Cyngor Gwynedd's Director Of SS Annual Report Blames Facebook For Poor Staff Well Being...

Cyngor Gwynedd's director of SS has published his Annual Report. 
Huw Dylan Owen uses a generic template and names it the Social Services Annual Report.

Mention of audits and reviews of the department can be found under the section 'Further Information' at the end of the report - but no links to Care Inspectorate Wales reports are included.  

It is to be presented to the full Council meeting to be held on the 2nd July, 2026 - 
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/s50720/Item%209%20-%20Appendix%201%20-%20Social%20Services%20Report%2025-26.pdf

Owen begins with an apology - 
This year has been one of the toughest that Cyngor Gwynedd has faced in its 30-year history. Social services, and in particular the Children’s Services, have been through a period of significant challenge and change, following serious failures in the service and the Our Bravery Brought Justice Child Practice Review, which highlighted weaknesses in safeguarding.
There has been a major change in leadership across adult and children’s services. It is important to recognise that people have suffered and have been seriously hurt, and on behalf of Cyngor Gwynedd, I apologise. 

You had one job...
There were no weaknesses in safeguarding.
Neil Foden was able to abuse because those that should have stopped him failed - miserably...

The rest of his report is bloated, lacks clarity and appears to confuse mere activity with little regard to the outcomes for people. The traffic light system also appears to be misused, giving a green light to one project that no longer exists.

On page 40 under the section Mental Health Service - 
How can we do things better?
There are some situations where individuals with complex needs fall between services, leading to delays and discussions about responsibility for their care. This includes cases such as autistic individuals who do not meet the eligibility criteria for learning disability services, young people transitioning into adult services...

Why on earth has Owen mentioned autistic people under mental health? 
Since when has autism been a mental health condition? 

Of even more concern is what he says about autistic individuals without a learning disability, that they continue to be failed and are still 'falling through the cracks'

The Autism team was created after a complaint to the PSOW and the council then commissioned a review of autism services by Hugh Morgan OBE. This was meant to find ways to support autistic children and adults - without a learning disability - this same review also recommended that a transition social worker be employed with immediate effect, this the Ombudsman was told by the council was being implemented in October 2020.

Correspondence from the PSOW, Nick Bennett, from October 2020 - (personal information removed)

 

What happened? Nearly six years down the line these failings still exist, how on earth has nothing changed for this cohort of people, even after the 'promises' made by senior officers from the CEO, through the legal team to department heads and their senior managers...

                                                         *******************                                      

There is no update on the officers 'absent from work' nor the potential £250,000 their wages has cost the children's department so far. Both social workers are still registered as working/studying in the county of Gwynedd...

Registered Persons

Forename(s)	Surname	County of work address/ County of study	Registration Number
Dafydd	Paul	Gwynedd	W/1059093
Dafydd	Paul	Gwynedd	W/1059093

Showing 1 to 2 of 2 rows 

 

Registered Persons

Forename(s)	Surname	County of work address/ County of study	Registration Number
Marian Parry	Hughes	Gwynedd	W/1056715

Showing 1 to 1 of 1 rows

 

Is there not an obligation on the part of the council to report employees to their professional body under certain circumstances? If things are bad enough that employees are made 'absent from work' for over a year now, one would expect that the two employees 'absent from work' should have been referred to Social Care Wales? 

 

These two officers ran a department that not only failed children but ignored law, policies and procedures and parent blamed and smeared those who tried to raise concerns - over many years. 
                                                                 
                                                                ***************

Deflect...
Owen also fails to mention that Jan Pickles undertook an EXTENDED Child Practice Review. 
This type of review is only undertaken when a child was on the child protection register or was a looked after child (or care leaver under 18) at any point in the 6 months before the incident.

Deny...
The director is surely old enough to remember the North Wales Child Abuse scandal. 
This happened in the former county council areas of Gwynedd and Clwyd and involved the sexual and physical abuse of children in the councils 'care' homes. 

A reminder that Gwynedd County council sacked the social worker who blew the whistle... 

The following page gives more detail of the statutory investigation chaired by Sir Ronald Waterhouse and links to the Lost in Care report published in 2000, the Macur Review from 2012 and details of Operation Pallial set up in 2012 - 
https://www.inquestsandinquiries.com/projects/waterhouse 

Delay...
Owen also fails to make mention of Canolfan Brynffynnon.
The director may claim that the showing of the TV documentary into the PRU came too late to be included in his annual report, but Owen must know the council has been paying compensation to former pupils since 2019. 

Who did know and when..?
The PRU was mentioned by councillors in a services scrutiny committee in 2016. 
There must have been other discussions in closed forums and meetings behind closed doors with the cabinet and the Plaid group, in particular. What of the other councillors?

A reminder that Morwena Edwards, the former director of SS, quit her post shortly after a final report into the PRU was received in 2022. 

Workforce well being...
Cliques within cliques and a toxic culture of nepotism, cronyism and bullying has meant that staff have been leaving in droves, most notable since the pandemic.

Remembering that Owen started with an apology he then goes on the attack...
On page 9 - 

 

The director's duplication of his sentence in the first paragraph is sloppy and it suggests a sentence may be missing.

So what 'measures' is Owen referring to?
What specific policy?
What reporting processes?

Read the room...
Social media gives the public a platform to discuss and raise issues that affect their local communities. 
The failings of social workers and departments that Owen is now ultimately responsible for has caused pain and trauma and has ruined lives. The financial cost to the public purse will also be considerable.
People are angry and understandably so.

Social media also allows former and present employees of the council, and other organisations, a safe space to raise concerns in small groups or even anonymously.

No safe places...
Has there been directed surveillance of social media by cyngor Gwynedd? 
While the occasional viewing of public posts is considered acceptable, the recording and repeated or targeted monitoring of individuals or groups is not and could be considered unlawful under RIPA.

Learn lessons from Bristol...
Bristol council has recently been caught spying on a local parents SEND group.
The lack of trust with the council's officers will take years to mend - if ever.

Has cyngor Gwynedd infiltrated or monitored parent groups in the county?
What of campaign groups such as those opposed to Article 4?
Is the council monitoring councillors accounts?

A public inquiry into Neil Foden AND this council's failings is needed. 
Release the Canolfan Brynffynnon files.
Publish the Woods report.

Something is so very wrong within Gwynedd council... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cyngor Gwynedd Council - One Child In Care Costing £25,000 A Week...

Cyngor Gwynedd council held a meeting of their Governance and Audit Committee on Thursday, 16th January, 2025. It was not webcast and so not available for viewing later by councillors and the public.

The agenda pack can be found here - 
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/g5292/Public%20reports%20pack%2016th-Jan-2025%2010.00%20Governance%20and%20Audit%20Committee.pdf?T=10

A member of the committee raised concerns that the Plaid Cymru councillor, Dafydd Meurig, was not in attendance at the meetings...

The minutes of the previous meeting contain -  
           
Many people would challenge this statement especially in light of recent complaints that have avoided proper scrutiny. 

As the committee are probably not aware of these complaints pushed through via the cabinet they simply accepted the report...

It was believed that the performance of cyngor Gwynedd's information department in dealing with FOI requests was to be discussed. The agenda simply informs -
Note: Freedom of Information Requests Audit –
a request to consider that the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 are addressed by the Committee – the Committee to receive an annual report setting out the Council's Arrangements to deal with Freedom of Information matters.

Under the 'Implementing The Decisions Of The Committee, in relation to the -
REVENUE BUDGET 2024/25 - END OF AUGUST 2024 REVIEW -

The intention was for the Statutory Director of Social Services to provide an update during the 28/11/24
Committee on the work involved with the overspend in the Department for Adults, Health and Wellbeing.
Due to IT issues during the meeting, the Director was unable to report. The intent is for him to present/report in the next committee.
An update on the current situation - the outcome of the end of November 2024 review will be reported in a
separate item on the Committee's programme.

The director did inform the meeting that one child was costing the council £25,000 a week (£1.25 million a year). Huw Dylan Owen also made mention that one child was living in a caravan. The audio was not great for this part of the conversation.

One committee member asked questions of the director - the director did not answer them...
Towards the end of the meeting, the chair did bring attention to this and told the member that she would ensure the questions were answered albeit outside of the meeting.

The Capital Programme was discussed, along with the Savings Overview and the Forward Work Programme. The Audit Wales report was also presented.

Dewi Morgan, the council's head of finance appeared to take a swipe at the officer in attendance from Wales Audit, complaining that the media channel S4C had read the report and presumably raised concerns with the figures. Once again, the audio for this section was poor...

The Wales Audit officer simply responded by telling Morgan that the figures used were those that Morgan himself had supplied....

The committee also heard concerns from a member that the planning committee was refusing applications for social housing in the Llyn area and that their decisions were putting schools in the area at risk. The chair thanked the councillor for raising the issue.

Something is very wrong within Gwynedd council...