Cyngor Gwynedd council are advertising for a new head of the children's SS department.
The job is paying £84,480 - £93,163 a year, which is a lot less than the £104,15, the former head, Marian Parry Hughes was 'earning' last year. The highest-paid council employees in Gwynedd and Anglesey https://www.northwaleschronicle.co.uk/news/25065053.highest-paid-council-employees-gwynedd-anglesey/
Hughes failed to act when concerns were raised against Neil Foden in 2019. The former headteacher of Ysgol Friars, in Bangor was finally arrested for sexually abusing children in September 2023.
Hughes leadership has been dogged with controversy since the farce of Canolfan Brynffynnon. Then there was the Ombudsman for Wales report highlighting the department's ignorance of law, policy and procedures. The PSOW recommendations for improvement were not acted upon...
Untrained social workers/senior officers... Dilwyn Morgan, the former cabinet member for children, did raise concerns about a lack of training within the department in 2021 - 'it would frighten you how few members of staff undertake these training.' What action did Morgan, now cabinet member for adults take..?
No outsiders allowed..? Cyngor Gwynedd are advertising the position internally, 'for a period of 6 months, with the possibility of an extension of up to 12 months...'
Does this mean that one of the interim heads of the department, Aled Gibbard or Sharron Williams Carter, is next in line to take the reins?
What next for Gwynedd's assistant head - safeguarding and quality also what next for the senior officer within the legal team? Both knew about Foden in 2019.
Something is still very wrong within Gwynedd council...
Sally Holland, former children's commissioner, spoke at the full cabinet meeting of cyngor Gwynedd held on the 11th November, 2025. As the chair of the council's response board, set up after the abuse of children by Neil Foden, Holland presented the - QUARTERLY REPORT TO CABINET: RESPONSE PLAN PROGRAMME BOARD which can be found here - https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=46340
The webcast of the cabinet meeting can be viewed here - https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/1034943
Holland states the overarching objectives of the board are - Acknowledge, Apologise, Support, Establish, Learn, Improve and be Accountable. So who are the four cabinet members providing accountability to the public...?
Dewi Jones, the cabinet member for education, is surely one of the four. When will he make a statement on the failings of the governing body at Ysgol Friars? First and foremost, Neil Foden was accountable to the school governors.
From 2018, Pickles highlights - Child A reports concern re Foden’s relationship with Child C. Education speaknto Foden. Reported to LA1 C&FS and NWP.
The chair and vice chair of governors were NWP officers - Essie Ahari and Keith Horton. The former head of education, Garem Jackson, after being contacted by a whistleblower met with senior officers of the children's deparment. Pickles writes - The meeting was deemed not to be a child protection meeting and was instead regarded as being for the consideration of a ‘professional issue. ie senior officers appeared to be more concerned for Foden's reputation...
The former director of SS, Morwena Edwards was not a social worker, her background was finance, and she would have relied heavily on the advice of the now absent from work, Marian Parry Hughes and Dafydd Paul, senior safeguarding and quality officer. Cyngor Gwynedd's legal team advised the officers...
Jan Pickles conducted an 'Extended' Child Practice Review, which means that some of the children Neil Foden abused were 'in care' at the time of the abuse or the preceding 6 months. Were any of the children in foster care? One child was living in a hostel. The hostel manager raised concerns in 2018.
Anglesey council (LA2) also raised concerns - LA2 informed LA1 C&FS Senior Manager LADO that had Foden been a professional working in LA2, a meeting would have been convened under Part 4 of the AWCPP 2008.
The NSPCC are also scathing about Gwynedd's LADO - From the Pickles review - my highlight...
At this time, Dilwyn Morgan, was cabinet member for children and family. His tenure is best remembered for the Ombudsman for Wales reports highlighting serious concerns and failings within the children's SS, including social workers faking assessments on children. Will Morgan be giving a statement of what he knew...?
It was a busy time for the SS department as the PSOW also found serious failings within the adult's department. The cabinet member with responsibility for the department was then Dafydd Meurig. Treatment of one adult in Gwynedd's care was so bad it made the Ombudsman's Equality & Human Rights Casebook-2019/20
Neil Foden was an abusive bully, who used inadequate 'policies and procedures' to protect himself from investigation and censure. Complaints were ignored or dealt with badly. If the complaint was serious enough then the 'vexatious complainant' rule could be used to shut the complaint down.
Page 79 of the Pickles review -
The Pickles review can be found here - https://www.northwalessafeguardingboard.wales/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/30.10.25-FINAL-ENGLISH-CPR-REPORT-_.pdf
Foden smeared those who challenged him and reversed blame onto the victim - Darvo. Blame the children - blame the parents - deny delay deflect.
In other news, the Governance and Audit committee were made aware of concerns within the county's care homes. Little information given and little action taken despite a lay member's grave concerns. Also 'bedblocking' has been a major issue for years now with the adult SS coming in for criticism...
Internal audits still show issues with staff training and breakfast clubs in particular -
The reports can be found in the agenda pack - https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/g5460/Public%20reports%20pack%2009th-Oct-2025%2010.00%20Governance%20and%20Audit%20Committee.pdf?T=10
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
It is not usual for a CEO of a county council to deny involvement in the delay of a report - Council boss denies it was behind Foden report delay https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1kwy7wnnk4o
Nor is it usual for a safeguarding boardto delay a review report whilst it 'considers its legal obligations and information sharing further'
Due to the lack of trust in the council, it is understandable that
the CEO, Dafydd Gibbard, felt the need to publicly deny involvement. What is the reasoning behind the North Wales Safeguarding Board's decision to delay the Jan
Pickles
review?
The Jan Pickles review, aided by the Genevieve Woods report, looked at the crimes of paedophile headteacher, Neil Foden and how he continued to abuse even after concerns were raised against him...
Foden could have been stopped yet many people failed to do so... Claims of undeserved examination passes at Ysgol Friars do not appear to have been investigated, nor when Foden's own union, the NEU, took action against him. There was much anger over the no school meals policy for children who had 2p of debt during the pandemic and also the video of the alleged assault on a pupil at Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle - Head teacher filmed appearing to grab pupil by scruff of the neck https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/education/head-teacher-filmed-appearing-grab-22967578
Much of what Foden did made the press and social media. Concerns were raised about his behaviour at Gwynedd's education/economy scrutiny committee - on more than one occasion. This committee are also investigating safeguarding in schools but it is unlikely their own lack of action will be examined in any detail.
Dewi Jones, the cabinet member for education, is leading the investigation. The panel's draft report, originally due in September 2025, then
11th December 2025, has now been delayed until 12th February 2026.
The
reason being that members forgot to include the voices of children in
the investigation...
More information can be found in the Education/Economy draft forward programme - https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/s46071/2025-10-16%20Education%20and%20Economy%20Scrutiny%20Committee%20Forward%20Programme%202025-26.pdf
So what of Gwynedd's Scrutiny Forum? This Forum is made up of the chair and vice chair of each scrutiny committee and aided by senior officers it decides on what is of importance for investigation and/or discussion at forward meetings.
Has Foden ever been the subject of discussion by this forum, or any of the other 'informal' scrutiny meetings, not open to the public..?
What of the monitoring officer and the legal team's advice to senior officers over the years? Did they not raise questions re Foden with the senior officers? Were they advising senior officers?
The Genieve Woods report has already led to two senior officers within children's SS being 'absent from work' Perhaps the child practice review will highlight how these girls were failed?
Some may say that it was the procedures that failed, but the procedures could only be robust if they were implemented in a timely and correct manner by those whose job it was to protect children...
Those will include school governors, the former head(s) of education, cabinet member(s), senior officers within social services and the safeguarding/child protection team.
It should come as no surprise - though many will claim it to be - that some of these officers are the same ones responsible
for allowing social workers to bully, undertake fake assessments on children, interfere in
investigations and mislead the Obudsman for Wales. One social worker appears to have been promoted after giving
evidence to an investigation that was later called out as 'disingenuous' by
the PSOW. The Ffordd Gwynedd way...?
The director of Gwynedd SS, Huw Dylan Owen, spoke of the embarrassment to come during his presentation of his Annual Report at a meeting of the full council. His report can be found in the agenda pack - https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//mgChooseDocPack.aspx?ID=5504
Owen will have had knowledge of the Genevieve Woods report since March. His report appears to have been written at the same time as it contains little new information since then. No statement on the head of SS, Marian Parry Hughes, still 'absent from work'.
It is presumed that the complaints manager is also 'absent from work', due to his lack of input in the complaints handling report.
Having these officers 'absent from work' may have improved some aspects of the department but their wages are considerable and that means that children's services are losing out on £4 to £5K a week.
One would hope that Owen will have spent some time going through past cases involving these officers looking for anything of concern. It is not likely that reports written by these officers will properly inform the director. Has he read the investigative reports created by the Canolfan Brynffynnon affair and associated 'employment' investigation reports?
A reminder that draft reports are often more informative as not all criticism of individuals/departments make the final cut...
Then there are the several PSOW investigations...
A public inquiry is needed.
Something is so very wrong within Gwynedd council...
Cyngor Gwynedd held an Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee meeting on Thursday, 19th June 2025. The webcast of the meeting can be found here - https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/993870
The Task and Finish Group recommendations for Gwynedd council's Draft Education Language Policy - Cyngor Gwynedd Language Strategy 2023 - 2033 were discussed. There has been a recent push by councillors for schools to be taught through the medium of Welsh only...
The recommendations can be found in the agenda pack here - https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/g5496/Public%20reports%20pack%2019th-Jun-2025%2010.30%20Education%20and%20Economy%20Scrutiny%20Committee.pdf?T=10
On the 16th June, the Planning Commiittee held a meeting. That webcast can be found here - https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/992005
The meeting discussed an application for an 'affordable self build' house in Penygroes. It has been refused in the past but the local councillor called it in for a debate. The councillor did not attend the meeting... The recommendation was to refuse with the department citing three reasons including a lack of communication with the applicant. For reasons unknown some councillors wished to support the application anyway. The application was refused...
Gwynedd's Care Scrutiny Committee met on Thursday, 12th June 2025. The webcast can be found here - https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/991166
A performance report from the head of Housing and Property department, Carys Fôn Williams, was presented.
Next up was the performance report of the children and supporting families department, presented by cabinet member, Menna Trenholme. With Marian Parry Hughes absent from work, it was left to the interim heads, Aled Gibbard and Sharron Carter Williams, to answer members questions.
The department's report makes no mention of the absences of two of its most senior officers and not one scrutiny member raised concerns.
Morfa Bychan was discussed. The children's home should have been open last year. and whilst children have been placed there, the home is still not registered...
Councillor Beth Lawton raised concerns that according to the graphics in the report the interim heads had no concerns with the department at all. Lawton pointed out that there were concerns and described the Derwen service and its workload as huge. Gibbard replied "I'm not claiming that the way we're reporting is completely accurate..."
Councillor Gwynfor Owen asked the officers for the criteria that allows access to the disabled children's service. He was told, a learning disability and those with a substantial delay. Owen also asked if access to Derwen services was dependant on IQ. Gibbard replied no... Some parents have been told exactly that...
The Derwen criteria has been called out as unlawful in the past and in 2019, the Ombudsman for Wales recommendation was - The Council should review its Derwen policy to ensure its
criteria aligns with the Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act 2014
and the Equality Act 2010’s definition of ‘disability’, and ensure staff
are informed about any changes (within three months).
What of the Hugh
Morgan Autism Review? Have his recommendations been implemented? Perhaps Mr Morgan could be asked for his thoughts on 'progress' since his review? His review can be found here - https://gwyneddsfailingcouncil.blogspot.com/2021/04/finally-gwynedd-councils-autism-report.html
Moving on, the report states that the purpose of the performance report is 'to present the performance of the Children and Supporting Families Department over the past year.'
But then states 'the
report has been created based on the information and content of the
latest meeting to challenge and support the performance of the Children
and Supporting Families Department with the Director, the Senior
Operational Officer and myself present at this meeting.'
So not over the past year? Only since the 'latest meeting' - whenever that was...?
The performance report for the Adults SS was also presented.
For what they're worth the reports can be found in the agenda pack here - https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/g5531/Public%20reports%20pack%2012th-Jun-2025%2010.00%20Care%20Scrutiny%20Committee.pdf?T=10
In other news, Cyngor Gwynedd is advertising for a Corporate Director. https://www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/en/Council/Jobs-and-Careers/Corporate-Director.aspx
The publication of the Jan Pickles review, first due in spring, then late spring has been delayed again and is now expected in September... https://www.northwalessafeguardingboard.wales/gwynedd-child-practice-review/
Cyngor Gwynedd has still not published the Genevieve Woods report received in March. The barrister was commissioned by the council to investigate the council's handling of matters relating to paedophile Neil Foden in 2019. A teacher from Ysgol Friars blew the whistle to Garem Jackson, former head of education at the council, who then sought the advice of a council safeguarding officer.
From the BBC - Top officials at council which employed paedophile head 'absent from work' An email sent to Gwynedd councillors by the authority's chief executive
stated there were arrangements in place to lead its children and family
support department while the head and deputy head are absent...
It goes on to add - BBC Wales understands four members of staff were part of the decision not to investigate at the time, and a BBC Wales Investigates programme into the case revealed three of those were still employed by the council. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c15nzl058z1o
The head of children and families is Marian Parry Hughes but who is the deputy head?
According to a recent FOI response, the children's SS department does not have a deputy head but names three assistant heads - Aled Gibbard, Sharron Williams Carter and Dafydd Paul. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/structure_chart_social_services_7/response/2917001/attach/html/5/Children%20Department%20Organisational%20Chart%202024.pdf.html
Two of the three assistant heads, Aled Gibbard and Sharron Williams Carter, have been given temporary leadership of the Children and Families Department under the guidance of the director of SS, Dylan Owen.
Does 'absent from work' mean suspended and what of the fourth officer?
Last year, Dafydd Gibbard, CEO of cyngor Gwynedd commissioned a report into the county's looked after children. When will that report be made public?
It is presumed this action was in response to the revelation by Dylan Owen, the director of SS, of one child costing £25K a week and another child living in a caravan...
Were any of Neil Foden's victims children that were in the care of the council? Do the historic complaints from 2014, that the children's SS department reported last year, involve looked after children?
In other news, Aled Davies, the head of Gwynedd Adults SS department will leave his post in July when Mari Wynne Jones will take up the role. Jones is a social worker and has worked for the council for 25 years...
Something is still very wrong within Gwynedd council...
Cyngor Gwynedd council will not (yet) release the report by the barrister, Genevieve Woods. Woods
report looks at the circumstances from 2019 and how senior officers
dealt with concerns raised with regard to Neil Foden...
From a BBC article - She looked at 2019
because, during Foden's trial, the council's former head of education
Garem Jackson said that was when he made a senior safeguarding officer
aware of concerns about Foden's "close relationship" with some teen
girls. He said he was advised there was no need for a formal investigation as no official complaint had been made. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly2njvjwzko
In 2019, the Director of Gwynedd SS, with ultimate responsibility for safeguarding children was Morwena Edwards. Others with responsibility for safeguarding in the childrens department - Marian Parry Hughes (Head of Children and Family) Aled Gibbard (Assistant Head Children/Resources) Dafydd Paul (Senior Safeguarding and Quality/complaints manager)
Edwards quit the council in 2022, at the same time a report was received into the Canolfan Brynffynnon referral unit, it is believed.
The PRU has made the news recently - https://www.northwaleschronicle.co.uk/news/25090281.gwynedd-referral-unit-pupils-saw-staff-bullying-children/
Did these officers have knowledge of, or were any of them instrumental in the suspensions of three members of staff that lasted 9 years? It is reported that two of the staff members have taken redundancy and one is still employed by the council.
Gwynedd council actually dismissed the one officer... A case
against cyngor Gwynedd for wrongful dismissal was brought to Employment
Tribunal. On the 23rd December, 2024, the case was struck out. Because the council had reinstated the officer...
The tribunal hears evidence from both sides and then makes a judgement. Judgement reports are detailed and give the names of officers involved. Was the dismissed staff member reinstated to avoid details of the case becoming public knowledge and the officers involved being named?
Presumably, this case would have gone before the council's Employment Appeals Committee? So what do members of that committee know?
Something is so very wrong within Gwynedd council...
