The constitution, councillors' conduct, audit, performance and complaints.
What councils do
How the council itself is run: its constitution, staff, buildings, IT, complaints, and how councillors behave.
Who decides
The full Council agrees the constitution. A standards committee deals with councillors' conduct; the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales investigates complaints.
Having a say
Complain to the council first; if you're not satisfied, you can go to the Ombudsman. Council meetings are public, and many are broadcast.
In numbers
Welsh councils plan to spend £67 per person on this in 2026-27.
It ranges from -£4 in Monmouthshire to £167 in Blaenau Gwent.
Council tax collected: 95% across Wales (2025-26).
Business rates collected: 96% across Wales (2025-26).
Decided: It was agreed that future versions of the report could include all-Wales comparison charts as appendices. An action was recorded to send all-Wales data to members.
RESOLVED –
(1) T H A T the findings from Audit Wales’ review of the Council’s arrangements
for planning, delivering and monitoring housing adaptations, (Appendix A to the
report) and the response to the review findings and Audit Wales’ recommendations
(Appendix B to the report) be noted.
(2) T H A T the report be referred to Cabinet for their endorsement of the
proposed Council actions (Appendix B to the report) to address the
recommendations, with a recommendation that performance oversight of the service
area be considered for the appropriate Scrutiny Committee.
Reasons for decisions
(1) Having regard to the contents of the report and discussions at the meeting.
(2) To ensure the Council responds appropriately and implements areas of
improvement as identified by Audit Wales.
Vale of Glamorgan, Governance and Audit Committee,
RESOLVED –
(1) T H A T the findings from Audit Wales’ school balances follow-up letter
(Appendix A to the report) and the Council’s proposed management response and
action plan (Appendix B to the report) be noted.
(2) T H A T the report be referred to Cabinet for their oversight and endorsement
of the Council’s proposed actions (Appendix B to the report) to address the
recommendations arising from the review.
(3) T H A T the report be sent to Members of the Start Well Task and Finish
Group examining school budgets, along with any analysis of the impact of any
specific interventions with schools.
Reasons for decisions
(1) Having regard to the contents of the report and discussions at the meeting.
(2) To ensure appropriate corporate oversight of the actions required to further
strengthen the Council’s arrangements for managing school budget deficits.
(3) To highlight the report to Members as part of the evidence pack being used to
inform the Task and Finish Group’s work.
Vale of Glamorgan, Governance and Audit Committee,
RESOLVED –
(1) T H A T the findings of Audit Wales’ review, Funding Councils: How the Welsh
Government Funds Councils (Appendix A) and the recommendations within the
report be noted.
(2) T H A T the report be referred to Cabinet for its consideration.
(3) T H A T the Leader of the Council writes to Welsh Government requesting that
the recommendations within the report be taken on board.
Reasons for decisions
(1) Having regard to the contents of the report and discussions at the meeting.
(2) To ensure Cabinet have sight of the report.
(3) To request Welsh Government action the recommendations made by Audit
Wales.
RESOLVED that the report be accepted and the Governance & Audit Committee were assured that the Management Response responded to the identified recommendations within the Audit Wales report. (Option 1)