Ombud Council AR 2026

PART A: GENERAL INFORMATION

4. Report of the Chief Ombud

Chief Ombud: Ombud Council Ms Leanne Jackson

P resenting the Ombud Council’s Annual Report is not only an opportunity to report on whether and how well the organisation has achieved the annual performance targets we set at the start of the year but also to reflect on whether we are achieving the vision and mission we have committed to. Living our vision, mission, and strategy The Council’s Vision is to ensure that a known, trusted, and easily accessible ombud system exists for all in the financial sector and underpinning this, our stated Mission is: “Ensuring that the ombud system works better for financial customers by using existing statutory powers to harmonise the system, improve its coverage and visibility, and track its performance; and by proactively supporting regulatory reforms to improve the system over time.” This goal requires a dual focus: On the current realities of the ombud system and how well it is working for the financial customers who use it, as well as on the intended future shape of the ombud system and how to transition to it. Our three-pronged strategy supports these imperatives. The Consumer Awareness and Education programme aims to empower current financial customers to use the ombud system optimally; the Ombud System Reform Programme supports the journey to the stronger, simpler ombud system envisaged in National Treasury policy proposals; and our internally focused Administration programme seeks to ensure that the Council is governed and capacitated to achieve these aims.

These strategic priorities are unpacked in detail in the Council’s Strategic Plan for 2025 to 2030. At the start of the 2025/26 financial year, which was also the first year of the five-year planning period, the Council was confident that we were well positioned to deliver on these three programmes. I am pleased to report that excellent progress was indeed made on each priority during the year. Consumer Education and Awareness Through proactive collaboration with our stakeholders, the Council has become a respected player in the financial consumer education ecosystem. A wide range of consumer awareness and outreach activities through multiple mediums exceeded targets, and the Council actively contributed to the development of the National Financial Consumer Education Policy and the work of the National Consumer Financial Education Committee. All ombud schemes in the Council’s remit report increased consumer awareness of their services, and the Council believes that our awareness initiatives have bolstered those of the schemes in driving this visibility. Ombud system reform A new deliverable for the year was to draw on the complaints data and case studies reported to us by the ombud schemes to support the financial sector conduct regulators in mitigating identified areas of consumer harm. The Council facilitated engagements and information sharing between the relevant ombud schemes, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA), and the National Credit

Ombud Council 2025/26 Annual Report

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