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First Nations

Most of us deal with public services at some point in our lives – it might be public schools or hospitals, public housing or dealing with your local council. You have a right to be treated fairly and have your human rights respected, in a culturally safe environment.

Acknowledgement

The Ombudsman acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country in Victoria and First Peoples in all their diversity and pays respect to their Elders past and present. We recognise the enduring connection First Peoples have to land, water and culture, over which sovereignty was never ceded. This always was and always will be Aboriginal land.

If you’ve been treated unfairly by a public service

If you’ve been treated unfairly when dealing with a public service, you can make a complaint to us. We handle complaints about more than 1,000 state and local government organisations – everything from child safety and prisons to bodies like VicRoads and WorkSafe.

Our role is to make sure the decisions and actions of public organisations are fair and they respect peoples’ human rights. When we weigh this up, we look at the circumstances surrounding your complaint, what the law says and the organisation's policies and procedures. We don’t advocate for individuals or public organisations, but we do try to find a fair outcome.

Our staff are committed to making sure the complaints process is culturally safe, and we have a dedicated First Nations team who can help you with your complaint.

How to make a complaint

Our commitment

When we handle complaints, our approach is guided by five principles:

  • We respect your right to self-determination and to make decisions about services that affect you.
  • We strive to create a culturally safe environment, where you can feel safe, respected and empowered.
  • We take a trauma-informed approach and recognise the impacts of colonisation and intergenerational trauma on First Peoples.
  • We’re committed to accessible, inclusive services and remove barriers wherever we can.
  • We’re open and accountable for our actions and we’ll communicate clearly with you.

If you’ve seen improper conduct, corruption or criminal activity in a public organisation

If you see something in a public organisation that doesn’t look right, you can report it to us. Reports of improper conduct, corruption or criminal activity are sometimes called ‘whistleblower complaints’ or ‘public interest disclosures’. They might involve theft, risks to health and safety, dishonesty or misuse of information.

If you report these issues to us, you can remain anonymous. And if you do tell us who you are, we’ll keep your identity confidential.

How to make a report

To report improper conduct, corruption or criminal activity in a public organisation, you can:

You’ll need to tell us:

  • what you saw and why you think it could improper conduct, corruption or criminal activity
  • who was involved
  • when and where it happened
  • whether you’ve told anyone else.

You can also send us copies of any documents related to your report.

Find out more about reporting improper conduct

If you want to read our investigations into fairness and human rights

As well as handling complaints, we also investigate whether the decisions and actions of public organisations are fair. In recent years, we’ve investigated a few topics related to the experiences of First Peoples.

Find out more about our past investigations

If you’re feeling distressed and want support

If you’re feeling distressed, you don’t have to deal with it alone. Here are some support services that can help.

Crisis support

13YARN – 13 92 76 

Lifeline Australia – 13 11 14 

Suicide Call Back – 1300 659 467 

Domestic, family and sexual violence support

1800RESPECT – 1800 737 732 

Mental health, relationships and wellbeing support

MensLine Australia – 1300 78 99 78 

Yarning SafeNStrong – 1800 959 563

BeyondBlue – 1300 224 636 

Talk to us

If you want to make a complaint or find out more about the process, you can call us on 1800 806 314 or email firstnations@ombudsman.vic.gov.au .

If we can’t help with your complaint, we’ll try to help you find an organisation who can.

You can also make a complaint via our online complaint form .

About the artwork

Maddison Laws, Yapaneypuk, 2025
('Together' in Yorta Yorta, pronounced 'yap-an-yee-pooch')

This artwork represents the many Countries that make up the rich and diverse landscape of Aboriginal Australia. Each section, defined by its own colours and patterns, symbolises a different land, community or lineage, all of which are distinct and sacred in its own right. Though these Countries are unique, they converge here, interwoven like our rivers meeting at a single source. This is a story of collaboration, strength in diversity and a deep connection to culture and land.