Crap Towns / South Oxfordshire / Ombudsman complaints

How often does the ombudsman find against South Oxfordshire council?

In 2025-26 the ombudsman decided 12 complaints and enquiries about South Oxfordshire council, investigated 1 and upheld 1. That's an uphold rate of 100%, against 74% for similar councils. Per 100,000 residents that's 0.6 upheld, against 1.0 for similar councils. It had already put things right in 100% of upheld cases, against 15% for similar councils. Oxfordshire County Council, which runs social care, schools and the roads, had 24 upheld of 30 investigated (an uphold rate of 80%).

**What the ombudsman decided, 2025-26**
Outcome	Complaints and enquiries
Upheld	1
Not upheld	0
Closed after first enquiries	6
Sent back to the council to sort out first	4
Advice given	1
Invalid or incomplete	0
All decided	12

**What people complained about, 2025-26**
Service	Complaints and enquiries received
Planning	9
Benefits and tax	3
Bins, environment and public protection	2
Housing	2
Corporate and other services	1
Adult social care	0
Education and children's services	0
Highways and transport	0
Other	0

**Nearby councils**
Council	Upheld per 100,000 residents, 2025-26
Buckinghamshire	11.9
Wokingham	8.0
Windsor and Maidenhead	7.5
Reading	3.8
West Berkshire	2.4
Vale of White Horse	2.0
Oxford	1.8
West Oxfordshire	0.8
South Oxfordshire	0.6