Ombudsman Services Pt 4: The Full English Cover-Up (84)

Ombudsman Services Pt 4: 1984 - But Who Regulates Big Brother?

Dear Reader,

It was a bright hot day in July and the clocks were striking thirteen.

S, had now compiled his dossier on the troublesome Labour leader and was pleased with his work. Leaning to the right he spoke into the monitor - "Send for O'Watson."

Politicians come and go - Prime Ministers even more so - but civil servants are here for life.

Over the years we've tried contacting two cabinet secretaries, first Francis Maude and then Andrea Leadsom. both over the "farcical" Ombudsman Services:Property and the scandal of its, "decisions not arrived at in a logical manner," its failure to comply with Ombudsman Association rules of membership and its cavalier approach to OFT criteria and the reporting on its "performance" but without success.

Perhaps RICS "engaged" and "politically influenced" civil servants were deleting our emails before they reached their intended destination. This is, after all, how The Full English Cover-Up operates.

Otherwise things would have been different. There would have been an immediate response to our complaint and prompt and decisive would have been action taken. Instead of becoming a victim creation scheme Ombudsman Services would have been known for delivering prompt, independent, logical and just decisions. Unfortunately, that isn't how things are allowed to happen in pre-Brexit Britain or at Ombudsman Services.

Its annual reports are an example of how Orwellian "newspeak" has evolved into "ombudspeak."

Apparently its an organisation where everything was so good it was doubleplus good. Nothing ever went wrong according to one of its "independent Assessors" but if they did it was because complainants were misguided enough to expect too much.

"It is easy to be dissatisfied if things don't go your way" is classic Doublethink- it is to forget whatever it was necessary to forget. "Our results are our product" is Chief Ombudsman Doublethink for knowing that nearly 90% of complainants thought their customer journey to be a car crash but saying otherwise.

Private ADR schemes are doubleplus bad for British consumers.

"But sir," came the nervous reply, "O'Watson's taking further instruction from the "A" People - they want the Two Minutes Corbyn Hate increased." "Good" thought S, "Things are progressing nastily."

The Ombudsmans61percent campaign is seeking:

1. A public inquiry into Ombudsman Services (a company formerly operating as the Surveyors Ombudsman Service until being rebranded) and the role of the RICS in determining the effective outcome of disputes.

2. Compensation for the victims of its ombudsman's illogical Final Decisions and its executives' maladministration.

3. The setting up of a state-run, fair, independent, transparent and accountable ADR scheme.

Yours sincerely,

Steve Gilbert - The Ombudsmans61percent Campaign.

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