Awareness
Our aim is to be a recognised and influential voice in improving public services.
Why?
We see the consequences of system failures at their sharpest point. Our investigations reveal where public services fall short and the impact this has on people’s lives. This allows us to identify early warning signs before issues escalate into widespread harm, national scandals or public inquiries. This insight has greatest value when it is visible, understood and acted on beyond individual cases.
As a parliamentary body accountable to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, we are uniquely placed to support democratic scrutiny and help shape public debate. We provide MPs and committees with timely, independent evidence grounded in lived experience. This offers an early and authoritative route to learning and strengthening accountability.
Awareness of our service and confidence to complain vary across different groups. Factors such as age, ethnicity, disability, income and geography all influence whether people know about us, feel able to raise concerns and believe they will be heard. To promote fairness, we will use data, digital tools and partnerships to understand who uses our service, reach underrepresented groups and identify emerging risks earlier. This insight will support public services to learn from a full and inclusive range of experiences.
Public awareness of what an ombudsman does remains partial. Our research shows that our current name contributes to this confusion, as ‘Parliamentary’ is not widely understood and does not reflect the breadth of our remit. Although most of our complaints relate to the NHS in England, our remit also spans more than 300 government departments and public bodies. Establishing a clearer and more recognisable identity will improve access to justice and strengthen trust in our independence and purpose.
To help us make the changes we want to see in public services, we will take a strategic, evidence-led approach to communications and engagement. This will ensure we are contributing to policymaking, debate and scrutiny in the most effective way possible. Our approach to awareness involves:
- learning: evaluate what went well, what we learned and what we will do differently
- inputs: define the problem we have identified and possible solutions
- outputs: decide what we will do or produce to raise awareness
- outtakes: track the responses, reactions and feedback we receive
- outcomes: monitor what changes as a result of our outputs
- impact: trace the longer-term and indirect impacts of our outputs.
| Objective 1 | Outcomes |
| We will maximise our role as a parliamentary body to support scrutiny and inform public debate. |
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How?
We will leverage our independence, investigative expertise and frontline insight to be an authoritative voice that fosters a culture of openness, scrutiny and continuous improvement across public services.
We will deepen engagement with MPs and parliamentary committees through briefings, evidence submissions, drop-in events, regional visits and case-specific discussions, helping them guide constituents effectively.
At the same time, we will build strong strategic partnerships with thought leaders, policymakers, regulators and other key organisations. This will ensure our findings, recommendations and insights influence national policy, operational frameworks and long-term service reform.
We will use communication channels strategically to highlight emerging themes, share complainants’ stories and reinforce the value of acting early. We will also make sure we deliver purposeful, coordinated messaging to progress key recommendations and policy positions, positioning ourselves as a trusted partner in resolving issues before they grow into systemic issues.
| Objective 2 | Outcome |
| We will reach, support and share the experiences of underrepresented complainants, working with partners and using targeted communication channels. |
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How?
We will use emerging digital tools to improve our casework data, identify patterns and disparities in our cases, and pinpoint communities who may not be as aware of or able to access our service. We will also develop a digital service that is supported by advocacy and advice organisations and collates the stories and experiences of people who may face barriers to accessing justice.
Our strategic communications will help us to inform, influence and work with NHS trusts, advocates, community groups, advisory services and MPs. We will enhance our guidance and support for advocacy and advice organisations to increase the accessibility and relevance of our service.
By sharing our insights through different communication channels, we will raise awareness of emerging issues that may affect specific communities or regions and promote improvements that better reflect the needs of a diverse population. This will help to build trust and a greater understanding of the lived experience of people who may find it challenging to access justice.
| Objective 3 | Outcome |
| We will create a clear, recognisable identity within the justice landscape, so that people know we provide individual redress and drive improvements in public services. |
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How?
In 2026, we will transition to a new name, the Public Service Ombudsman, and introduce a clear and consistent identity across all our channels that is recognisable and inclusive. We will be more visible by actively engaging with the public, community groups and those they represent to explain our name, reinforce understanding of our role, and help people understand when and how we can support them.
We will enhance our website and online accounts so information about our remit and processes is clear, accessible and easy to navigate. We will also deepen our relationships with MPs, their staff and partner organisations so they understand the independence of our role and can confidently guide their constituents to us.
We will use feedback from surveys, digital analytics and stakeholder insight to understand if we are recognisable, and we will refine our communications and engagement as needed to strengthen recognition and trust.