monitoring activities New framework for the Ombudsman’s monitoring visits Every year, the Ombudsman selects one or more themes which, in addition to the permanent focus points, will be given special priority during the year’s monitoring visits to institutions for adults. By doing so, we can make sure that current topics and issues can be investigated during monitoring visits. In 2013, we selected two themes: treatment of alcohol and drug abuse and prevention of violence and threats among users of facilities. The Ombudsman did not specifically select any general themes for monitoring visits to institutions for children and young people. However, the Ombudsman chose to concentrate the majority of his monitoring visits in 2013 on children and young people placed at social care institutions, at accommodation facilities or in foster families. When deciding which institutions and accommodation facilities to visit, we especially focused on those with in-house schools. Experts participate in monitoring visits Our monitoring visits are carried out according to a standard framework. In a few cases, we will visit an institution without any prior notification, but usually, we will notify the institution’s management well in advance of our visit. By doing so, we can be confident that the people we wish to speak to will be present, and we will be able to receive the large amount of information of various types that we need to prepare our visit. In addition, we can ask the management to inform the residents of the possibility of speaking to the Ombudsman’s monitoring team during our visit. The disadvantage of announcing a visit in advance is, of course, that it is easier for the management to hide issues which they do not want the Ombudsman’s monitoring team to know about. We do not, however, consider this to be a serious problem. It is my impression that at most institutions, the management do not have any wish to hide anything but are pleased to show their institution to the Ombudsman’s monitoring team. The Ombudsman himself participates in some of the monitoring visits, but usually, the monitoring team consists of two legal case officers from the Ombudsman’s office. On visits to institutions for children, they are accompanied by the Ombudsman’s special advisor on children’s issues. In addition, representatives of DIGNITY – Danish Institute Against Torture and the Danish Institute for Human Rights participate in a number of our monitoring visits. DIGNITY – Danish Institute Against Torture is a private organisation which – as the name implies – aims to prevent torture. It is a medically based organisation which has gained considerable knowledge about matters relating to prisons, among other things, which is very useful to us as legal case officers. The Danish Institute 73