We have published new Investigation Standards to explain how we use our powers and decide what to investigate.

These standards give the community a clearer view of how we work. They explain how we use discretion, what we will focus on, and how we carry out major investigations.

Our role is to resolve complaints and improve public administration. We do this with strong powers and limited resources. That means we need to focus on matters where our work can have the greatest impact.

In particular, the standards explain how we approach systemic investigations. These are investigations into broader issues that may affect many people. They often come from patterns we see in complaints, or from our work in areas such as child safety, family and domestic violence fatalities, and oversight of public authorities.

Our goal is to use these investigations to:

• improve people’s experiences with public services
• address serious power imbalances
• prevent harm
• save time and money in the system

The standards also set out the key phases of an investigation and what good, consistent investigative work looks like.

Check out the new Investigation Standards

Looking ahead

We will also start publishing forward guidance on the topics we plan to investigate. This will help the community understand our priorities and where we are focusing our efforts.

If you have information or feedback on issues you think we should look at, we encourage you to get in touch.

Email us with your suggestions

Part of a bigger plan

These standards are an important step in making our work more transparent and accessible. They also support our broader direction and priorities.

To see how this fits into our long-term plans, read Our Strategy 2026–29.