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© Office of the Ombudsman, 2019
The website is designed from the ground up to help you do what you want to do. It includes:
The home page
The front page of the site helps you reach the information and tools you need.
From the top to the bottom, these are the main things you’ll see:
- short menu at the top
- site-wide search bar
- help for members of the public and public sector agencies (including making a complaint)
- what the Ombudsman can help with
- OIA response calculator (see below)
- stories about the Ombudsman helping others
- latest news, resources, and publications
- a video explaining what the Ombudsman does, in two minutes
- full menu at the bottom.
Response calculator
Use this calculator to see when a request for official information is due.
It counts working days, leaving out weekends and holidays, so you know it’s accurate.
Please note: Recent statutory changes to LGOIMA response times haven't been built into this calculator. For more information about the changes to LGOIMA, please see our guide.
Remember, the due date is the allowed limit, and information should be provided as soon as you reasonably can.
For the public
Help for members of the public
Make sure you’re in the right place, find out how to get information, or make a complaint, using the I want to help tool on this page.
Choose from the available options, and find out if you should:
- talk to another agency (if the Ombudsman can't help you)
- send a complaint to the Ombudsman using the online form
- get directly in touch to ask for more help.
If you’re still not sure what to do, get in touch.
Stories about the Ombudsman helping others
See some of the things the Ombudsman can assist with in the Stories section, including:
- changing unfair agency policies
- keeping the water on for a family with an unfair debt
- getting students their marked exams.
For agencies
Help for public sector agencies
Make sure you’re getting what you need with the I want help with tool. You can also use this tool to help you make a request for training or other information.
If you’re still not sure what to do, get in touch.
Guidance
You can find published guidance for agencies on the Resources for agencies page. This includes:
- general OIA and LGOIMA guides
- disability accommodation guidance
- advice on good administration, and more.
Finding resources
The Ombudsman's reports, help for agencies, published case notes and more are searchable in the Resources and publications section.
You can search for keywords, and filter down your results in several ways using the tools on the right.
Click through to a resource to see its details and download the document.
