Annual Report 2023-2024: Significant
achievements for children in care,
Francophones, students, inmates – and in local transparency
TORONTO, June 26,
2024 /CNW/ - Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dubé's ninth
Annual Report, released today, reflects record and near-record
complaints in several areas of his jurisdiction, including those
focused on the rights of vulnerable children, people with
disabilities, inmates and Ontarians seeking services in French.
The Ombudsman received 27,030 cases – complaints and
inquiries – in fiscal 2023-2024, and resolved 57% of them in
two weeks or less. The near-record case volume is up 10% from the
previous year and is among the office's highest in decades –
surpassed only by 2018-2019's total of 27,419.
Ombudsman Dubé attributes this growth largely to his Office's
work in areas that were only added to his jurisdiction in the past
5-8 years. Cases regarding children and youth in care increased by
15% over the previous year to 1,722 – and complaints about French
language services surged by 73% over fiscal 2022-2023, to a record
511. The Ombudsman was given these responsibilities just five years
ago, on May 1, 2019.
"Five years later, I am proud to say that we have seen
remarkable results," he writes in the report. "Both units brought
our proven and effective approaches to this work, along with
enormous dedication and passion for promoting the rights of young
people and Francophones."
Since May 2019, the Ombudsman's
Children and Youth Unit has received nearly 8,000 cases from young
people and concerned adults, raised numerous issues proactively
with the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services,
reviewed thousands of reports of deaths and serious bodily harm
incidents involving young people who received child welfare
services, and issued four investigation reports. All 112
recommendations from those investigations have been accepted.
Similarly, the Ombudsman's French Language Services Unit has
handled some 1,800 complaints in the same period, issued four
annual reports devoted to French language services, and conducted
two in-depth investigations.
The "Ombudsman approach," involves "making direct contact with
complainants, reviewing the facts, finding resolutions, flagging
issues and conducting investigations when warranted," Mr. Dubé
explains.
Cases in the three areas added to the Ombudsman's mandate in
2015-2016 also reached new heights this past fiscal year:
Municipalities accounted for a record 3,595 cases (up 28% over
2022-2023), while those about school boards surged 68% over last
year to a record 1,334. There were also a near-record 289 cases
about universities, up 41% from the previous year.
"To see such large numbers of people seek our help in these
areas is heartening," the Ombudsman says in the report. "Although
there can be many factors underlying an increase – or decrease – in
complaints, what is undeniable is that more Ontarians now have
recourse to their Ombudsman than ever before, for a wider variety
of issues… As this report illustrates, the results we obtain for
them are tangible and significant."
The Ombudsman highlights numerous examples of how his
organization has applied "proactive ombudsmanship" to promote the
rights of Ontarians in myriad ways – from helping vulnerable youth
in care and inmates in custody, to assisting with access to
services in French, to ensuring that local council and school board
meetings are open to the public.
He also notes a number of cases where his office is working to
help Indigenous individuals and communities with issues such as
access to birth certificates or delayed First Nations HST rebates.
The Ombudsman notes that he was "honoured to be invited to meet
with a number of First Nations groups," including visiting
Asubpeeschoseewagong Netum Anishinabek (Grassy Narrows First
Nation). "My team and I are actively seeking more opportunities to
have good words with Indigenous communities that broaden our mutual
understanding and enable the Ombudsman's Office to optimize its
contribution to reconciliation," he writes.
Among provincial government services, correctional facilities
continued to be the top source of complaints to the Ombudsman,
increasing 26% to 4,444 at a time when most facilities were at or
over capacity. The Ombudsman's office resumed sending teams of
investigators to view conditions and address issues at several
facilities in recent months, and followed up with the Ministry of
the Solicitor General on its progress in implementing reforms to
the use of segregation (solitary confinement) as well as the use of
force against inmates. Notwithstanding this progress, the Office is
concerned about inmates with mental illness being put in
segregation, contrary to government regulation, Mr. Dubé points
out.
Also in the category of "Law & Order" in his report, the
Ombudsman notes that his jurisdiction was expanded as of
April 1, 2024 to all provincial
police oversight organizations when legislation from 2019 finally
came into force – "a long-awaited step forward for civilian
oversight." He reports "slow" progress on police de-escalation
training, the subject of his 2016 report stemming from the fatal
policing shooting of Sammy Yatim a
decade ago. As he notes, the recommendations of this year's
coroner's inquest into that death echoed his repeated calls to
improve the way police are trained to deal with people in
crisis.
Other progress updates refer to the Ombudsman's major
investigations from the past year, notably regarding severe delays
at the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB), which have generated
thousands of complaints since 2020. Some progress has been made on
35 of the 61 recommendations he made in his May 2023 report, Mr. Dubé says. However, there
were 1,284 new complaints about the LTB this year (down from 1,894
in 2022-2023), which "suggests more needs to be done," the report
notes.
Similarly, the Ministry of Long-Term Care's Inspections Branch
has reported some progress in the wake of the Ombudsman's
September 2023 report on inspections
during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. It continues to
report back to the Ombudsman every six months.
During the past fiscal year, the Ombudsman also published:
- 24 reports and letters on his findings regarding 38 closed
municipal meetings, 42% of which were found to have violated
the Municipal Act rules. (The Ombudsman is the closed
meeting investigator for 268 of Ontario's 444 municipalities, and publishes
resources for all municipalities on open meetings, codes of conduct
and best practices for integrity commissioners.) "Councils, local
boards and school boards are important democratic institutions, and
we are proud to do our part in clarifying their responsibility to
be open to the public," Mr. Dubé writes.
- Five reports and letters on closed school board meetings (two
of these were published in June 2024,
including one about a meeting that generated hundreds of
complaints).
- Six submissions to government, proposing or commenting on
legislative changes.
- The Annual Report of the French Language Services Commissioner
(the next one, covering cases received between October 1, 2023 and September 31, 2024, will be published in
December).
The Ombudsman also provides updates on three pending
investigations:
- A report on the systemic issue of adults with developmental
disabilities being housed in hospitals is in the process of being
drafted; meanwhile, today's report notes several individual cases
where Ombudsman staff have helped individuals in similar situations
find appropriate residential placements.
- Interviews are wrapping up in the Ombudsman's investigation of
the Ministry of Education's direct payment programs, launched last
December.
- French Language Services Commissioner Carl Bouchard's probe of the government's
unilingual English out-of-home advertising, launched last July, is
complete and a report is being prepared.
For the first time, this Annual Report also includes an outline
of Ombudsman Ontario's new three-year strategic plan. "Our plan
prioritizes service excellence and value for all Ontarians, with
the aim – as always – of improving public services through our
work," the Ombudsman writes. He plans to publish an update when the
office marks its 50th anniversary next year.
About the Office of the Ombudsman: The Ombudsman is
an independent, non-partisan Officer of the Ontario Legislature,
appointed by all parties, whose role is to ensure that the
provincial government and public sector serve people in a way that
is fair, accountable and respectful of their rights. Under the
Ombudsman Act, the Ombudsman reviews and resolves complaints
and inquiries from the public about provincial government
organizations, as well as French language services, child
protection services, municipalities, universities and school
boards.
See also: Annual Report Facts and Highlights
and Ombudsman's Remarks, at www.ombudsman.on.ca
SOURCE Ombudsman Ontario