Investigation reports
Read about issues we've investigated, and our recommendations. These reports can help other public organisations improve their performance.
Investigation report Investigation of a matter referred from the Legislative Council on 25 November 2015
Date posted:The Ombudsman found 21 Labor MPs breached Parliament's Members' Guide by certifying payments to electorate officers used for party political campaigning. This occurred in the lead up to the 2014 State Election. The Labor party agreed to pay back the public funds that had been misused.
Tags:Investigation report Investigation into the financial support provided to kinship carers
Date posted:Kinship carers were not receiving the financial support to which they were entitled, the Ombudsman found. Members of a child's family or social group who took in a child were receiving far less support than foster carers. As a result of the investigation, more than $170,000 was back-paid to carers.
Tags:Investigation report Implementing OPCAT in Victoria - report and inspection of Dame Phyllis Frost Centre
Date posted:Female prisoners in Victoria's main women's prison were being routinely strip searched, the Ombudsman found. She described the practice as "humiliating, degrading and undignified". She was also concerned about a high incidence of force and restraint being used at the prison.
Tags:Investigation report Investigation into the management of maintenance claims against public housing tenants
Date posted:This investigation found disadvantaged Victorians were being charged thousands of dollars for the repair of damaged public housing, even when there was no evidence they had caused the damage. The department accepted all 18 of the Ombudsman's recommendations for improvement.
Tags:Investigation report Investigation into the management and protection of disability group home residents by the Department of Health and Human Services and Autism Plus
Date posted:Vulnerable people were put at risk when provider Autism Plus and DHHS failed to move a group home resident who was accused of sexually assaulting his housemates. The Ombudsman said the events raised serious concerns about Autism Plus's suitability to provide programs and care for DHHS clients.
Tags:Investigation report Enquiry into the provision of alcohol and drug rehabilitation services following contact with the criminal justice system
Date posted:This enquiry confirmed that access to rehabilitation services remains the dominant concern for prisoners and former prisoners struggling with addiction. The problem is of particular concern in rural and regional Victoria, where there was also a lack of access to secure and affordable housing,
Tags:Investigation report Report into allegations of conflict of interest of an officer at the Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board
Date posted:This investigation found an MFB manager hired her son, after falsifying his CV and after he changed his name to conceal the relationship, She then hired her second son, also falsifying his CV and after he too changed his name. The public paid more than $400,000 for the services of her two sons.
Tags:Investigation report Investigation into allegations of improper conduct by officers at the Mount Buller and Mount Stirling Resort Management Board
Date posted:Senior management spent more than $85,000 of public funds on international family travel, entertaining friends, bonuses and prizes for staff, the Ombudsman found. The resort's CEO used taxpayer money to pay for flights for himself and his family to the United States for what was primarily a holiday.
Tags:Investigation report Report on youth justice facilities at the Grevillea unit of Barwon Prison, Malmsbury and Parkville
Date posted:This report provides insights into the conditions within Victoria's youth justice facilities, following riots. The Ombudsman said there was no quick fix to the serious problems affecting youth justice. She said the government must deliver long-term reform that addresses the causes of youth crime.
Tags:Investigation report Investigation into the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages' handling of a complaint
Date posted:This investigation was sparked by a complaint from a grieving mother attempting to obtain a birth certificate for her dead son. The case highlighted many problems with the Registry including poor record keeping, lack of clear policies, delays in actioning requests, and poor complaints handling.
Tags:Investigation report Investigation into the transparency of local government decision making
Date posted:This investigation surveyed all 79 Victorian councils and selected 12 for detailed focus. It found some councils were embracing innovations such as live-streaming of council meetings while others had moved to restrict public access to decision-making. The Ombudsman warned "secrecy breeds suspicion".
Tags:Investigation report Ombudsman enquiries: Resolving complaints informally
Date posted:This casebook includes 14 summaries of complaints able to be resolved promptly by the Ombudsman's office. These included a council telling a resident to pay $7,000 for a tree removal and a mother asking a prison to conduct a medical or psychiatric assessment of her son upon his arrival in prison.
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