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In June 2017, an Ombudsman Representative noted several complaints had been received the previous month regarding the effectiveness of the complaint process at the Wood Street Centre (WSC).
It often falls to the Office of the Ombudsman to try to explain what may seem like a confusing government regulation or funding formula to a complainant. Or, more usefully, to persuade an administrator of a particular program to explain it to a complainant in a non-judgmental way.
In January 2019, two complainants contacted this Office to advocate for a sibling, who had been dealing with Housing Nova Scotia (HNS). The complainants and the sibling felt “wronged” by the actions of HNS related to the sibling’s residency which the family believed the sibling was paying rent-to-own.
The Final Report for the Child Death Review undertaken by this Office was issued in 2014 and the implementation of the recommendations have been monitored since that time. While many of the recommendations relate to policy development within the responding departments, there was one recommendation that was issued to all three responding departments.
Individuals sometimes find out about the services of the Office of the Ombudsman through the departments that they are dealing with. This is what occurred when an individual with complaints involving the Office of the Police Complaints Commission (OPCC) was referred to us by the Department of Justice.
Two separate individuals contacted this Office expressing concerns for the safety and well being of a senior who was living in the community. According to the individuals, they believed the senior was at-risk and as a result, they submitted complaints or referrals to Adult Protection.
A senior contacted this Office after their home care nursing service was discontinued. They were receiving this service through the health authority and reported that they did not know why they were removed. This Office contacted the continuing care staff within the health authority zone but was unable to resolve the issue.
Happy Ombudsman Day!
On October 8, 2020, we celebrate Ombudsman Day! The day is a celebration of the important role played by Ombudsman Offices around the world. Not all Ombudsman Offices are the same, but we share a lot in common. Most exist to foster confidence in the services they oversee by exercising their responsibility to hold them accountable.
This Office was contacted by a youth residing at the Wood Street Centre Campus. The complainant alleged that several attempts were made to contact their Caseworker, but there was no response. An attempt was made to escalate the matter to the Caseworker Supervisor but was met with similar results.