Commentary on Sections Section 15 - Report on formal investigation
This section sets out more detail on the procedures that should be followed when the Commissioner carries out a formal investigation of the actions of a relevant authority. It states the Commissioner must prepare a report on the investigation and also states what persons or organisations the Commissioner must send a copy of the report to. The Section contains a confidentiality requirement in that the Commissioner’s report must not name individual people or contain any details which might help to identify that person, unless the Commissioner believes that it is necessary to do so.  The Commissioner’s report may include recommendations for action to be taken by a relevant authority.  The Commissioner must give reasons for the recommendations in the report.  In relation to a report following an investigation into how a complaint made by an older person was actually handled by an authority, the Commissioner may recommend that the relevant authority consider the complaint again.  The relevant authority involved in the case must consider the report and decide what action to take on the Commissioner’s recommendations.