The Office of the British Columbia Ombudsperson is one of ten provincial ombudsman offices in Canada. It receives enquiries and complaints about the administrative practices and services of public agencies in British Columbia. It is headed by the B.C. Ombudsperson, an officer of the provincial legislature who is independent of government and political parties. Its role is to impartially investigate complaints to determine whether public agencies have acted fairly and reasonably, and whether their actions and decisions were consistent with relevant legislation, policies and procedures.
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History
Following the ombudsperson model which originated in Sweden in 1809, the Office of the Ombudsperson, British Columbia, was established in 1970.
The first ombudsperson in British Columbia was Karl Friedmann (1979–1985). He was succeeded by Peter Bazowski (Acting Ombudsman 1985–1986), Stephen Owen (1986–1992), Dulcie McCallum (1992–1999), Brent Parfitt (Acting Ombudsman 1999 and 2006), Howard Kushner (1999–2006) and Kim Carter (2006–present).
As ombudsperson, Carter introduced an early resolution program to improve the timeliness of resolutions for individuals and authorities. She has also established a systemic investigation team that has produced a number of public reports on areas ranging from lottery prize security to home and community care programs for seniors.
In the years 2012 and 2013, about 7,500 inquiries and complaints were responded to and 1,900 resolutions or investigations were completed. Nearly 20 per cent of the complaints involved the Social Development Ministry
In 2014, the office investigated the oversight and regulation of private post-secondary institutions in the province.
Role and mandate
The ombudsman operates under the authority of the BC Ombudsperson Act, and can investigate complaints of unfair treatment by more than 2,000 public agencies in British Columbia in the process of implementing government policies. Before registering a complaint, people who contact the Ombudsperson’s Office are first referred to specific agencies' internal resolution procedures, if they haven't already tried this route.
The office responds to complaints from individuals and organizations, and also initiates systemic investigations. Confidential interpretation services are offered in more than 180 languages and written information about the Ombudsperson's Office is available in English, French, Chinese, Filipino, Korean, Punjabi, Vietnamese and Spanish.
The office also makes recommendations about improvement in administrative processes, so that the same problems do not recur. For example, In September 2013, the office produced a 'preventative ombudsmanship' report, Open Meetings: Best Practices Guide for Local Governments. In February 2013, the office produced a report that made recommendations for improvement to practices followed by the Public Guardian and Trustee and the six health authorities, establishing provincial training for staff, and creating legally binding minimum requirements when creating certificates of incapability. In 2014, the office released recommendations for improvement in environmental oversight by the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources of land development.
The office brings issues to public awareness, and also reports directly to the British Columbia Legislature. An ombudsperson’s recommendations are usually very specific suggestions for legislative, regulatory or procedural changes. In 2012 the office issued its largest report called The Best of Care: Getting it Right for Seniors in British Columbia, Part 2, making recommendations to the Ministry of Health and five health authorities about improving home and community care, home support, assisted living and residential care services for seniors.
Agencies that are under the ombudsperson jurisdiction include all provincial ministries, Crown corporations, boards and commissions (e.g. WorkSafeBC). Municipalities, regional districts, schools and boards of education, as well as health authorities and hospitals, and also self-regulating professions, such as the College of Physicians and Surgeons, the Law Society, College of Social Workers, are all included.
Current officeholder
Kim Carter has a background in criminal, international and administrative law. She received a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School and a Master’s of Law at the University of Ottawa. She was the Director of International Law for the Canadian Forces. She has held the positions of Director of Military Prosecutions and Chief Military Judge. Carter was appointed Ombudsman on May 15, 2006 by the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia and reappointed on May 9, 2012.
Reports and publications
The Office of the Ombudsman has created both annual and investigation-specific reports, which are publicly available on its website.