Queensland Ombudsman

We have three roles: 1. We look at complaints about the actions and decisions of Queensland agencies. This service is free and confidential. We are restricted by law from commenting on individual complaints publicly. Queensland agencies are state government departments, local councils, public authorities, and non-government entities used by agencies to deliver services to the community. If you have a complaint about an agency, follow the agency’s complaints process first. Contact the agency and tell them that you have a problem. Explain what happened, why it’s wrong and how you think it should be fixed. Give them a chance to fix the problem. This is the fastest way to resolve a complaint. If your problem is not resolved, you can ask the agency to review its decision. If you are still unhappy, you can come to us. We look at the way a decision was made. We give feedback to improve agencies actions and decisions. We also monitor the advice we give to agencies to see if it is improving. If we can’t help you, we’ll try and put you in touch with someone who can. Other common complaint handling organisations are listed on our website. We are independent of government. The Ombudsman is accountable to parliament, rather than the government of the day. No one can tell us what to investigate or how to investigate. We are also the Inspector of Detention Services (Inspector). The focus of the Inspector is the humane treatment of detainees and the prevention of harm. We achieve this through reviews, inspections and independent reporting. We inspect youth detention centres, adult prisons and watch-houses. Our reports make suggestions for improvement. We are also the oversight agency for Public Interest Disclosures (PIDs). PIDs are disclosures about serious wrongdoing in the public sector. We provide advice and education to public sector employees. Visit ombudsman.qld.gov.au for further information.