Corporate Complaints Service - Annual Report 2024-25 Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman (NIPSO)

Communication with NIPSO

During 2024-25 NIPSO contacted us regarding a total of 43 complaints they had received from complainants about the EA. Out of these, there were 24 Enquiries, 18 Initial Investigations, and 1 Third Party Request for information. It is worth noting that none of these cases progressed to Further Investigation.

Communication with NIPSO has doubled with 43 complaints received in 2024-25 compared to 21 complaints in 2023-24.

The outcome of NIPSO’s Initial investigations is broken down as follows:

  • Settlement reached- 3 cases
  • NIPSO confirmed not progressing complaint to Further Investigation Stage – 9 cases
  • No response received from NIPSO regarding any intended further action – 6 cases

During one Initial Investigation, whilst NIPSO did not accept the complaint for Further Investigation, they did identify prima facie evidence of maladministration. However, NIPSO decided that the public interest would be better served by way of an Observation Letter3.

Three Settlements were achieved with NIPSO at the Initial Investigation stage of their complaints process. The EA acknowledged and remedied their mistakes and there was no requirement for NIPSO to progress the complaints to Further Investigation stage.

Some of the actions in our 2024-25 settlements included:

  1. The EA agreed to:
    1. Issue an apology to the parent along with an explanation for the delay experienced and
    2. Make both telephone and written contact with the parent to discuss the statutory timeframes for amending statements.
  2. The EA agreed that if a request from the school was received to increase one-to-one supervision for a child, then the EA would duly consider the request.

Since the year 2020-21, NIPSO has not accepted any EA complaints from the Initial Investigation stage to the Further Investigation stage.

NIPSO Training

NIPSO recently released training resources which will significantly aid EA Officers in handling complaints more effectively. These resources not only highlight the importance of good complaints handling but also provide practical guidance for those involved in investigating complaints. They are now being shared by the CCS with EA Officers in public-facing services during the complaints process. This additional support aims to enhance the way we respond to and investigate complaints.

These new resources will complement the existing EA training programs, which include Level 1 (Frontline Officer Training), Level 2 (Specialist Officer and Assistant Specialist Officer Training), and Level 3 (Senior Officer Training). Complaints Handling Training is mandatory for all relevant EA Officers and must be renewed every two years to ensure that we are always up to date with complaints handling processes and procedures, along with NIPSO best practice.

Complaints Standards

NIPSO is currently working with local sectors in Northern Ireland to create a common set of complaints handling standards for all public bodies. These improved standards are set out in NIPSO’s Model Complaints Handling Procedures (MCHP). The EA welcome the opportunity to engage with NIPSO on the implementation of MCHP for our organisation which aims to ensure that our complaints handling processes are robust, efficient, and consistent with best practices.

Part 3 of the Public Services Ombudsman Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 provides the legislative basis for these procedures, reinforcing the importance and necessity of aligning with these standards.

The EA look forward to working closely with NIPSO to ensure a smooth and effective implementation of the MCHP, ultimately enhancing our service delivery and customer satisfaction.