For the Ombudsman to consider a complaint against 'the council' - a member of the public must first endure a council's formal complaints procedure beginning with a Stage 1 complaint. If dissatisfied with the outcome of the Stage 1, it is your right under law to ask for a Stage 2. If
granted, a senior officer from a different department will investigate the complaint. Only then can the Ombudsman be approached.
Under SS procedures, the council will employ an Independent Officer and in the
case of the children's department an Independent Person also - there to
oversee proceedings in the interest of the child.
Independent
Investigators are often senior officer's working for, or who have
worked for local authorities. Many are excellent and will follow the
evidence - some will not...
Once the investigator is chosen by
the council - they then meet with the complainant to fully understand
the grievance and work on the 'remit' (main points of complaint). This
remit is then presented to the council's Senior Complaints Officer who
will then decide if the remit is acceptable before the investigation can
begin.
One Gwynedd parent asked their 'independent investigator' to interview a witness involved with their complaint of an 'inadequate' assessment undertaken by two social workers. The investigator declined. Think on that - an 'independent investigator' not wishing to collect evidence and speak to witnesses in an investigation...
The investigator then presented her remit to the council for their permission to proceed - without the complainant's approval or knowledge...
Note - The person making the complaint is not necessarily informed of the remit at this point.
Emails show that this complainant was far from happy with the 'remit' and claimed that their evidence had been misrepresented by the investigating officer and contained factual errors.
Further emails show the Senior Safeguarding and Quality officer intervened and insisted that all correspondence with the investigator go through him....
The witness then asked to join the complaint. This was not welcomed by the council and the email thread shows considerable pushback. It concludes with the Senior Safeguarding and Quality officer implying that the only way he would allow the complaint to continue was if a child with complex issues and a diagnosis of autism be interviewed by council officer's - alone..
But the child had no desire to meet with even more officers of the department whose previous bad behaviour led to the former CEO, Dilwyn Williams, having to personally apologise for.
More on that here -
https://gwyneddsfailingcouncil.blogspot.com/2019/09/an-apology-from-cyngor-gwynedd-council.html
Obviously, the complaint did not proceed and was eventually timed out by the council.
The council were well aware that past policies and procedures have meant the Ombudsman can not intervene without a complaint to take forward. (Policies and procedures have now changed)
Work undertaken on one recommendation from the Ombudsman of
Wales but called out as fake was not investigated by the council. Questions remain to
the integrity of the work undertaken by two social workers and the
senior manager responsible for the 'assessment'. The email thread
also raises questions with the actions of the 'independent'
investigators.
The culture within the council has become increasingly more toxic since a joint investigation with North Wales Police, in 2014. The CPS dropped the charges after new information from NWP in 2016...
Yet another investigation report into this farce has been with the council for nearly two years now. Since then both the CEO and the Director of SS have left their posts. Is this another report that will find failings within the council? This time with Education and SS officer's and perhaps the council's legal team? What of the other agencies involved?
If there are no failings, one would assume that it would have been released immediately - along with the champagne corks...
What no report will detail is the emotional damage such underhand tactics cause to children and their families - nor the financial costs...
Something is so very wrong within Gwynedd council...
