10/10/2023
Please send details under Subject Access Request SAR GDPA and provision details of all the cases handled by Ombudsman's health office re the processing timelines of all investigations in last 5 years. 4 years had been too long and would like to know how other families have been treated and their case handling timelines? response to request for clarification Processing timelines refers to all the cases of the last 5 years health ombudsman have investigated. We need to know how long each has taken to come to conclusion and what the ombudsman published handling timelines have been in last 5 years , as these over the years? - full case handling timelines in report form, maybe a chart form etc. Not being signposted to look at individual cases. Only the ombudsman knows how many cases have been processed and if they have met or exceeded their own KPIs handling/processing timelines. Is there an appeal process, if so, please send full disclosure of that process and timelines?
09/10/2023
Please provide all relevant documents (discussions, legal briefing notes, unabridged board meeting minutes, guidance etc.) that the PHSO possess with regard to the legal status of non-CCT reviews and the re-opening of final decisions.
05/10/2023
Questions. Q.1) Please can you tell me what was the PHSO's final decision/outcome of Mr. (name redacted)'s case, what was the PHSO's complaint, or complainant, category description that Mr. (name redacted)'s complaint was allocated to, (and can you include your forthcoming reply of my Mr. (name redacted) enquiry,-in a pdf format letter)? Q.2) Pursuant to your response of 2.) i.) below,-please can you tell me of all of the category names of the PHSO's descriptions/descriptors pertaining to, i.) HMCTS complaints? and ii.) DWP complaints? and, i.) the '...specific categories...' of HMCTS and DWP complaints that I am enquiring of to your office,-are pertaining to whether those '...specific categories....' of complaints entail, or describe, -HMCTS complaints (of not obtaining a review or appeal of a Court case, similar to the above-mentioned PHSO/High Court case of Mr. (name redacted)? and, -DWP complaints (of complainants complaints pertaining to the DWP's Jobcentre Plus office Work Coaches employment-finding service delivery involving JSA/UC/ESA Claimants)?
29/09/2023
This is an information request relating to the number of staff who are allowed to work from abroad. Please include the following information, for the 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23 financial years: • The number of staff, per year, given permission to work from abroad • For each member of staff granted permission, please provide their pay band, the country they have been allowed to work from, the length of time that they have been allowed to work for and the dates they were allowed to work from abroad. Please also provide the reason. If any of this is not possible to provide, please provide the remaining information
27/09/2023
1. the number of cases you personally have dealt with over the past two years 2. the outcome of the cases.
26/09/2023
Please detail and include your policy’s and procedures in rejecting complains / not taking complaints forward and how you formed your opinion that the matter has had a ‘small impact’ upon me.
22/09/2023
2 - I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO KNOW IF OTHER PEOPLE HAVE REGISTERED COMPLAINTS AGAINST (caseworker) FOR IGNORING THEIR EMAILS 3 - IF COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN REGISTERED AGAINST (caseworker) FOR DELETING THEIR PERSONAL DATA UNDER THE GDPR.
As the standards of conduct in the Governance Framework also apply to all other members of the PHSO Board, please let me know the equivalent processes and procedures which would apply to those members regarding any evidenced allegations of their failure to comply with any of those standards. You say that the Ombudsman provides information about challenges of the nature I have made to the Audit and Risk Committee and, where appropriate, to PACAC. Please send me, in due course, a copy of the report to the Audit and Risk Committee reporting my 'challenge' and a copy of the minutes detailing the Committee's consideration and decision regarding this. Please confirm that you will do so. Please also confirm that the Ombudsman deems it appropriate to report the matter to PACAC and similarly please confirm that you will send me copies of the documents reporting the matter to PACAC and recording PACAC's consideration and decision in this regard.
Wilfulness is a deliberate act, initiated by a clinician The CQC definition of neglect is the failure to meet a person's basic physical and/or psychological needs. The criminal justice and courts act 2015 s21 deems wilful neglect to be a criminal act; distinct form negligence, arising from an unforeseen or foreseeable error. What is the policy of your organisation, with regards the undertaking of an investigation of an allegation of wilful neglect. Does your policy require a report or allegation of wilful neglect to be referred to the police. Please consult the appropriate person or persons, prior to making a response.
To clarify.. the data to show what exactly did the ombudsman do to ensure fairness for complainants from organisations’ lockdowns that were not their fault. Because the lockdown problem must have been obvious to the ombudsman, I was primarily looking for any DATA from a Committee (or other..if the format of meetings were changed during lockdown periods) THE DATA of the Decision/s after it/they had discussed the problem of limiting complainants to a one-year -cut- off period to make complaint - as it would have been clear that they could be severely disadvantaged by lockdowns. - And many would have been able to collect their evidence due to councils (for example), telling them that responses to them would be delayed. I’d like to read the DATA of written guidance given to caseworkers, after lockdown problems were discussed and how the one year periods should/could be extended due to the lockdown problem.
21/09/2023
Please could you confirm what is the agreed retention of documents policy within the Ombudsman Service (please send me a copy of the policy document), and if you have observed these policies why would you have a policy whereby you destroy all relevant documents within a matter of two or three weeks following the conclusion of your work.
Please provide the following information/ hard copy policy documents on the issues raised below. 1. How many complaints have you accepted for investigations, where the issues giving rise to the complaints occurred more than one year ago. 2. What test did you apply to accept these complaints and why? 3. What policy do you use to determine the substance of the complaint letters to be responded to. 4. What policy do you use to reject complaints when the complainant has followed HMCTS' complaints process? 5. How do you determine which complaints to investigate when they are outside of a year because HMCTS has delayed to provide (a) reply and (b) final reply in breach of their published timescale 6. How do you arrive at decisions on complaints where HMCTS have confirmed that it does not have letters that have been signed for as received by HMCTS at its offices? 7. Do you always decide letters, without having sight of all the complaint letters? 8. Not to comment upon HMCTS's substantial delays to respond to complaint in breach of its published policy. 9. Do you consider HMCTS's substantial delay to provide final response letters puts complainants at advantage.? 10. Do you consider the effect of HMCTS's substantial delay to respond to complaint letters, if so, what? 11. What is your timescale/policy to send out investigations decisions? 12. Do you provide drat decision before sending out your final decisions? 13. What is your policy on redress to complainants when you have delayed sending out your final decisions. 14. How many times have you not sent (a) draft decisions and (b) final decisions (c) what were the reasons for (a) and (b) above. 15. Under what circumstances do you extend time to provide responses to your decisions and what is the length of time you allow for responses? 16. In relation timescales, what weight, if any, do you apply to complainants who have previously applied to your service 17. In relation to rejecting complaints, do you apply a higher standard to complainants who have previously referred complaints to you. 18. Why and what factors do you consider when rejecting complaints from those who have preciously used your services. 19. Please provide the information with regards to age, sex, nationality, ethnicity and race. Redact any personal information.
18/09/2023
Additional FOIA questions in furtherance of your emailed, and attached, response(s).. Q.1) Are the attached/above cited HMCTS & DWP complaint decision outcomes, from the number 14172 that your emailed response of today states that '...Over the last 8 years, a total of 14172 complaints were accepted for detailed investigation....'? Q.2) In reference to your attached information, (that is also cited above)-could you supply to me: i.) brief details of the category, or type, of each complaint that was resolved/upheld/partially upheld, in each year from 2015-2023, pertaining to the HMCTS & the DWP? ii.) PHSO complainant's complaint details, and/or case reference numbers, (that I may read of each complainant's case & decision from the PHSO's Case Decisions website page)- of each PHSO complaint that was resolved/upheld/partially upheld, in each year from 2015-2023,-pertaining to the HMCTS and the DWP? Q.3) From 2015-2023, how many complaints has the PHSO resolved/upheld/partially upheld, ,(and can you supply to me case details including case reference numbers) pertaining to, i.) Independent Case Examiner's Office? ii.) The Growth Company / Standguide / Avanta / G4S', (and any other Work Program, oe Welfare-to-work, Providers,)? iii.) Hays Specialist Recruitment Ltd / Morgan Hunt (UK) Ltd / Capita PLC or Capita Education Resources Ltd / Protocol National Ltd?Quality Teachers Ltd, (& any other Employment/Staff Recruitment Agency)?
15/09/2023
You do not have a blanket exemption under FOI 2000 or GDPR 2018 for cases that the PHSO have already completed/finalised (cases that are now inactive) and as such I require disclosure of the following specifically and explicitly : 1. Case progression statistics and data that pertain to delays within the PHSO in the past three years. 2. Case management logs that pertain to delays within the PHSO and its casework in the past three years. 3. Data and statistics held for cases withdrawn by the complainant due to excessive delay or dissatisfaction with the PHSO at a given stage of the PHSO complaint process in the past three years. 4. Case waiting time data for cases in the past 3 years (from case initial intake to final response). Broken down as reasonably practical or in another format. 5. Case waiting time data from the intake to initial investigation stage. 6. Case waiting time data from the initial investigation stage to final response stage. 7. Internal PHSO management guidelines and issued directives that pertain to the internal management of casework delays and associated costs, including KPI data for this area of PHSO operations. Vague and brief written summaries (particularly those that regurgitate any press or website release) will not suffice. I require specific documentation and written evidence held by the PHSO of the above FOI questions (1-7). I believe that these above questions are sufficient to provide detailed information that can then inform the FOI disclosure within a manageable and reasonable time frame for you to disclose.
14/09/2023
Could I get a freedom of information request concerning reporting of crimes to Durham Constabulary. I would like every suspected crime that I have reported in five years. Requested from Durham Constabulary in May. No response to date and I believe they are over the time scopes of 30 days. Requested from EE in June, again received nothing, I requested all details of contact with Ee over contract period.
13/09/2023
For the years in columns B-I could you please provide information on "healthcare complaints" made by individuals held in the Immigration Removal Estate.* 1) How many complaints regarding healthcare where referred to the PHSO, following an investigation by the healthcare provider. i.e. where the detainee was not statisfied by the response of the healthcare provider. 2) How many of these complaints were upheld by the PHSO? * Immigration removal estate includes immigration removal centres (IRCs), contracted short-term holding facilities (STHF) (Home Office supplier operated); including holding rooms and residential short-term holding facilities, pre-departure accommodation (PDA) and during escort. "Healthcare complaint" is classed as any expression of dissatisfaction about any NHS commissioned service in the IRC estate or about the attitude, behaviour or conduct of healthcare staff working in those establishments. See Home Office Guidance on Handling Complaints - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/handling-complaints-in-immigration-removal-centres/accessible#healthcare-complaints-england
For each of the last five financial years, please provide your complaint outcome statistics - complaints received, upheld, partly upheld and not upheld - relating to complaints from people whose babies died or suffered harm at the following three NHS hospital trusts: Shrewsbury and Telford, East Kent, Nottingham I wish to revise my request by limiting it to 'Complaints accepted for Detailed investigation'. Please also provide the total number of complaints received for each Trust.
12/09/2023
Does the Parliamentary Ombudsman- 1) Only believe members of the public grieve only at the death of male close family members and not for close female members? 2) Only believe that members of his own staff suffer discrimination, harassment and victimisation under the Equality Act which should be considered and not members of the public, so these acts against the Equality Act should not be given consideration when they happen to members of the public? 3) Only believe that members of his own staff should be given consideration if they suffer/have suffered all forms of abuse(financial, physical, psychological and emotional), including coercive control, however no consideration when this happens to members of the public? 4) Not accept as shown by so many studies that the grief from death by suicide is greater than just a natural or accidental death? 5) Not accept as shown by so many studies that the grief from death of a child is greater for a parent than the death of other adult relatives? 6) Not accept as shown by studies that the grief from death of a second child is greater for a parent than the death of only one child, especially if the deaths do not occur from the same accident or illness? 7) Not accept that anyone, including members of the public, can suffer detriment to their well being/health and psychological stress, if they suffer from financial, physical, psychological and emotional abuse, including coercive control, discrimination, victimisation and harassment, including large operations for suspected cancer, debilitating illnesses like shingles, poor mental health, especially if support is not available/given from Adult Services or the police to stop the abuse and harassment? 8) Not accept as shown by many studies that the grief from a death of a close relative, for whom you were a carer for, under the Care Act, especially if you were doing 5 hours per day caring can make grief more complicated? 9) Not accept as stated by Cruse the charity that the following can all make grief more complicated and prolonged- • How the person died: If the person died in a sudden or traumatic way this can affect the grieving process. • Your relationship with the person who died: If you were cut off from the person who died or you had fallen out recently, this might make grieving more difficult. • Family conflicts: Any existing family conflict can make things difficult. If you had difficult relationships with parents or carers when you were young that can also have an effect. • Loss of a child: If your child has died you may be more likely to experience complicated or prolonged grief. • Previous bereavements and other losses: If you’ve experienced other deaths in your past, particularly at an early age, this can make complicated grief more likely. Some people can experience grief overload, from multiple bereavements or from other losses, eg of home or job, or through divorce. • Mental health conditions: If you have an existing mental health condition then this can make the grieving process more difficult.
Is there any UK government directive document, which all ombudsmen follow, or does each Ombudsman write its own?
11/09/2023
PHSO has a larger budget and larger staff now than at anytime in their history. In 2022-23 the PHSO recruited 111 new staff members, although only 52 were caseworkers. Please tell me what the other 59 do? It is strange to complain about the increase in workload while at the same time recruiting large numbers of people who will not address the increase. Even stranger to deny people with perceived low levels of injustice, any access to justice, blaming the heavy workload, while failing to recruit people to deal with the workload. Also please tell me does the PHSO intend to quote annual statistics on the same date though the years? Then we can compare these statistics more easily to understand what the PHSO is comparing. It does not seem to be comparing like with like.