All Investigation Reports

Ombudsman role: All - Department of Human Services - Department of Social Services - Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet - Department of Health - National Disability Insurance - Department of Jobs and Small Business - Indigenous Australians - Immigration - Defence Force - Postal Industry - Overseas Students - VET Student Loans - Private Health Insurance - Commonwealth Ombudsman - International Program

2024

• Did they do what they said they would? Reviewing our Recommendations.
  Commonwealth Ombudsman: A report looking at whether our recommendations had been implemented, to answer the question ‘Did they do what they said they would?’
• Administration of NDIS funded assistive technology
  Commonwealth Ombudsman: Commonwealth Ombudsman Administration-of-NDIS-funded-assistive-technology.pdf page.
• Inquiry into behaviour training for Defence recruits
  Defence Force: An inquiry into Defence’s framework for administering training to new recruits about Defence’s required behaviours.

2022

• Comcare’s management of medical examinations
  Commonwealth Ombudsman: Comcare’s administrative framework for managing medical examinations under section 57 of the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation ACT 1988.
• Did they do what they said they would? Reviewing our Recommendations Volume 2
  Commonwealth Ombudsman: Did they do what they said they would? Reviewing our Recommendations Volume 2
• Investigation into compliance with the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013
  Commonwealth Ombudsman: Investigation into compliance with the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013
• Report into Australia Post’s Signature on Delivery service during COVID-19
  Commonwealth Ombudsman: Report into Australia Post’s Signature on Delivery service during COVID-19
• Easy Read (HTML) - Investigation into the National Disability Insurance Agency’s preparation to meet the Participant Service Guarantee
  Commonwealth Ombudsman; National Disability Insurance Agency: Commonwealth Ombudsman Easy Read (HTML) - Investigation into the National Disability Insurance Agency’s preparation to meet the Participant Service Guarantee page.
• Easy read version – Investigation into the National Disability Insurance Agency’s preparation to meet the Participant Service Guarantee
  Commonwealth Ombudsman; National Disability Insurance Agency: Commonwealth Ombudsman - Easy read version – Investigation into the National Disability Insurance Agency’s preparation to meet the Participant Service Guarantee
• Monitoring Immigration Detention - The Ombudsman’s oversight of immigration detention - July 2020 – June 2021
  Commonwealth Ombudsman; Immigration: Commonwealth Ombudsman - Monitoring Immigration Detention - The Ombudsman’s oversight of immigration detention, July 2020 – June 2021
• Investigation into the National Disability Insurance Agency’s preparation to meet the Participant Service Guarantee
  Commonwealth Ombudsman; National Disability Insurance Agency: Commonwealth Ombudsman Investigation into the National Disability Insurance Agency’s preparation to meet the Participant Service Guarantee
• The Department of Veterans’ Affairs’ communication with veterans making claims for compensation
  Commonwealth Ombudsman: Commonwealth Ombudsman.

2021

• Statement-by-the-Commonwealth-Ombudsman-on-the-current-investigation-relating-to-the-National-Health-and-Medical-Research-Council’s
  Commonwealth Ombudsman: Commonwealth Ombudsman Statement-by-the-Commonwealth-Ombudsman-on-the-current-investigation-relating-to-the-National-Health-and-Medical-Research-Councils.pdf page.
• Report into Australian Federal Police’s (AFP) use and administration of telecommunications data powers 2010 to 2020
  Commonwealth Ombudsman: Commonwealth Ombudsman Report-into-the-AFPs-use-and-administration-of-telecommunications-data-powers.pdf page.
• Own Motion Investigation into Services Australia’s Income Compliance Program
  Commonwealth Ombudsman: Report about Services Australia's implementation of changes to the program in 2019 and 2020
• ACT Policing’s administrative framework for engagement with the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community Volume 2
  Commonwealth Ombudsman; ACT Ombudsman:
• ACT Policing’s administrative framework for engagement with the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community Volume 1
  Commonwealth Ombudsman; ACT Ombudsman:

2020

• Statement by the Commonwealth Ombudsman Michael Manthorpe on the Australian Federal Police's handling of allegations made about the Hon Angus Taylor MP
  Commonwealth Ombudsman: Commonwealth Ombudsman Commonwealth-Ombudsmans-investigation-into-the-Australian-Federal-Polices-AFP-handling-of-the-NSW-Police-referral-of-information-relating-to-the-Hon-Angus-Taylor-MP.pdf page.
• Investigation into the actions of the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) in relation to Mr C
  Commonwealth Ombudsman: Investigation into the actions of the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) in relation to Mr C
• Lessons in good complaint handling
  Commonwealth Ombudsman: Findings from the 2019 Complaint Assurance Project

2019

• Investigation into the administration of the Defence Force Retirement and Death Benefits (DFRDB) scheme
  Commonwealth Ombudsman; Defence Force: Investigation into the administration of the Defence Force Retirement and Death Benefits (DFRDB) Scheme
• Implementation of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT)
  Commonwealth Ombudsman: Baseline assessment of Australia's OPCAT readiness
• Overview of the Defence abuse reporting function
  Defence Force: Overview of the Defence abuse reporting function
• Defence's policies for receiving and responding to reports of abuse
  Defence Force: Defence's policies for receiving and responding to reports of abuse
• June 2019: A report on Australia Post's implementation of the Ombudsman's recommendations
  Commonwealth Ombudsman: This is a report on Australia Post’s implementation of recommendations arising from the April 2018 report entitled ‘Review of Australia Post complaints about carding, Safe Drop and compensation’
• April 2019: Centrelink’s Automated Debt Raising and Recovery System
  Commonwealth Ombudsman: Implementation report’

2018

• 2017 State of the Health Funds Report
  Commonwealth Ombudsman: Commonwealth Ombudsman 2017-State-of-the-Health-Funds-Report.pdf page.
• December 2018 Preventing the immigration detention of Australian citizens - Investigation into the Department of Home Affairs’ implementation of the recommendations of the Thom Review
  Immigration: This report looks into the Department of Home Affairs’ implementation of the recommendations of the Thom Review and the strategies it has in place to prevent an Australian citizen from being detained.
• July 2018: Investigation into the actions and decisions of DVA in relation to Mr A
  Defence Force: This report stems from a complaint made by a veteran with over 30 years of service to Australia, and the difficulties he faced in accessing his correct entitlements through the Department of Veterans’ Affairs
• June 2018: Bupa Health Insurance Hospital Policy Changes
  Private Health Insurance: This report discusses two changes that are being made by Bupa which will have a detrimental impact on consumers. The first is policy restrictions becoming exclusions on Bupa’s basic and mid-level hospital policies. The second is alterations that Bupa has made to its medical gap scheme affecting non-contracted hospital and public hospital admissions.
• May 2018: Investigation into delays in processing inbound Containerised Sea Cargo
  Immigration: In late 2016 the Commonwealth Ombudsman was approached by representatives of the Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Council of Australia (CBFCA). They raised concerns about unnecessary delays stemming from the ABF’s administration of its customs related powers.
• May 2018: Report on NDIA administration of reviews under the Act
  Commonwealth Ombudsman: Report into the National Disability Insurance Agency's handling of reviews.
• April 2018: Investigation into the circumstances of the detention of Mr G
  Commonwealth Ombudsman: Mr G was originally detained in 2013 when his partner visa application was refused and his associated bridging visa was cancelled. In July 2017 it was determined that the notification of the refusal of his partner visa was defective and he in fact still held a valid visa. He was released from detention but on the same day his visa was then cancelled because of his conviction for criminal offences he committed while in detention. He was re-detained and held in detention until his removal from Australia.
• April 2018: Review of Australia Post complaints about carding, Safe Drop and compensation - 01|2018
  Postal Industry: Complaints concerning Australia Post have decreased 30 per cent over the last two years. However, complaints concerning delivery issues continue to be the primary reason Australia Post customers contact our Office. We have worked with Australia Post to develop meaningful and practical recommendations aimed at reducing complaints.

2017

• December 2017: Citizenship own motion investigation report
  Immigration: Delays in processing of applications for Australian Citizenship by conferral Commonwealth Ombudsman: Investigation into the Department of Immigrations and Border Protection's administration of a cohort or applicants requiring enhanced integrity and identity checks.
• April-2017: Centrelink's automated debt raising and recovery system
  Commonwealth Ombudsman: A report about the Department of Human Services' online compliance intervention system for debt raising and recovery.
• 2016 State of the Health Funds Report
  Private Health Insurance: Provides comparative information on the performance and service delivery of health funds.
  A web accessible version of the report can be found here.
• Investigation into the processing of asylum seekers who arrived on SIEV Lambeth in April 2013
  Commonwealth Ombudsman: Investigation into apparent inconsistencies our office identified in the processing of irregular maritime arrivals (IMAs) by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (the department).

2016

• December 2016: Investigation into Indigenous Language Interpreters
  Commonwealth Ombudsman; Indigenous: Commonwealth Ombudsman investigation into the accessibility and use of Indigenous Language Interpreters by government agencies
• December 2016: The Administration of Section 501 of the Migration Act 1958
  Commonwealth Ombudsman; Immigration: Own motion investigation report into s 501 of the Migration Act following the change in December 2014 that made cancellation of a visa mandatory in some circumstances which increased the number of visas cancelled from 76 in 2013-14 to 983 in 2015-16. This has increased the number of people placed into an immigration detention centre after completing their prison sentence and has led to substantial delays in determining appeals to revoke the cancellation decision in order to remain in Australia.

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