Cyngor #Gwynedd Council - Psst....

Something is so wrong within Gwynedd Council.

More -  https://gwyneddsfailingcouncil.blogspot.com/

Stage 2 Complaint Against #Gwynedd Council Update.

Today, the 25th of May, 2018, is the anniversary of our raising a Stage 2 complaint against Cyngor Gwynedd Council, on the advice of the Ombudsman for Wales.

One year in a process that should take 28 days and it is still not completed.

Gwynedd Council Maladministration 2018.

On the 16th March, 2018, Gwynedd Council's Corporate Director and Head of Social Services, Morwena Edwards, finally responded to our Stage 2 Complaint, nearly 5 months after the completed Report was received by the Council.

The entire process has taken over 10 months to conclude - a process that according to Gwynedd's Statutory Policy should take 28 days.

Our complaint(s) were upheld by the 'Independent' Investigator and her Report - twice sanitised by the Council - still makes for some very interesting reading. But that is for another time.

The Data Breach and censoring of our personal information are currently being investigated as a separate complaint by Gwynedd's Information department. But we have now been told that the Manager is not able to deal with the issue of a senior manager, Melvin Panther, writing disparaging comments about the family to other agencies - so our complaint in this respect is still not concluded.

The official response from the Council is signed off by Morwena Edwards and she attempts to totally whitewash the highly critical Report into her department.

According to the Welsh Government Guidelines on Social Services Complaints, the Council were obliged to offer to meet with us to discuss the report and their response. They have not offered a meeting and as we have yet again been denied the opportunity to discuss the report and their response to it, we wrote in response to the Council.

We pointed out that the Children and Family department attempts to gloss over the systemic failings uncovered by the 'Independent' Investigator and still seek to blame anyone but themselves.

Social Workers and other Council Officers admit that the child's case was allowed 'to drift'.

Our reply to the Corporate Director(s) was that her response is nonsensical and farcical and disregards the failure of Social Workers and the appalling state of record keeping within the Children's department.

During this time, the Ombudsman for Wales has also been investigating Gwynedd Council.

Their Report upholds all our complaints and highlights maladministration and service failure by Gwynedd Social Services going as far back as 2010.

Yet this time Gwynedd Council have held up their hands to the Ombudman's Report and agreed to implement all the recommendations made - including certain officers being retrained in respect of the Council adhering to their Statutory Duties.

The Council would have received the Ombudsman's Report early last week. They have still not contacted us.

Something is so badly wrong within Gwynedd Council.

Cyngor #Gwynedd Council And The Half Term Holiday.

An update to the post of the 9th February - https://gwyneddsfailingcouncil.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/cyngor-gwynedd-council-and-delayed.html  - in relation to the Stage 2 complaint first raised on the 25th May, 2017, on the advice of the Ombudsman for Wales.

Morwena Edwards, Director of Social Services, sent an email at 17.03 possibly to prove that she was not taking her half term holiday early, this year, as I suggested ?

Reading through Gwynedd Council's Statutory Policy it is clear that the Investigation is completed and the Report finalised and with the Ombudsman for Wales even making reference to the Council's 'delayed response' we can only assume that the Director of SS is either misinformed by her complaints officer(s) or she is deliberately misinforming us ?

"I apologise that you have not yet been updated in relation to the progress on your complaint.  As you rightly note, there was a meeting as part of the investigation with the Council officers on the 30^th of January.  Unfortunately, I understand that the Customer Care Officer who made contact with the investigator in relation to timescales for producing the final report and submitting this to the Council, has been away from work with an illness.  Because of this, I have not been provided with the update as expected. 

Following your email, I have asked someone else to contact the Independent investigator to make enquiries and ascertain when the final report is expected by the Council.  Once this reply is received, I will of course provide you with an update.

In your email, you suggest that the Council has had the report for 14 weeks.  I am informed that the Investigator is yet to issue a final report to the Council.  Once this is received, the Council will prepare a formal response to you about your complaint and you will be provided with a copy of the Investigator’s final report."
                                                 *********************

It is now the end of another week - 15 weeks now - since the Council have had the Independent Investigators Report and nearly 9 months since the complaint was raised.

Another week in which Mrs Edwards refuses to answer our questions and, like other council officers involved in this case, blames someone else for the delay.

It is the half term holiday and there will be public employees taking a well earned holiday.
Does that include the Director and ALL the customer care and complaints department dealing with our complaint ?

Forget the update, Morwena and just release the Report. 

Something is so wrong within Gwynedd Council's Social Services.

Re-Post From Last Year - Groundhog Day At Gwynedd Council.

A re-blog from 9 months ago - To be honest even I didn't think that the Council could/would act as badly as they have...but they have...

Where is the Independent Investigator's Report ?

"Last night, I listened to advice and raised a complaint against Gwynedd council.

I have no faith that the council will treat it fairly or even according to law after the debacle of last year..

Still - the official complaint has been lodged and I await a response from the customer care team at Gwynedd Council - (customer care lol such a misnomer in this area)

What have I learnt from my past experiences with Cyngor Gwynedd council ?

That I may be setting myself up for more false lighting, manipulation and bad behaviour by the public employees at a Plaid Cymru controlled council.

We shall see."
 
Gwynedd Council Fail.: Groundhog Day At Gwynedd Council.:

Cyngor #Gwynedd Council And It's Delayed Response.

Still no sign of the Independent Report into a Stage 2 complaint first raised with Cyngor Gwynedd council in May, last year, on the advice of the Ombudsman for Wales.

Out of frustration we emailed the Corporate Management team - see post from the 17th January - 

https://gwyneddsfailingcouncil.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/so-we-emailed-cyngor-gwynedd-councils.html

Our questions were not answered to any satisfaction but we were told by an Executive Officer on behalf of the Director of Social Services, Morwena Edwards, that we would be receiving an update - 

"Thank you for your email and I apologise that I am unable at this point to answer your questions fully.

I understand that a meeting with the Independent Investigator has been arranged on the 30th of January. Following this meeting the Service will be in a better position to advise you on a timescale for sharing the report.

I understand your frustrations that this is taking longer than expected, however Lowri Williams will provide you with an update following the meeting on  the 30th."

As no update has been forthcoming we sent an email to the Director, Morwena Edwards, on the 6th February -

"Dear Mrs Edwards,

It has been a week since Senior Managers met with the Independent Investigator and we have not received any update as your Executive Officer promised.

So please now answer our very pertinent questions in relation to the stage 2 complaint first raised in May, last year, without delay and release the report immediately.

We remind you that the Council have had the report for 14 (fourteen) weeks now and it is coming up to 9 (nine) months since the complaint was first raised.

We are aware that two months were lost due to the accident befalling the first Investigator so 7 (seven) months in a process that by your own Statutory Policy should take 25 working days".

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

The Director and senior management remain silent.

Perhaps they are all taking the half term holiday early this year ?

Something is so badly wrong within Cyngor Gwynedd Council and its Social Services.

Gwynedd Council Stage 2 Complaint - 8 Months Today.

Today marks 8 (eight) calendar months since a stage 2 complaint was raised against Cyngor Gwynedd council on the advice of the Ombudsman for Wales.

Two months were lost due to the original Independent Investigator meeting with an accident and so was unable to continue.

Six months then in a process that should, according to the council's own Statutory Policy, be completed in 25 working days.

#Gwynedd council were handed the Independent Investigator's Report at the end of October.

So where is the Report ?

Cyngor Gwynedd Council - Incompetent Or Malicious ?

So why is Gwynedd council delaying the release of the Independent Investigators Report into our Stage 2 complaint raised with the council as advised by the Ombudsman for Wales in May, 2017 ?

I understand that this will spoil the council's data figures and put an end to the boasting by the Head of the Children and Family Department regarding the lack of complaints being escalated to stage 2, but these are small matters when compared to helping a disabled child obtain the help that is due him.

Aren't they ?

I am also aware that using the web to publicise our story may have entrenched some within the council and social services to deny the child his rights and us the Independent Report.

But it was the council themselves who first took to the web to whitewash and diss our attempts at obtaining services for the child and this blog was started to tell the very different reality of our situation, as the report gave a very one sided view of things.

It is becoming increasingly obvious that  Gwynedd Council's Complaints Department and Procedure is not fit for purpose and that when or if we are finally allowed the 'Independent Report' will it be so censored or sanitised that it bears no resemblance to the original ?

Fearing this, I feel it would be useful to have some record of the complaint available on the web and so I am going to go through each point of our complaint - and our desired outcomes - here. There will obviously be redactions to protect not only the identity of the child but, also, those employees of the council who have acted professionally.

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

One point of our complaint was -

 (Child) was on a Child in Need Plan, and as a result of Jamie Hayden (social worker) not attending the CIN Plan Review Meeting on 25^th May 2016, no review was carried out. Complainants wish to know what has happened to (Child's) Child in Need Plan since the last CIN Meeting held in February 2016, and how are social services evidencing that (Child's) needs are being met? (Parents) have never received any correspondence or information informing them that the Child in Need Plan had ended or why.

Our desired outcome to this point of complaint was -

The complainants seek a full and comprehensive explanation from Gwynedd County Council as to why (Child's) Child in Need Plan was not properly reviewed, updated, and minuted, as Gwynedd Social Services department policy and procedure clearly stated..

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

Oh dear - now this could be sticky for the council as all Children cases need careful review and updating and accurate records and minutes kept  - not just those on a CIN plan.

Gwynedd's Social Service's past mistakes and failings in this child's case are clearly documented in an Independent Investigators Report from 2010. Nothing appears to have changed.

Yet Gwynedd Council  literature, policies etc on complaints handling and outcomes assure the public that lessons are learnt and changes made.

Or are they..?

Answers on a postcard postage stamp, please.

More -  https://gwyneddsfailingcouncil.blogspot.co.uk/

So We Emailed Cyngor #Gwynedd Council's Corporate Management Officers....

With Gwynedd council customer care (!) still refusing to respond to our questions regarding the Stage 2 complaint first raised with them on May 25th, last year, we emailed the Corporate Management Team, yesterday, with our concerns - Chief Executive, Dilwyn Williams, Corporate Directors, Iwan T Jones and Morwena Edwards.

FAO Gwynedd Council Corporate Management Team

As you will be aware we have a current Stage 2 complaint ongoing with Gwynedd Council Children and Families Department, first raised on the 25th of May 2017.

The Independent Investigator presented her completed report to the Council at the end of October.

We were then informed that the Council were seeking clarity from the Investigator and questioning the report.

The Council have been in possession of the completed Independent Investigators report for 11 weeks now.

The whole Stage 2 process is as you know to be completed within 25 days, do you find this acceptable ?

We have found the Counci's handling of this complaint and us as complainants to be obstructive, unhelpful and the Council to be utterly lacking in transparency and it is also obvious that Customer Care do not act independently of the Department as they should, which, we contend, leads to complainants being treated unfairly.

We have asked for information regarding the outcome of the Independent Investigation and also the Council's Complaints procedure.

No answers were given, or information provided.

We asked who within the Council we could contact to discuss our issues, we received no answer to this and worse were wrongly advised by Customer Care that we were free to discuss our complaint with the Ombudsman at any time.

We did indeed contact the Ombudsman to discuss the issues surrounding our complaint and were told -

"In relation to your dissatisfaction with the Council’s handling of your Stage 2 investigation, as I explained in my previous email, this matter does not fall within the scope of my investigation and therefore I am unable to consider it....
...If you wish for this matter to be considered by the Ombudsman, you would need to submit a complaint, by completing the online form on our website.  I am unable to speculate whether submitting a complaint to this office would affect the Council’s current Stage 2 investigation"

In light of the ongoing situation and the bad advice from Customer Care, perhaps you would be so kind as to furnish us with the information we require -

1. Were the six points of complaint upheld by the Independent Investigator or not ?

2. What were the questions presented, by the department, to the Independent Investigator regarding the report submitted to the Council in October ?

3. Who is the Adjudicating Officer in this matter?

4. On what date can we expect the Council to provide us with the report ?

5.Please provide us with a link to Gwynedd Council's Policy and Welsh Government guidelines that supports the Council in withholding the outcome of the Independent Investigator's Report and the Report itself.

6. Please advise us of our rights as complainants in relation to our being supplied with the above information, without delay.

7. We ask that if we were to raise a formal complaint into how the Council and the Customer Care department have been dealing with our formal complaint would this, in any way, interfere with or cause any further delay to our formal complaint first raised with the Council on the 25th May, 2017 ?

We also ask that you view the emails between ourselves and Customer Care, as that will give you further insight into our very pertinent concerns.
                                           ******************************************

Today, we received an email from a Senior Executive Officer on behalf of Morwena Edwards.
It was brief - 3 sentences - thanking me for our email and included the line -

"I can assure you that Gwynedd Council takes all complaints seriously and I will endeavour to respond to the specific questions detailed in your email within 5 working days."

Well.. we are not assured - who would be after being treated so badly for so long ? - and so emailed back with the question we have been asking ever since the Independent report was received by The Council in October, last year.

"Have our 6 points of complaint been upheld by the Independent Investigator ?"

The email was swiftly answered by the council -

"Whilst I understand your frustrations, without having had the opportunity to look into the matter, I am unable today, to answer your question. I will respond to you within 5 working days."

More delay in a process that has taken nearly 8 months now.

Something is so badly wrong within Gwynedd Council.

More -  https://gwyneddsfailingcouncil.blogspot.co.uk/