Enquiries and Complaints to Wales Ombudsman About Local Authorities Increase by 17%

The number of enquiries and complaints referred to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales about local authorities has increased has by 17% this year, figures in the annual letter has shown.
The annual Ombudsman’s letter to councils for the 2023-24 financial year breaks down the number of complaints relating to alleged maladministration and service failure, as well as complaints linked to reported breaches of the code of conduct for councillors.
It is sent out to all local councils across Wales to provide an update on the work done by the office throughout the year, as well as sharing any “key
issues for local government” and highlighting issues and actions for each authority.
According to the latest letter there was a 17% increase in overall contacts to the Ombudsman compared to the previous year, with nearly 10,000 enquiries and complaints received.
The figure also showed a substantial increase in the overall case-load faced by the service of 37% since 2019, with 16% more code of conduct complaints received than the previous year.
The report from the Ombudsman read: “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 report showed that most complaints received throughout the year were about healthcare, making up 36 out of every 100 complaints, while around 18 out of every 100 complaints were about housing.
It also added that 17 out of every 100 complaints were about how
organisations had dealt with complaints, though it went on to say it was still on track to meet the target of dealing with all old cases by the end of March 2025.
The council with the highest number of complaints in the 2023-24 finacial year was Cardiff Council with 149, while Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council received the lowest number with 12.
Michelle Morris, the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales said: “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. We handled over 10,000 cases, closing more than we ever have done before and reduced the costs for each case and investigation.”

By Lewis Smith – Local Democracy Reporter