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Chief Ombudsman's Annual Report 2023/2024

Issue date:
Format:
PDF
Word
Language:
English,
Te reo Māori

View the introduction in New Zealand Sign Language

Excerpt from the introduction

Navigating the path in a time of change and uncertainty can be difficult. Holding fast to your core purpose and values is vital. So too, is lighting the way for others where you can. 

In these challenging times, good governance, transparency and accountability cannot be ephemeral concepts that give way when the road is complex and challenging. Rather, they are way-markers that must be strong and enduring, and help guide the way to promote a stable, modern society.

As Chief Ombudsman and an Officer of Parliament, a role that was established over 60 years ago, I play my part in our democracy through a range of activities aimed at safeguarding the rights of people and promoting government accountability and transparency. My oversight can help to identify and resolve problems, as well as provide assurance through impartial inquiry when something is going well. 

This year, I have made every effort to help lift good practice across government, while also responding to an ongoing and unprecedented number of people seeking my help. Remaining agile, and focusing on the detail as well as the big picture, has been key.

In 2023/24 I completed the highest number of complaints and protected disclosures ever. I completed 6,269 complaints, eight percent more than the number completed last year and 58 percent more than the average number completed in each of the five years prior to the pandemic. I also completed 220 protected disclosures and enquiries, a 159 percent increase from the previous year

Both complaints and protected disclosures have been received at historically high levels over the last three years, indicating that a sustained high level of intake may be becoming the new normal. So far, I have been able to respond to the ongoing high demand from people seeking my help through careful triage, additional resourcing and a focus on efficient processes, without sacrificing quality. My overall clearance rate remains high. However, the fact remains that I am having to manage an increasing number of ongoing complaints on hand at the end of each reporting year. In addition, while my complaint timeliness figures improved this year, they are being affected by the ongoing high volume of demand. 

In terms of the complaints completed, I made 303 recommendations and obtained 1,358 remedies—1,143 remedies for the benefit of the individual, and 215 remedies for the benefit of public administration through improved processes and systems. Improving administration can help to prevent downstream costs that arise when poor practices continue. 

Along with responding to individual complaints and protected disclosures, I also undertook a wide range of proactive interventions to help lift good administrative practice across the public sector, and to promote transparency and accountability. 

I successfully launched Te Puna Mātauranga, my free eLearning platform for public sector agencies, with 539 users from 140 organisations so far accessing it. I also continued my programme of advice for agencies, as well as making submissions on policy and legislative issues, and publishing the outcomes of key cases.

I carried out 108 visits to places of detention. I continued to identify a range of common concerns across detention facilities, including capacity pressures, staffing shortages, substandard material conditions, insufficient training and resources, overly restrictive practices and poor record keeping. I made 409 recommendations to improve treatment and conditions for people—of which 90 percent were accepted. I also published my expectations for the conditions and treatment of people in mental health services, intellectual disability services, court facilities and aged care residential facilities. 

I launched my OIA self-assessment tool for agencies. This is an interactive tool that allows agencies to self-assess their official information practice and capability against a set of key indicators. Agencies can consider both detailed information about their progress and next steps, and high level summary information in a graphical interface. The tool was downloaded 879 times in 2023/24. 

I also published a report, Open for business, on my investigations into local government meetings and workshops. I found some workshop practices that were counter to the principles of openness. The report sets out my expectations for the practices all local authorities should adopt to improve the transparency of their meetings and workshops. All eight local authorities I investigated demonstrated a willingness to change their practices, and around the country a number of local authorities that were not subject to my investigation reviewed their own practices and have now opened workshops to the public.

I also published a report on Children in care: complaints to the Ombudsman 2019-2023, which analyses more than 2000 complaints and other enquiries I have received about Oranga Tamariki since 2019. I concluded that I could not provide assurance that Oranga Tamariki is consistently operating in accordance with good administrative practice, and provided my view on practice and process improvements that would make a material difference. I continue to follow up progress on these improvements with Oranga Tamariki.

As well as reaching out to government, I have continued my efforts to engage with the public this year. I updated and published eight different pamphlets about my role and made them available on-line and through all Citizen’s Advice Bureaux and Community Law offices across New Zealand. All pamphlets are available in English, te reo Māori and accessible versions, and two pamphlets are available in 16 languages. 

I launched nau-mai.nz – a new website that provides support to tamariki and rangatahi who may have concerns about Oranga Tamariki and its care or custody providers. The website features child friendly images and age appropriate language. I have also set up a dedicated 0800 phone line and a SMS text call back service, as well as printed information resources and posters. All my resources have been informed by specialist research with care experienced children and young people and their trusted adults. 

My staff and I also continued kanohi ki te kanohi engagement, including with hapu, iwi and Māori organisations, groups in Pacific and Asian communities, Deaf and Disability communities, Citizen’s Advice Bureaux, Community Law offices, child care providers, and advocacy groups. My engagements have focused on listening to issues of concern and interest, and sharing information about my role. A highlight was a visit to the Chatham Islands | Rēkohu, Wharekauri, where I met with iwi, members of the public, community groups, local business leaders, the council, and various other agencies and got a first-hand insight into local challenges.

I published a report on my insights and observations from my engagement with communities affected by the extreme weather events in the North Island in 2023. My report highlighted some important matters for government agencies to consider in preparing for and responding to disasters, including effective and accessible communication and information, good decision-making processes, and clear complaints and review mechanisms.

There is also international demand for sharing and learning with the New Zealand Ombudsman. A particular focus amongst my international colleagues this year was on how Ombudsmen can contribute for the future. In this respect, my recent work on extreme weather events was of much interest. I was also able to continue building relationships and engaging with Ombudsmen, particularly across the Pacific, South East Asia and Australia. This year, following a successful pilot with four countries, I also launched my International Ombudsman Self-Assessment Tool, which allows Ombudsmen to benchmark their functions and capabilities against regional and international best practice. 

This will likely be my last annual report as Chief Ombudsman. It has been a privilege to serve. Looking back over the past nine years, I am truly proud of the work my staff have done to support me, and our contribution to making New Zealand, and the world, a better place. We have held true to our purpose and values, and we have shone the light for others. I wish to thank all my staff, both past and present, for their mahi, professionalism and spirit of service, and for their continual effort to promote good governance, transparency and accountability, and thereby achieve fairness for all. 

I hand over the torch to my successor with high expectations and confidence that they are well placed to continue the work of Ombudsmen in New Zealand that was started so many years ago. 

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