S2 EP 9: Are We Caring for Our Carers? PSOW on Carers Week

For our June edition of That OA Thing, we’re recognising Carers Week with a timely and impactful conversation on how public services are – or aren’t – meeting the needs of unpaid carers.

Joining Donal Galligan, Chief Executive of the Ombudsman Association, are Michelle Morris, Ombudsman at the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales (PSOW), and Sarah Jones, PSOW’s Own Initiative Investigations Lead.

This episode takes a deep dive into PSOW’s their Own Initiative investigation: "Are We Caring for Our Carers?"

In this episode, Michelle and Sarah share insight on:

• 🧭 What Own Initiative investigations are, and how this innovative power is transforming ombudsman work in Wales.
• 💡 Why PSOW focused on unpaid carers – and the urgent issues the investigation uncovered.
• 📉 The stark findings around inconsistent support, lack of recognition, and system failures impacting carers.
• 🔁 The practical recommendations made to public services – and what must happen next to turn insight into change.
• 🌍 How these findings resonate beyond Wales – offering important lessons for public bodies and ombudsman schemes everywhere.
• 🧠 Reflections for Carers Week – and why we all need to better recognise and support unpaid carers around us.

As Michelle and Sarah remind us, unpaid carers form a vital yet often invisible part of our communities – and we need systems that see them, hear them, and support them.

Click on the links below to listen:
🎧 YouTube
🎵 Spotify

We hope this episode offers fresh perspective and renewed urgency – and inspires all of us to ask what more we can do to care for the carers in our communities.