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Independent Reviewer of Service Complaints

Advisory Board/non-executive members are not involved in operational matters and are therefore unable to comment on, or provide support to, individuals.

The Independent Reviewer of Service Complaints supports the Ombudsman in learning from complaints about our service to continually improve our performance.

We operate a two-stage process for service complaints. The Independent Reviewer considers a sample of complaints against our service and how effectively they were handled, including timeliness and responsiveness. Where complaint handling standards are not met the Independent Reviewer will be able to make recommendations for improved practice. The Independent Reviewer’s reports will be published on our website from 2021-22 and summarised in our Annual Report and Accounts.

Report published February 2023

Report published July 2022

Report published January 2022

First report, published June 2021

The Independent Reviewer will not consider individual service complaints, the outcome of determinations or other decisions made by the Ombudsman service on individual cases.

Photograph of Adam Sampson

Adam Sampson

Adam was appointed as our first Independent Reviewer of Service Complaints in February 2021.

He has a strong background in housing, having spent seven years as CEO of Shelter and been involved directly in housing provision and management. He is also experienced in Ombudsman services, having set up both the Prisons Ombudsman and the Legal Ombudsman, where he was Chief Legal Ombudsman.