Making Complaints Count

Acting Ombudsman Rebecca Hilsenrath kicks off the first episode of our brand new podcast, Making Complaints Count. Joined by her Private Secretary, Faye Glover, she talks about her upbringing, priorities and future plans as Ombudsman.

In a very special episode of Radio Ombudsman, Rob Behrens takes the hot seat as he’s interviewed by his Private Secretary, Faye Glover. As his term comes to an end, he reflects back on seven years as the Ombudsman, his early life and career, and shares his future plans.

In our latest episode, GP and social media sensation Dr Sooj speaks to Ombudsman Rob Behrens about tackling health misinformation online and how he uses social media to inform, educate and entertain.

In the latest episode of Radio Ombudsman, Adam Wagner, leading barrister in public law and human rights cases, speaks to Rob Behrens about the importance of protecting human rights.

They discuss the development of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the impact of COVID-19 and the important role the Ombudsman plays in defending human rights.

They also talk about Adam's hugely successful UK Human Rights blog and how he uses social media to keep people informed.

Melissa's son William died from sepsis in 2014. In the ten years since, Melissa has dedicated her life to raising awareness of the condition. In 2019, Melissa was awarded an MBE for her efforts. In this podcast, Ombudsman Rob Behrens speaks to Melissa about the loss of her son, campaigning to raise awareness and what needs to change going forward.

Since retiring from his role in public health, Dr Bill Kirkup has focused on independent investigations into public service failures, including maternity services at Morecambe Bay and East Kent. In this episode, Bill talks to Rob Behrens about his career, what he's learnt during his investigations and how we can make more progress in improving patient safety.

Journalist, author and CEO of Demos Polly Curtis talks to Rob Behrens about her career in journalism, becoming a board member at PHSO and the relationship between the state and individuals. She also discusses her book ‘Behind Closed Doors: Why We Break Up Families and How to Mend Them’, an investigation into the children’s care system and the lives of vulnerable children.

This special episode was recorded live at our strategy launch event in May 2022. In the episode, journalist and lawyer Joshua Rozenberg interviews Ombudsman Rob Behrens.

They discuss:

- how PHSO will be user-led and responsive to citizens

- how we will hold Government to account and support improvement to public services

- what powers we need to provide the most effective Ombudsman service.

Find out more about our new strategy: https://www.ombudsman.org.uk/about-us/corporate-information/our-strategy-2022-2025

Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PHSOmbudsman

Angela MacDonald, Deputy Chief Executive and Second Permanent Secretary of HMRC, talks to Rob Behrens about her career in the Civil Service and her role as Complaints Champion for UK Government organisations. She discusses the role of leadership in making sure organisations meet the new complaint standards and act on the learning from complaints.

Will Powell talks to Rob Behrens and Nick Bennett about his son Robbie, who sadly died 30 years ago when he was just ten years old. In the years following, Will learnt that the health authority admitted liability for the failure to diagnose Robbie’s Addison’s Disease and has been campaigning for justice ever since.