2025 was yet another Annus Horribilis for cyngor Gwynedd...
Jan Pickles had began her extended CPR whilst the children's SS was avoiding proper scrutiny of this complaint -
Sshh...
Two complaints about the education department were also not properly scrutinised. The cabinet member did not offer an explanation to the complaint about the assessment and skipped the meeting where the lack of response to a safeguarding concern was presented.
School absences remained high with 1 in 10 children often not in attendance. Many of these children will have ALN and should be receiving support from ADYaCh. There is little support from the organisation and few schools cope so the number of expulsions rose across the county.
Supporting adults - or not...
Cyngor Gwynedd closed the day care services in Y Ganolfan, in Blaenau Ffestiniog and Encil y Coed, in Cricieth. These
closures come on top of the day centres that have already closed in
Bala, Porthmadog and Caernarfon.
Whilst some residents were already having to travel out of area for services that Aled Davies, the former head of adults could not guarantee in future, Dilwyn Morgan and members voted for the closures. Meanwhile -
'I had no help after my husband got dementia'
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckgyz3ez7ddo
There is no support and not for a lack of funding but a lack of carers.
Unpaid carers are not supported by the council either...
No english, no poor, no dogs..?
This year, Gwynedd's planning committee should have received more attention than it has.
Social housing is not welcomed by many members and applications are being refused contrary to their own planning policies. Warnings that schools may close due to a lack of numbers have been ignored...
Whistleblowing...
Then there was Gwynedd's audit on whistleblowing, undertaken by Luned Fon Jones. It does not make for good reading with 81 staff (who responded) saying they would NOT blow the whistle on something that is –
‘unlawful, fraudulent or corrupt‘
nor the –
‘sexual, physical or emotional abuse of clients‘
It is obvious that these staff have little faith in the management within the council...
Aled Davies, head of the adults SS then left his post.
Mari Wynne Jones, is the new post holder...
Cyngor Gwynedd then sacked an officer who they had suspended on full pay for 9 years.
The officer then took his case to an Employment Tribunal - 
Before the case could be heard in court, the council re-employed the officer...
Canolfan Brynffynnon
Two other officers also suspended for 9 years received redundacy packages.
Was a gagging order imposed?
The Genevieve Woods report was completed...
This led to to Marian Parry Hughes, the head of children's SS and Assistant Head safeguarding and quality officer, Dafydd Paul, being 'absent from work' since last spring.
Have then these two registered social workers broken the Code of professional practice for social care ?
And if so, has the council themselves referred these two officers to Social Care Wales?
Code of Practice for Social Care Employers
Section 5
Promote the Code of Professional Practice for Social Care and co-operate with Social Care
Wales’ proceedings
5.5 Take account of the Code of Professional Practice for Social Care when making any decision that relates to a worker’s fitness to practise.
5.6 Follow guidance on how to make a referral to us about a worker whose fitness to practise may be
impaired and, if appropriate, tell the worker a referral has been made.
https://socialcare.wales/cms-assets/documents/Employers-code.pdf
Gwynedd's CEO, Dafydd Gibbard, has not yet published the Woods report and is in possession of other reports that may be critical of the same officers and their role in the farce of Canolfan Brynffynnon.
What was the 'new information' that stopped the criminal trial in 2016?
A full and independent review of the children's SS department and how it has operated over the years is needed...
Geraint Owen, retired as corporate director - Catrin Thomas has replaced him.
Morfa Bychan...
Last year, the council opened a children's home in Morfa Bychan. The home has still not been registered and should be considered unlawful. One councillor recently asked why registration was taking so long?
Menna Trenholme, the cabinet member for children, appeared to blame Care Inspectorate Wales.
The CIW may not be comfortable endorsing any 'responsible individual' from Gwynedd council and who could blame them?
Cyngor Gwynedd are now buying homes for foster carers to live in.
One of the final acts of Iwan Huws, former councillor for Bethel and Y Felinheli, was to sign off on the purchase of a house in the local area.
Smallholdings...
Cyngor Gwynedd have released £2.1 million to pay for improvements to their smallholdings.
This money has come from the council tax premium which was meant to help the housing crisis.
Are schools safe...?
One recent meeting heard reports of local school in Tywyn having to lockdown because of a pupil with a knife. In a separate incident, a taxi driver, who worked on the school run has been arrested.
The chair of the committee tried to shut down the councillor who raised these concerns...
The year ended with councillors calling for the the council to be put in special measures and calls for a public inquiry...
One councillor has asked for an extraordinary meeting of the full council to be held in the new year.
The director of SS spoke in support of this action.
It is not clear if the council will grant the request...
Something is so very wrong within Gwynedd council...
