Cyngor Gwynedd held a Governance and Audit Committee on Thursday, 6th February, 2025.
Dafydd Meurig was in attendance after concerns were raised to his absences at the last meeting.
The January meeting heard mention that a balanced budget need not be set by councils and a 'zero based budget' could be used instead. This may work better for many councils and would give more insight in to how public money is used by departments within local government.
No minutes were presented of the previous meeting on January 16th...
Reports presented to the meeting can be found in the agenda pack here -
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/g5293/Public%20reports%20pack%2006th-Feb-2025%2010.00%20Governance%20and%20Audit%20Committee.pdf?T=10
Dewi Morgan, head of finance reported that £1,868k of underspend on corporate budgets was transferred to the council's financial strategy reserves. Nearly two million pounds not spent on services now in the bank.
Savings and cuts were discussed...
Gwynedd council report the increase in employer's National Insurance contributions will add £4.5 million to staff costs. The government aims to provide funding to cover the increased NI costs for council employees.
There will also be a further increase in fees to the public for services provided as well as the increase in council tax.
An Internal Audit Plan by the Audit manager, Luned Fon Jones, was presented.
She gives limited assurance in respect of schools transport, whistleblowing, homeless prevention grant and the housing support grant.
Jones has also cancelled or delayed the following audits - 
The 'Out of County' placements are of particular concern in light of the comments made by the director of SS at the January meeting as to costs.
Her report also contains -
A work improvement group (task and finish) was set up to look at the council owned smallholdings in 2023. Why this has not yet been completed is not known. Mention has been made, in a different council meeting, that costs of repairs to the smallholdings are to be paid for out of the council tax premium.
Exit interviews do not appear on the list.
Are staff now being asked their reasons when leaving the council's employment?
On page 138, Jones presents her audit on cyngor Gwynedd's Whistleblowing policy. She gives 'limited assurance' on the policy but on reading perhaps 'no assurance' would be more accurate...
Instead of an anonymous form, the council emailed just over 2,000 of its 6,000 employees.That only 817 responded is concerning but not a surprise. Jones gives no information to which departments these people work in...
More concerning is that 81 staff (who responded) would NOT blow the whistle on something that is -
'unlawful, fraudulent or corrupt'
nor the -
'sexual, physical or emotional abuse of clients'
Some staff gave their reasons for not whistleblowing -
Their fears may well be justified...
Garem Jackson, the former head of education, 'outed' the teacher who
whistleblew on Neil Foden in 2019. The council's safeguarding officer who
advised Jackson to simply have a word with Foden about his behaviour has
still not been named by the council and is presumably still in post.
The staff responses show a toxic culture of fear and mistrust of senior managers.
Dafydd Gibbard, Geraint Owen and the former leader of the council, have all raised concerns with the culture that exists and the need for change...
From March, 2023 -
...This is all rooted in a change of culture, behaviours and mind-set
and its aim of realising the ambition across all parts of the Council's
activities is acknowledged as a substantial challenge and one which
requires a comprehensive programme of support...
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/documents/g4839/Public%20reports%20pack%2007th-Mar-2023%2013.00%20The%20Cabinet.pdf?T=10
Yet it is executive officers that are responsible for a council's culture and behaviours.
Cabinet members and councillors of scrutiny committees turning a blind eye has only embedded the culture.
Something is so very wrong within Gwynedd council...
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