Briefing Notes, LADO's And AI systems - Cyngor Gwynedd Council...

Concerns with the 'briefing note', circulated to members of cyngor Gwynedd's Governance and Audit committee by the monitoring officer, were raised at the Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee held on Thursday, 8th October 2026.

An objection, by councillor Richard Glyn Roberts, was raised at the G&A meeting to the propriety of this note but technical reasons meant Iwan Evans explanation could not be heard. The meeting of 29th September was paused and eventually deferred until a later date. 

Councillor Roberts also sits on the Education/Economy committee and was present along with a few other councillors in the chamber, the remaining members participating via Zoom. In contrast there were 17 people sitting on the front bench, alongside the chair and Nia Jeffreys, the leader of the council.

Roberts again raised the matter of the briefing note. 
Dafydd Gibbard, the CEO, responded to the councillor.

Is the HR investigation perhaps asking questions of the involvement of the legal department at this point?
Jan Pickles report does mention that a senior legal officer was present during a safeguarding meeting that discussed the whistleblower's concerns with regard to paedophile Neil Foden. 

It was an odd meeting in many ways... 
Officers were reluctant to give themselves praise for the safeguarding work that has been done since Foden was arrested in 2023 - 
https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-13591195/paedophile-head-teacher-hiding-plain-sight-abuse-girls.html

Officers informed that work is still in progress and concerns were voiced that Welsh government's guidance on LADOs did not align with the CPR recommendations, that the LADO should not act alone.

The Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) is responsible for managing and overseeing allegations against individuals working with children, ensuring that concerns are handled fairly and promptly. They provide guidance, coordinate responses among agencies, and monitor the investigation process without conducting investigations themselves.

The Jan Pickles report was very critical of the last LADO and his failures.

Meetings held behind closed doors and not recorded...
One councillor asked about the recording of safeguarding meetings and proper minute taking. Dylan Owen, the director of SS, reported that meetings were recorded via an AI system that presumably writes the discussion down. This is a new system and one hopes that it is being closely monitored for accuracy.

School governors also came in for criticism with the cabinet member for education stating that some governors were  passive in their work and just followed what the headteacher wanted. This is unfair as most governors are ordinary people who do great work.

A reminder that Ysgol Friars board of governors included two senior police officers and at least one councillor whose background is TV and media. One ex governor of Friars is Mair Rowlands, now an MS in Welsh government.

I have no knowledge of the board of governors at Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle during the headship of Foden, but he was still in post even after the video of him assaulting a pupil appeared in the media. 
The education scrutiny committee itself discussed this video at the time but did nothing.
Why not?

Everyone knew Foden was an abusive bully but he was able to abuse because the culture within the council and the schools protected him from censure. New policies and procedures will not make any difference if the culture does not change. 

A reminder that many of the children abused by Foden were in the care of the council... 

Trauma informed or trauma induced..?
Menna Trenholme, the cabinet member for children, spoke of her work in becoming trauma informed. Trenholme may be even better informed if she read the work of Professor Luke Clements, who cites SS departments as causing trauma for many families when they seek help from the very services created to support them...

His report on Systems Generated Trauma can be found here - 
https://cerebra.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Systems-Generated-Trauma-Report-web.pdf

The reports of the meeting can be found in the agenda pack here - 
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/g5777/Public%20reports%20pack%2008th-Oct-2026%2010.30%20Education%20and%20Economy%20Scrutiny%20Committee.pdf?T=10  

The webcast of the meeting can be found here - 
https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/1133653

Public inquiry now. 

Something is very wrong within Gwynedd council...

 

 

 

Gwynedd Cabinet Member Ignores Yet Another Arrest Of School Staff - And Canolfan Brynffynnon.

Cyngor Gwynedd held a full council meeting on Thursday, 24th September 2026.

Questions were asked by councillors, that included concerns of drones at Llanbedr airfield.
The questions are asked in advance, vetted by the monitoring officer, then a written reply by the relevant member of the Plaid controlled cabinet is included in the agenda for the meeting.

Is it all scripted..?
The questions are then asked at the meeting and cabinet members recite the prepared answers.
A supplementary question is allowed.  
Not all councillors bother with a supplementary - for some that do, it is noticed that cabinet members know what the question is before it is even asked... 

The Scrutiny Annual Report 25/26 was presented by councillor, Cai Larsen, chair of the Scrutiny Forum, with Ian Jones, Head of Democracy Services (Head of Corporate Services) named as the contact officer...  
To ensure that scrutiny arrangements are effective, members across the political groups work as a team to investigate concerns about the quality of services; acting as a Critical Friend ensuring that proper attention is given to the citizen's voice; identifying good practice and weaknesses and holding the Cabinet and its members to account.

Smoke and mirrors..?
For many years now, complaints regarding abuse in Gwynedd have been nodded through by councillors instead of proper scrutiny or investigation.
 
Larsen himself sat on a committee that did nothing to hold Neil Foden to account, when a video of the head teacher physically assaulting a pupil at Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle, was reported in the media and discussed at the committee.
 
Ian Jones, the head of corporate services, has included a social services complaint in one of his past documents. This, some believe, was to avoid the care scrutiny committee - and a serious matter was simply passed through by cabinet members without proper discussion. 

Dewi Jones, the cabinet member for Education, presented the -
Strategic Safeguarding Panel's Annual Report 2025/26 which can be found in the agenda pack for the meeting - 
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/g6853/Public%20reports%20pack%2024thSep-2026%2013.30%20The%20Council.pdf?T=10 

His presentation to the full council was weak and he made no mention of yet another arrest of a school staff member just before the summer holidays.   How many arrests of school staff (past and present) have there now been since Neil Foden?  Seven? More..? Jones instead mainly focussed on pupils absent from school. There are those parents who home educate due to a failure to adequately support their children in school, some electively, some not. Not long ago there were issues with children being suspended, excluded and even off rolled by some schools - is this still the case?  Many of these children have ALN.... In some cases children are not popular with staff and this can become a problem for the child, this is not something that ever comes up for discussion though. Instead of acknowledging the pressures these children face with bullying and lack of understanding by some teachers, Jones wishes for more powers to punish the parents.  Where is the voice of the child? Has Jones spoken to the children and parents/carers of these particular cohorts?  If not - why not..?  The curriculum is also a concern for some parents. Dewi Jones. made no mention of the abuse of children at Canolfan Brynffynnon in Y Felinheli. The children who attended this unit had ALN. A recent documentary of the PRU by Y Byd ar Bedwar can be found here -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgMHbCNY0Yc One councillor did raise concerns and in response, Jones did promise to include Brynffynnon in next year's report... A reminder that three staff members were suspended for 9 years, two have been given redundancy packages and one has recently been reinstated by cyngor Gwynedd. The webcast of the full council meeting can be found here -  https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/1129335 The Governance And Audit Committee of 29th September, 2026 10.00 am The Governance and Audit committee is one of the most important of all meetings, yet is not webcast so not available for later viewing by councillors or the public.  Members of the committee had been given a Briefing Note by Iwan Evans, the monitoring officer.  He directed lay members and councillors not to raise employment issues. This likely relates to Marian Parry Hughes and Dafydd Paul, who have been 'absent from work' on full pay since the spring of 2025... Evans was challenged over this note and he floundered in his response but technical difficulties meant he could not be properly heard and the meeting was suspended whilst officer's tried to sort out the problem,  This was not possible and the meeting was eventually deferred. The reports that should have been discussed at the G&A meeting can be found in the agenda pack for the Education and Economy meeting to be held on the 8th, October -  https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/g5777/Public%20reports%20pack%2008th-Oct-2026%2010.30%20Education%20and%20Economy%20Scrutiny%20Committee.pdf?T=10 Councillors could be asking Dafydd Gibbard, CEO and the legal team to - * Commission an independent investigation into Canolfan Brynffynnon. * Publish the Woods report that looked at the failings of council officers re Neil Foden. * Ask how many Section 5 meetings there have been in regard to staff that are in a position of trust since Foden's arrest?   * Ask if the senior legal officer who sat in on the meeting in 2019, when the concerns of the whistleblower re Foden were discussed and downgraded from a safeguarding concern to a professional issue only, is still in post?  Something is so very wrong within Gwynedd council...

Article 4 Test Run @ Cyngor Gwynedd...

A report entitled 'Article 4 Direction', authored by Gareth Jones - Assistant Head of Environment Department and Iwan Evans - Head of Legal Services, is to be presented to the Communities Scrutiny Committee on the 11th June, 2026. 

It is a very informative document, revealing a lack of candour not only on the part of cyngor Gwynedd but also it would appear on the part of Welsh government. 

The document can be found in the agenda pack for the meeting here - 
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/g5712/Public%20reports%20pack%2011th-Jun-2026%2010.30%20Communities%20Scrutiny%20Committee.pdf?T=10

At the full council meeting, held on the 14th, May, Gruffydd Williams, asked this question - 
Following the fact that article 4 was quashed by a court as a result of what has been ruled as misleading details by this Council, I previously asked if this Council would apologise to campaigners who fought so hard to get Article 4 in force, and there was no apology.
The Council's right of appeal has now been refused. Therefore, is the Council finally going to apologise to the campaigners for article 4, patriots, linguists and taxpayers, following the fact that it is now clear that a shortcoming in the key paperwork caused Article 4 to be quashed and that a sum of money of over half a million has been wasted?"

Response from the Cabinet Member for the Environment, Councillor Craig ab Iago - 
As I noted when answering a very similar question from the Member at the Council meeting in December, we remain determined to ensure that the people of Gwynedd have access to suitable housing in their communities.
That's why the Council introduced an Article 4 Direction – as part of a package of measures to manage the significant impact of second homes and short-term holiday accommodation on the housing market.
This decision was based on significant effort, including in-depth research, extensive consultation and expert advice.
Despite our disappointment with the legal outcome and our request to appeal the High Court's decision, I am confident that our decision to introduce Article 4 has been sound and appropriate. The Council acted responsibly and in good faith in addressing issues that are hugely important to the future of our communities.
This experience, including the 12-month period during which Article 4 was in place in the Gwynedd Planning Authority Area, will be key as we decide on the best way forward.  

ab Iago did not apologise.
Did he actually vote at cabinet for Article 4..?

Many people are of the belief that the near half a million pounds this has cost the public purse was money from cyngor Gwynedd's own coffers - it is not...

The Article 4 Direction report reveals that £311,683,05 has come from Welsh government...

  

4.48 '...which can be amended and re-used in the future'.

Why did Craig ab Iago not explain this?

Are Welsh government and cyngor Gwynedd acting together to control the housing market?

Empowered by the legal knowledge gained, it is apparent that the recent Article 4 action was not to actually implement Article 4 but an exercise in HOW to implement Article 4 in the future...

A test run and an opportunity for the council to be in a position to advise neighbouring authorities on the application of Article 4.
Regardless of the trauma and harm caused? 
Shocking... 

 

Will the new Plaid Cymru government now be supporting the Plaid controlled Gwynedd council in such matters? Will Gwynedd become a test bed for new Plaid policies?

It's not over... 

The meeting will be held on the 11th, June at 10.30am and can be viewed here - 
https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/1098120

Something is so very wrong within Gwynedd council...

Cyngor Gwynedd Council - Sick Days Cost £5.7 Million

Cyngor Gwynedd council held a Cabinet meeting on the 17/12/24. The webcast can be found here -
https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/941307

The council 'Staff Well-being Plan 2024 - 2028' was presented to the Plaid Cymru members. It reports staff absences cost the public purse £5.7 million -

14,404 (22.13%) work days were lost due to sickness absence related to stress, depression and mental health problems;
7,718 (11.86%) work days were lost due to sickness absence related to musculoskeletal problems;
'Other sickness' was recorded as the main reason for the sickness of 22.79%;
Long-term absences contributed to 51% of the Council's sickness absence days;
On average, every officer in the Council has lost 10.29 work days a year;
2.72% more sickness absence days were lost in 2023/24 compared to 2022/23.

The report also shows -
665 staff members were referred to the Occupational Health Service
194 Council staff members were referred to the Counselling Service (Medra)
129 Council staff members were referred to the Physiotherapy Service

Are there waiting lists for these services for council employees, like there are for the services available to the general public?

The COMPLAINTS AND SERVICE IMPROVEMENT REPORT QUARTER 1-2 2024/25 was also presented. It included -

 

The complaint from a 'customer', raised earlier this year, concerning safeguarding issues within Education is not believed to have come before any scrutiny committee. So has anything been learnt from the Neil Foden case? Openness and transparency...?

One would expect that the cabinet member for Education, Dewi Jones, would have asked for an explanation at the meeting.
Jones did not attend the meeting...

There appears to be an ongoing issue with assessments too. Not one cabinet member asked for an explanation of senior officers. Perhaps they were updated behind closed doors?

Oddly, a children's SS complaint was included in the report -
 

As the Investigating Officer considered how officers dealt with the complaint serious enough to notify the council's monitoring officer, it is concerning that this complaint was not included in the SS annual complaints that was presented for scrutiny in September...

Menna Trenholme, the cabinet member for children, did not question this item and so another complaint involving the children's SS department appears to have avoided any scrutiny.

Whilst the MO, Iwan Evans, has asked the SS department(s) to consider the PSOW's guidance on responding to complaints, it is concerning that that Ian Jones, the head of democratic services recently commented in relation to the Ombudsman investigations -

It should be noted that it is not the role of the Committee to consider whether individual complaints have been dealt with appropriately, but rather to assess the effectiveness of the complaints process. As a result, there is no reference in this report to any individual complaint or departmental performance within the Council.

Annual Complaints and Service Improvement Report 2023/24 - by Ian Jones.
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/s42709/ANNUAL%20COMPLAINTS%20AND%20SERVICE%20IMPROVEMENT%20REPORT%20202324.pdf

So who does consider whether individual complaints have been dealt with appropriately..?

Something is so very wrong within Gwynedd council...