Nova Scotia Ombudsman William A. Smith said the year 2020-2021 has been “like no other” for his Office, as it adapted to the new normal of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Department Policy
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).
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.
The Annual Report of the Office of the Ombudsman for 2019-2020 reflects normal pre-pandemic operations, but also includes achievements and case examples, says Ombudsman William Smith.
Below is a selection of reports made available for public release:
The Nova Scotia Office of the Ombudsman handled 2,278 complaints, inquiries, and youth contacts in the 2018-2019 fiscal year. In his Annual Report, tabled in the House of Assembly October 1, 2019, Mr. William A.
This Office was forwarded an anonymous letter alleging wrongdoing within the Public Service Commission with respect to their job posting practices, which restrict applications for certain positions to applicants from under-represented groups.
This Office received complaints from several individuals regarding the Nova Scotia Farm Loan Board, a section within Crown Lending Agencies. The complaints were varied and included concerns involving the workplace culture, a procurement contract, and allegations of a breach of confidentiality and potential conflict of interest.