22 February 2021
Dear Mr Leech,
Reference: FOI 304 Freedom of Information Request
Thank you for your email, which we received on 4 February 2021. Your request has been
handled under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
You asked us:
Can you please give me the contact details of the individual responsible for receiving and
investigating complaints that relate to the failure of the Prison and Probation Ombudsman
herself to properly discharge the duties of her Office.
Our Response:
If an individual is dissatisfied with how the PPO’s office have handled an investigation or
the service provided by the office, and they have been unable to resolve the matter with
the PPO’s office, they should write to the Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman
(PHSO) who can investigate complaints by people who consider they have suffered
injustice as a result of maladministration by the PPO’s office. The complaint must be
referred to the PHSO by a Member of Parliament. The PHSO can be contacted on 0345
015 4033.
Complaints about the personal conduct of the Ombudsman will be considered by the
relevant Minister (currently Lucy Frazer QC, MP, Minister of State at the Ministry of
Justice, 102 Petty France, London SW1H 9AJ). If the responsible Minister decides that the
complaint should be investigated, she will appoint an independent person to investigate
the issues and make recommendations about resolution.
I hope that this is helpful.
You have the right to appeal against our response if you think it is incorrect. Details can be
found in the ‘How to Appeal’ section attached at the end of this letter.
How information about you will be used
We may use or share your data/information only to the necessary extent when conducting our independent investigations in the exercise of our
official authority. We will share your data with third parties (for example, the prison if you are in prison, with coroners, with the National Health
Service) in order to make sure the information is accurate; to prevent or detect failings; and to identify lessons learnt. We may sometimes also need
to share your data with other third parties if required to do so by law. We only keep your personal information for as long as it is needed, as set out
in our data retention policy.
If you need any further information on how your information is used, how we maintain the security of your information, your right to access the
information we hold on you, your other rights in relation to your information or the PPO’s data protection officer, please contact us.

Yours sincerely,
Ella Forder
Research Officer

The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) carries out
independent investigations into complaints and deaths in custody. The detailed role and responsibilities of the PPO
are set out in our office
’s Terms of Reference. The PPO has three main duties:
• to
investigate complaints made by prisoners, young people in detention (prisons
and secure training centres), offenders under probation supervision and immigration
detainees
• to
investigate deaths of prisoners, young people in detention, approved premises’
residents and immigration detainees due to any cause, including any apparent
suicides and natural causes
• to
investigate deaths of
recently released prisoners or
detainees, using the
PPO’s discretionary powers
The purpose of these investigations is
to understand what happened,
to correct
injustices and
to identify learning for the organisations whose actions we oversee so
that the PPO makes a significant contribution to safer, fairer custody and offender
supervision.
How to Appeal
Internal Review
If you are not satisfied with this response, you have the right to an internal review. The
handling of your request will be looked at by someone who was not responsible for the
original case, and they will make a decision as to whether we answered your request
correctly.
If you would like to request a review, please write or send an email to the Prison &
Probation Ombudsman’s Office
within two months of the date of this letter, at the
following address:
Prisons & Probation Ombudsman’s Office
Third Floor, 10 South Colonnade,
Canary Wharf,
London,
E144PU
E-mail
: xxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xxx.xx
Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
If you remain dissatisfied after an internal review decision, you have the right to apply to
the Information Commissioner’s Office. The Commissioner is an independent regulator
who has the power to direct us to respond to your request differently, if he considers that
we have handled it incorrectly.
You can contact the ICO at the following address:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Internet address
: www.ico.gov.uk