Cyngor Gwynedd Education and Economy Scrutiny committee held a meeting on the 13th, February, 2025.
Sioned Williams, the council's head of Economy and Community and Dylan Griffiths, Economic Development Service Manager, authored the Gwynedd Economy Plan. It was presented by Richard Medwyn Hughes, cabinet member for the Economy.
Councillors were not impressed and expressed their disappointment with the 'plan'.
Councillor Rhys Tudor, voiced his frustration at the 'mickey mouse' exercise of scrutinising a document that has no substance and remarked that they should leave in protest.
Bizarrely, all members of the committee voted to accept the 'plan' anyway...
The webcast of the meeting can be found here -
https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/957593
Members received a report from Bethan Adams, a scrutiny advisor titled -
Safeguarding Arrangements in Schools Scrutiny Investigation Brief
This scrutiny investigation is taking place because of the sexual abuse of children by the head teacher, Neil Foden.
Gwynedd council promoted Foden to 'superhead' status giving him control over Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle and Ysgol Friars after he was found guilty of unacceptable professional conduct. A reminder that this committee failed on two occasions to hold Foden to account in the past....
The report makes mention of their internal 'experts' in the field of safeguarding including -
The statutory director of Gwynedd SS.
The head of children and supporting families department.
The assistant head of safeguarding and quality - children department.
The director has only been in post since 2022, replacing Morwena Edwards who quit her post shortly after a final report into Canolfan Brynffynnon was received by the council. No report or statement has been publicly released by Gwynedd council in a case that has probably cost £2 million.
The head of SS chaired a meeting where an independent investigator reported feeling bullied and overwhelmed after writing a report critical of the department. Four to five pages were deleted from the original report before it was accepted by her department.
The safeguarding officer has refused to answer questions of a care scrutiny committee and had a complaint raised against him for misleading councillors and the public at anoher meeting.
Questions remain to how the childrens department dealt with the historic abuse cases that came to light in 2024. More on that here -
https://gwyneddsfailingcouncil.blogspot.com/2024/04/social-worker-complaint-cyngor-gwynedd.html
Others involved in the investigation include - the Safeguarding and Wellbeing Quality Leader, Education Protection and Wellbeing Officer - Education Department appears to have only been in post a month -
https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/job-listing/safeguarding-and-wellbeing-quality-leader-gwynedd-council-JV_IC3301713_KO0,41_KE42,57.htm?jl=1009571911599
Dyfrig Siencyn, the former leader of the council, who quit after refusing to apologise for the actions of Neil Foden, will also be part of the investigation. Siencyn only undertook safeguarding training on 24th September, 2024, presumably to allow him to become part of this investigation?
The remit for investigation appears totally inadequate - failing to ask which safeguarding officer advised Garem Jackson to simply have a word with Neil Foden when concerns were raised in 2019.
Were procedures implemented to protect the integrity of evidence after Foden's arrest?
Will the investigation review leadership accountability and the committee's own failings?
Will the investigation hear from parents and the children?
Who
will investigate the claims heard at an Employment Tribunal that
pupil's examination passes were undeserved at Ysgol Friars? What of the
school's budget that had to be replenished by the council?
Will the investigation take note of the recent audit of the whistleblowing policy?
“Due
to past examples where the Council has not acted in high profile cases
when an individual or individuals have blown the whistle members of
staff tend to think there is no point in raising an issue as they
suspect some form of cover-up will take place.”
It appears neither staff nor the public have trust in the senior officers.
A public inquiry into Neil Foden AND the failings of cyngor Gwynedd is needed...
The draft brief can be found on page 109 of the agenda pack here -
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/g5171/Public%20reports%20pack%2013th-Feb-2025%2010.30%20Education%20and%20Economy%20Scrutiny%20Committee.pdf?T=10
