Purpose

The purpose of this report is to share the Public Services
Ombudsman for Wales Annual Letter 2024-25 for Flintshire County
Council. The Annual Letter provides an overview of the performance
of the Council in relation to complaints of maladministration
received between 1 April 2024 - 31 March
2025.  This report also provides an
overview of complaints received by each portfolio of Flintshire
County Council in the first half 2025-26 (1 April 2025 -
30 September 2025).

Content

That having regard to the
factors below, the Committee is assured that the Council operates
an effective complaints process:
 
i) for the first time in three
years, there has been a 20% increase in complaints against
Flintshire County Council, which is in line with the average
increase across local authorities in Wales.
 
ii) the Council’s
lower-than-average intervention rate by the Ombudsman and its
strong performance in complying with Ombudsman recommendations,
and
 
iii) the fact that no formal
investigations have been instigated for the third consecutive
year.
 
iv) the Council’s
half-year performance (2025-26) in handling complaints in
accordance with the Council’s Concerns and Complaints Policy
and the priorities in paragraph 1.27.