Our Twitter account (@AB_Ombudsman) is managed by the Ombudsman and Ombudsman communications staff. We update and monitor our Twitter account on weekdays during regular office hours (8:15 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.). We may monitor or respond from time to time outside regular office hours. We read all @replies and Direct Messages sent to us, and will respond to as many as possible.
The Alberta Ombudsman will use social media platforms to:
- promote our mandate
- reach a wider audience
- distribute time-sensitive information as quickly as possible
- promote discussion
- promote events, new publications, and other materials
- learn about communities and their needs
Social media will complement the Alberta Ombudsman website, and, when possible, direct users back to the Alberta Ombudsman website for in-depth information, forms, or other documents.
Our tweets will feature information about our office, issues related to fairness in the provision of government services, information about upcoming events, and links to news releases, speeches, resources, and publications issued by our office and others.
We may retweet news, links, and content we think are relevant to our work and of interest to our followers. Retweets do not imply endorsement by the Alberta Ombudsman.
Links to external sites are provided solely for the convenience and interest of the user. The Alberta Ombudsman is not responsible for the accuracy of the information contained on these sites, nor does it endorse the sites or their content.
We follow Twitter accounts that are relevant to our work and mandate. This could include the Twitter accounts of individuals as well as organizations, both public and private. Our decision to follow a particular Twitter user does not imply an endorsement of any kind and does not mean the Alberta Ombudsman supports that user, or his or her views.
We welcome and encourage your comments, and expect conversations will be carried out in a respectful manner. Please avoid personal attacks and keep your comments relevant. The Alberta Ombudsman does not tolerate offensive, disrespectful or abusive comments about an individual or organization. We will read all replies and direct messages sent to us and, when possible, will reply.The Alberta Ombudsman reserves the right to restrict or remove any content that is deemed in violation of this social media policy or any applicable law. The following will not be allowed:
- abusive, obscene, indecent or offensive language
- defamatory, harassing, hateful remarks or accusations against individuals or organizations
- comments that are discriminatory on the basis of race, national or ethnic origin, age, creed, gender, marital status, socio-economic status, physical or mental disability or sexual orientation
- sexual content or links to sexual content
- comments containing solicitations, advertisements, announcements, or endorsements of any commercial, financial, labour or political organization
- excessive links and code
- posts revealing too much personal information
- complaints to the Ombudsman
- content that violates a legal ownership interest of any other party
- posts not topically related to the particular site or material being commented on
- posts that are repetitive or are considered spam, such as the same comment being posted repeatedly
Those who choose to engage in a conversation with the Alberta Ombudsman via social media should be aware that they do so within the public domain. To protect your privacy and that of others, the Alberta Ombudsman recommends you not include personal information in your posts.
Some Alberta Ombudsman staff tweet under their own names as private citizens. Despite their professional affiliation with the Alberta Ombudsman, their tweets or retweets do not represent the official position of the Alberta Ombudsman.
Personal information that you provide to the Alberta Ombudsman through social media is collected, used and disclosed by our office for its mandated purpose: to oversee and enforce the administration of Alberta’s Ombudsman Act, and to educate the public about, and comment on, the Act and fairness issues in general.
Twitter accounts are hosted by a third party service provider and are not on Alberta Ombudsman servers. You should read Twitter’s terms of service and privacy policy before engaging in its use.
If you have any questions or comments about our use of social media, please contact office of the Alberta Ombudsman at [email protected], or toll free: 1.888.455.2756.
Requests for Reviews and Complaints
Every Albertan has the right to be treated fairly in the provision of public services. The Ombudsman protects this right by promoting standards of fairness and has the authority to make recommendations if an investigation reveals unfairness.
The Ombudsman is an Officer of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, reporting directly to the Assembly. The Ombudsman is impartial, operating independently from the Alberta government, political parties and individual elected officials.
Under Alberta’s Ombudsman Act, the Ombudsman responds to complaints of unfair treatment by:
- Alberta provincial government departments, agencies, boards and commissions
- Alberta municipalities
- the Patient Concerns Resolution Process of Alberta Health Services
- Self-regulated health professions proclaimed under the Health Professions Act
- Other designated professional authorities such as accounting, forestry, veterinarian and agrologist professions
We do not accept complaints via social media. Complaints must be submitted to our office in writing and can be uploaded to us through our website (at https://www.ombudsman.ab.ca/complaints/make-an-online-complaint/), or submitted in person, by mail, or via fax.