New Director - Same Old...? Cyngor Gwynedd Council.

The new corporate director of cyngor Gwynedd is Catrin Thomas, replacing Geraint Owen, who had worked for the council even before its name change in 1996, after the first child abuse scandal.

From the Cambrian News -
Council leader Nia Jeffreys congratulated Catrin on her appointment, adding: “It is always a pleasure to work with Catrin, and I am really looking forward to the next chapter. Her recent experience working for Adra will also bring a different perspective to the council.

Council Chief Executive of Dafydd Gibbard said: “Catrin is already familiar to many of us here at Cyngor Gwynedd, and it is always great to see former members of staff returning to the authority with valuable experiences from other organisations. 
https://www.cambrian-news.co.uk/news/gwynedd-councils-new-corporate-director-817128

Catrin Thomas has been employed at cyngor Gwynedd for many years but went to work for Adra, as head of customer services - last year. 

She is now back and will be well aware of the problems within the council and the need to change the 'mindset' and 'culture' that the former director warned of.   

Moving on - is how Gwynedd council treat Freedom of Information requests under the FOI Act 2000 still a concern? The council has recently claimed its requested review from the Information Commissioner's Office was marked as 'reasonable' by the ICO. 

The council appear reluctant to answer certain FOI's especially with regard to Neil Foden, the disgraced head teacher who abused children and staff at Ysgol Friars and possibly other schools.
What happened to 'leave no stone unturned?'

Some FOI requests received by the council can be viewed here - 
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/body/gwynedd_council  

Not all FOI requests are listed on the site as the council can be approached directly.

Requests for information from cyngor Gwynedd have been a cause for concern for some time now. It has created reports in spite of the evidence, ignored 'advice' from the ICO to release information and also reported that its data redaction software can destroy information.

Information is also collected by the council under GDPR. Its website collects data and sets cookies. 
To download the council's webcasts now require extra cookies to be placed on a person's computer. One site has flagged Gwynedd's compliance with  GDPR, ePR as high risk - 

It is likely that the council is compliant with law but, should this flag be of concern...?

In other news, the Jan Pickles Child Practice Review will soon be completed.
Cyngor Gwynedd's Education and Economy Scrutiny committee report into Neil Foden is also expected in September. 
When will the Woods report be released?

Something is very wrong within Gwynedd council... 

 

 

 

 

 

Does 'Absent From Work' Mean Suspended? - Cyngor Gwynedd Council.

The publication of the Jan Pickles review, first due in spring, then late spring has been delayed again and is now expected in September...
https://www.northwalessafeguardingboard.wales/gwynedd-child-practice-review/

Cyngor Gwynedd has still not published the Genevieve Woods report received in March.
The barrister was commissioned by the council to investigate the council's handling of matters relating to  paedophile Neil Foden in 2019. A teacher from Ysgol Friars blew the whistle to Garem Jackson, former head of education at the council, who then sought the advice of a council safeguarding officer.

From the BBC -
Top officials at council which employed paedophile head 'absent from work'
An email sent to Gwynedd councillors by the authority's chief executive stated there were arrangements in place to lead its children and family support department while the head and deputy head are absent...

It goes on to add -
BBC Wales understands four members of staff were part of the decision not to investigate at the time, and a BBC Wales Investigates programme into the case revealed three of those were still employed by the council.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c15nzl058z1o

The head of children and families is Marian Parry Hughes but who is the deputy head?

According to a recent FOI response, the children's SS department does not have a deputy head but names three assistant heads -
Aled Gibbard, Sharron Williams Carter and Dafydd Paul.
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/structure_chart_social_services_7/response/2917001/attach/html/5/Children%20Department%20Organisational%20Chart%202024.pdf.html

Two of the three assistant heads, Aled Gibbard and Sharron Williams Carter, have been given temporary leadership of the Children and Families Department under the guidance of the director of SS, Dylan Owen.

Does 'absent from work' mean suspended and what of the fourth officer?

Last year, Dafydd Gibbard, CEO of cyngor Gwynedd commissioned a report into the county's looked after children. When will that report be made public?

It is presumed this action was in response to the revelation by Dylan Owen, the director of SS, of one child costing £25K a week and another child living in a caravan...

Were any of Neil Foden's victims children that were in the care of the council?
Do the historic complaints from 2014, that the children's SS department reported last year, involve looked after children?

In other news, Aled Davies, the head of Gwynedd Adults SS department will leave his post in July when Mari Wynne Jones will take up the role. Jones is a social worker and has worked for the council for 25 years...

Something is still very wrong within Gwynedd council...

Cyngor Gwynedd Council - Forum IDP's, Safeguarding And Children On The Margins...

When a child enters the care of a local authority, the council becomes their corporate parent. This means that every councillor has a responsibility to act in the best interests of that child, just as any parent would for their own child.

Councillors have a responsibility for all children in their communities - not just those in care.
This includes ensuring access to education, healthcare and youth services.
But safeguarding children is paramount...

Local authorities provide safeguarding training for councillors and officers...
This training will cover everything from interfamilial abuse, county lines, child exploitation and child sexual abuse. It will also include those in a position of trust who abuse...

But what happens if councillors and officers don't attend the trainings...?

Dyfrig Siencyn, the former leader of cyngor Gwynedd council, only completed his safeguarding training on 24th September, 2024, three weeks before he resigned after refusing to apologise to the survivors of Neil Foden.

Richard Medwyn Hughes, a school governor at Ysgol Friars during Foden's reign only completed the council's safeguarding training on the 8th January, 2025. Hughes resigned after Foden's arrest but is now back as governor...

Beca Brown, the former cabinet member for Education who resigned in protest at Siencyn's actions, only completed her training on the 22nd January, 2025.

Some councillors have attended safeguarding workshops every four years or so.
Other councillors have not attended any at all...
.
Last year, Dafydd Gibbard, the CEO of cyngor Gwynedd commissioned a piece of work to better understand the position of the council's 'looked after children'. When will that report be published?

Does it include the work of the Fostering team?
How many looked after children have been excluded from school?
Were any of Foden's victims looked after children..?

The Welsh Government have recently published a report -
Children on the Margins

It contains a lot of information on child criminal exploitation, sexually exploited children and homeless children across Wales.

It includes -
Some observed that the age of children going missing is getting younger. One professional suggested that children aged 12-14 were most at risk. Others indicated that they are seeing more girls going
missing than before...
Also -
Others highlighted the increased likelihood of neurodivergent children being excluded from education settings, which means that they do not benefit from the protective qualities of education establishments...

The full report can be found here -
https://senedd.wales/media/xmhhaypg/cr-ld16844-e.pdf

How many neurodivergent children or those with ALN are, or have been, excluded from Gwynedd schools? 

For those with ALN, most will have an Individual Development Plan (IDP).
From the Snap Cymru website -
 

https://www.snapcymru.org/get-support/idps/

In Wales, children with ALN have an IDP, of which there are two types, school/college maintained or local authority maintained.

Cyngor Gwynedd also use what they call a 'forum IDP'...
This does not exist in law, but makes it look like a child is getting more support than a school maintained IDP - this is not the case....

Something is very wrong within Gwynedd council...