complaints handling in the public sector.”

The announcement comes on the back of an independent report published by the Department of Health earlier this week which recommended NIPSO lead a complaints change programme in the health and social care sector. It also follows a vote by the Northern Ireland Assembly in January to approve NIPSO’s Statement of Principles regarding complaints handling for public sector bodies.

“We know that making a complaint can sometimes be stressful and confusing”, said Ms Kelly.
“That is why we want public bodies to deal with complaints quickly and efficiently.

Specifically, we believe they should respond to straightforward complaints within five working days. If it is found that something has gone wrong, the public body should seek to put things right and a complainant should be given an explanation and an apology.

However, we know that not all complaints will be dealt with within five days. More complex complaints may therefore progress to a second investigation stage. This stage should take the public body no more than 20 working days to complete, after which they should tell the complainant clearly the findings of the investigation and what further action they will be taking.”

As well as setting timescales for complaints handling, NIPSO aims to change the culture in organisations so that complaints are valued. This will involve working with senior leaders to help them understand why complaints matter, showing that by acting as an early warning system complaints should be welcomed rather than feared.

NIPSO are developing training programmes to support the change in approach, including advice on how complaints should be investigated, and how to improve communication. They will also explain how organisations should resolve complaints early in the complaints procedure whilst learning and improving from them.

The work will initially focus on five key public sectors as part of a rolling change programme including:
– Education
– Health and Social Care
– Housing
– Central Government
– Local Government

Local government has been selected as the first sector NIPSO will work with to develop a model complaints handling procedure. This will be accompanied by detailed scoping work with the Health and Social Care sector.

“As an organisation, NIPSO is committed to improving public services”, said Ms Kelly. “Better complaints handling will make things easier for the public, and help public bodies learn lessons from mistakes. We are looking forward to working with all public bodies to introduce these changes.”

•  Declaración institucional de la Red Europea de Defensores de la Infancia (ENOC) sobre el conflicto de Ucrania

El Defensor del Pueblo, Ángel Gabilondo, ha participado hoy en un acto, celebrado en el Senado, con motivo del Día de las Personas Desparecidas, que se conmemora el 9 de marzo.

En el acto, que ha sido inaugurado por el presidente del Senado, Ander Gil, se han entregado los premios que otorga la Fundación Europea por las Personas Desaparecidas QSDglobal, que preside Paco Lobatón.

El Defensor hizo entrega, en el transcurso del acto, de un galardón en homenaje a la familia del “niño de Somosierra”, Juan Pedro Martínez, desaparecido en 1986.

En esta VI Edición de los ‘Premios 9 de Marzo por los desaparecidos’, han sido galardonados, entre otros, el Ayuntamiento de Albudeite (Murcia), la Unidad Central de Delincuencia Especializada y Violenta (UDEV) de la Policía Nacional, el buque ‘Ángeles Alvariño’ y Radio Nacional.

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A so-called ‘temperature window’ device can be permissible only under strict conditions

The Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (Federal Motor Transport Authority, Germany), the competent body in Germany for granting EC type-approval, 1 authorised, for vehicles manufactured by the motor vehicle manufacturer Volkswagen and equipped with a Euro 5 2 generation diesel engine, software installed in the electronic engine controller which, under certain external temperature conditions, reduces the recirculation of exhaust gases (temperature window), 3 which results in an increase in nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions.

Deutsche Umwelthilfe, an environmental association approved in Germany, has brought an action against that decision before the Schleswig Holsteinisches Verwaltungsgericht (Administrative Court, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany), claiming that that software is a ‘defeat device’ that is prohibited by the EU regulation on type approval of motor vehicles with respect to emissions from light passenger and commercial vehicles (Euro 5 and Euro 6). 4

According to the Schleswig Holsteinisches Verwaltungsgericht, Deutsche Umwelthilfe does not have standing under German law to bring proceedings to challenge the decision of the KraftfahrtBundesamt. Its rights have not, in that court’s view, been impaired by that decision, which is not one authorising a project for a fixed installation but is a product authorisation.

That court has therefore asked the Court of Justice, first, whether the Aarhus Convention, 5 read in conjunction with the right to an effective remedy laid down by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, requires that such an association should be able to challenge before the national courts an administrative decision granting EC type-approval of vehicles in the light of the prohibition on defeat devices.