| Budget Amount *help |
¥3,400,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,400,000)
Fiscal Year 2006: ¥1,500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000)
Fiscal Year 2005: ¥1,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,900,000)
|
|---|
| Research Abstract |
The aims of this study are to define conditions and clarify challenges for a welfare ombudsman system to function efficiently as an advocacy system for social service users. This research finds the functions and the status quo of the relevant systems in the autonomies that have already implemented welfare ombudsman systems. The vanguard of an autonomous welfare ombudsman was The Complaints Handling Committee of Welfare Service, established in Nakano word, Tokyo, in 1990. Looking at the timings of welfare ombudsman adoptions in municipalities after 1990, we can see that the number of implementations increased after enactment of a new social welfare law and the adoption of a long-term care insurance system. We have found, however, the basics of adoptions sometimes follow different municipal laws and rules and that these systems are not necessarily referred to as "ombudsman." Also, there are differences found among autonomies in operations of relevant systems and in the range of activitie
… More
s. Undertaking this research, we have learned that many of the autonomies have realized that ombudsman systems are not yet well enough known and practical accomplishments have been limited: complaints and handlings are small in number. This study targets the autonomous bodies that have ombudsman systems exclusively in the social welfare field and/or administration-related ombudsman systems, which deal with all problems in regard to autonomy administration. Inquiry surveys and hearings were conducted throughout a two-year period for the study. The samples we collected, however, were only from about fifty autonomies of both targeted bodies. This number clearly shows that the welfare ombudsman systems are not firmly-established as a support system for those who want to use them and not universally utilized. Considering the views received in the hearings of ombudsmen and secretariats and also the information and opinions shared from two liaison meetings with targeted autonomies in Tokyo over two years, we have learned ombudsman systems have greater potential when we understand the actual state and challenges of the systems. Of special note, disseminating information to concerned parties on the roles of ombudsmen and how they deal with claims, after understanding differences in the manner of their operations, will vitalize welfare ombudsman systems and help to lay out models for those autonomies that have not adopted relevant systems yet. Less
|
