For most schools, contact from the Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO) about a complaint is uncommon. It can also be unexpected. Receiving correspondence from an Ombudsman may naturally prompt questions. Has someone made a complaint? Is this an investigation? What happens next? Have we done something wrong?
The answer is often much simpler than schools imagine.
Our role is to provide independent oversight of public services for children. Where concerns are raised about a child’s experience, our first objective is to understand what has happened. We do this by listening to all sides and considering the information available before reaching any view.
Being contacted by the OCO should not be seen as an indication that a school has done something wrong. It is simply part of ensuring that we understand the facts.
Understanding how the Office actually works, and where early resolution fits into it, can help principals, deputy principals, and boards of management respond with confidence.
Last Resort
The OCO is designed to be a last resort, not a first port of call. Before we examine a complaint about a school, we expect the parent/guardian to have already raised the issue with the school directly and given the school’s own complaints procedure a genuine opportunity to resolve it.
If a parent contacts the OCO before doing this, the standard response is to send them back to the school. This means that a clear, well-communicated, and consistently followed complaints procedure is the best way to avoid escalation. Occasionally we may get involved if we establish that the relationship has broken down to such an extent that there is no longer trust in the process, or there are prolonged delays in dealing with the complaint. Or perhaps there is a concerning child welfare or protection concern that needs to be urgently addressed.
We begin by listening
Schools are often surprised to discover that we have not formed a view before making contact.
If a complaint does proceed, it’s typically handled first by one of the OCO’s Early Resolution Officers, whose role is to establish quickly about the issue at hand and the family’s preferred outcome. At this stage, a school is likely to receive a phone call from us or a straightforward query about the matter. This initial contact is a routine step in the process to establish the facts and not a presumption of any outcome by the OCO.
Why early, cooperative engagement is in everyone’s best interest
The OCO’s own experience is that the great majority of complaints about schools are resolved at this informal stage without ever going further.
One of the most helpful things a school can do is engage openly and promptly.
Often, providing a clear explanation of the background, sharing relevant documentation with us and explaining the reasoning behind decisions enables us to understand matters quickly.
Where there has been a misunderstanding, early engagement can help resolve concerns without unnecessary delay. Policies matter, and we regularly consider whether procedures have been followed appropriately. Sometimes a school has correctly followed its policy but recognises that communication could have been better. Equally, a concern may highlight an opportunity to review how a policy operates in practice.
When complaints do escalate
Formal examinations of complaints remain the exception rather than the rule and tend to arise either where early engagement hasn’t led to a satisfactory outcome or where a complaint points to a pattern rather than an isolated incident. An example of this would be a recurring issue with special educational support or where a complaints procedure isn’t being followed consistently.
If your school does reach this stage, the same principles apply. Timely, clear, well-documented responses make the process shorter and more straightforward for everyone involved. You will be provided with detail in writing and generally in a face-to-face meeting about the process and what we are investigating. lf we do make findings and recommendations, you will be given an opportunity to comment before we complete the investigation.
When we write to a school or arrange a discussion, we are seeking to understand its perspective. We recognise that schools operate in complex environments, balancing the needs of individual children with those of the wider school community, while working within legislation, policy and available resources.
The school’s account is an essential part of our consideration of any complaint.
We understand that every complaint has two sides. Parents and guardians may feel their concerns have not been heard. Schools may believe they have acted appropriately and in accordance with policy.
Our role is not to assume that one account is correct and the other is not. Instead, we seek to understand the context, explore the decisions that were made and assess whether the child was treated fairly.
We recognise good practice
It’s important to note that not every complaint results in criticism of a school’s actions.
In many cases, our engagement highlights examples of thoughtful decision-making, strong communication and childcentred practice.
We regularly encounter schools that have worked extremely hard to support children and families through difficult circumstances. Where this is evident, it forms part of our understanding of the complaint.
We appreciate openness
Schools occasionally tell us that, with hindsight, they would have approached something differently.
A willingness to acknowledge where communication could have been improved or where lessons have been learned is not viewed as a weakness. On the contrary, it often demonstrates reflective leadership and a genuine commitment to continuous improvement.
The Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO) is an independent human rights organisation established in 2004 under the Ombudsman for Children Act 2002.
