Annual Report 2007-08 - the Parliamentary and Health Service ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Home OfficeBorder and Immigration AgencyWe reported on 52 complaints about theBorder and Immigration Agency (now theUK Border Agency) in the year.In conjunction with the Government’sGreen Paper The Path to Citizenship,the Agency published a series ofconsultation questions in February 2008on reforming the immigration system.While the specific questions did not fallwithin the remit of the Ombudsman, shedid respond with some generalobservations and recommendationsabout the need to simplify the system.The Ombudsman welcomed theGovernment’s aim of simplifying the legalframework for immigration. She has longbeen concerned that asylum seekers andimmigration detainees do not have accessto clear and comprehensive informationabout the avenues of complaint that areavailable to them in the UK. This problemis often compounded by flawedprocesses, avoidable delays and systemicfailings as the case studies of Ms H, Mrs Fand Mr E amply demonstrate.In responding to the consultation, theOmbudsman emphasised the need tokeep in mind two key principles: the needfor good administration and the need forgood complaint handling. She noted thatthe Green Paper states that simplificationis important in helping to increase theefficiency of the decision-making process,thereby reducing delay and the risk ofmistakes. While agreeing with this, sheemphasised the need to have a goodcomplaint handling system in place todeal with mistakes when they do happen,and stressed that effective complainthandling will help increase publicconfidence in the system.11Case StudyBorder and Immigration Agencytook five months to correctsimple mistakeMs H applied for indefinite leave to remain in January 2005.The Border and Immigration Agency (the Agency) granted leavein August 2006, and despatched the status documents to Ms Hon 5 October. Ms H promptly returned them to the Agency’sCroydon office, as it had attached her residence permit to herdaughter’s immigration status document and vice versa. She saidthat her cancelled travel document had not been enclosedalthough the covering letter had said that it was. The Agencyreceived the package on 11 October and sent it to its Liverpooloffice. No note was made of its arrival.Ms H asked her MP for help and on 4 January 2007 the MP’soffice told the Agency that Ms H urgently needed her statuspapers. The Agency could not find Ms H’s papers and conducteda search. It requested permission to destroy the original statusdocuments unseen so that replacements could be issued.Permission was granted and corrected documents were issuedto Ms H on 5 March.Ms H complained to the Ombudsman about the Agency’s delayin ruling on the leave applications, the time taken to correct themistake over the status papers and the failure to return hercancelled travel document. She said she had sufferedinconvenience and distress, her studies had been disrupted (shecould not enrol for a particular course as she had neither herpassport nor status papers), and she was concerned that she mighthave problems in future obtaining a new travel document as shecould not produce her previous one.We upheld Ms H’s complaint. At the time of her application,the Agency had received a number of similar applications, whichcaused delay. Her file was twice sent to storage before a decisionhad been made and it was not allocated to a caseworker untilsome 19 months after the Agency had received it. The Agency’smistake over the status papers was unfortunate and did notamount to maladministration, but it handled matters poorly afterthat. It received the incorrect status papers, but what happenednext is unclear since there was no record of their arrival inLiverpool. The Agency only took meaningful action when Ms H’sMP stressed the urgency of her case and took five months tocorrect a simple mistake.The Agency apologised to Ms H for its mistakes and awardedher £200 in recognition of the inconvenience caused. It acceptedit had mislaid her cancelled travel document, and confirmed thatin writing. (The letter will enable Ms H to prove why she no longerhas her old travel document).26
Parliamentary and health service ombudsman annual report 2007-0827
Page 3 and 4: Annual Report2007-085th Report - Se
Page 5: previously identified. I am pleased
Page 8 and 9: Figure 1 continuedTop 5 departments
Page 11 and 12: Parliamentary and health service om
Page 15 and 16: Parliamentray and health service om
Page 17 and 18: Parliamentray and health service om
Page 25: Parliamentary and health service om
Page 30 and 31: 13Case StudyMishandled corresponden
Page 49: Parliamentary and health service om
Page 52 and 53: Figure 7Joint investigations conduc
Page 54 and 55: We have had continuing contact with
Page 56 and 57: abc56
Page 58 and 59: 405%Telephone405%Telephone403%Writt
Page 60 and 61: Figure 9 continuedTop 5 Parliamenta
Page 62 and 63: Figure 11aNumber of types of closed
Page 64 and 65: Figure 13Top 5 departments by numbe
Page 66 and 67: Figure 15Top 5 departments by numbe
Page 68 and 69: Figure 16Health investigations repo
Page 70 and 71: Figure 19: Parliamentary complaints
Page 72 and 73: Figure 19 continued: Parliamentary
Page 74 and 75: Figure 19 continued: Parliamentary
Page 76 and 77:
Figure 20: Distribution of continui
Page 78 and 79:
Figure 22: Distribution of health c
Page 80 and 81:
Judicial reviews of our decisionsan
Page 82 and 83:
Applying our Principles to ourown w
Page 84 and 85:
Capturing, organising and sharingou
Page 86 and 87:
abc86
Page 88 and 89:
Financial reviewPHSO’s net operat
Page 90 and 91:
Balance sheet as at 31 March 200831
Page 92 and 93:
The Board as at March 2008Ann Abrah
Page 94 and 95:
The Executive BoardAn Executive Boa
show all

Annual Report 2007-08 - the Parliamentary and Health Service ...

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?