3.2.2 Meetings outside the head office The Ombudsman’s Rules of Procedure determine that the Human Rights Ombudsman may also conduct its work outside its head office. This does not refer to the establishment of an organisational form of operations outside the head office, but a working method. This enables us to: • make our work as accessible to citizens as possible, • meet people in their own environment, • enable direct contact with the Ombudsman, her deputies and advisers who participate in such operations, • help people save time and money, • at least clarify, if not eliminate, certain problems related to the unsuitable work of state and local authorities in the town visited through interventions during visits. 3 INFORMATION ABOUT THE OMBUDSMAN’S WORK The Ombudsman also has a preventive impact on the work of state and local authorities in towns that are visited. The visits are important for promoting the institution or familiarising individuals with the competences and work of the Ombudsman. In 2015, we held 12 meetings outside our head office, i.e. in Novo mesto, Vipava, Maribor, Moravske Toplice, Dravograd, Luče, Železniki, Radeče, Hrpelje–Kozina, Celje, Ivančna Gorica and Vransko. With the exception of the municipalities of Novo mesto, Maribor and Celje, our meetings in 2015 were held in municipalities which the Ombudsman visited for the first time when working outside the head office. All the meetings outside the head office were enabled free of charge by mayors at head offices of municipalities. When organising meetings, we pay special attention to vulnerable groups and make sure that access and discussion are also enabled for disabled persons in a suitable manner. At these meetings, we conducted 217 personal interviews and opened 45 new complaints on their basis. We reactivated eight complaints, and provided clarifications on 33 reactivated complaints, so that these complaints remained closed. We carried out 19 discussions in cases we had already been considering. In 112 interviews, the complainants received replies during the discussion itself, so these were recorded in a collection of official notes. The visits were always announced in advance in local newsletters, and if possible, information on the meetings outside the head office was published in municipal newspapers that are distributed free of charge. The information is also always published on the Ombudsman’s website allowing interested individuals to apply in time for a personal interview. An appointment is made for those wishing to have a personal interview in order to avoid unnecessary overcrowding and waiting. The greatest response was in Maribor, where we held interviews with 51 complainants. On the basis of the discussions, we opened 14 new complaints, which means that these complainants pointed out problems that required the Ombudsman’s consideration. We were able to provide suitable clarifications and instructions to 22 complainants, so that further discussion of these issues was not necessary. All visits were carefully planned and took place in three parts. In 2015, we changed our practice, which proved successful and effective. Unlike in previous years, when meetings outside the head office began with a discussion between the Ombudsman and her deputies with mayors, we started our meetings in 2015 with personal interviews with complainants. We were thus able to clarify or even resolve many problems highlighted by complainants in later discussions with the mayors. The discussions with complainants (each of whom is given half an hour) form the main part of the visit. The discussions are attended by persons who have filed complaints with the Ombudsman and wish to present them in more detail or only need information about the progress of their complaint. Many need only advice. During 172 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS OMBUDSMAN OF THE REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA FOR 2015 meetings outside the head office, the Ombudsman exceptionally also visits complainants at their homes. For example in Novo mesto, the Ombudsman also visited a Roma family concerning their access to water. The statistical breakdown of problems presented at meetings outside the head office is similar to the problems noticed in complaints received by mail. Problems relating poverty predominate, since they intervene in human dignity and result in other consequences affecting people’s lives. These are revealed in the poor health of complainants, who, in their distress also encounter problems in the health system, which is not always open and accessible. The violation of workers’ rights is a very frequent issue in complaints. Dissatisfaction with court decisions and unduly slow resolution of cases and matters before courts and administrative authorities were also noted. Many complaints refer to procedures relating to rights to social transfers. At almost every meeting outside the head office, environmental issues were raised, which points to the fact that citizens are becoming increasingly aware of their right to a healthy living environment. The complainants claim insufficient supervision of many fields and emphasise the need for effective free legal aid for socially disadvantaged persons. We are also frequently informed about the inappropriate behaviour of public employees. The second part of the meetings held outside the head office include a discussion between the Ombudsman and her colleagues with the mayors of the relevant municipalities. The Ombudsman highlights the problems arising from the interviews with residents of the municipalities and concrete complaints regarding the work of the municipality. These discussions are extremely important, since they may clarify or even resolve issues arising from concrete complaints. The Ombudsman always emphasises such issues as: housing matters, residential units; assistance for homeless residents; social distress; municipal aid; unemployment; public works (also in companies where the municipality is the (co)founder); care for socially endangered persons; debt write-off; care for disabled persons (including architectural barriers); property law matters; problems in the field of pre-school and primary school education; availability of the mayor (discussions with residents); public health care services; social security; friendliness of the municipality towards elderly persons and children; spatial planning; environmental issues; ownership relations connected with the categorisation of roads (the manner of resolution, purchases, expropriations, disputes, etc.); municipal inspection services; free legal aid and mediation. At the same time, we are informed about systemic problems encountered by local communities and their residents. This part of the discussion was in some cases attended by representatives of other authorities or organisations, who could present the situation in their own local communities. This was the case in Vransko. Some municipalities may pride themselves on not having evictions, e.g. Vransko and Radeče, and others on the accessibility of their mayors (the Mayor of Dravograd was said to be always available), while others boast of having no housing issues. The Municipality of Moravske Toplice even owns an empty apartment intended for social housing. Many municipalities visited in 2015 provide free legal aid for their residents, e.g. Vransko, Ivančna Gorica, Luče, Maribor, including the Municipality of Moravske Toplice. Unfortunately, some municipalities have very high unemployment, e.g. 19 per cent in Maribor, and severe social distress; other municipalities, such as Vipava, have no unemployed persons, or have low unemployment rates, i.e. Železniki (five per cent). The categorisation of roads is a major problem in many municipalities, and it is necessary to mention a case of good practice, i.e. the Municipality of Luče, which was one of the first municipalities to survey municipal roads; it has some 140 kilometres of categorised roads. We also dedicate special attention to the media during meetings outside the head office. We always organise a press conference in the towns we visit in order to point out cases of violations which arise from the complaints we received during meetings. Furthermore, the Ombudsman issues several statements and also gives interviews to the local media. After meetings outside the head office, we publish news of the visit on the Ombudsman’s website. 3.2.3 Discussion of complaints The Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Slovenia conducts its tasks by considering individual complaints sent by complainants in which they claim that their human rights have been violated. All procedures conducted by the Ombudsman are confidential, informal and free-of-charge for the parties involved. The Ombudsman must conduct procedures impartially and acquire the positions of all the affected parties in each case. Anyone who believes that their human rights or fundamental freedoms have been violated by an act or action of a state authority, local community authority or holder of public authority may initiate a complaint ANNUAL REPORT OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS OMBUDSMAN OF THE REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA FOR 2015 173 3 INFORMATION ABOUT THE OMBUDSMAN’S WORK with various types of public on a daily basis; during meetings with complainants; in participation with faculties and schools; via the Ombudsman’s website and website for children, and also Facebook.