More than 25 years after a new way of handling complaints against the government and taxpayer-funded bodies was first proposed, an assistant minister hopes that her latest review into the creation of a ‘Jersey Public Services Ombudsperson’ will finally get over the line.
In 2024, Deputy Moz Scott was tasked by the Chief Minister with evaluating the potential establishment of a JPSO and on Friday, the politician published her work.
She said: “Many Islanders and government officers have shared experiences of a system that is overly complex and under-resourced. For some, systemic flaws have resulted in significant personal loss or hardship and psychological stress.
“It is essential to provide effective routes for redress to ensure citizens receive a professional service that employs generally recognisable best practice administrative review standards.”
She added: “A JPSO would help embed a culture of timely, effective complaint resolution, reducing escalation, complexity, and unnecessary costs; this would provide strong social value, improve delivery standards, and help public services to meet public expectations.
“While limitations on funding must be considered, there is compelling evidence that an ombud scheme would enhance service quality, accountability, and civic engagement. Not all benefits are measurable, yet most are vital to meeting community needs, shaping public trust in government, and supporting a good international reputation.”
Jersey’s current complaints-handling mechanism is the States of Jersey Complaints Panel, which was established under a law passed in 1982. It is restricted to the hearing of complaints by those who are “aggrieved by any decision made, or any act done or omitted, relating to any matter of administration by any Minister or Department of the States or by any person acting on behalf of any such Minister or Department.”
Deputy Scott said that she very much appreciated and valued the work of the voluntary Complaints Panel but added it was time to move from the ‘hearing-style’ structure of the panel to a more robust and less formal investigative process that is more sensitive to personal reputation and privacy issues.