Communication and complaints-handling failures are common features of NSW ombud investigations, according to the agency’s latest casebook. The report highlights a selection of the 8,913 actionable complaints received and six investigations finalised between January 1 and June 30, 2026. These include investigations into Service NSW and Revenue NSW’s debt recovery for COVID-19 grants; processing delays of more than seven years at icare; the Department of Communities and Justice’s (DCJ) failure to appropriately investigate risks of significant harm to children; and Corrective Services NSW’s (CSNSW) unlawful confinement of prisoners for 2-3 months.