The Standards Committee of Caerphilly Council met on Wednesday, 3rd September 2025, to discuss the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales Annual Letter 2024/2025 and to approve the minutes of the previous meeting. The meeting was scheduled to be held at Penallta House and via Microsoft Teams, and was to be live streamed on the council's website.

Public Services Ombudsman for Wales – Annual Letter 2024/2025

The Standards Committee were scheduled to receive and consider a report regarding the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales (PSOW) Annual Letter for 2024/2025¹. The letter summarises complaints received and investigated by the PSOW during 2024/2025 relating to Caerphilly Council. These include complaints relating to maladministration and service failure, and alleged breaches of the Code of Conduct, as well as actions being taken to improve public services.

The report notes that, in general terms, during 2024-25, the PSOW received 1,337 complaints about local councils, which is a 20% increase on the previous year. The main complaint subjects accounting for this increase related to social services, the environment and environmental health, and housing.

Specifically in relation to Caerphilly, the PSOW received 78 complaints and closed 79, with some complaints carried over from the previous year.

Of note, 24% of the complaints received about Caerphilly County Borough Council were in relation to Housing, an increase from 16% in 2023-24.

The following table shows a breakdown of the complaints received:

In 2024-25, 24 recommendations were made to the council, and copies of compliance with those recommendations are provided to the PSOW. 50% of the recommendations due were complied with within the timescale agreed.

In terms of Code of Conduct complaints, the PSOW received 4% less new Code of Conduct complaints than the previous year, with 60% of these complaints relating to members of Town and Community Councils. Over half of these complaints (56% this year) tend to relate to promotion of equality and respect. The PSOW made 15 referrals to Standards Committees or the Adjudication Panel for Wales².

The Annual Letter also references the Independent Review undertaken by Dr Melissa McCullough, which was commissioned as a result of a member of staff who had been the Team Leader of the Code of Conduct Team making inappropriate and unacceptable social media posts of a political nature. Dr McCullough's report, published in September 2024, found that, in general terms, the PSOW's Code of Conduct processes and delegations are robust in terms of safeguarding fairness and impartiality. They are systematic, well documented and supplemented with appropriate guidance and the reasoning for decisions is required to be recorded and explained as applicable.

The Standards Committee were asked to consider and note the contents of the Annual Letter.

Minutes – 21st March 2025

The Standards Committee were asked to approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 21st March 2025.