Rate of complaints made to Welsh councils returns to pre-pandemic levels, Ombudsman data shows

The rate of complaints received by Welsh local authorities returned to pre-pandemic levels in the 2021 to 2022 financial year, the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales (PSOW) has said.

Data gathered by the Ombudsman show that Welsh councils received more than 15,000 complaints from April 2021 to March 2022, with almost half (45%) of the complaints closed in the year being upheld.

The Ombudsman said the number of complaints that were upheld "remained consistently high" throughout the year.

Complaints about waste and refuse made up about a third of all complaints and attracted an uphold rate of 70%.

About 76% of all complaints received were closed within the target of 20 working days.

Of the more than 15,000 complaints lodged in the year, 1,100 were referred to the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman closed 1,092 complaints about local authorities in the year.

The Ombudsman intervened in 15% of the cases that it considered by recommending Early Resolution or upholding a complaint after an investigation. 

"Since the vast majority of remaining cases were out of jurisdiction, the actual intervention rate in cases that we could consider was 99%," the Ombudsman said.

"This is consistent with the previous quarters of the year and suggests that there are further improvements required in public service delivery."

The Ombudsman gathered the data using powers under the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales Act 2019, which allows the watchdog to collect complaints data from local authorities in Wales.

The 2021 to 2022 financial year is the first full year in which the Ombudsman has published figures from local authorities.

Michelle Morris, the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, said: “We’re proud to be able to show data for the full financial year – and for the first time we’re able to see more of the complaints landscape."

Morris added: “This information allows us to look beyond the headline and consider what this performance means, both for the general public and how they experience local services, and allows us to track how those services can improve."

Matthew Harris, PSOW’s Head of Complaints Standards, said: “I think having this information in one place drives transparency and consistency – but more than that, it allows real scrutiny of what numbers like these actually mean. This data allows us to do more than simply consider volumes, and start using information to drive improvement in public service delivery.”

Adam Carey