The Standards Committee of Cornwall Council met on Thursday 30 October 2025 to discuss organisational complaints, ethical standards complaints, and the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman's annual review letter. The committee noted the Organisational Complaints Report, agreed to continue monitoring waste service complaints, and requested further information on invoicing and payments. They also noted the Ethical Standards Complaints Report for the second quarter of 2025-2026 and resolved to write to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman to request further quantification of statistics in their annual review letter.

Organisational Complaints Report

The committee reviewed the Organisational Complaints Report for Quarter 1 of 2025-2026. A discussion ensued regarding an increase in symbolic payments, primarily related to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) cases, which were often substantial due to time out of education. Members agreed this trend needed monitoring. While acknowledging national challenges in SEND provision, the committee noted that the council did not currently benchmark its performance against other authorities in this area, relying instead on the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman's (LGSCO) annual report for such comparisons. One member suggested challenging symbolic payments, arguing that money could not compensate for lost education. It was clarified that authorities were also required to ensure subsequent educational provision. The Head of Governance, Elections and Democratic Services agreed to follow up on whether compensation could be exclusively for educational purposes. The committee also discussed the effectiveness of customer service complaints workshops, which had been run in conjunction with the LGSCO. A consensus was reached to continue monitoring waste service complaints due to a lack of evidence of reduction, with a review scheduled for the next meeting. Furthermore, the committee requested more detailed information on invoicing and payments to identify potential improvements in customer communication.

Ethical Standards Complaints

The committee received an update on Ethical Standards Complaints for Quarter 2 of 2025-2026. A member queried whether the high number of complaints against Town and Parish Councils might stem from differing interpretations of the Code of Conduct. It was explained that all decision notices were published online, allowing for transparency on what constituted a breach. The committee noted a temporary increase in complaints following elections, which had since stabilised. A clarification was made regarding a discontinued complaint, where it was agreed that future reports should explicitly state when a complaint had not been processed for reasons such as the complainant's occupation not precluding them from being a Councillor. The committee was informed that all Cornwall Councillors had completed their Code of Conduct training, with positive feedback received from Clerks.

Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman Annual Review Letter

The committee reviewed the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman's (LGSCO) Annual Review Letter for 2024-2025. The Head of Governance, Elections and Democratic Services noted that the format of the report had changed from previous years, making direct comparisons more difficult. A key point raised was the statistic indicating that only 4% of cases had a satisfactory remedy provided before reaching the LGSCO, compared to an average of 10% for similar authorities. This was identified as an area for improvement, with the understanding that service areas might face challenges in meeting LGSCO expectations for remedies. The report also highlighted that the LGSCO upheld 88% of investigated complaints, a higher rate than the 80% average for comparable authorities. The committee acknowledged the high level of dissatisfaction with the education system in Cornwall, attributing it partly to staff being inundated with cases and systemic issues rather than individual officers. Concerns were raised about the lack of detail in the report, making comparisons difficult. The Head of Governance, Elections and Democratic Services agreed to write to the LGSCO to request further quantification of the statistics. The committee reiterated the need for more information on invoicing and payments to improve customer communication, a point also raised in relation to the Organisational Complaints Report.

PC001/23/24 - Consideration of a Referral Under the Unreasonable Customer Behaviour Policy

The committee resolved to extend the restrictions imposed on PC001/23/24 under the Unreasonable Customer Behaviour Policy for a further two years. The Monitoring Officer will review the declaration at six, twelve, and eighteen-month intervals, consulting with the Chair of the Standards Committee at the twelve-month review.