Our strategy 2018-21 Delivering an exemplary ombudsman service - Parliamentary and Health Service ...
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Our strategy 2018-21 Delivering an exemplary ombudsman service
2
Contents
Foreword 4
Introduction 6
Setting the scene 7
Working with the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman 9
Our new strategic objectives 2018-21 10
Our strategy at a glance 11
Objective 1 12
Objective 2 14
Objective 3 16
Measuring our progress 18
3
Foreword
As the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO)
moves past its 50th year and into its second half century of
existence, we are excited by the opportunities that lie ahead
for the service we provide.
In developing this new help us achieve the 24% difficult journey for people
three-year strategy we have spending review savings who have suffered great
received valuable input from that we are committed to injustice. Where this has
a wide variety of people delivering by 2019-20. The happened, it is important
who use our service as well strategy we publish today, that the mistakes that have
as the organisations we while bold, achieves this been made are learned from
investigate and work with. necessary balance. so the same thing does
We have looked closely at Our main focus, particularly not happen again. By being
what is working elsewhere in the first year of the more transparent about
in the ombudsman sector, strategy, is to complete the what we do, including
and we have also invested work we have already publishing far more of our
significant time in talking to started to improve our casework, we plan to bring
our staff to understand service. We will then build greater visibility where
what our priorities should on this by speeding up our things have gone wrong
be and how we can improve case handling, by using and what is happening to
and act more equitably. We early resolution techniques put them right so others
are grateful to everyone and by exploring how can learn from this.
who has given time to share different ways of resolving We know that improving
their views with us and we cases, such as mediation, public services and the
have listened carefully to can be incorporated into health system is not
what they have said. how we work. something we can deliver
We are conscious in We also want to show more in isolation. We need to
developing our strategy, effectively the impact our work with complainants,
that we must strike a work can have. While organisations we investigate
balance between being government departments, and the advocacy services
ambitious and being public organisations and the that support complainants,
realistic. PHSO is already in health service successfully to achieve the changes
the middle of completing handle many thousands of that are needed. However,
an ambitious change complaints each year, this is we have an important role
programme that will not always the case. PHSO is to play in using our insight
improve our service and often the last stop on a to help bring about
4
improvements across We will continue measuring There is much to do, but we
public services and this how we are performing are confident that through
can be achieved while through our Service Charter continuous learning and
also maintaining the highest over the lifetime of this improvement and with the
standards of independence strategy and are committed commitment of staff at all
and impartiality in our to improving our performance. levels of our organisation, we
decision making. To help with this, both of us are well placed to achieve the
This strategy sets out our have invested a lot of time objectives we have set out.
vision and makes clear the over the last year talking to
values that are at the heart colleagues across the
of all that we do. We want organisation and asking
to be an exemplary them to help us shape a
ombudsman service – one new set of values. In having
that continually learns from these discussions we have
the best of what others are once again been impressed
doing, while contributing to by the dedication and
improvements elsewhere commitment of our people
across the public sector and to doing the best job Rob Behrens CBE
Ombudsman and Chair
the wider ombudsman possible on cases that are
sector. We also want to often complex, sensitive
continue building public and emotionally charged.
confidence and trust in our We are clear that those
service. While the PHSO who work for us are our
Service Charter tells us that single most important
a significant majority of resource and over the
people who come to us say course of this strategy we
they get a good service, we will be investing in their
know that too many think training and development
Amanda Campbell CBE
this is not the case and to ensure they are fully Chief Executive
there is more we must do supported in delivering
to address this. their work.
5
Introduction
Our vision • Transparency: we look into the complaint. If we find
communicate with those using maladministration and injustice, we
To be an exemplary public our service and then publish can make recommendations to put
services ombudsman by providing information about our findings, things right. Organisations failing to
an independent, impartial and fair how we are performing, and act on our recommendations can be
complaints resolution service, how organisations we called before Parliament to be held
while using our casework to help investigate have implemented to account.
raise standards and improve our recommendations.
public services. Investigating and resolving
Our role individual complaints is a key part
Our values of our role as a public services
Now over 50 years old, although ombudsman, but our powers also
Our values have been developed our jurisdiction has evolved over allow us to shine a light on
in close consultation with our time, our core role remains highly complaints across organisations,
staff and all those who use our relevant. We are the last resort for systems and sectors. Although not
service so we all have a shared people who are dissatisfied with a consumer champion or
understanding about the type of the treatment or service they advocacy service, we share the
ombudsman service we want to be. have received – be it from a findings from our casework
government department, their widely to help bring about
Our values are: agencies or an NHS organisation. improvements to public services,
Each year we are contacted by including with the UK Parliament,
• Independence: we are tens of thousands of people to to help it hold organisations to
independent from look into complaints where they account. The Ombudsman is a
organisations we investigate, believe there has been injustice or Crown appointment,
holding them to account for hardship because an organisation independent of government, but
service failure. has not acted properly or fairly, or accountable to Parliament. Our
• Fairness: we listen carefully has provided a poor service and work is scrutinised by the Public
to complainants and the not put things right. Administration and Constitutional
organisations we investigate We make final decisions on Affairs Select Committee.
and we make impartial and fair complaints that have not been
decisions based on relevant resolved by the NHS in England,
evidence. UK government departments and
• Excellence: we learn from some other UK public
engagement with complainants organisations. Usually people must
and organisations we complain to the organisation first
investigate to improve our so it has a chance to put things
accessibility, efficiency and right. If, after an organisation has
effectiveness and the quality responded, an individual believes
of our decisions. the dispute or situation remains
unresolved, they can ask us to
6
Setting the scene
Our ambition is to to live within a reduced public speed up complaint handling are
funding allocation and to show producing greater satisfaction
become an exemplary more clearly our impact and rates and improving the quality of
ombudsman service, and value for money. casework. This is helping change
the culture and behaviours of
the starting point for this In drafting this strategy, we
these ombudsman services in
have asked ourselves (and our
strategy has been to stakeholders) a number of important ways, such as by
listening more effectively to
refocus on our core role. questions. How well are we able
what complainants are saying.
to fulfil our role today and where
There is a clear demand for our are we falling short? Recognising Others in the sector have become
service. In 2016-17 our information that the environment in which we more transparent about what they
line received 123,084 contacts, 26% operate has changed, how do we do, demonstrating their impact by
of which (31,444) we accepted as adapt and transform our work? publishing their casework findings
new complaints to look at under online or extending their reach
the first step of our casework What can we learn from
colleagues across the diverse through making recommendations
process. We also immediately about important policy improvements
helped over 23,000 other people ombudsman community, who
are responding to similar in a similar way to our own
by providing information about insight work.
how they could make their challenges and drivers for
complaint to the organisation change? What do they do Just as we have continued to
they were unhappy with or by differently, and what practices develop our own website and
signposting them elsewhere. might we follow and adopt? online services, national and
While almost nine in every ten How have they approached international ombudsman
people who came to us were improving the quality of complaint colleagues have been using
complaining about something handling and showing their impact? other digital innovations to
that may have gone wrong in In addition to seeking the views of improve accessibility and
the NHS, we still receive a all our staff, we published a draft of communications with both
significant number of complaints our new strategic objectives for complainants and their sector
about central Government and consultation on 6 November 2017. We partners, capturing regular
other national public organisations sought comments from complainants, feedback and increasing their
where people think that things public organisations and the wider involvement. Many ombudsman
have gone wrong. public, receiving 157 written responses colleagues are, therefore,
by the time the consultation helping to set the bar high.
There is no doubt that we must We have taken what we have
change and evolve to meet the closed on 4 December 2017.
learned from them in
combination of challenges we This process of review, discovery developing this strategy to
face. Pressures include increasing and consultation has helped shape inform the boldness of our
public expectations, the need to our plans and informed the final own approach.
resolve complaints more quickly objectives set out in this strategy.
and to build trust and confidence In some areas we start from a
For some ombudsman services, position of strength. For instance,
in our decisions. We also need
early resolution techniques to our sector leading Service Charter
7
sets out what people can expect savings of 24% in the current more quickly. We are investing
from us when we are asked to spending review period, which heavily in developing our staff
look into a complaint. We use we are on track to achieve to deliver a consistently high
feedback from complainants on without impacting on the quality service.
whether we have met our Service long-term sustainability of We have also restructured our
Charter commitments to focus on our service. organisation and re-located most
where we should improve. Crucially, we are now in the of our operation to Manchester,
We are also committed to process of transitioning to a to help us meet our savings
demonstrating better value for new operating model, which will targets. The new strategy will build
money by delivering financial enable us to resolve complaints directly on this foundation.
Our ambition is to
become an exemplary
ombudsman service, and
the starting point for this
strategy has been to
refocus on our core role.
8
Working with the Local Government and Social Care
Ombudsman
It is now over 50 years since important reform when from each other. This includes
Parliament passed the legislation parliamentary time allows. publishing clear information
that created the UK’s first public Nonetheless, we already that sets out the range of work
sector ombudsman scheme. work closely with the Local we do and how well we are
Recent opportunities to reform Government and Social Care doing against agreed standards,
the legislation and create a single Ombudsman (LGSCO) where which can be compared with
public service ombudsman have our jurisdictions overlap, such other similar organisations.
been put on hold – although as complex cases involving
we stand ready to work with health and social care, and we
government and Parliament to intend to continue to work
progress the delivery of this closely together and to learn
9
Our new strategic objectives 2018-21
Our vision is to be an exemplary public services ombudsman by providing an
independent, impartial and fair complaints resolution service, while using our
casework to help raise standards and improve public services.
We will introduce new ways of working that resolve cases more
Objective 1 quickly, improving both the quality and timeliness of our decisions
and the overall experience of people making complaints.
To improve the quality
of our service, while We will invest in our staff so they are equipped to deliver a
remaining independent, professional casework service that remains sensitive to the
impartial and fair complex, often tragic, issues that are brought to us.
We will publish more information about our casework online
to help improve public services, while enabling complainants,
the public and organisations we investigate to have Objective 2
confidence in what we do. To increase the
We will target our insight reports so that important lessons transparency and impact
from our casework and systemic reviews contribute to raising of our casework
standards in public services.
We will strengthen our relationships with other
ombudsman services, and collaborate with others to
Objective 3 improve how the public sector responds when things go
To work in partnership to wrong, from sharing good practice to offering training to
improve public services, complaint handlers.
especially frontline Drawing insights from our casework, we will work with
complaint handling those best placed to apply the lessons learned to improve
public services.
10Our strategy at a glance
2020-21
2018-19 2019-20
Objective 1 Objective 1 Objective 1
Embed our new operating Pilot the use of mediation Begin accreditation of
model and other early resolution caseworkers
Build on our staff training methods Build the approach from
programme Introduce changes following our pilots into our training
Objective 2 our governance review and accreditation
Objective 2 programme
Publish quarterly data
about the health Publish our first annual Objective 2
complaints we receive report on the complaints Complete our plans to
Publish more information we receive about the publish much more of
about our findings health system our casework online
Objective 3 Deliver an online solution Objective 3
that facilitates publishing Roll out of those tools and
Build on and strengthen more casework
existing external training approaches we
relationships, while Objective 3 find work best
developing new Work with our partners Explore how we can share
partnerships to develop and publish a the experiences we have
number of new tools and had delivering Our strategy
training 2018-21 with ombudsmen
Begin to roll out tools and colleagues
training materials
11Objective 1
To improve the quality encourages staff to live our values accessible, including to the most
in their day-to-day work and vulnerable in our society. We will
of our service, while behaviours. It is important for be clear that once we have made
remaining independent, us to continually learn from a decision it is final, helping to
impartial and fair each other at all levels of our give people closure.
organisation to improve how we Our transformation will also focus
Our aim is to deliver a consistent, deliver our services. Over each year
high quality, ombudsman service on being a well-run and well-led
of our strategy we will invest in organisation, with staff at all levels
that makes fair, final decisions developing our professional
for both complainants and the having the right tools to do their
casework staff so they have jobs properly. As part of our
organisations we investigate. the right skills, knowledge and strategy, we will review our
People who bring their complaints judgement to work effectively with governance to make sure it is fit
to us expect to have them taken both complainants and the for purpose. In addition, we will
seriously, to be listened to and organisations we investigate. consider different ways we can
treated with respect, and to be In addition to delivering a involve complainants and other
dealt with fairly and in a timely comprehensive staff training people and organisations that use
fashion. We will hold ourselves to programme, we will develop an our service to help improve how
these standards by implementing accreditation scheme. we work and shape the changes
a new operating model that Improving how we communicate we are introducing.
streamlines our processes, helps with people who complain to us is
us manage the demand for our at the heart of our development.
service and improves Building on the standards in our
communication and accessibility. Service Charter we will explain
It will also transform our approach how we work, how our decisions
to casework, while making sure we are reached and what they mean
remain sensitive to the complex in practice. Complainants rightly
and often tragic cases that are expect to have confidence in our
brought to us. Learning from good decisions and for them to be clear
practice in the wider ombudsman and understandable. They also
sector, we will pilot the use of expect our staff to be professional
alternative dispute resolution and consistent in how they reach
methods, ranging from early decisions. We will address these
complaints resolution to formal behaviours through continuing
mediation. In addition, we will professional development and will
review how and when we draw improve access to our service by
upon clinical advice when publishing clearer guidance.
resolving complaints.
We will also make sure our
We will create a culture supportive website and online resources
of continuous improvement that are understandable and
12In 2018-19 we will: • Develop options for
What will be different at
involving complainants in
• Complete the delivery of improving our service, to the end of the three years?
our new operating model improve confidence and
and initial staff training. • We will be resolving cases more
trust in our decision making.
quickly while delivering better value
• Identify early complaints • Begin scoping how we for money having achieved savings
resolution methods we will pilot and evaluate of 24%.
can easily introduce and mediation and other early
incorporate into staff • Investment in our staff will have
resolution methods, in
training. equipped them to deliver a high
consultation with our
quality casework service, while
• Build on our staff training stakeholders.
changing our organisational culture,
programme by taking with our staff survey showing we
steps towards acquiring In 2019-20 we will: have a more engaged workforce.
professional
• Pilot the use of mediation • Our Service Charter will show
accreditation.
and other early resolution clear improvements in how we are
• Review and implement methods. performing with higher levels of
any necessary changes to trust and confidence in what we do.
• Introduce changes
operational policies.
following our governance • Our spending review bid will have
• Develop our Service review. made clear what we plan to achieve
Charter to broaden how in this new period and the impact our
• Prepare our spending
we monitor and measure settlement will have on this strategy.
review bid and deliver
performance, improving
current saving • We will have improved our
our accountability by
commitments. governance to make sure it is fit
publishing clear
information about the for purpose.
range of work we do and In 2020-21 we will: • While we have maintained the
how well we are doing • Begin accreditation of highest demonstrable standard of
against agreed standards, caseworkers. impartiality, complainants will be
which can be compared more involved in helping to
with other organisations. • Evaluate mediation and improve our service.
other dispute resolution
• Review how we draw pilots, implementing the
upon clinical advice for most successful as part of
resolving complaints, our new ‘Ombudsman
adapting our operating toolbox’.
model and training as
needed. • Build the approach from
our pilots into our
• Review our governance training and accreditation
and begin to introduce programme, so staff are
the changes we think are fully equipped to use
needed. these methods.
13Objective 2
To increase the suffered a tragic loss and be gathered by our joint working
experiencing bereavement. team and emerging issues from
transparency and impact Publishing what we have found the intersection of health and
of our casework can help those running public social care.
Being an exemplary ombudsman services learn from what went We plan to continue improving
service means holding ourselves wrong and help them to restore how we engage with complainants
accountable to the same high trust while making sure others do by further developing the open
standards we hold others to. For not face similar experiences. meeting we first held in November
the public to have confidence in In the short term we will explore 2017 and the Radio Ombudsman
us and what we do, we need to how we can publish casework podcast launched in September
become a more open, accessible data so it is useful for public 2017. We will continue the
and transparent service. Improving services, regulators and complaint programme of annual Ombudsman
how we communicate – with handlers as well as complainants. lectures launched in December
complainants, organisations we Longer term, we plan to publish 2017. We will identify new
investigate, partners and the much more of our final casework opportunities to get direct
general public – underpins each online so everyone can see more feedback from those who use
of our planned activities. clearly the impact of our work on our service, in addition to the
We know from complainants’ public services, and complaint quarterly feedback we get from
feedback that one of the reasons handlers can improve their our survey of people who use
they are motivated to complain is understanding about good our service.
to prevent harm to others in the practice. We will become a more
future. Consequently, we want to transparent organisation, which
make sure that the recommendations will also better align us to the
and action plans that flow from current practice of the LGSCO.
our decisions are more visible so In addition to publishing our
people can see the impact they make casework, we will target our
and other public organisations, such as insight reports so that important
regulators, can better use this lessons from our casework and
information. systemic reviews contribute to
First, we will publish the raising standards in public
outcomes of our casework services, especially within the
online. This will include where we NHS. This does not mean setting
have found against the arbitrary targets, but making sure
organisations we investigate and we make constructive proposals
set out what steps they have for change when our casework
taken to comply with our indicates this is needed. We will
recommended actions. Often, also continue to explore what
people who make complaints to more we can do in this area with
us have been injured, or may have the LGSCO through the insight
14In 2018-19 we will: In 2019-20 we will: What will be different at
• Start publishing quarterly • Publish our first annual the end of the three years?
data about the health report on the complaints • We will be routinely publishing our
complaints we receive. we receive about the casework online along with levels
• Develop an approach to health system, highlighting of compliance in implementing
enable us to publish trends and key insights as our recommendations, enabling
more information about we already do for complainants and organisations
our findings and the parliamentary cases. we investigate to have greater
level of compliance with • Deliver an online solution confidence in what we do and how
our recommendations. that facilitates publishing our decisions have made an impact.
• Publish a transparent set much more of our • Through open meetings,
of principles and case casework in the most improvements in digital and other
studies about the use of effective way possible. communications, we will be engaging
financial remedy and • Begin publishing some of regularly and openly with the public,
work with national our casework online. deepening their understanding of
organisations to explore what we can and cannot do, and
how we can better In 2020-21 we will: better managing expectations.
explain who we are and • Complete our plans to • By improving the targeting of our
what we do to publish much more of insights, we will be showing how
organisations we our casework online, important lessons from our
investigate. drawing out insights for casework and systemic reviews
• Build on our training the organisations we have demonstrably contributed to
programme to improve investigate. both informing parliamentary debate
the quality of our and raising standards in the health
investigation reports. system and the wider public sector,
• Scope a project for including government departments.
publishing the vast
majority of our casework
online, as well as
exploring what other
material we should
publish.
• Start a review that
explores new ways to
get feedback from those
involved in our casework
and begin introducing
the most effective
methods we identify.
15Objective 3
To work in partnership to Complaints Forum and we have government and NHS
improve public services, already begun highlighting good organisations learn from mistakes.
practice in complaint handling in
especially frontline this area. We will also work with
The ongoing policy shifts that are
complaints handling bringing health and social care
advocacy organisations, bodies together – such as integration,
like the National Guardian and new care models and joint
Our complaints resolution service Healthwatch, and gather views
is at the end of what can be, for commissioning – underscore the
from complainants to develop need to strengthen our existing
many people, a traumatic and our approach. We want to
emotional process navigating the partnership with the LGSCO.
expand the work we do with all During the next three years we
public sector complaints system. our partners in this area without
While we must be will build on our close working
duplicating their role, so that relationship to align further how
unquestionably independent complainants know at what stage
– and no activity we carry out to we resolve complex health and
they should come to us and we social care complaints and publish
deliver this objective will make our service as accessible as
compromise this – we recognise critical insights together.
possible.
that we are part of a larger group To stay abreast of ombudsman
of public sector organisations We will prioritise partnerships good practice, we will also
seeking to improve quality and that help shape how complaints contribute to the growing field of
prevent harm in public services, are initially handled by frontline ombudsman activity in this area,
especially in healthcare. Being complaint handlers. In the spirit working with our colleagues
more externally focused requires of ‘getting it right first time’, we internationally to learn from them
us to strengthen our relationships plan to work with a number of and share our own expertise.
and collaborate with strategic strategic partners to explore
partners to influence how all whether there are tools we can
levels of the NHS and the wider produce or help to develop that
public sector respond when will enable frontline complaint
things go wrong, so that where handlers to more effectively deal
mistakes are made they are with and resolve what are often
learned from. complex and sensitive issues. This
might include finding ways to
We already work closely with a share good practice, developing
number of organisations to do curriculum materials for use by
this. They include NHS England others or offering e-based
and NHS Improvement, and training such as webinars.
regulators like the Care Quality
Commission, NHS Resolution, Working with these partners, we
and Health Service Safety will explore if there are ways we
Investigation Branch. Other can better support leaders to
partners include the HMRC create the culture we know is
chaired Cross-Government necessary to make sure
16In 2018-19 we will: In 2019-20 we will: In 2020-21 we will:
• Build on and • Work with our partners • Complete the roll out of those tools
strengthen existing to develop and publish and training approaches we find
external relationships, a number of new tools work best, and re-launch a new
while developing new and training options for version of ‘My expectations’ to
strategic partnerships improving frontline reflect any changes we think are
with the shared aim complaint handling, needed as part of this process,
of setting common consulting with target ensuring the revised guidance is
standards and audiences and piloting co-produced with both the people
expectations for different delivery who use our service and our
resolving complaints, methods to test what partners.
starting with the NHS, works. • Explore how we can share the
identifying tools and • Begin to roll out tools and experiences we have had delivering
training opportunities training materials where our strategy 2018-21 with
to help meet these we think they are most ombudsmen colleagues and invite
standards. needed. them to share their views on what
• Review the challenges we should include in our next
to casework posed by strategy.
the structural changes
and new organisational
arrangements being
introduced across the
health and social care
sectors, working with
the LGSCO, as needed.
17Measuring our progress
The strategy we have set Feedback from staff, Therefore by the end of
ourselves is challenging and complainants and
will take hard work, energy organisations we investigate 2020-21, we aim to:
and collaboration to will inform us of how well
deliver. But with the our investment in training • Make quicker decisions on our
commitment of our staff has equipped staff to casework (demonstrated through
and effective leadership deliver an improved published data)
and planning, we are ombudsman service. At • Improve the quality of our casework
confident we will deliver the same time, stakeholder (illustrated through a balanced
our vision to be an feedback will let us know scorecard approach, linking casework
exemplary ombudsman that our relationships are process, outcomes and feedback)
service. strengthening and that
we are working more • Improve the perception and
Over the next three years, experience of our service by
we will judge our strategy’s effectively with other
organisations to raise complainants who come to us
success in relation to the (demonstrated through increases in
changes it is expected to standards in public
services. our Service Charter scores)
deliver. We expect to use
a wide range of data to By the end of the • Improve the perception and
monitor our progress and three-year strategy we experience of our service by the
achievements. will also show how the organisations we investigate (through
recommendations and increases in the scores of a new annual
As our strategic changes stakeholder survey)
are introduced, we expect insights from our
to show clear casework and reports • Demonstrate the impact and value for
improvements in the have influenced specific money of our service on the wider
quality, consistency and improvements across the public services (with a measure
timeliness of our decisions, public and health sectors. developed through a research project
along with improvements We will undertake a looking at measuring the wider impact
in how we communicate research project to inform of our work)
and interact with how we can best do this.
• Make our service as accessible as
complainants and the possible (through greater analysis of
organisations they have who uses our service and addressing any
complained about. potential barriers complainants face)
Specific key performance indicators will
be developed as part of our business plan
in each year of the strategy.
18The strategy we have set
ourselves is challenging and
will take hard work, energy
and collaboration to deliver.
But with the commitment of
our staff and effective
leadership and planning, we
are confident we will deliver
our vision to be an exemplary
ombudsman service.
19Find out more There are different ways you can find out more about our work and progress in delivering this strategy: Visit our website at: www.ombudsman.org.uk Follow us on Twitter: @phsombudsman Find us on Facebook Call us on: 0345 015 4033 If you would like this document in a different format, such as Daisy or large print, please contact us. Telephone: 0345 015 4033 Textphone: 0300 061 4298 Fax: 0300 061 4000 Email: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk www.ombudsman.org.uk Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Millbank Tower Millbank London SW1P 4QP Follow us on:
You can also read
