Social services, corrections ministries garner most complaints to Sask. ombudsman

Saskatchewan’s Social Services and Corrections, Policing and Public Safety Ministries once again topped the chart for garnering the highest number of complaints made to the provincial ombudsman in 2022.

Last year, the ombudsman’s office received a total of 3,656 requests for assistance and 2,701 fell within its jurisdiction, according to its annual report.

For the second year in a row, social services was the leading source of those requests with 691 complaints, up about six per cent from 2021 and roughly 19 per cent more than 2020.

Saskatchewan ombudsman Sharon Pratchler found several complaints were a result of policy changes not being implemented, including requests for Saskatchewan Income Support from Ukrainian refugees that were wrongfully denied.

“Implementation of the new policy to assist individuals fleeing Ukraine did not appear to be a general problem but there was a disconnect in this particular case between the government’s change in policy and its implementation,” Pratchler said in the report.

Pratchler noted delays in assessing the eligibility for social services benefits as another source of complaints.

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The second highest number of complaints was lodged against the Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety with 597 requests received, a slight increase from 2021 but a drop from the 619 complaints in 2020.

Of the 597 complaints, 226 came from the Regina Correctional Centre and 191 came from the Saskatoon Correctional Centre.

Pratchler noted that the majority of requests came from inmates in remand compared to those who had already been sentenced.

Corrections complaints often related to disciplinary outcomes and sanctions handed down to inmates, according to the report. Pratchler said her office was able to assist a number of inmates in this regard.

Municipalities garnered the third-largest number of complaints last year with the ombudsman receiving 465 requests for assistance.

Last year, 95 per cent of files were resolved in 90 days and 97 per cent of files had a resolution within 180 days, according to the report.

Pratchler assumed the ombudsman role in November 2022, replacing Mary McFadyen. Pratchler is the seventh ombudsman to serve in the office since it was created 50 years ago.