The enshrinement in the Cayman Islands Constitution 2009 of certain offices responsible for good governance has led to an evolution in how some managers in government ministries and departments interact with the public, notably those dealing with human resources, compliance and regulations.

One such institution, the Office of the Complaints Commissioner (OCC), applauded good work done by civil servants responsible for addressing public complaints.

Two officers were celebrated for being pioneers. Assistant Chief Immigration Officer Jeannie Lewis was named Best Complaints Officer. Meanwhile, Ministry of Community Affairs Chief Human Resources Manager, Ms Tamara Ebanks, was lauded as the Most Improved Complaints Officer.

Complaints Officers handle the internal complaints process within government departments, which can also uncover gaps in the service that their offices provide.

Complaints Commissioner Ms Nicola Williams outlined the criteria for the awards as:

timeliness in dealing with complaints (based on information provided from quarterly reports); best efforts to try to resolve the complaint; complying fully with complaints processes (even if the complainant did not like the result), as well as complying with OCC reporting requirements in a timely manner.

At the reception to present the awards, His Excellency the Governor, Mr. Duncan Taylor, CBE, lauded the winners and the work of all complaints officers in government. He noted they take forward the complaints process which is a vital component in keeping government’s workings open and transparent.

Awards recipient Ms Jeannie Lewis, commented, “This was a complete surprise but a pleasant one! The challenges of dealing with public complaints are numerous, but enable us to become more proactive in the services we provide our customers.”

On winning her award, Ms Tamara Ebanks said, “I would like to convey my sincerest gratitude to the Complaints Commissioner for recognising my hard work and contribution to better serving our people. I am very proud of this achievement and am honoured to receive this award.”

The awards presentation concluded the OCC’s annual continuing education seminar for government complaints officers, which provide valuable tips, ideas and best practices in handling complaints.

Featured presentations included OCC’s lead for Internal Complaints Ms Julie Faulknor-Grant who talked about The Six Principles of Good Complaint Handling. Human rights expert, law lecturer and author, Mr. Vaughan Carter highlighted managing internal complaints in the context of the Cayman Island’s Bill of Rights.

Photo captions Photos by GIS:

Gov CC Jeannie: Assistant Chief Immigration Officer (Regulatory and Compliance) Ms Jeannie Lewis receives the Best Complaints Officer award from His Excellency the Governor, Mr. Duncan Taylor, CBE in the company of Complaints Commissioner Ms Nicola Williams.

Award group: L-r: Complaints Commissioner Ms Nicola Williams; the first Best Complaints Officer award winner, Assistant Chief Immigration Officer Ms Jeannie Lewis; Deputy Governor Hon. Franz Manderson, Cert. Hon., JP, and Deputy Chief Immigration Officer, Ms Samantha Bennett

OCC Presents: L-r: Ministry of Community Affairs Chief Officer Ms Dorine Whittaker, JP; Most Improved Complaints Officer award winner, the Ministry’s Chief HR Manager Ms Tamara Ebanks and Deputy Governor, Hon. Franz Manderson, Cert. Hon., JP

Tamara1: Community Affairs Ministry Chief HR Manager Ms Tamara Ebanks won the first Most Improved Complaints Officer award from the Office of the Complaints Commissioner.