The Extended Child Practice Review, by Jan Pickles, into Neil Foden and his abuse of children in Gwynedd has finally been published.
An 'extended' CPR is undertaken when children were receiving care from the council at the time of the abuse. This care will presumably involve social workers of the children's SS, the 16+ team, the fostering team and perhaps youth justice - and no-one noticed...?
"We're
employed to do a job, and that job is keeping children safe. In this
case, Ysgol Friars failed, the Education Department failed, Children's
Services failed, the local authority failed."
Jan Pickles OBE
https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2025-11-05/appalling-failure-allowed-paedophile-headteacher-to-run-reign-of-terror
Officials of the teachers union, NASUWT, are also scathing -
“The report is right to highlight the courage of the child victims who
exposed the criminal activities of Neil Foden in his role as the leading
headteacher in Gwynedd Local Authority. Their courage stands in marked
contrast to the total lack of moral courage by senior officials in the
local authority.
Another -
Processes and procedures must be followed objectively, dispassionately
and fairly. There must be Independence and accountability. This has not
happened in Gwynedd.”
https://www.nasuwt.org.uk/article-listing/nasuwt-responds-foden-case-child-practice-review.html
What say local members of Unison and Unite within the cooncil?
A public inquiry is needed...
In her review, Jan Pickles notes -
Anglesey council is LA2 Children's Services.
The LA1 C&FS is Gwynedd children & family department.
Jan Pickles review can be found in full here -
https://www.northwalessafeguardingboard.wales/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/30.10.25-FINAL-ENGLISH-CPR-REPORT-_.pdf
The most senior officers with responsibility for safeguarding children in 2019 were the former director of SS, Morwena Edwards, the head of children and family department, Marian Parry Hughes and the senior safeguarding and quality officer/LADO, Dafydd Paul.
The barrister, Genevieve Woods, was commissioned to investigate the actions of senior officers re Neil Foden in 2019. Her report should give more detail of the missed opportunities and exactly when cyngor Gwynedd's legal team became involved.
When will the Woods report be released..?
In other news, councillors are to receive a payrise...
The Democracy Services Committee held on the 4th, November discussed -
and...
The full agenda pack can be found here -
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/g5641/Public%20reports%20pack%2004th-Nov-2025%2010.00%20Democracy%20Services%20Committee.pdf?T=10
A report from Mari Edwards, Learning and Development Manager updated the committee on training for councillors. The report is not good -
One member became so incensed that councillors were not attending training, he threatened to go to the press...
The committee is not webcast and so not available for later viewing by councillors or the public.
A report authored by Vera Jones, Democracy and Language Manager, asks members to consider extending the number of council meetings broadcast. This stems from a Welsh Government consultation published in July-
https://www.gov.wales/consultation-extending-duty-local-authorities-broadcast-meetings-html
On the 7th November, the North Wales CJC Economic Well-being Sub-committee held a meeting to discuss the North Wales Growth Deal Performance and Risk report for the second quarter -
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/s46336/North%20Wales%20Growth%20Deal%20-%20Quarter%202%20Performance%20and%20Risk%20Report.pdf
This meeting was then closed to the press and public.
Later that day, the North Wales Corporate Joint Committee held a meeting to discuss the -
FLINTSHIRE AND WREXHAM INVESTMENT ZONE
This meeting also excluded the press and public...
The report can be found here -
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/g5644/Public%20reports%20pack%2007th-Nov-2025%2012.00%20North%20Wales%20Corporate%20Joint%20Committee.pdf?T=10
Something is very wrong within Gwynedd council...
