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There is no summary of this meeting yet. One is written once the council publishes the minutes. The agenda and papers are below.
In accordance with the Code of Conduct adopted by the City & County of Swansea, no interests were declared.
Resolved that the Minutes of the Special Standards Committee held on 11 November 2025 be approved and signed as a correct record.
The Head of Democratic Services provided a “for information” report in order to update the Standards Committee on the Annual Report and Accounts of the Ombudsman Wales 2024-2025. He highlighted the complaint statistics, compliance rates, and specific data on Code of Conduct complaints relevant to Swansea and its Community Councils. Committee members discussed its implications as well as best practice. It was also noted that One Voice Wales was in the process of producing a Civility & Respect pledge that would be relevant for Welsh Authorities.
The Head of Democratic Services presented a report to agree the most appropriate methods for Community / Town Councillor engagement by the Standards Committee. He explained that the number of Community and Town Councils in Swansea would decrease from 24 to 18 by May 2027 due to Welsh Government’s Community Review. It would involve mergers and restructuring, resulting in a reduction of 95 Councillors in Swansea, and emphasized the need to complete engagement and support work before the new Councils were elected. It was proposed that the Standards Committee consider ways in which it can engage with the Community / Town Councillor sector. Suggestions for engagement included: Ø Inviting several Chairs of Councils from a selection of different size Councils to attend a Standards Committee to obtain their views. Ø Inviting several Clerks of Councils from a selection of different size Councils to attend a Standards Committee to obtain their views. Ø Distributing a questionnaire seeking opinions from all Community / Town Councillors. The committee discussed providing annual Code of Conduct training, with Huw Evans suggesting regular sessions, recorded materials, and a toolkit accessible online, whilst also clarifying the committee's remit was limited to conduct and training. The Committee highlighted the importance of managing expectations during a period of uncertainty due to the boundary changes, suggesting clear communication about the Committee's focus and the use of surveys, liaison sessions, and case studies to gather input and provide relevant support. Joint induction training for Swansea Council and Community / Town Councils to foster shared standards was also suggested. The Committee agreed to collaboratively develop a draft questionnaire to assess training and support needs for discussion at the next meeting.
Part of an issue followed across 2 meetings
The Head of Democratic Services provided a “for information” report to update the Standards Committee on decisions made by the PSOW in relation to allegations that Local Authority and Community / Town Councillors had breached the Code of Conduct. He outlined plans to enhance its usefulness by seeking additional data from the Ombudsman, with the committee supporting efforts to provide more informative future reports.
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