Cyngor Gwynedd - Councillors Not Attending Safeguarding Training...

All officers and councillors of cyngor Gwynedd council have a responsibility to safeguard children. So it is disappointing to discover that many councillors have not been attending the safeguarding workshops arranged by the council.

The person with ultimate responsibility for safeguarding is the Director of Social Services. 
In 2019, when the teacher from Ysgol Friars raised concerns with Garem Jackson, the former head of education, regarding Neil Foden, the director was then Morwena Edwards. 

Edwards background was finance and her appointment was not universally supported. There was a belief that someone experienced in the social work field was needed to take charge of a service still recovering from the previous child abuse scandal.

The toxic culture under the former director, Lucille Hughes, did not disappear with her quitting the council. The social worker, Alison Taylor, who whistleblew on the abuse  -

Speaking later she said that Gwynedd County Council would not admit to having a problem. A wide-ranging report later described a “cult of silence” that had covered up the scandal...

The final straw came when a young boy in her care died, after a colleague sent him to a B&B to fend for himself.
Speaking sometime later, she described a chaotically run service, adding what she had seen and heard was only the tip of an iceberg.
https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/gordon-anglesea-files-4-cult-12112990

In 2014, a new CEO was appointed. Dilwyn O Williams background was also finance and had worked for the council for many years even before the name change in 1996.

Also in 2014, arrests were made at Canolfan Brynffynnon after allegations of child cruelty. The case was dropped in 2016 after new evidence came to light and the CPS performed a deep dive of the evidence.

Despite claims of a malicious allegation, Gwynedd council remain silent on the affair and has even refused to answer a FOI request concerning the length of staff suspensions. An internal review was granted by the council's information office but the monitoring officer has failed (to date) to respond despite reminders from officers.

Then there were the multiple investigations by the Ombudsman for Wales finding against Gwynedd council and the SS departments in particular. One concluded that a care assessment for a child was predetermined to fail. A fake assessment undertaken simply to tick a box in an attempt to negate their duties. There are allegations that other 'assessments' undertaken by social workers were also predetermined to fail...

There was the case of the autistic adult stripped of support in a council care home. His treatment by the SS department was so bad it even made the Ombudsman's hall of shame casebook on human rights -
https://www.ombudsman.wales/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/104483-Equality-and-Human-Rights-Casebook_Eng_v03.pdf

For the Ombudsman to be approached, all of these families must first endure the SS complaints procedures. A Stage 1 complaint will usually mean meeting customer care officers with perhaps a senior manager present at the council offices. Such meetings are usually formal and can be intimidating. The senior complaints officer for the childrens department recently reported that more people asked for their complaint to be raised to a Stage 2 straight away. Past complainants can understand why...

The senior complaints officer used a recent report - that he would have helped to create - to defend the complaints officers. In typical Ffordd Gwynedd fashion, others are blamed. He mentions threats of violence against staff which are to be condemned - if true...

But the Ombudsman for Wales investigations tell a different story. They show disabled children denied their rights under law and families simply trying their best for their kids. One investigation shows senior officers interfered in a Stage 2 investigation and bullied the investigator. Three to four pages were deleted before the director finally accepted her report. 

A professor of Law at Leeds University wrote about the case -
https://www.lukeclements.co.uk/omg-will-it-never-end-2/

A reminder that the former chief executive was made to personally apologise to one family after their treatment by the childrens department and its complaints team. Not forgetting the failure of senior officers to comply with recommendations agreed to during investigations. An opportunity to hold the council to account was lost when the PSOW failed to impose a Section 22 special report notice.

The PSOW had issued such a report to Wrexham council after their CEO failed to comply and renaged on an agreement made. The penalty for Wrexham was imposed after a council tax demand was sent to a resident in english only. The PSOW acted after errors in communication were repeated.
https://www.ombudsman.wales/wrexham-county-borough-council-201708129/

Williams reported that the Ombudsman was outraged with Gwynedd council - (that would be the SS departments and their complaint officers in particular). Williams also claimed that all recommendations of the Ombudsman had been complied with 'bar a nuance'. This was not correct...

Even more evidence of misdirection by senior officers was revealed via an FOI request to the PSOW. All this resulted in the PSOW summoning Williams to Cardiff for a meeting that was described by the Ombudsman's office as 'not usual'.

A reminder that the PSOW changed its policies after its dealings with Gwynedd council and now require all councils to provide robust evidence of compliance with its recommendations.

All this at the same time the teacher from Ysgol Friars raised concerns about Neil Foden...
Then the pandemic hit...

Still under William's leadership, Gwynedd council received £55 million from Welsh Government to distribute to businesses in the county under the Covid-19 fund.

Then there was the council's partygate affair where an entire department had to self isolate after a staff night out. 

Followed by GwE and the inflated expenses scandal. As CEO, Williams should have called for an official investigation into the matter. He did not...

Willams then retired from the council in 2021 -
https://www.northwaleschronicle.co.uk/news/19011692.gwynedd-council-chief-executive-announces-will-step-spring/

The Head of Finance also left the council.

A few months later, the council received a final report concerning Canolfan Brynffynnon.

Morwena Edwards, director of SS, then quit the council.

During this time, the person with a legal responsibility for social services complaint handling was the Monitoring Officer. Gwynedd council recently changed the Constitution and that legal responsibility now lies with Ian Jones, the head of democratic services...

It is believed Gwynedd council have now employed a barrister to look into events of 2019 when Garem Jackson was first contacted by the whistleblower regarding Neil Foden. The council has yet to release the name of the safeguarding officer whose advice Jackson acted upon...

Something is so very wrong within Gwynedd council...

Did Cyngor Gwynedd Council Senior Officer's Mislead A Care Scrutiny Committee ?

At a Cyngor Gwynedd council Care Scrutiny Committee meeting of November 14th, 2019, the senior Complaints manager, Dafydd Paul, told Councillors that the Ombudsman for Wales -

"given them a further challenge, to make sure that someone goes to see the family, meet the family, ensure that they receive that assessement and that is something that we have now arranged with the adult services, to go into that situation on the Ombudsman's behalf, despite the fact that they have not expressed a wish to receive the service, our usual ethos involves intervention but only if the person invites us in and wishes for us to intervene in this way, the Ombudsman has judged this and wants us to go no matter what the wish of the individual may be, so that is now our response to that challenge provided by the Ombudsman." (translated)

The assessment mentioned would have been the third assessment undertaken by the council in three years - the previous two were called out by the family as 'fake' and predetermined ie set up to fail.

Confirmation was asked from Mr Dafydd Paul, or failing that the CEO, Dilwyn Williams, himself, that what was stated to the Care Scrutiny Committee was in fact true. The officer's did not reply.

 

So the Ombudsman for Wales office was contacted. 

 

After viewing the council's webcast, one senior Investigator confirmed the words spoken by the officer's were not correct but could not speak for the Ombudsman himself.

Nick Bennett was then approached for comment - he too denied the words of the senior officer's....

Something is very wrong within Gwynedd council. 

                             

CEO Retires - What Next For Cyngor Gwynedd Council ?

The Chief Executive Officer of Cyngor Gwynedd council, Dilwyn Williams, has announced he is to retire at the end of this month.

Dilwyn O Williams was appointed CEO  in 2014, replacing Harry Thomas who had been in position since 2003.

Like Thomas, Mr Williams had worked for the council for many years, before the creation of the new unitary Gwynedd council and abolishment of the previous authority after the North Wales Child Abuse scandal and boundary changes.

The reign of Harry Thomas ended under a cloud with 'angry council workers will walk out of their jobs in protest after bosses were awarded pay rises of thousands of pounds while theirs were frozen...'
From 2013 -https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/angry-council-workers-walk-out-2503378 

"Assets and customer care director Dilwyn Williams, education, skills and regeneration director Iwan Trefor Jones and planning and public protection director Dafydd Lewis had rises of £5,839 to £88,960.
Increases for 11 heads of service ranged from £1,042 to £5,094. For example the heads of social services and education saw their salaries rise by £3,311 from £72,200 to £75,511. The decision was taken by the council in June but staff say they weren’t told."

Dilwyn started off as a clerk for the former Caernarfon Council, then became Head of Accountancy for the new authority, then Strategic Resources Director, Corporate Director and finally CEO, where he has held the position for the last seven years.

His tenure as CEO began when the Westminster government austerity cuts really began to bite.
Some in the council have praised his work over the period, making £millions of cuts to vital services and jobs, the closing of community schools and youth clubs, the increasing Council Tax rises. Less services for even more money. This in the main under the dictates of the westminster government and the austerity measures first imposed by Cameron and Osbourne.

Under his stewardship, serious failings with the council have been highlighted in many reports, including five Ombudsman for Wales investigations. These include breaches of Human Rights, interference with the social services complaints process and so called 'independent' investigations, ignorance of Law, policy and procedures and basically council officer's behaving very badly, indeed.

There have been data breaches, censoring of personal information, misrepresenting evidence, misinformation and fabrication.

There was the case of the social worker being suspended by Gwynedd council for two and a half years until she won her Employment Tribunal. More on that here -

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5cf61dd7e5274a0771578036/1600022.2017_Mr_S_Parry_v_Gwynedd_Council_-_CORRECTED_JUDGMENT_AND_REASONS.pdf

Then there was the Employment Tribunal which found against the council for their dismissal of two local teachers - “extraordinary”, “ill-conceived”, and “emphatically wrong”.
More on that here - https://gwyneddsfailingcouncil.blogspot.com/2020/07/cyngor-gwynedd-council-extraordinary.html

Then along came the pandemic and a year of death, stress and change for all.

At a national and a local level Wales did well with the first lockdown and community spirit came to the fore. Some schools remained open to take the children of 'key workers'. People and organisations all rallied round and ensured medications were received and food parcels delivered to those in need.

Cyngor Gwynedd council kept things very close to their chests. Millions of pounds have been given out to local businesses for support during the pandemic whilst Councillors have complained of being left out of the decision making process -  https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/gwynedd-councillors-say-were-shut-18705757
'One member claimed there was a 'lack of trust' in the ruling cabinet group'

Then came the issue of hotdesking and virtual locations and the Audit office raising concerns with travel expenses -  https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/eyebrows-raised-what-schools-agency-18716183

'While the council's decision to change the rules was aimed at saving around £290,000 a year, GwE - which is funded by North Wales authorities - saw its expenditure increase between 2017 and 2019.'

'An audit also found that mileage claims were not being checked properly, leading to one instance where an 800 mile claim submitted for an 80 mile journey was processed before the mistake was found'

Then there was the issue of the council's car pool when it was reported that some officers were using the vehicles inappropriately, publicised by the very obvious banner next to Morrison's supermarket in Caernarfon, that was quickly taken down by the council.

A review of the council's social services policies for those with Autism without a learning disability has been released though not yet published. It mentions the ring fenced monies that have been allocated for such services over the years and calls for immediate actions.

Statutory annual reports from some council departments are already late, with no dates announced for completion nor opportunity to scrutinise what has been a truly tumultous period.

At the time of Dilwyn's announcement to retire the news came that a former colleague of his, Lucille Margaret Hughes, had died. Miss Hughes was once the Director of Gwynedd social services during the North Wales Child Abuse scandal and presided over the sacking of a social worker who attempted to whistleblow the care home abuses.

Miss Hughes, also worked for CAIS and had been living in the grace and favour apartments at Penhyrn Castle for many years.

                 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Autism Pathway ? - Cyngor Gwynedd Director Of SS Annual Report.

The Director of Cyngor Gwynedd Social Services, Morwena Edwards, has published her Annual report to be presented to the council on the 1st October.

Unlike the Welsh Government's generic report she presented last year, this report gives more detail of the performance of both the Adult and Children departments she is responsible for but like so many reports emenating from this council it doesn't seem to tell the whole story.

On page 31, under the title of Learning and Development, the Director makes mention that -

"The Department has been in contact with the Ombudsman's Office for some years now regarding one specific case....
The Department has received many recommendations from the Ombudsman, and one remains as outstanding; however, slippage has been seen in the work as a result of the Covid-19 crisis."

The Covid-19 crisis is only the latest 'reason' for 'slippage', so somewhat misleading....

 (There have been 5 Ombudsman investigation reports into both the Adult and Children departments - in 4 years.)

 

In June, 2019, the Chief Executive Officer, Dilwyn O Williams, sent a letter to the family apologising for all the failings upheld by the Ombudsman's investigation and informed that the Children's department had agreed to implement the recomendations by September, 2019.

 

 The Ombudsman's recommendation regarding autism is as follows -

"71. The Council should (within three months) seek specialist input to develop a plan for dealing with future assessment and support requests from/for those suffering with Autism."

 

The Council's action to meet this recommendation was to provide the Ombudsman's investigator with a copy of the "Integrated Autism Service (IAS) North Wales Update- February 2018" and a copy of the "supporting guidance" document.

No specialist input sought.  Just yet another attempt to avoid creating any 'pathway' for autistic individuals seeking social services care assessments or support. 

 

This 'evidence' was obviously not sufficient to meet the Ombudsman's recommendation and in October 2019, an officer of the Ombudsman for Wales contacted the council for an explanation of why the recommendations had not been completed as agreed and a phone call was arranged with the director Mrs Edwards to discuss compliance matters. Even though this call was arranged two weeks previous, - the council cancelled the call an hour before it was due.

 

The IAS do not carry out 'care assessments', that is the domain of health and social services, although autism advice can be sought from the IAS during the process.

 

As robust evidence of compliance was yet to be provided to the Ombudsman, in November 2019, the CEO was summoned to Cardiff to explain the 'slippage' to the Ombudsman, himself, we were also informed that the Ombudsman had other matters to discuss with the CEO..... 

(I wonder how much this cost Gwynedd taxpayers claimed as expenses but at least there was an opportunity for the CEO to do some Christmas shopping in the capital.)

 

Earlier this year, the CEO admitted that the Ombudsman for Wales is 'outraged' with Gwynedd council.

Not that outraged, as Nick Bennett could have published a 'Special Report' as he did with the Wrexham council when they failed to comply with recommendations agreed after an investigation.

 

All this was many months before the #Covid19 crisis and for the Director of Gwynedd SS to now use the pandemic as an excuse to cover for her departments failings is disingenuous.

 

When the pandemic took hold, the Ombudsman for Wales did indeed grant Cyngor Gwynedd extra time to comply with the recommendations for improvement. On the 11th June 2020, the Ombudsman wrote to the family - 

Fair enough - the pandemic has affected everything, though the Gwynedd council staff outing where one officer contracted the virus on a night out forcing an entire council group to self isolate for two weeks was not appreciated by anyone.

 

The Ombudsman wrote again to the family on the 24th August 2020 - 

 

        

So why is none of this mentioned in the Director's Annual report ? Sshh....Is it a secret ?

 

Something is very wrong within Gwynedd council.