A reminder that this investigation was initiated by the Education and Economy Scrutiny committee in early 2025, yet makes no mention of the committee's own failings and missed opportunities to stop Neil Foden.
Wasn't Dewi Jones, the cabinet member for Education, originally part of
the investigation? Did he excuse himself..?
This report was intended to be published in 2025, but had to be delayed because the investigating team had not included the voice of the child...
The children's voice... It is of high concern that the council
did not utilise the recognised 'provider' due to the provider having
fears that the council's 'remit' did not go far enough.
Ignoring the concerns of the independent provider, cyngor Gwynedd chose instead to appoint Dr Ceryl Teleri Davies, a former senior officer within the council's SS department - on the initial remit that others had considered insufficient.
Only 57 pupils were engaged... Her 'Pupil Voice Report' can be found in appendix 7 here - https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/s50889/Appendices.pdf
The schools chosen by the council for the sample were -
Davies includes four bite sized quotes from the children...
Why Ysgol Friars, and Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle (the main schools where Foden was found abusing) were not included is not known...
The most vulnerable children... Ysgol Pendalar in Caernarfon is a special school yet Davies does not give any detail of how these children were engaged with. There is no information to what measures are in place for ALN/disabled or how they are kept safe from predators and abuse...
What of the 21% of children in mainstream schools with ALN? From reading the report there is no mention of how these pupils are engaged with in an appropriate manner and how their understanding is checked. How are pupils with speech and language and other communication issues supported in all of this?
Protect the higher pay-grades... A reminder that everyone knew Neil Foden was an abusive bully... Safeguarding arrangements did not fail - the toxic culture within schools and the council protected him from censure.
The Ffordd Gwynedd way... The Safeguarding Arrangements report is not comprehensive and like many of the documents written
by cyngor Gwynedd appears to be yet another exercise in tick boxing and
marking the officers homework...
The report is to be presented to the Education and Economy Scrutiny committee on the 14th, July, 2026. The webcast of the meeting will be found here - https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/1109262
Something is very wrong within Gwynedd council - and its schools...
Cyngor Gwynedd council held a Care Scrutiny Committee on the 3rd April, 2025. The agenda pack can be found here - https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/g5191/Public%20reports%20pack%2003rd-Apr-2025%2010.30%20Care%20Scrutiny%20Committee.pdf?T=10
The meeting began with councillor Gwynfor Owen expressing his frustration at having to declare an interest on the progress report of the Gwynedd Mental Health Service, agenda item 6, and the report on the Autism Team's Work Programme, item 7.
Owen has lived experience and in the past this same committee has welcomed his knowledge. Not this time. The chair, Beth Lawton, said she understood the councillor's frustration and thanked him. This meant Owen had to leave the meeting during the discussion on both reports. Later in the meeting, Lawton also stopped another councillor from discussing the report.
Why are councillors not allowed to debate some reports? Owen recently made a complaint against Gwynedd SS and has expressed his discontent with the investigation. The Ombudsman for Wales did not take up the councillor's complaint. The PSOW has been criticised for its failure to deal with Gwynedd council SS departments under the last administration.
Councillor Jones-Williams then declared an interest in the Housing Action Plan progress report but was adamant he would not be leaving the meeting as it is just a report, he said.
The Housing Action Plan, authored by Carys Fôn Williams, Head of Housing and Property, was discussed. The presenting officer was unable to answer some concerns raised. The report mentions Gwynedd council's intention to use £2.1 million from the Council Tax Premium to improve the council owned smallholdings. This to be confirmed at the next Cabinet meeting.
Legal counsel is being sought with regard to the letting of property and the 'linguistic element'. Welsh speakers only...?
In typical Ffordd Gwynedd fashion, the committee voted to accept a report that could and perhaps should have been deferred until improved.
The Gwynedd Mental Health Service report, authored by Mannon Emyr Trappe, is staff focussed. Her report states - Staff satisfaction - It is quite clear that the remodelling of the service has improved the staff's well-being. Here are some comments by members of the service – "feel part of the Council" "the person comes first instead of the process" "I get to be a Social Worker" "practice focuses on the strengths of the individual rather than what we are able to offer"
During the discussion, Trappe did acknowledge that the service was open to those receiving a service from the council. She added that the number of carers assessments undertaken are low and said that the social service assessments focus on the strengths of the individual. A reminder that without a successful assessment there are no services.
Aled Davies, the Head of Adults SS, was also involved in the discussion. Gwynedd council are currently advertising for a new Head of Adults Service but Davies made no mention of this -
We are looking to recruit a Head of Adults Department who will play a key role in leading and realising the Council's vision for the County's Social Services for Adults. ... Jobs Events Opinion ... Cyngor Gwynedd. Salary: £81,860 - £90,274 a year. Closing Date: 31/03/2025 (17 days)
The Progress Report On the Autism Team's Work Programme is authored by Aled Gibbard, Assistant Head of Service, Children and Family Support Department. His writes positively but the reality is that there is still no support for children and adults who fall between the cracks. It has been said that the team is simply another signposting service and that support for autistic children is also lacking in schools.
Where were officers from the Education department? How do they support children in schools? How many children requiring support have been excluded or absent because of no support?
The long standing problems within schools affect not only children with ALN. Claims of bullying and harassment not dealt with properly have been heard for years. Teachers are unhappy and the sickness levels are high. Not forgetting Ysgol Friars and Neil Foden.. . There has been an increase in allegations against those in a position of trust.
In other news, a member of staff suspended for many years has now been reinstated by Gwynedd council. Will there now be a review into the actions of the safeguarding officers involved in the suspension?
The webcast of the scrutiny meeting can be found here - https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/976260/start_time/87000
The Article 4 directive was passed at the Cabinet meeting of cyngor Gwynedd council on the 16th July, 2024. Two members were absent from this important meeting. Apologies were received from the deputy leader of the council, Nia Jeffreys and the cabinet member for housing, Craig ab Iago.
The meeting was webcast and can be found here - https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/895758 As often happens, the translated feed is not yet working...
The Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee met on Thursday, 18th July, 2024. Four councillors did not turn up and a co-opted member was also absent.
Olaf Cai Larsen was elected as the new chair. A vice chair was not elected as no-one wanted the position. One councillor was proposed but he point blank refused and so the matter was deferred until the next meeting.
Overview and scrutiny is important in holding Council's policy makers to account and scrutiny committees are fundamental to the
functioning of a healthy democracy. Some councillors have raised concerns that there is no proper scrutiny in Gwynedd and one has even compared it to a 'children's parliament'.
The chair and vice chair of scrutiny committees are allowed access to the Scrutiny Forum. The forum is where the real power lies and determines what is and what is not to be scrutinised at the committees. This forum should be open to the public to ensure propriety.
First up on the agenda was the GwE Annual Report 2023-2024, presented by its
managing director, Arwyn Thomas. GwE is to come to an end in March, 2025
and this will be its last report in its present form. GwE is a school
improvement service for the whole of North Wales but this year their
meetings have focussed more on job losses than any school improvements.
GwE
never really recovered from the 'hotdesking' and inflated travel
expenses scandal that came to light in 2020. It has never been explained
why the former CEO did not action when the council's internal audit
flagged - "To this end, Internal Audit cannot provide assurance that value for
money has been taken into account when changing work locations." https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-53661995
Next up was the Middle Tier Review. This report comes about in part because - Recent
publications including Estyn reports, PISA and the personalised
assessments national report, have identified a need to improve the
quality of learning and outcomes within and across schools, and the
consistency of this across Wales for ALL learners...
The report appears to lay the blame for this on poverty which does not
explain those children who are failing whose parents are not in
poverty.
The report goes on to ask - How well are we doing? How do we know? How can we improve? To
achieve this, school leaders and practitioners should work in
partnership with each other and their LA within an open, trusting
environment. So school leaders, practioners and the culture is the problem - not poverty.
Schools
in Gwynedd have suffered from many issues over the years from bullying, harassment and assault. The problems have not been dealt with and the
Neil Foden case only confirms that pupils (and teachers) are not safe...
A reminder that the Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee failed to hold Neil Foden to account after the school meals debacle and also took no action when the video appearing to show Foden grabbing a pupil by the scruff of the neck appeared online.
A report, authored by Llion Williams and titled Safeguarding Arrangements in Schools was presented. The report can be found in the meetings agenda pack here - https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/g5168/Public%20reports%20pack%2018th-Jul-2024%2010.30%20Education%20and%20Economy%20Scrutiny%20Committee.pdf?T=10
As
is to be expected after the Foden case arrangements have been
updated. But they appear to focus on safeguarding children from their
parents and it appears that little has been done to advise what happens
if a senior teacher and/or the designated officer responsible for safeguarding is the one being
abusive.
One councillor pointed out that the school's last Estyn
report stated that safeguarding procedures were robust - when they were
obviously not. Did Neil Foden assist Estyn in this report? To an outsider, Foden was able to abuse with
impunity and there is nothing in this report that suggests those in a
position of authority will not be able to abuse again.
The BBC did report on this meeting but its focus was on matters relating to Foden - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cl4ym5kl85eo The council's current head of education, Gwern ap Rhisiart, told the
education and economy scrutiny committee that safeguarding was a
"priority" for the department.
But Sharon Roberts, representing Arfon's parents and governors on the committee was more critical - "Accept how little confidence there is out there among parents I speak to, everyone has been shocked by what has happened."
Gwynedd and Eryri Sustainable Visitor Economy Plan 2035 was discussed. Cllr Gwynfor Owenmentioned
that the national park agency do not engage with the county council and
a plea was made to consult with councillors.
It was perceived that the
report deals with growth rather than a sustainable visitor economy. The
officer explained that they wanted to extend the tourist season rather than the peak in summer. There was little data to the impact on local jobs and the
the language.
The committee complained of the negative effects of tourism and
that too many people were visiting the area, causing traffic jams and that locals were not able to get to the beach. Seasonal jobs were not
great for those with families and mortgages and that all year round jobs were needed for peoples security. It was mentioned that many businesses were reliant on children...
This led to a trip down memory lane for some who talked of their own childhood experiences working for local businesses. It was pointed out that laws have since been introduced because of the exploitation of children by bosses...
In stark contrast to the Cabinet passing Article 4, one councillor talked of second homes bringing benefits to the local economy and called for a debate to dispel myths on the issue. He contended that these homes relied on local traders, such as plumbers and electricians who in the main spoke the language and that it was a win win.
Many agreed that more research was needed and one commented that the report goes in every direction but the right direction. Councillors were not happy with the report but they voted to pass it anyway...
Cyngor Gwynedd council held a Special Meeting of its Standards Committee on Wednesday, 10th January, 2024.
The agenda pack can be found here - https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=157&MId=5122
It involved two Councillors, Gwynfor Owen and Dawn Jones asking for special dispensation to be allowed to join the Task and Finish group that is to be set up to look into Gwynedd's Autism Plan.
The two Councillors have worked with and have experience of those with autism and other Councillors supported their inclusion to the group. But the monitoring officer, Iwan G D Evans, 'advised' them that there was a prejudicial interest to their inclusion.
Task and Finish panels have no vote, nor do they allocate any funding so why the monitoring officer initially advised against the councillors makes no sense...
The committee granted both Councillors dispensation to join the task and finish group.
This special meeting will have incurred costs to the council and Councillor Owen had to give his evidence whilst on holiday in Spain.
