|

Family liaison


We are committed to putting family and friends at the centre of all investigations into deaths in custody.


The Ombudsman is committed to putting families and friends at the centre of all investigations into deaths in prison, probation approved premises, immigration removal centres and secure training centres.  The purpose of family liaison is to enable families to participate in the investigation, to obtain answers to their questions, and to have a clear point of contact with the Ombudsman’s office.

Principles of family liaison

To provide the best service to families, family liaison officers (FLOs):

  • work with families in a way that is respectful, appropriate and sensitive to their needs
  • share information about the investigation with families as fully and as speedily as the Ombudsman’s powers and the law allow - information should be shared when it has been verified by thorough investigation.
  • are the public face of the Ombudsman's office in its engagement with bereaved families
  • contribute to a co-ordinated response to the needs of families and advise families about other agencies offering appropriate support
  • do not advocate for the family or raise their expectations inappropriately, or compromise the independence of the investigation
  • do not make promises to families which they cannot keep or say things because they think that is what the family would like to hear
  • do not provide a bereavement counselling service, but can provide information on available counselling services.

Key functions of family liaison

Family liaison officers make the first contact with the bereaved family.  If the family choose to be involved in the investigation, then the FLO remains in contact with them until the inquest has taken place. 

Family liaison provides documented, two-way communication between the family and the Ombudsman, which is managed according to the family's needs. In particular, the FLO prepares the family for any aspect of the report which is likely to be surprising or distressing.

There are five key stages at which the FLO is involved in an investigation:

  • identifying the family's questions and issues
  • ensuring that the draft report answers their questions and is written in plain English
  • gathering the family's comments on the draft report
  • distributing the final report
  • offering the chance to see the anonymised report, which will be published on this website

The FLO may also be able to intervene when the investigation reveals aspects of a family's relationship with one of the services involved in the investigation that have broken down (for example, a failure to return property belonging to the deceased or to act in accordance with organisational guidance).

For more information on family liaison - see the leaflet, A Guide to the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman's investigation of fatal incidents for family and friends