Agency Outline

The Office of the Ombudsman operates under the Ombudsman Act 1978 and is responsible for enquiry and investigation into complaints regarding the administrative actions of Tasmanian government agencies, local councils and a range of other public authorities. The Ombudsman seeks to resolve individual grievances and address systemic issues arising from administrative matters in the public sector. Through independent, objective and impartial investigations, the Ombudsman promotes fairness and equity and aims to bring about improvements in the quality and standard of public administration.

The Ombudsman also has a number of other responsibilities including:

·       Health Complaints Commissioner under the Health Complaints Act 1995;

·       Energy Ombudsman under the Energy Ombudsman Act 1998;

·       Coordinator of the Official Visitors Scheme under the Corrections Act 1997;

·       Principal Official Visitor under the Mental Health Act 2013;

·       providing administrative support for the Mental Health and Prison Official Visitors Programs;

·       Custodial Inspector under the Custodial Inspector Act 2016 and, as such, providing independent and systemic oversight of Tasmania’s custodial centres; and

·       implementing the Right to Information Act 2009, the Personal Information Protection Act 2004 and the Public Interest Disclosures Act 2002.

This chapter provides financial information about the Outputs to be delivered by the Office in 2018‑19 and the Forward Estimates period (2019‑20 to 2021‑22). Further information about the Office of the Ombudsman is provided at www.ombudsman.tas.gov.au.

Key Deliverables

The key deliverables for the Office of the Ombudsman include:

·       continuing the inspection of custodial centres in Tasmania pursuant to the Custodial Inspector Act;

·       continuing to identify suitable areas for own motion investigations, conducting such investigations and publishing quality reports;

·       building relationships at agency and provider level to improve processes, as well as making complaint handling information available to assist with timely resolution of complaints;

·       continuing to focus on implementing internal processes which enable the more effective and timely resolution of complaints under the Ombudsman Act and the Health Complaints Act;

·       building capacity (staffing, training and data-base) to meet new obligations related to the implementation of the National Code of Conduct for Health Care Workers;

·       coordinating and providing education and advice in relation to both health rights and responsibilities and assisting providers to build capacity to respond to complaints internally in accordance with section 6 (c), (e) and (f) of the Health Complaints Act;

·       providing clear outcomes for energy consumers making complaints to the Ombudsman in a rapidly changing Tasmanian energy market;

·       continue dealing with new Right to Information Act review matters in a timely fashion; finalising the backlog of such matters; working with agencies to provide specialised RTI experience through voluntary placements within the Office; and coordinating RTI training, particularly in smaller public authorities; and

·       continuing to recruit, train and mentor Official Visitors to maintain the efficiency and effectiveness of the Official Visitors Programs.

Output Information

The individual Output of the Office of the Ombudsman is provided under:

·       Output Group 1 ‑ The Office of the Ombudsman.

Table 19.1 provides an Output Group Expense Summary for the Office of the Ombudsman.

Table 19.1:       Output Group Expense Summary1

2017-18  2018-19  2019-20  2020-21  2021-22        Forward  Forward  Forward    Budget  Budget  Estimate  Estimate  Estimate    $'000  $'000  $'000  $'000  $'000              Output Group 1 - The Office of the Ombudsman           1.1 Decisions on Complaints Referred to the Ombudsman and Health Complaints Commissioner and Right to Information2 2 967  2 926  2 968  3 023  3 080    2 967  2 926  2 968  3 023  3 080              TOTAL 2 967  2 926  2 968  3 023  3 080

Notes:

1.   Agency estimates do not include the indexation impact of any variations to agency expenditure that have been made since the finalisation of the Revised Estimates Report 2017-18 (including December Quarterly Report). For further information see chapter 1 of this Budget Paper.

2.   The 2017‑18 Budget included the utilisation of funds carried forward for a fixed‑term Right to Information Officer ($48 000) and an IT System Application Development ($14 000).

 

Output Group 1:   The Office of the Ombudsman

1.1 Decisions on Complaints Referred to the Ombudsman and Health Complaints Commissioner and Right to Information

This Output provides for the independent and impartial resolution of complaints and the investigation of systemic issues relating to public administration, health care and energy services.

Table 19.2:       Performance Information ‑ Output Group 1

Performance Measure	Unit of Measure	2015-16 Actual	2016-17 Actual	2017-18 Target	2018-19 Target
Enquiries Finalised - Ombudsman, Health Complaints and Energy Ombudsman1,2	Number	1 812	2 048	1 680	1 764
Complaints Finalised - Ombudsman, Health Complaints and Energy Ombudsman1	Number	1 314	1 618	1 350	1 418
Average Cost per Resolved Case - Ombudsman, Health Complaints and Energy Ombudsman3,4	$	656	489	597	572
Cases Finalised per FTE5	Number	206	221	183	192
Complaints to Ombudsman, Health Complaints and Energy Ombudsman Resolved in Less Than Three Months6	%	72	86	88	88
Health Complaints Assessed Within Statutory Period of 45 days7	%	64	75	75	75
Health Complaints Assessed Within the Extended Statutory Period of 90 days7	%	81	89	90	90
Health Complaints - Early resolution under Section 25A of the Act8	%	15	18	20	20

Notes:

1.   The 2017‑18 targets have been updated to reflect extrapolated year to date actual enquiry and complaint numbers. The Office expects the number of enquires and complaints finalised to increase by approximately five per cent in 2018‑19.

2.   The Enquiries Finalised figure includes out of jurisdiction enquiries received by the Office.

3.   ‘Case’ includes both enquiries and complaints managed by the Office.

4.   The trend in Average Cost per Resolved Case reflects the decrease in cases received and thus resolved, a reasonably static level of Office funding, and the exclusion of costs to run the Official Visitors Program and the Custodial Inspectorate from 2015‑16 onwards. These do not form part of the complaint management function of the Office.

5.   There is no expected increase in FTEs from 2017‑18 onwards.

6.   The steady increase in actual Complaints to the Ombudsman, Health Complaints and Energy Ombudsman, Resolved in Less Than Three Months, reflects a concerted effort to resolve complaints within the preliminary assessment stage.

7.   This period includes time waiting for responses from health providers and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.

8.   The Health Complaints jurisdiction increased the target of finalising complaints through early resolution for 2017‑18 onwards from 15 per cent to 20 per cent. The focus on early resolution will continue to be supported through changes in work practices and procedures within the Office.

 

Detailed Budget Statements

Table 19.3:       Statement of Comprehensive Income

2017-18  2018-19  2019-20  2020-21  2021-22        Forward  Forward  Forward    Budget  Budget  Estimate  Estimate  Estimate    $'000  $'000  $'000  $'000  $'000              Revenue and other income from transactions           Appropriation revenue - recurrent 2 306  2 321  2 357  2 412  2 473  Other revenue from government1 62  ....  ....  ....  ....  Other revenue2 517  545  551  557  557  Total revenue and other income from transactions 2 885  2 866  2 908  2 969  3 030              Expenses from transactions           Employee benefits3 2 216  2 208  2 237  2 285  2 332  Depreciation and amortisation 43  43  43  37  33  Supplies and consumables4 621  586  597  608  620  Other expenses 87  89  91  93  95  Total expenses from transactions 2 967  2 926  2 968  3 023  3 080              Net result from transactions (net operating balance) (82) (60) (60) (54) (50)             Net result (82) (60) (60) (54) (50)             Comprehensive result (82) (60) (60) (54) (50)

Notes:

1.   Other revenue from government in 2017‑18 reflects carry forwards from 2016‑17 for a fixed‑term Right to Information Officer ($48 000) and IT System Application Development ($14 000).

2.   The increase in Other revenue in 2018‑19 reflects revised estimates of receipts from the Energy Ombudsman Complaint Levy during 2017‑18.

3.   Employee benefits in 2017‑18 includes funds carried forward from 2016‑17 for a fixed‑term Right to Information Officer ($48 000).

4.   Supplies and consumables in 2017‑18 reflects the utilisation of funds carried forward from 2016‑17 for the Tasmanian Custodial Inspectorate ($32 000) and IT System Application Development ($14 000).

 

Table 19.4:       Revenue from Appropriation by Output

2017-18  2018-19  2019-20  2020-21  2021-22        Forward  Forward  Forward    Budget  Budget  Estimate  Estimate  Estimate    $'000  $'000  $'000  $'000  $'000              Attorney-General and Minister for Justice                       Output Group 1 - The Office of the Ombudsman           1.1 Decisions on Complaints Referred to the Ombudsman and Health Complaints Commissioner and Right to Information 2 306  2 321  2 357  2 412  2 473    2 306  2 321  2 357  2 412  2 473              Office of the Ombudsman           Total Recurrent Services 2 306  2 321  2 357  2 412  2 473    2 306  2 321  2 357  2 412  2 473              Appropriation Carried Forward1 62  ....  ....  ....  ....              Total Revenue from Appropriation 2 368  2 321  2 357  2 412  2 473              Controlled Revenue from Appropriation 2 368  2 321  2 357  2 412  2 473    2 368  2 321  2 357  2 412  2 473

Note:

1.   The Appropriation Carried Forward in 2017‑18 reflects carry forwards from 2016‑17 for a fixed‑term Right to Information Officer ($48 000) and IT System Application Development ($14 000).

 

Table 19.5:       Statement of Financial Position as at 30 June

2018  2019  2020  2021  2022        Forward  Forward  Forward    Budget  Budget  Estimate  Estimate  Estimate    $'000  $'000  $'000  $'000  $'000              Assets           Financial assets           Cash and deposits1 301  141  141  141  141  Receivables1 12  7  7  7  7    313  148  148  148  148              Non-financial assets           Intangibles1 27  22  11  6  5  Other assets1 419  412  380  348  316    446  434  391  354  321              Total assets 759  582  539  502  469              Liabilities           Payables 27  27  27  27  27  Employee benefits1 382  436  453  470  487  Total liabilities 409  463  480  497  514              Net assets (liabilities) 350  119  59  5  (45)             Equity           Accumulated funds 350  119  59  5  (45) Total equity 350  119  59  5  (45)

Note:

1.   The variation in this item reflects revised estimates based on 30 June 2017 actuals.

 

Table 19.6:       Statement of Cash Flows

2017-18  2018-19  2019-20  2020-21  2021-22        Forward  Forward  Forward    Budget  Budget  Estimate  Estimate  Estimate    $'000  $'000  $'000  $'000  $'000              Cash flows from operating activities           Cash inflows           Appropriation receipts - recurrent 2 306  2 321  2 357  2 412  2 473  Other cash receipts1 517  545  551  557  557  Total cash inflows 2 823  2 866  2 908  2 969  3 030              Cash outflows           Employee benefits2 (1 970) (1 965) (1 992) (2 036) (2 079) Superannuation2 (229) (226) (228) (232) (236) Supplies and consumables1,3 (621) (586) (597) (608) (620) Other cash payments (87) (89) (91) (93) (95) Total cash outflows (2 907) (2 866) (2 908) (2 969) (3 030)             Net cash from (used by) operating activities (84) ....  ....  ....  ....              Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents held (84) ....  ....  ....  ....              Cash and deposits at the beginning of the reporting period 385  141  141  141  141  Cash and deposits at the end of the reporting period 301  141  141  141  141

Notes:

1.   The increase in Other cash receipts in 2018‑19 reflects revised estimates.

2.   Employee benefits and Superannuation in 2017‑18 include carry forwards from 2016‑17 for a fixed‑term Right to Information Officer ($48 000).

3.   Supplies and consumables in 2017‑18 reflects the utilisation of funds carried forward from 2016‑17 for the Tasmanian Custodial Inspectorate ($32 000) and IT System Application Development ($14 000).