A "Commitment To Apologise Sincerely..." - Cyngor Gwynedd Council...

The virtual meeting of Cyngor Gwynedd's council's cabinet took place on the 21st January.

First up was the report to close the day centres Y Ganolfan, in Blaenau Ffestiniog and Encil y Coed, in Cricieth.

Dilwyn Morgan, the cabinet member for Adults, began his presentation of the report by reading from a prepared statement 'for clarity'. He began by apologising that part of the report is incorrect or as he put it 'a bit ahead of the game'. 

We are also aware that there is a new hub development set up in Porthmadog very recently and we are very keen to collaborate and learn more about this new development.

Why was it not deleted?
Its retention within the report gives the impression that those with profound needs and dementia will not miss out, indeed it informs that these very people are by now enjoying numerous and varied support services in their own communities, the report also states that in some cases people are having to travel out of their local area for support/services.

But in the meeting, Aled Davies, the Head of Adults SS could not guarantee that support services would be available... 

One day centre building also houses the local library, which presumably closes too?

Members of the cabinet voted for the closures anyway...

The response to the Neil Foden's offending plan was also passed.
It has been 16 months since Foden's arrest and Gwynedd council's "commitment to apologise sincerly to the victims and survivors and their families for what they have had to suffer" will be seen as disingenuous by many - and way too late.

The webcast of the meeting can be found here -
https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/947749/start_time/0

Instead of 'commiting to apologise' perhaps people would prefer the council took action on the officers who failed the children?

There were ample opportunities for school governors and council officers to stop Foden - they all failed. In addition to these failures, it is still not known who the safeguarding officer was that advised Garem Jackson to simply have a word with Foden when concerns were raised in 2019.
Is that officer still in post?

No concerns raised with regard to Jackson giving Foden the name of the teacher who whistleblew in 2019, nor mention of the class action being taken against Gwynedd council.

The cabinet, which includes a school governor at Ysgol Friars in post during Foden's reign of terror, also missed an opportunity to discuss claims that some pupils received undeserved examination passes.
That particular councillor did not speak during the discussion...
No mention was made of the missing money either...

Not one cabinet member enquired if a 'critical incident' had been declared after Foden's arrest which would have preserved the integrity of the evidence...

The Education and Economy Scrutiny committee are also to hold an investigation into Neil Foden. This is the same committee that twice failed to hold him to account in the past....

The cabinet member for education did not ask questions of the safeguarding complaint that appears to have avoided any scrutiny, nor query the complaint about the assessment from the meeting he missed previously.

Nor did he ask for more information on the cohorts of children excluded from schools such as those with ALN and also council 'looked after children'.

A full public inquiry is needed - which covers the failures of council officers also.

Something is very wrong with Gwynedd council...

Child Sex Abuse - Neil Foden - Cyngor Gwynedd...

Neil Foden, has been found guilty of sexual offences against children.
The Headmaster of Ysgol Friars in Bangor, Gwynedd was also Strategic Head at Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle, in Penygroes. It is presumed that Foden's considerable salary has still been paid by Gwynedd council since his arrest in September, last year.

Could Foden have been stopped...?

The trial heard evidence from Garem Jackson, former Head of Education at cyngor Gwynedd, that concerns were raised about Foden in 2019. The concerns raised by another senior teacher were not acted upon and instead Garem Jackson was advised to have a chat with Foden about the issues raised. Jackson outed the whistleblower to Foden during the subsequent telephone conversation.
https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2024-04-30/authorities-failed-to-investigate-former-accused-headteacher-over-concerns

Garem Jackson was advised by (presumably?) the senior safeguarding officer for children at Gwynedd council and while Jackson made no record of the concerns raised, surely this safeguarding officer would have done...?

The children's safeguarding officer wears many hats at the council. For several years, he has held the position of senior safeguarding and quality officer for children's SS and is also the department's senior complaints officer. The two roles are not compatible and concerns have been raised with regard to his 'independence' during complaint investigations.

He is also a registered social worker, the register until recently showing 'Gwynedd' to be this officer's 'county of work address/county of study'. For some reason this is now not the case and instead the register states 'not applicable' under this heading. 

Foden - How could this happen? 
"You were a powerful figure, you thought you could just do as you liked," Judge Rowlands added.
He said it was worrying that when concerns were first raised to Gwynedd county council about Foden in 2019 by a senior member of staff, "they were dismissed out of hand, no investigation took place, no note was taken of what was said or done, and now we know you continued to offend".
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce43313v37eo

The culture of cover up by senior officers at Gwynedd council has been well documented in previous posts. Both Garem Jackson and the senior safeguarding officer have refused to answer questions from scrutiny members in the past - along with the former cabinet member for children.
How has this been allowed?

People who do speak out have been smeared by senior officers and ignored by local councillors. From cabinet members through to scrutiny committee members - complicit in the toxic culture that has been allowed to continue to cover for incompetence and protect reputational damage...

What happens next...?
A council spokeswoman said -
Due to the serious nature of the case, arrangements are being made to carry out an independent review in accordance with national Child Practice Review guidelines.
The exact form of the review is currently being determined.

With cyngor Gwynedd being found, by the Ombudsman for Wales, to have interfered in a past 'independent' investigation and other independent investigations delayed for years, how can the public have confidence that any review into such serious matters will be any different? Will cyngor Gwynedd engage in an open, honest and transparent manner...?

Better a proper public inquiry with the power to call witnesses...
Those witnesses should include the former CEO, Dilwyn Williams and the former Director of SS, Morwena Edwards. Both were in post in 2019 with ultimate responsibility for the actions of officers.

A reminder that both left the council just as the final investigation report into the two teachers suspended for 9 years was to be released. There has still been no official statement from the council nor details of the cost to the public purse. This case would also have involved the safeguarding officers and the former Head of Education...

Questions also need to be asked of the school Governors. Did they not notice Foden's behaviour? Were concerns raised with them...?

And what of the two historic complaints that were recently revealed in the delayed 2022/23 SS complaint handling report...?

Something is so very, very wrong within Gwynedd council...