​Terry

Terry Toomey
Investigator

Experience

I have almost 30 years’ experience of caseworking across a range of disciplines. I started in the Department of Work and Pensions working as a visiting officer before spending 14 years as a benefit fraud investigator. I also spent time as a recruitment and redeployment manager, and a Human Resources advisor. Before joining the Ombudsman, I spent five years at the Home Office making decisions on applications for asylum and representing the department at immigration and asylum tribunals. Since joining the Ombudsman I have worked as a Customer Services Manager and an investigator.

What is your role in the organisation?

I consider complaints made to us about NHS organisations and a range of government departments. My job is to look closely at the events which led to the complaint and decide whether the organisation in question has acted fairly. To do this, I look at what happened and compare this to what should have happened if the organisation in question had acted correctly. If I find there is a difference, I look to see why that was. I also look to see how that difference affected the person making the complaint and, where necessary, I make recommendations on how the organisation can put things right.

What advice would you give to someone joining the organisation?

It is never boring. All cases are different and each person who complains has their own tale to tell. By listening to them, we can make a real difference to their lives by helping them achieve an outcome that, in many cases, they have been seeking for a long time. We can also help organisations learn from a complainant’s experience which hopefully prevents other people finding themselves in the same position.