The Ombudsman for Children’s Office handled 177 complaints on children’s issues during it’s first year, with 85.9 per cent being made by adults and 13.1 per cent by children.
Emily Logan, the Ombudsman, said the main issues raised in the complaints were to do with education and health, although, she was surprised that there had not been more complaints regarding the availability of health services in different local authority areas.
The role of the Ombudsman for Children is to promote the rights and welfare of children. It can investigate complaints against public bodies, schools or voluntary hospitals where actions by those bodies have or may have adversely affected a child.
Ms Logan said that 123 of the 177 complaints made were in its remit. Of the 123 complaints 15.4 per cent remain active.
She added that the Ombudsman’s Office preferred to use advocacy when dealing with complaints and this had been very successful especially when dealing with school boards of management. Ms Logan expected that only two complaints would require her office to invoke it’s investigatory powers.