Nearly 10,000 Complaints Made to Ombudsman About Councils in Wales Last Year
The number of enquiries and complaints referred to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales about local authorities has increased by 17% this year, according to figures in the annual letter sent to councils. The annual Ombudsman’s letter for the 2023-24 financial year breaks down the complaints related to alleged maladministration, service failure, and breaches of the code of conduct for councillors. It is distributed to all local councils in Wales to update them on the office’s work during the year and highlight any key issues in local government.
The latest letter revealed a 17% increase in overall contacts to the Ombudsman compared to the previous year, with nearly 10,000 enquiries and complaints received. The report also showed a 37% rise in the overall case-load since 2019, with 16% more code of conduct complaints than the previous year. The Ombudsman’s report stated, “My office has seen another increase in the number of people asking for our help – a 17% increase in overall contacts compared to the previous year, with nearly 10,000 enquiries and complaints received.”
The majority of complaints throughout the year were about healthcare, accounting for 36 out of every 100 complaints, followed by housing at 18 out of 100. An additional 17 out of 100 complaints were about how organisations handled complaints. Despite this, the report indicated that they were on track to address all older cases by the end of March 2025. In the 2023-24 financial year, Cardiff Council received the highest number of complaints at 149, while Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council had the lowest at 12.
Michelle Morris, the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, commented, “I am pleased to see that we have started to make good progress towards achieving the ambitious goals set out in the Strategic Plan. We saw a record increase in the number of people contacting us with complaints about public services and the behaviour of local councillors.” Morris added, “We handled over 10,000 cases, closing more than we ever have done before and reduced the costs for each case and investigation.”
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