The Standards Committee of cyngor Gwynedd met on the 2nd, November, 2026.
The Annual Report of the Ombudsman for Wales, Michelle Morris, was presented.
Complaints against health boards have increased by 42% in the last year.
Complaints against local authorities by 25% and housing associations by 27%.
Morris writes 'Looking beyond our office, many people still find it hard to complain to public service providers and there remain areas of public services in Wales where access to justice is incomplete'.
The PSOW does not give reasons why the public still find it hard to complain, nor does she mention how many variances to PSOW recommendations her office allowed public organisations after investigations are concluded.
Are the same issues being investigated...?
How many new complaints are against organisations with the same or similar issues already investigated and upheld in past investigations?
Is the ombudsman still seeking robust evidence that its recommendations have been acted upon and lessons learnt?
The PSOW also investigates complaints against Councillors breaching the Code of Conduct.
Siôn Huws, Propriety and Elections Manager for cyngor Gwynedd has authored a report with summaries of the decisions received from the Ombudsman. His report - Allegations against members - can be found on page 191 of the agenda pack for the meeting here -
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/g5763/Public%20reports%20pack%2002nd-Nov-2026%2010.30%20Standards%20Committee.pdf?T=10
A reminder that the PSOW investigates town/community councillors as well as county councillors.
Complaints against councillors included -
Summary of the complaint
The Member was alleged to have behaved inappropriately when she posted a photo of a garden showing signs of hoarding on Facebook and asked the public to comment on whether they could live next door. The Complainant felt that the person responsible for the hoarding issue could do with help and support, rather than the court of public opinion.
The ombudsman decided the the Plaid councillor Jina Gwyrfai, representing Yr Eifl, should not be investigated by concluding -
While I fully appreciate that the Complainant may have been offended by the Member's post and feels that there may have been other ways of addressing the situation, the evidence provided does not indicate disgraceful or offensive behaviour that would affect the Code and justify intervening in the Member's right to political expression on this occasion.
But was the councillor's post a political expression..?
Some who saw it were of the opinion it was posted simply to humiliate a resident.
Another referral made to the Ombudsman -
Summary of complaint
It was alleged that one of the members present at a meeting had breached the Code of Conduct ("the Code") by disclosing confidential information to the media. The complaint was made by one of the members present at the meeting asking the Ombudsman to investigate to establish which of the members disclosed the information. The complainant referred all members present, including herself, to the Ombudsman.
The ombudsman did not investigate saying -
(1) Whether there is evidence to suggest that there may have been breaches of the Code of Conduct. The Code is clear that members must not disclose confidential information or information which should reasonably be regarded as being of a confidential nature.
The evidence provided by the Complainant suggested that the information discussed at a Council meeting ought to have reasonably been regarded as confidential.
The evidence also suggested that this information was subsequently disclosed to the media.
Having considered the information provided by the Complainant, I am not persuaded that there is evidence that identifies the Member as the specific individual who has disclosed the information and in the absence of evidence demonstrating that the Member was responsible for the disclosure, the Ombudsman cannot investigate.
It may be helpful if I explained that the Ombudsman’s role is to consider and, when appropriate,undertake investigations of complaints that an individual member has breached the Code, rather than to independently establish the identity of the individual responsible for the disclosure.
Who decides what is and what isn't confidential information?
If this complaint concerns cyngor Gwynedd, then will it be the legal team that makes such decisions?
Could one say that the legal team is compromised by the amount of maladministration found by the PSOW in past investigations? Then there is the question of who the senior legal officer was that attended the safeguarding meeting in 2019, when a whistleblower raised concerns with Neil Foden?
Not forgetting the Canolfan Brynffynnon affair...
Siôn Huws, also presented the 'The Gifts and Hospitality Register for Members' report.
The solicitor writes -
The Model Code of Conduct for Members makes it compulsory for members to provide written notification to the Monitoring Officer of any offer of a gift, hospitality material benefit or advantage above a value set by the authority and do so within 28 days. Gwynedd has decided that the value should be £25, and furthermore that such offers must be registered whether accepted or not.
Why has Huws allowed the recipient of the tickets for the Wales Women's International football matches not to disclose their value?
Something is very wrong within Gwynedd council...
