About me and my team
My name is Nick Bennett and as Public Services Ombudsman for Wales I have legal powers to look into complaints about public services and independent care providers in Wales. I also investigate complaints that members of local government bodies have broken their authority’s code of conduct. I am independent of all government bodies.
I have a team of people who help me to consider and investigate complaints. The service that we provide is impartial and free of charge.
The vision, values, purposes and strategic aims that we have set for our service are set out below.
Our Vision
A public service culture that values complaints and learns from them to improve public service delivery.
Our Mission
By investigating complaints, we aim to put things right for service users and contribute to improving public service delivery and standards in public life.
Our Values
- Equality and Fairness
- Independence and Impartiality
- Improvement and Effectiveness
- Transparency and Accountability
Our purposes
- To investigate complaints about public bodies
- To put things right. When we can, we will try to put people back in the position they would have been in if they had not suffered an injustice, and work to secure the best possible outcome where injustice has occurred.
- To recognise and share good practice so that public bodies can learn the lessons from our investigations and put right any systemic weaknesses identified, leading to continued improvement in the standards of public services in Wales.
- To help people direct their complaints to the right public service provider or complaint handler.
- To investigate complaints against local authorities members who have broken the code of conduct.
- To build confidence in Welsh local government by promoting high standards in public life.
Strategic aims
Strategic Aim 1: To provide a complaints service that is accessible, of the highest quality, proportionate and effective.
Strategic Aim 2: To use the knowledge and insight obtained from the complaints we consider to improve complaint handling by public service providers and to have an impact on improving public service delivery and informing public policy.
Strategic Aim 3: To continue to evolve and grow as an office, specifically planning for implementation of the Ombudsman’s new powers should the National Assembly for Wales create a new Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Act.
Strategic Aim 4: To be accountable for the service we provide and the public money we spend.