Deprivation Of Liberty - Cyngor Gwynedd Council...

The Care Scrutiny Committee at Cyngor Gwynedd council held a meeting on the 13th June, 2024.

Dewi Jones, the mayor of Caernarfon and councillor for the Peblig ward, was elected as deputy chair of the committee and began his tenure by making a political statement. He was quickly rebuked by more experienced councillors and made to withdraw his comments. 

The minutes of the previous meeting were accepted.
The meeting on the 11/4/24 heard from one councillor who described his experience of the social services complaints process and felt the process merely defended the service. The minutes state -
It was not believed that the Children's Services behaved defensively and that everyone was always ready to learn from the lessons and improve services.

A reminder that the Ombudsman for Wales has called out the service for its ignorance of law, policy and procedures and that the head of department has herself commented on the need to read and understand reports...

The first report of the meeting was the Council's Ability To Implement The Deprivation Of Liberty Safeguards, authored by Mannon Emyr Trappe and can be found on page 17 of the agenda pack -
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/g5187/Public%20reports%20pack%2013th-Jun-2024%2010.30%20Care%20Scrutiny%20Committee.pdf?T=10

Gwynedd council do not have the ability...
This is a high risk to the public purse as some local authorities are having to pay compensation of between £3000-4000 for every month in which the individuals have been deprived of their liberty without authorisation. There is a waiting list in Gwynedd of 340 individuals who have been deprived of their liberty without authority and 20 individuals have been waiting over 3 years for an assessment.

On average, 67 DoLS applications are received monthly by the council. Gwynedd council state they have one best interest assessor (BIA) who works two days a week and one co-ordinator who works four days.
But there are in fact 18 trained BIA's working within the Adult's department...

The meeting was notable not just for the slapdown of councillor Jones but also concerns were raised that recruitment of much needed staff may be hindered by the requirments for the Welsh language being spoken.

Also, this was yet another meeting where the Chair ignored requests of councillors.
Following on from Elin Hywel ignoring proposals from councillors of a different committee, Beth Lawton now did the same at this meeting. Non Plaid councillors may be wondering what is the point of the care scrutiny committee?

One can only imagine what these councillors will think when they realise that the reports they were meant to be scrutinising had already been accepted and passed by members of the cabinet two days earlier. How can something be scrutinised after it has already been accepted by the policy makers...?

Usually, webcasts are uploaded to the council's website one day after the meeting. In this instance, neither the Cabinet nor the Care Scrutiny meetings are yet available for the public and other councillors to view.

Something is very wrong within Gwynedd council...

Of Mice And Men - Cyngor Gwynedd Council...

Cyngor Gwynedd council held a Cabinet meeting on the 11th June, 2024. The agenda pack can be found here -
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/g5221/Public%20reports%20pack%2011th-Jun-2024%2013.00%20The%20Cabinet.pdf?T=10

First up was the Asset Management Plan and most notably the decision to spend money on the smallholdings the council own. Once upon a time, Gwynedd council considered smallholdings a valuable source of income but a past report showed concerns with low rents and arrears. A Task and Finish group was set up to investigate these concerns last year but does not appear to have yet met...

The Strategic Safeguarding Panel Annual Report 2023/24 was also discussed -
It is essential that Cabinet members are aware of the Panel’s work on safeguarding and are satisfied that the Panel has undertaken the required work in a thorough and conscientious manner.

The panel is chaired by councillor Menna Trenholme, but ultimate responsibility lies with the Director Of SS. Concerns with the safeguarding of children has come to the fore with the recent trial of Neil Foden - but the report only mentions this in passing -

There were also cases during the year of crime against children. Whilst legal proceedings and the courts are doing their work, it is important that, as social services, we consistently learn from these incidents through reviews and improve our services to ensure the safety of those who are most vulnerable in our community.

It will be difficult for the Director, Dylan Owen, to deal with many of the issues emerging from the Foden case having only recently joined the council. It is the same with councillor Trenholme.
Morwena Edwards, the former Director and Dilwyn Williams, former CEO of the council will have more knowledge of events in this case but will they be part of the review? A reminder that some of those who have failed children are still in post...

A Performance Report for the Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Wellbeing was also given. The cabinet member, Dilwyn Morgan, was the cabinet member for children until 2022. His report mentions making more use of technology to improve the ability of Gwynedd residents to access support and care -

So no support for the elderly and disabled. The most vulnerable in the county left to care for themselves. Nothing in this report helps the issue of bed blocking in the local hospitals, either.

The Performance Report for Children and Supporting Families was presented by Councillor Elin Walker-Jones. The report focusses on the department's priority projects, namely the Autism Plan and the Small Group Homes Scheme.

The report gives an update on the house purchased by the council in Morfa Bychan for children with intensive and complex needs who are currently in very expensive out of county placements. The report mentions the doors are to be opened in September...

Questions from councillors on the group home schemes were responded to by Aled Gibbard, assistant head - resources. His answers show that little thought has been given to the project. Councillors asked what happens when these children reach the age of 18. Gibbard replied that the council no longer have a responsibilty for these children. So what happens to them and where will these teenagers go then?

Gibbard made reference to Gisda, an organisation that supports young people in the area. But Gisda only have four flats which are presumably used by the youngsters they support. What happens to them?

But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane,
In proving foresight may be vain;
The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men
Gang aft agley,
An’lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain,
For promis’d joy
Robert Burns

Elin Walker Jones report references the Autism Plan and promises to "improve our provision and make it easier for individuals and their families to transfer between different services."

This is disingenuous of the cabinet member who knows better than anyone that there is no real provision for autistic individuals without a learning disability and never has been. How can you improve something that does not exist? 

The cabinet member for children was also heard to make a comment regarding autism and disability, but the comment can not be verified as the webcast meeting has not yet been made available to the public.

Regardless of the many concerns, the Cabinet members voted to accept the reports as requested by senior officers.

Something is very wrong within Gwynedd council...