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Our Engagement Team meet community groups, charities, other public bodies, and members of the public across Northern Ireland to listen to their issues and to tell them about our service.

If you would like a visit from one of the team, please get in touch!

Our Quarterly Bulletin highlights some of our most recent investigation reports and provides other updates on our work.

We have appointed Opinion Research Services (ORS) to carry out our second Public Awareness Survey.

ORS will be contacting around 600 members of the public throughout March and April 2024 to ask questions about their awareness of NIPSO and their attitudes to complaining about public services.

The information we obtain from the survey will help us decide how to improve our service going forward.

We will publish the survey's findings later in the year.  In the meantime, if you would like to know more about the survey please get in touch with us at communications@nipso.org.uk

The report from the first survey, carried out in 2021, is available here.

An Ombudsman report released today has found that the significant and repeated failures to properly update patients on healthcare waiting lists in Northern Ireland  amounted to ‘systemic maladministration’, and in many cases had a detrimental impact on the health and wellbeing of those waiting.

We found failures in Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council’s decision to take no action over an independent report which was critical of its senior staff.

Read our investigation report.

Due to the adverse weather conditions our office will be closed to visitors on Friday 24 January.

Our telephone lines and online complaints form will be operating as normal.

We apologise for any inconvenience.

We recently held a roundtable event as part of our research project examining how ombudspersons can help improve access to justice for refugees and asylum seekers. 

These groups are among the most vulnerable groups in society and face multiple barriers in accessing public services and raising complaints. 

At the event Ombudsman Margaret Kelly provided an overview of NIPSO's engagement with civil society organisations and asylum seekers as we seek to make our service accessible to all.

Research lead Prof. Chris Gill from the University of Glasgow also provided an overview of the findings of a survey of members of the International Ombudsman Institute. 

Presentations were also given from Ombudsman colleagues from Serbia, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Denmark and Ireland. 

The project will conclude with a conference to be held in Belfast in March 2025. Please contact nipso@nipso.org.uk if you require further details.

You can find out more information about the project at: https://oprasproject.wordpress.com/. 

Our latest Quarterly Bulletin highlights:

- five recent investigation reports into complaints about health trusts and housing associations

- the latest on our complaints standards work

- details of an upcoming conference

- news of job opportunities at NIPSO