Are Staff Suspended For 8 years? - Cyngor Gwynedd Council.

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) recently 'advised' Cyngor Gwynedd council to release information relating to a subject access request (SAR) from 2020. On the 14th July, 2022, the Information manager emailed in response to the ICO 'advice' - the original information asked for has not been provided...

The ICO has explained that if the council refuse their advice then the next step would be a judicial review - costs of such a review start at £25,000. The council's legal team have access to unlimited public funds to fight the public in such cases - joe public does not...

The original SAR was delayed in part due to the council having to purchase specialist data redaction software... When the information was finally provided it had been so heavily redacted in places that it was unreadable. A complaint was raised and a review was undertaken by the Information manager's line manager, Emyr Edwards, who also informed that the software had destroyed some data on retrieval. Hope the council got a refund. Mr Edward's review did not release the information hence the ICO's involvement...

One such example of heavy redaction is an email thread between the Senior Safeguarding And Quality Officer and a Cabinet Member discussing a possible corporate complaint. Concerns had been raised that the Annual Complaints Handling report presented to the Care Scrutiny Committee was not accurate. The report that year was authored by the Senior Safeguarding officer, himself. A meeting was requested so the evidence could be presented. The Member ignored the request. Both the officer and Cabinet Member have refused to answer questions from Councillors of the Scrutiny Committee in the past...

In 2020, a complaint was raised with the council that the same officer had misled another Care Scrutiny Committee. The officer had given a statement regarding the Ombudsman for Wales. The Ombudsman was contacted and denied the words of the officer...

Correspondence from the former Director of SS raises more concerns. In it, she admits that she with the aid of the legal team could not understand the Ombudsman's wording in one report.The former CEO had claimed the same during his incumbency. The present Head of Children's SS has stated in 'lessons learnt' a need to 'read and understand' reports....

The Ombudsman has already raised concerns with the council's lack of knowledge of procedures and law and dismissed one social worker's evidence to his investigation as disingenuous...

In other news, the council's information department has failed to comply with law regarding the FOI Act. A question involving the number of officers suspended from work and for how long has been awaiting an internal review by the Monitoring Officer for over a year.

From a 2018 Wales Online article - 'Welsh councils have paid £9m to staff they have suspended'

Second was Gwynedd, totalling £1,327,117. They said £800,000 of that referred to "police matters". The longest time a member of staff has been on paid suspension at the authority is four years – the longest in Wales...
“The other case involves the suspension of members of staff for the duration of a statutory investigation by the police and social services which lasted for approximately three years.
This process concluded with the CPS deciding not to proceed with any prosecutions. The council is currently carrying out its own subsequent internal investigation into the matter and as a result the individuals remain suspended from their posts.”

The full article can be found here -
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/welsh-councils-paid-9m-staff-14876849

So the CPS dropped the case - issues with evidence? The council then began its own internal investigation but since then radio silence... Has this investigation been completed?

Or are the officer's still suspended from the council - after 8 years?

Something is very wrong within Gwynedd council...

Cyngor Gwynedd Council And Their Treatment Of The Disabled.

With regard to the statements made by Cyngor Gwynedd Council CEO, Dilwyn O Williams and the senior safeguarding and quality officer, Dafydd Paul, to the recent Care Scrutiny Committee,

The statements were given by the officer's in response to the 'damning' Report from the Ombudsman for Wales into the Children and Familiy Department revealed at a previous full Council meeting by a local Councillor.

Dilwyn Williams, confirmed to the Scrutiny Committee, that all recommendations had been met 'bar a nuance' and goes on to mention a 'miscommunication' with the Ombudsman - amongst other things.

This was not correct.. 

The Ombudsman has explained that his meeting with the CEO, in Cardiff, to discuss compliance - or more accurately non compliance was not normal. 

The CEO has since claimed that he and his officer's did not comply as they had misunderstood the Ombudsman's recommendations. But the Ombudsman's Recommendations are clear and simply written.  

Comments were made by Dafydd Paul in particular that the Ombudsman had 'challenged' the Council to contact the family regardless of their wishes. 

The Ombudsman for Wales is well aware of our thoughts regarding Gwynedd council SS officer's and has confirmed that neither himself nor any of his officer's told the council to contact the family - in any way !

We have asked both the CEO and Dafydd Paul for an explanation but they have not, as yet, responded. 

Gwynedd SS have failed to present another Ombudsman's Report, dated July,2018, for scrutiny. This case involved a young man with autism and mental health issues being left to rot in bed after Gwynedd Adult SS withdrew his support.

The council has not fully complied with recommendations made in this case either, though the Ombudsman appears to have signed this off as completed. The FOI - answered by the Ombudsman "in the public interest" - clearly shows that the original recommendation ensuring the council fully complies with the Law has not been completed.

Undertakes a review of its ASD procedures, specifically those for adults and children with high functioning ASD, and ensure that the requirements of the SSWA 2014, MHM 2010 and ASD SAP have been met.

All five Omudsman Reports over the last four years have shown major concerns and serious failings with how Gwynedd council officer's treat autistics and the disabled in the county.


The recent Employment Tribunal shows how the same officer's treat their disabled employees, also.
The Report on that case can be found here -

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

How much has the disability discrimination and claims of bullying cost Cyngor Gwynedd taxpayers ?

Suspension on full pay from 13th January 2014 until receiving notice on 12th Dec 2016 will mean costs to the council of approx £90,000 to £100K in wages alone and how much did the Tribunal award this social worker ?

£30K ? £40K ? More ?
And all the other costs involved ?

Something is seriously wrong within Gwynedd council.