Source · Select Committees · Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Recommendation 14
14
Paragraph: 60
The Committee notes the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s commitment to undertaking a peer review...
Conclusion
The Committee notes the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s commitment to undertaking a peer review and its engagement with the HM Treasury value for money framework. Whilst the Committee recognises the PHSO’s open engagement on measuring its value for money, it remains unclear when its next peer review will be.
Paragraph Reference:
60
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
PHSO has commissioned a peer review to be carried out this year. As the panel is independent, the Chair–once appointed - will appoint the remaining members of the panel. The peer review will consider PHSO’s effectiveness including value for money. We will work with the panel to agree the terms of reference for the review. PHSO is leading work with the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI) to strengthen and promote peer review across the Ombudsman sector. In May 2022, the IOI adopted the Manchester Memorandum which sets out a policy commitment to introduce peer review across all IOI members. This work is in progress, with PHSO’s approach to peer review seen as a model for other Ombudsman schemes to follow. The IOI is currently developing a pool of peer reviewers, to make it easier to appoint knowledgeable, qualified and willing chairs and panel members to Ombudsman peer reviews. Dr Tom Frawley, former Northern Ireland Ombudsman, has been appointed to validate peer reviewers. In April 2020, the IOI published a good practice framework for peer review. This makes clear that the timing of each peer review process should be determined by the specific context in which each Ombudsman scheme operates. For instance, peer review may offer particularly valuable insights at the start of a period of transformation, or after major changes to an operating model. PHSO is committed to carrying out regular peer reviews, to provide an independent assessment of our effectiveness and value for money. We will be led by international standards of good practice in determining the exact timing of future peer reviews.