PUBLICATION SCHEME POLICY

This Publication Scheme relates to the Offices of both the Assembly Ombudsman for Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Complaints. For ease of reference these two statutory offices are referred to jointly as the Northern Ireland Ombudsman.

The Publication Scheme is based on the Information Commissioner’s model scheme for non-departmental public bodies (www.ico.gov.uk/) It describes the information the Ombudsman publishes or intends to publish, and where it can be accessed. The Types of information the Ombudsman publishes is divided into the following categories:

• Who we are and what we do
  • Dr Tom Frawley CBE
  • What does the Ombudsman do
  • Staff Organisation chart
  • Our address
    
• What we spend and how we spend it
  • Resource Accounts (PDF Format)
• What are our priorities and how are we doing
  • Corporate Plan 2010-2013
  • Business Plan 2008 – 2009
• How we make decisions
  • Annual Report
  • Role of the Senior Management Team
  • Summaries of SMT Meetings
  • March 10
  • January 10
  • September 09
  • October 09
  • Audit Committee – Terms of Reference
  • Summaries of Audit Committee Meetings
• Policies and procedures
  The following documents are currently only available by post free-of-charge. The information will be available on the Office’s website in the near future.
  • All current Office policy statements which have been approved by the Senior Management Team
  • The internal Office Guidance Manual containing current guidance for all staff involved in the handling of complaints and/or enquiries
  • The internal Office Finance Manual containing current guidance for finance staff
• Lists and registers
  • Resource Accounts (PDF)
• Services we offer
  • Complaints Form
  • Internal Complaints Procedure
  • Rights and Responsibilities Booklet

The information that falls within the publication scheme is available free or charge. All requests for information will be acknowledged and a response issued within 20 working days.

Where possible the Northern Ireland Ombudsman’s Office will publish information on its website. However, as we accept that some people do not have access to, or are not comfortable with the use of the Internet, we will provide an alternative form of publication in each case. In addition, access to the Office’s website will also be available, free of charge, in the Office (please contact the Office for details).

Please note that under the Ombudsman’s legislation he must conduct his investigations in private and the information gathered for the purposes of those investigations can only be disclosed in very specific circumstances. The impact of this provision is that information obtained by the Ombudsman during his investigations is in many cases covered by an absolute exemption from disclosure under Section 44 of the Freedom of Information Act.

If you are unhappy with any decision not to release information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 you may ask for an internal review. You should contact the Ombudsman, Dr Tom Frawley, if you wish to request an internal review.

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.