Where Are The Children? - Cyngor 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 The link to their report shows 'Page not found' but an archived version can be found here -
 
https://web.archive.org/web/20240312162338/https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprobation/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/08/An-inspection-of-youth-justice-services-in-Gwynedd-Ynys-Mon.pdf

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 law is to be welcomed but 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 honesy 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. 

Something is very wrong within Gwynedd council... 

Fault Is With Officers Not The Safeguarding Policies - Neil Foden - Cyngor Gwynedd Council.

Ten months after the arrest of Neil Foden, parents and governors still have little confidence in cyngor Gwynedd council to stop any future abuse.

At last weeks Education and Economy Committee, the representative for Arfon's parents and governors expressed her concerns and asked for an 'interactive infographic' to be made to ensure that everyone knew how to report abuse.

But the safeguarding procedures are well known - it is written on the back of many staff key cards. The policies have not failed rather the officers whose job it is to ensure childrens safety have failed...

It is a concern that the governor's rep has little confidence that things have improved. She may be aware of the new governing body that has been appointed at Ysgol Friars and one wonders if she has confidence in them also.

The new chair of the governors is councillor Dafydd Meurig. Other members appointed by the council are Elin Walker Jones, Gareth Mark Parry, John Wyn Williams and R Medwyn Hughes -
https://www.ysgolfriars.cymru/en/the-governing-body

Councillor Medwyn Hughes sat on the previous board and his re-appointment does not inspire confidence. Nor does the appointment of Elin Walker Jones, the present cabinet member for children, who has remained silent on the SS department's revelation earlier this year of historic complaints from 2013/14 concerning the Arfon social workers team.

Dafydd Meurig, was the deputy leader of the council and also cabinet member for the Adult SS department when they were being hauled over the coals by the Ombudsman for Wales for maladministration and bad behaviour towards the disabled under the last administration. One case featured in the PSOW's human rights casebook - it was that bad.

This case should have come before full council and a review undertaken of the social worker(s), their manager and the care home involved.
Meurig did not present it to full council...

In February, 2021, a banner was attached to the railings outside Morrisons supermarket in Caernarfon. It was swiftly removed by the council.

The public outrage prompted the Plaid MS for Arfon, Siân Gwenllian, to ask questions of the council.
https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/gwynedd-council-review-vehicle-policy-19777848

Over a year later, there had been no update from Gwynedd council nor the MS...
Local elections were held and Plaid Cymru increased their majority. After the election, the leader of the council shuffled his Cabinet and Dafydd Meurig was replaced by Dilwyn Morgan, who was the former Cabinet member for children and families. 

Morgan's tenure was also overshadowed by controversy. The PSOW finding maladministration and bad behaviour by his department also. A reminder that Dilwyn Morgan refused to answer questions of the Care Scrutiny Committee after one 'damning' PSOW investigation. It is also claimed that Morgan failed to take action against the senior safeguarding officer after allegations he misled councillors and the public.

In the reshuffle, Dafydd Meurig became Cabinet member for the Enviroment.

In September, 2023, the MS for Arfon was sent an email asking for an update on the vehicle misuse and mentions Gwynedd social workers using the cars for 'extra curricular activity'. 

Her office replied that Ms Gwenllian only asked about the Waste and Recycling department and passed on a message that she had received from Dafydd Meurig -

A letter and email was sent to officers who had the right to take vehicles home as part of their working terms, on 29/03/2023. The letter stated that the consultation period has ended and that no officer from the Waste and Recycling service is now exempt from the new policy - 'Use of Council vehicles for commuting'. In accordance with the procedure, a period of notice must be given to staff and the period of 90 days has started on 31/03/2023 and ends on 29/06/2023. So by the end of June the exercise of using the council's vehicle for journeys between home and work will come to an end. 

At the time of the protest, there was a perception that some officers of all departments considered the vehicles their personal property to do with as they pleased - including using them for trysts away from the office. So it is surprising that the focus was on one department only. 

Perhaps Aled Gibbard, the former senior operational manager and now head of resources, should have dealt with the matter. He would have far more knowledge of the affair than any councillor. For how long has it been considered normal practice that officers use these vehicles (and the fuel) to commute between home and work? All staff or just senior officers?

Dafydd Meurig did not bring this case to full council, either...

To outsiders, the perception is that many senior managers within the council and schools are incompetent and that a toxic culture of cover up has allowed many to get away with actions and behaviours that would not be tolerated in the private sector. The attitude of many senior councillors only adds to this perception...

In other news, it is reported that cyngor Gwynedd have suspended two staff members at a school. A spokesperson said -
We can confirm that two members of school staff in Gwynedd have been suspended from their posts and that the council is conducting internal investigations.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crgm8my77kno

The school has not been named but it is reported that the council are conducting an internal investigation. There is no trust in those undertaking Gwynedd council's internal investigations and in light of Neil Foden it may be more appropriate for councillors to insist that officers of another LA to be tasked with investigating the matter.

Something is so very wrong within Gwynedd council...

Cyngor Gwynedd - Misuse Of Public Vehicles Update...

Many people will remember the banner protesting cyngor Gwynedd officers misuse of council vehicles, in 2021. It was attached to the railings outside Morrisons supermarket in Caernarfon before being swiftly taken down by council officers...

A council spokesman said -  “We are aware that there are some instances where staff may not have adhered to this policy, and we are working with our trade union partners to address this matter and update our policy.

   

The picture is from the article written by Gareth Wyn Williams, in 2021 -
https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/gwynedd-council-review-vehicle-policy-19777848

On the 13th April, 2023, Dafydd Meurig, Cabinet Member for the Environment reported -

A letter and email was sent to officers who had the right to take vehicles home as part of their working terms, on 29/03/2023. The letter stated that the consultation period has ended and that no officer from the Waste and Recycling service is now exempt from the new policy - 'Use of Council vehicles for commuting'. In accordance with the procedure, a period of notice must be given to staff and the period of 90 days has started on 31/03/2023 and ends on 29/06/2023. So by the end of June the exercise of using the council's vehicle for journeys between home and work will come to an end.

Does this mean that officers continued to misuse the publicly funded vehicles for nearly two and a half years? Perhaps councillor Meurig could give an explanation for the long delay?

The public and local politicians may presume that this directive applies to all departments. Where cyngor Gwynedd is concerned nothing should be presumed...

Something is very wrong within Gwynedd council...

Cyngor Gwynedd Council Covid19 Confusion Over Payment Criteria

The recent opinion article, dated 7th May, 2019 by Dafydd Meurig, Deputy Leader of Cyngor Gwynedd Council in Nation.Cymru is highly critical of Welsh Government's performance during the Covid19 crisis.

https://nation.cymru/opinion/a-shambolic-welsh-government-have-offered-no-leadership-for-local-government-in-this-crisis/

Gwynedd Council's deputy leader writes that delivery of the original testing regime was 'farcical' and involved sending 15 names of symptomatic employees to Data Cymru who then send the names to Public Health Wales who would then send the names to BCUHB (in this case) for them to arrange testing with each individual.

These tests were then 'to be driven to Cardiff for analysis'. Public Health Wales would then send the results to Data Cymru to send the results to the Local Authority to inform the person of the result.

Farcical indeed if true.

Mr Meurig goes on to complain about second home owners and says that £18 million from Welsh Government would have found their way into 'the pockets of some second home owners, who live outside the area'. Adding -

'Cynically some of these second home owners have flipped their property over to the Business Rate system in order to avoid paying any Council Tax at all'.

'The drawn-out discussions and delay has resulted in thousands of genuine holiday businesses having to wait weeks for their payment'.


But two weeks previous on the 24th April, the Leader of Cyngor Gwynedd Council,  Dyfrig Siencyn is quoted in the North Wales Chronicle.

“We are pleased that the minister has listened to us and changed the business guidelines available to support small rural businesses in Gwynedd and other counties across Wales,” said Cllr Siencyn.

The government’s new guidance states that three specific clauses need to be adhered to:

Self-catering accommodation produce two years of trading accounts to 31 March 2019

Self-catering accommodation must let the property for 140 days or more in the financial year 2019-20

Self-catering accommodation business must be the primary source of income for the owner (minimum threshold is 50%).

He adds -

“Whilst we did not agree with the exact wording of the changes to the guidelines, we’re confident that the changes will mean that no second home owner will be able to claim this grant money without presenting evidence that the majority of their income derives from the property.


Why was the Deputy Leader not informed of the successful change to the guidelines before publishing his article two weeks later. Has the confusion amongst Members led to any delay in payments to local businesses ? How many payments have been released so far ?

For the full article copy and paste the address into your browser -
https://www.northwaleschronicle.co.uk/news/18403296.welsh-government-shuts-second-home-grants-loophole/

Dafydd Meurig, is also Cabinet Member with responsibility for  Gwynedd Council's Adult SS.

 

Where Is The Third Ombudsman's Report ? - Cyngor Gwynedd Council.

The 14th November, Cyngor Gwynedd Care Scrutiny meeting was full of surprises - for many reasons.

Warnings, by the Committee Chair, that a live issue was ongoing appeared to be ignored in senior officer's attempts to negate criticism and 'spin' their version of events. Anoma lies were noted in their narrative to Councillors.

The statement from Dafydd Paul informing the committee that the Ombudsman had ordered the Council to act regardless of the family's wishes was of particular concern.
(I am taking this comment from the english translation)

The english feed is now working for the meeting of the 14th November and can be found here -
https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/454056
 
Whilst Councillors and the public await a more detailed explanation for the behaviour of senior managers within the Children's Department and their Complaints team it must not be forgotten that yet another Ombudsman's Report should have been presented for scrutiny at the meeting.

Dafydd Meurig, the Cabinet Member for Adults, did not present the highly critical Ombudsman's Report dated the 4, July,2018 into the department he has responsibility for.

In point 69 of that report the Ombudsman for Wales writes -

"69. - In my view, these failings not only caused Mr A a significant injustice but also impacted upon Article 8 of his Human Rights.

 However, I have decided that the finding I have made of maladministration is so clear and so serious that to consider the human rights issues further would add little value to my analysis or to the outcome.I have therefore decided to say no more about that."

 
A recent FOI request into this case was responded to by the Ombudsman for Wales in the 'public interest'.

And..?

Something is very wrong with Gwynedd Council.