Oversight and accountability
To maintain public trust, we are subject to external oversight throughout the year. We are committed to fulfilling our compliance obligations and reporting transparently on our performance.
External oversight
We are accountable to the Victorian Parliament through the Integrity and Oversight Committee . We consult the committee when we develop our annual plan, which identifies our priorities and outlines our proposed work for the coming year.
Integrity Oversight Victoria (formerly the Victorian Inspectorate) can take complaints about Ombudsman officers and monitors our compliance with procedural fairness requirements and the exercise of our coercive powers.
Independent performance audits
The Integrity and Oversight Committee conducts an independent performance audit every four years, to assess whether we are achieving our objectives effectively, economically, efficiently and in accordance with our Act. Our first performance audit report was tabled in Parliament on 1 July 2024.
View our independent performance audit 2020-24
Assurance and governance
Each year, our financial performance is independently audited by the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office and the audit opinion is published in our annual report.
Throughout the year, our Audit and Risk Management Committee provides independent assurance on the effectiveness of internal controls, risk and compliance frameworks, in line with the Financial Management Act 1994 and Standing Directions 2018.
This work is supported by an internal Corporate Governance Committee, which monitors the implementation of our strategic plan, corporate planning, financial management, risk and governance, human resources and IT strategy.
Internal audits
We engage internal auditors to assess the quality and performance of specific functions in our office. Our internal auditors work with our Executive and Audit and Risk Management Committee to develop an internal audit plan for each year. Our internal auditors help us identify risks and opportunities for improvement.
Stakeholder satisfaction surveys
We engage an independent research company to survey:
- complainants to understand satisfaction with our services and help us identify opportunities for improvement
- the authorities we oversee to understand their perceptions, needs and expectations.
We report on feedback about us in our annual report.
Compliance
Gifts, benefits and hospitality
As required by the Standing Directions under the Financial Management Act, we publish our Gifts, Benefits and Hospitality Policy and Register online. This partially fulfils our requirements under the audit standards.
View our Gifts, benefits and hospitality policy and register
Travel
Travel undertaken by our staff is managed in accordance with the Victorian public sector travel policy. Travel conducted by the Ombudsman and Executive team is recorded in the Executive travel register, which is published annually.
View our Travel policy and register
Ombudsman's expenses
The Ombudsman’s expenses are reported to our Audit and Risk Management Committee and made available publicly.
View the Ombudsman's expenses 2024–25
Staff satisfaction and wellbeing
Each year, our staff participate in the People Matter Survey, conducted by the Victorian Public Sector Commission. This independent opinion survey invites employees from across the public sector to have their say on different aspects of their job and their wellbeing within the workplace.
View our People Matter Survey results 2023-24
Complaints about us
People can complain to us about the outcome of a case or our service delivery. For complaints about our decisions, a senior staff member new to the matter may conduct an internal review to see if we've acted consistently with our policies, procedures and legislation.
If complaints allege corrupt conduct or staff misconduct, we must notify the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission or Integrity Oversight Victoria , and they deal with it independently of us.