Health and Social Care Ombudsman Body

HSCOB Secretary

PO Box 18

Douglas

IM99 1UT

The Independent Ombudsman Body for Health & Social Care

The Health and Social Care Ombudsman Body (HSCOB) is a legally established body, independent from both the Department of Health and Social Care and Manx Care.

The Chair and members are appointed by the Appointments Commission.

What HSCOB Does

The HSCOB is a statutory body set up to review unresolved complaints made about health and social care services provided by or funded by the Isle of Man Government through Manx Care. If you are not sure if the service about which you have a complaint falls within this definition, please contact the Manx Care Advice and Liaison Service (MCALS).

When you can refer your complaint to the Ombudsman

Your complaint must firstly have been investigated and responded to by the relevant service provider under their local complaints procedure.

If you are unsure if your complaint has already been investigated and dealt with, you are encouraged to contact the service directly for further information and advice.

You can refer your complaint to the Ombudsman if:

You are not satisfied with the final decision of the service provider
The service has not complied with its own complaints procedure, or has rejected your complaint for reasons you are unhappy with
You are approaching the time limits stated within the National Health Service (Complaints) Regulation (Regulation 20) for referring your complaint to the Ombudsman

How you can refer your complaint to the Ombudsman

You can write a letter or email the Secretary at the HSCOB including a completed Complaints Form.

If you experience any difficulties completing the Complaints Form, please inform the Secretary in your letter or email and a meeting can be arranged in person, so that you can explain the complaint in more detail.

Do not send any documentation until the HSCOB has confirmed acceptance of your complaint.

How the Ombudsman will deal with your complaint

When your complaint is received, the Chair will allocate your complaint to 2 or 3 members of the Ombudsman. Together they will check to make sure your complaint falls within the remit of the Ombudsman, using its ‘Fit for HSCOB’ assessment.

When the assessment is completed you will be notified as to whether your complaint has been accepted for review.

If your complaint is accepted, the Secretary will request documentation from you and contact the service for information.

Review or investigation

The primary function of the Ombudsman is to review complaints. It does this by considering the process followed by the service provider investigating your complaint, the substance of the complaint and the decision reached at the end of the complaints procedure.

Usually this is done by reviewing all the relevant documentation. However, the members reviewing your complaint may ask to meet with you in person to clarify anything that is unclear. You have the right to request to meet with the Ombudsman should you wish to do so.

Investigation of complaints is the responsibility of the service provider and it is expected that this will have been undertaken before you refer your complaint to the Ombudsman. However, in some circumstances and as set out in the National Health Service (Complaints) Regulations 2022 (Regulation 18, 22(1) (a) – (e) and 23 (6)) the Ombudsman may decide to conduct its own enquiries.

What the Ombudsman can do about your complaint

The Ombudsman may find that some or all of your complaint is justified or it may uphold the decision of the service provider about your complaint.

In the former case the Ombudsman can recommend the service provider:

Takes action to put things right. This could mean asking it to acknowledge its mistakes and/or apologise
Looks again at the decision it made
Improves its policies, procedures and services to avoid the same thing happening again

The Ombudsman cannot pay compensation or recommend an employee be disciplined or dismissed.

Complaints

About us

David Clegg

David is the Chair of the HSCOB, he has been a qualified and practicing Manx Advocate for over 10 years. He specialises mostly in contentious work before the Courts and Tribunals including the Criminal Courts, Family and Children Proceedings and mental health matters.

Derek Booth

Derek has over 30 years' experience in nursing and management in general hospital, mental health services and residential social care settings. Significant engagement with complaints investigations and involvement in Mental Health and Employment tribunals. Independent membership of Standards Committee for local authority for several years.

Cath Hayhow

Cath has extensive experience in both health and social care. After qualifying as an occupational therapist, she worked in mental health on the Island before moving to the UK and working for social services in several local authorities. Before returning to the Island to work in Social Care, she spent 11 years as Assistant Chief Executive for a large NHS trust. Prior to her retirement from full time work, Cath was Director of Adult Social Care Services. She remains committed to improving public services, and now undertakes investigations across Government Departments as an External Investigating Officer.

Steve Carney

Steve is a Panel Member with the Health & Social Care Ombudsman contributing to health care transformation and service improvement on the Isle of Man. A former public services ombudsman in Scotland and healthcare regulator in England, Steve was also a sessional lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University and taught mediation and negotiation skills. Educated to Masters Level and triple qualified in law, Steve has a passionate commitment to best practice in administrative justice and lifelong learning.

Adrian Burke

Adrian has an honours degree in Chemical Engineering and has worked across several industry sectors. He has spent the last 25 years working in healthcare manufacturing companies with the last 10 years in primary pharmaceutical manufacture. He has managed teams of chemical engineers, governing performance, and providing mentorship to promote development. He has led site-based root cause analysis and participated in audits from the Food and Drugs Authority, Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority and UK Home Office.

Peter Young

Peter Young had a career in Policing and was responsible for professional standards, complaint investigation and resolution. He now runs his own business supporting clients in the events industry, lecturing and acting as an independent advisor.

Fiona Robinson

Fiona's background is in education having delivered Health and Social Care courses up to, and including degree level. As a qualified vocational assessor and verifier, she has assessed staff across the care sector. In addition to teaching at University College Isle of Man, she has worked with a variety of different client groups including cared for young people, offenders and homeless people. Fiona is a qualified, experienced mediator and holds qualifications in Management and Human Resources. She sits on the Social Care and Employment Tribunals, Rent and Rates Appeals Commission and the Housing and Communities Board.

Julie Mellor

Julie is a Registered Social Worker with over 20 years post qualifying experience with the last 15 on the Isle of Man. Julie first practiced as an unqualified Education Social Worker in Derbyshire and went onto obtain a Diploma in Social Work in 2000 at Salford University. Julie’s career in social work has included team management roles with responsibility for significant numbers of staff, and as a member of strategic and operational senior management teams. She has worked comprehensively across Children and Families and made a significant contribution to the redesign of the disability, respite and youth justice services. Julie brings her substantial experience, expertise and knowledge of social work services and social care to HSCOB.

Helen Booth

Helen is a qualified nurse, midwife health visitor and district nurse and worked in a number of hospitals in the UK, before moving to the IOM in 1989 where she worked at Noble's Hospital for 11 years. A change of career led to her becoming an HR practitioner, working for IOM Government and the private sector. Since retiring, she spent a number of years working as a social care worker in an older persons residential home.

Resources

The HSCOB has created an Information Leaflet providing a brief overview of how they can help, which can be printed and displayed by any organisation or provider. The leaflet provides information to service-users, patients, carers and representatives on the role of the HSCOB and our contact details.

HSCOB Code of Practice

HSCOB Investigation Report Template

HSCOB Investigation Summary

HSCOB Service Standards Complaints Procedure

Reports and reviews

Regulation 24(6) of the Complaints Regulations 2022 requires the HSCOB to publish reports of its reviews and investigations on the Body's website. Regulation 24(7) also requires the Body to give due regard to data protection legislation and the general duty of care and confidence.

These reports are therefore presented in a format that summarises the nature of the complaint together with the relevant findings, conclusions and recommendations, but they do not contain any personally identifiable information. The reports are intended to inform the public about the work of the HSCOB and raise awareness of our role in contributing to the transformation and improvement of health and care services on the Isle of Man.

HSCOB is also required by Regulation 26(5) to publish an annual report concerning the discharge of its statutory functions, and may use its discretionary powers to publish such other reports about its work as the Body feels relevant and appropriate to its statutory role and purpose.