Ombudsman's Office Releases 2005-06 Annual Report

An annual report released today, May 1, by the Ombudsman Office, noted several highlights from the 2005-06 fiscal year.

The accomplishments include the implementation of a seniors program, the extension of the youth program to group homes and an increase in the number of system reviews conducted by the Ombudsman's Office.

Other highlights include:

• a high level of acceptance of the office's review by government bodies
• an increase in jurisdictional issues compared to non-jurisdictional issues coming to the office's attention
• an increase in the number of reviews with positive outcomes
• implementation of disclosure of wrongdoing investigation and education initiatives

Nova Scotia's Ombudsman is generally encouraged by the willingness of government organizations to address concerns put forth by complainants. There is a need, however, for government to continue to improve its responsiveness to concerns.

"We are working collaboratively with government departments on process reviews and policy and program development," said Dwight Bishop, Nova Scotia Ombudsman. "We will continue to develop this positive relationship in the year to come."

The Office of the Ombudsman is an independent agency that addresses administrative concerns about provincial or municipal government services. Its services are provided free of charge.

The complete annual report is available on the Office of the Ombudsman website at www.gov.ns.ca/ombu .