Cyngor Gwynedd council are advertising for a new head of the children's SS department.
The job is paying £84,480 - £93,163 a year, which is a lot less than the £104,15, the former head, Marian Parry Hughes was 'earning' last year. The highest-paid council employees in Gwynedd and Anglesey https://www.northwaleschronicle.co.uk/news/25065053.highest-paid-council-employees-gwynedd-anglesey/
Hughes failed to act when concerns were raised against Neil Foden in 2019. The former headteacher of Ysgol Friars, in Bangor was finally arrested for sexually abusing children in September 2023.
Hughes leadership has been dogged with controversy since the farce of Canolfan Brynffynnon. Then there was the Ombudsman for Wales report highlighting the department's ignorance of law, policy and procedures. The PSOW recommendations for improvement were not acted upon...
Untrained social workers/senior officers... Dilwyn Morgan, the former cabinet member for children, did raise concerns about a lack of training within the department in 2021 - 'it would frighten you how few members of staff undertake these training.' What action did Morgan, now cabinet member for adults take..?
No outsiders allowed..? Cyngor Gwynedd are advertising the position internally, 'for a period of 6 months, with the possibility of an extension of up to 12 months...'
Does this mean that one of the interim heads of the department, Aled Gibbard or Sharron Williams Carter, is next in line to take the reins?
What next for Gwynedd's assistant head - safeguarding and quality also what next for the senior officer within the legal team? Both knew about Foden in 2019.
Something is still very wrong within Gwynedd council...
Cyngor Gwynedd's care scrutiny committee meet on Thursday, 29th
January, 2026. The agenda pack for the meeting can be found here - https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=394&MId=5671
The meeting will discuss the 'Keeping Families Together Strategy' co-authored by Sharron Williams Carter, the interim head of children's SS and Gwenan Medi Hughes, Sue Layton and Caren Brown.
A report from the Youth Justice Service, authored by Stephen Wood, will be presented.
Eighteen
months ago, senior officers of the YJS were criticised by HM
Inspectorate of Probation. The link to their report shows 'Page not
found' but an archived version can be found here -
An excerpt from the HMIP report – Assessment work to identify and
analyse risks to the child’s safety and wellbeing was much weaker.
Practitioners, while generally accessing information well, did not use
the information from other agencies regularly. We identified failures to
appropriately consider or respond to exploitation concerns and suggest
this is an area that requires additional training, understanding and
focus by the service. Inspectors did not agree with almost half of the
risk classifications made by case managers.
In June, 2024,
the same time as the HMIP report, cyngor Gwynedd's cabinet met to
discuss the 'Performance Report for Children and Supporting Families'
presented by the former cabinet member for children, Elin Walker-Jones. Main discussion points were the Small Group Homes scheme and the Autism
Plan. 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
Aled Gibbard answered questions of the cabinet members. 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.
In his latest report ,16+ Team (Leaving Care), the interim head of SS now states - While the young person is under 18, they are treated as children in care. When they turn eighteen they become Care Leavers and are the responsibility of the local authority until they are 25 years old.
If true, this change of policy and alignment with lawis to be welcomedbut exactly what support will be given to care leavers?
In
recent meetings, the council has scrutinised safeguarding practices and
repeatedly emphasised the importance of listening to the child’s voice.
There have been assurances that this will be the number one priority
through not only the SS departments, but all council departments
Is it not of concern then that the 16+ service report states - 5. Consultation 5.1 We have not consulted with service users for the purposes of this report.
It is not just the' voice of the child' that is missing... But the child... They can not all be refugees and even if they were - where are they?
Gibbard also relies on the Population Needs Assessment. Some people remember the meeting of the care scrutiny committee on the 3rd February, 2022, which accepted the document. Gwynedd's contribution to the North Wales Population Needs Assessment was ...incomplete.
Dafydd Meurig presented the document and concerns
were raised that few people were responding with requests for
information – surveys etc and that not all data was positive to the services... The document along with the agenda pack for 2022 can be found here - https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/documents/g4539/Public%20reports%20pack%2003rd-Feb-2022%2010.30%20Care%20Scrutiny%20Committee.pdf?T=10
If officers were not blaming residents they were blaming covid. The data is worthless but councillors thanked the officers for their honesty and voted to accept the document anyway. Of the councillors present -
Councillor Eryl Jones-Williams (Chair) Councillor Angela Russell (Vice-chair) Councillors: Menna Baines, Beca Brown, Anwen J. Davies, Alan Jones Evans, Richard Medwyn Hughes, Gareth Tudor Morris Jones, Linda Ann Jones, Olaf Cai Larsen, Linda Morgan, Beth Lawton and Dafydd Owen.
Only one voted against with another abstaining. The rest voted it through.
The Gwynedd Child Practice Review into paedophile headteacher Neil
Foden, first due in early Spring, then late Spring, then September has
been delayed yet again - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp98739vz49o
‘Our Bravery Brought Justice' review led by Jan Pickles, appears to have been usurped by the North Wales Safeguarding Board, which released a statement on its website -
The North Wales Safeguarding Board have made the decision to delay the
publication of the Gwynedd Child Practice Review this month as it
considers its legal obligations and information sharing further. https://www.northwalessafeguardingboard.wales/gwynedd-child-practice-review/
The NWSB is made up of senior officers from various organisations including local councils, North Wales Police, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and the Probation service. https://www.northwalessafeguardingboard.wales/nwsab-members/
Cyngor Gwynedd's Corporate Director and their Head of Adults SS sit on the board.
There is considerable anger with the delay and, for many, it shows little thought for the survivors and their families, more an exercise in protecting reputations?
Class actions against the council... In other news, the Neil Foden case is still deemed a risk to the council by Gwynedd's Governance and Audit committee held on the 11th September. Article 4 was also highlighted as a risk but no mention of Canolfan Brynffynnon. Is that case also considered a risk?
Gwynedd's head of Finance also presented the draft accounts to the committee. They show money in reserves to be £592 million and usable reserves of £137 million...
Governance and Audit is the most important committee of a council and it
is a surprise that cyngor Gwynedd do not webcast the meeting. The
meetings, held over Zoom, are recorded but not available for later viewing by councillors
nor the public. Not one member asked about the turmoil within
the children's SS department, with senior officers still 'absent from work'.
Due to the make up of the G&A committee, not all members may be privy to the disclosures to councillors so it was disappointing that the Care Scrutiny committee, held on the 25th September, did not ask the interim head of children services, Aled Gibbard, if services were being affected. Hasn't the director of SS raised concerns..?
The agenda pack and SS Annual Complaints Handling reports can be found here - https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/g5530/Public%20reports%20pack%2025th-Sep-2025%2010.00%20Care%20Scrutiny%20Committee.pdf?T=10
The report mirrors last years report, presented by the senior safeguarding officer, Dafydd Paul. It gives little information on the nature of the complaints and, as before, tries to divert attention by attacking vexatious customers. A reminder that the way senior officers report is not always accurate...
Cyngor Gwynedd held an Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee meeting on Thursday, 19th June 2025. The webcast of the meeting can be found here - https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/993870
The Task and Finish Group recommendations for Gwynedd council's Draft Education Language Policy - Cyngor Gwynedd Language Strategy 2023 - 2033 were discussed. There has been a recent push by councillors for schools to be taught through the medium of Welsh only...
The recommendations can be found in the agenda pack here - https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/g5496/Public%20reports%20pack%2019th-Jun-2025%2010.30%20Education%20and%20Economy%20Scrutiny%20Committee.pdf?T=10
On the 16th June, the Planning Commiittee held a meeting. That webcast can be found here - https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/992005
The meeting discussed an application for an 'affordable self build' house in Penygroes. It has been refused in the past but the local councillor called it in for a debate. The councillor did not attend the meeting... The recommendation was to refuse with the department citing three reasons including a lack of communication with the applicant. For reasons unknown some councillors wished to support the application anyway. The application was refused...
Gwynedd's Care Scrutiny Committee met on Thursday, 12th June 2025. The webcast can be found here - https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/991166
A performance report from the head of Housing and Property department, Carys Fôn Williams, was presented.
Next up was the performance report of the children and supporting families department, presented by cabinet member, Menna Trenholme. With Marian Parry Hughes absent from work, it was left to the interim heads, Aled Gibbard and Sharron Carter Williams, to answer members questions.
The department's report makes no mention of the absences of two of its most senior officers and not one scrutiny member raised concerns.
Morfa Bychan was discussed. The children's home should have been open last year. and whilst children have been placed there, the home is still not registered...
Councillor Beth Lawton raised concerns that according to the graphics in the report the interim heads had no concerns with the department at all. Lawton pointed out that there were concerns and described the Derwen service and its workload as huge. Gibbard replied "I'm not claiming that the way we're reporting is completely accurate..."
Councillor Gwynfor Owen asked the officers for the criteria that allows access to the disabled children's service. He was told, a learning disability and those with a substantial delay. Owen also asked if access to Derwen services was dependant on IQ. Gibbard replied no... Some parents have been told exactly that...
The Derwen criteria has been called out as unlawful in the past and in 2019, the Ombudsman for Wales recommendation was - The Council should review its Derwen policy to ensure its
criteria aligns with the Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act 2014
and the Equality Act 2010’s definition of ‘disability’, and ensure staff
are informed about any changes (within three months).
What of the Hugh
Morgan Autism Review? Have his recommendations been implemented? Perhaps Mr Morgan could be asked for his thoughts on 'progress' since his review? His review can be found here - https://gwyneddsfailingcouncil.blogspot.com/2021/04/finally-gwynedd-councils-autism-report.html
Moving on, the report states that the purpose of the performance report is 'to present the performance of the Children and Supporting Families Department over the past year.'
But then states 'the
report has been created based on the information and content of the
latest meeting to challenge and support the performance of the Children
and Supporting Families Department with the Director, the Senior
Operational Officer and myself present at this meeting.'
So not over the past year? Only since the 'latest meeting' - whenever that was...?
The performance report for the Adults SS was also presented.
For what they're worth the reports can be found in the agenda pack here - https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/g5531/Public%20reports%20pack%2012th-Jun-2025%2010.00%20Care%20Scrutiny%20Committee.pdf?T=10
In other news, Cyngor Gwynedd is advertising for a Corporate Director. https://www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/en/Council/Jobs-and-Careers/Corporate-Director.aspx
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 will not (yet) release the report by the barrister, Genevieve Woods. Woods
report looks at the circumstances from 2019 and how senior officers
dealt with concerns raised with regard to Neil Foden...
From a BBC article - She looked at 2019
because, during Foden's trial, the council's former head of education
Garem Jackson said that was when he made a senior safeguarding officer
aware of concerns about Foden's "close relationship" with some teen
girls. He said he was advised there was no need for a formal investigation as no official complaint had been made. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly2njvjwzko
In 2019, the Director of Gwynedd SS, with ultimate responsibility for safeguarding children was Morwena Edwards. Others with responsibility for safeguarding in the childrens department - Marian Parry Hughes (Head of Children and Family) Aled Gibbard (Assistant Head Children/Resources) Dafydd Paul (Senior Safeguarding and Quality/complaints manager)
Edwards quit the council in 2022, at the same time a report was received into the Canolfan Brynffynnon referral unit, it is believed.
The PRU has made the news recently - https://www.northwaleschronicle.co.uk/news/25090281.gwynedd-referral-unit-pupils-saw-staff-bullying-children/
Did these officers have knowledge of, or were any of them instrumental in the suspensions of three members of staff that lasted 9 years? It is reported that two of the staff members have taken redundancy and one is still employed by the council.
Gwynedd council actually dismissed the one officer... A case
against cyngor Gwynedd for wrongful dismissal was brought to Employment
Tribunal. On the 23rd December, 2024, the case was struck out. Because the council had reinstated the officer...
The tribunal hears evidence from both sides and then makes a judgement. Judgement reports are detailed and give the names of officers involved. Was the dismissed staff member reinstated to avoid details of the case becoming public knowledge and the officers involved being named?
Presumably, this case would have gone before the council's Employment Appeals Committee? So what do members of that committee know?
Something is so very wrong within Gwynedd council...
