A report delivered by the Commonwealth Ombudsman examining the activities of the national Immigration Detention Network on Wednesday has echoed a number of concerns found in previous reports.

Ombudsman Michael Manthorpe, who is expected to retire from the role at the end of July after a five-year tenure, said he had three main concerns over how the Home Affairs department handled those held in detention centres.

"I remain concerned about the reasonableness of the use of force within the immigration detention network, the way complaints are handled and how vulnerable detainees are managed," Mr Manthorpe said.

The report offered three recommendations to address the areas of concern, including the introduction of measures to track and assess the reasonable use of force, improvements to the complaints handling process and taking on more responsibility over the handling of vulnerable detainees.

It also added it was important the department maintained better record keeping to ensure detainees held for long periods had their cases regularly reviewed.

"Given the long and undefined periods for which people can be held, and notwithstanding the legitimate national security and other risks that might be at play in some cases, it is crucial that each person's case be kept under review, with an eye to fairness and compassion," Mr Manthorpe said.

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The department agreed with the Ombudsman's recommendations on the use of force and the handling of vulnerable detainees but noted its criticism over complaints handling.

It argued it all investigations into complaints had a detailed single record and that complainants were responded to in writing and informed of the outcome. The department said it would continue to work with contractors who run the detention centres to ensure the process was followed.

Mr Manthorpe noted while there had been some improvement on previous reporting periods, many of the major concerns outlined, including the use of force and poor administration practices, had been raised before.

The office said it would continue monitor how the department responds to the recommendations.

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