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...
Cyngor Gwynedd council held a Cabinet meeting on the 11th June, 2024. The agenda pack can be found here - https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/g5221/Public%20reports%20pack%2011th-Jun-2024%2013.00%20The%20Cabinet.pdf?T=10
First up was the Asset Management Plan and most notably the decision to spend money on the smallholdings the council own. Once upon a time, Gwynedd council considered smallholdings a valuable source of income but a past report showed concerns with low rents and arrears. A Task and Finish group was set up to investigate these concerns last year but does not appear to have yet met...
The Strategic Safeguarding Panel Annual Report 2023/24 was also discussed - It is essential that Cabinet members are aware of the Panel’s work on safeguarding and are satisfied that the Panel has undertaken the required work in a thorough and conscientious manner.
The panel is chaired by councillor Menna Trenholme, but ultimate responsibility lies with the Director Of SS. Concerns with the safeguarding of children has come to the fore with the recent trial of Neil Foden - but the report only mentions this in passing -
There were also cases during the year of crime against children. Whilst legal proceedings and the courts are doing their work, it is important that, as social services, we consistently learn from these incidents through reviews and improve our services to ensure the safety of those who are most vulnerable in our community.
It will be difficult for the Director, Dylan Owen, to deal with many of the issues emerging from the Foden case having only recently joined the council. It is the same with councillor Trenholme. Morwena Edwards, the former Director and Dilwyn Williams, former CEO of the council will have more knowledge of events in this case but will they be part of the review? A reminder that some of those who have failed children are still in post...
A Performance Report for the Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Wellbeing was also given. The cabinet member, Dilwyn Morgan, was the cabinet member for children until 2022. His report mentions making more use of technology to improve the ability of Gwynedd residents to access support and care -
So no support for the elderly and disabled. The most vulnerable in the county left to care for themselves. Nothing in this report helps the issue of bed blocking in the local hospitals, either.
The Performance Report for Children and Supporting Families was presented by Councillor Elin Walker-Jones. The report focusses on the department's priority projects, namely the Autism Plan and the Small Group Homes Scheme.
The report gives an update on the house purchased by the council in Morfa Bychan for children with intensive and complex needs who are currently in very expensive out of county placements. The report mentions the doors are to be opened in September...
Questions from councillors on the group home schemes were responded to by Aled Gibbard, assistant head - resources. His answers show that little thought has been given to the project. Councillors asked what happens when these children reach the age of 18. Gibbard replied that the council no longer have a responsibilty for these children. So what happens to them and where will these teenagers go then?
Gibbard made reference to Gisda, an organisation that supports young people in the area. But Gisda only have four flats which are presumably used by the youngsters they support. What happens to them?
But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane,
In proving foresight may be vain;
The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men
Gang aft agley,
An’lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain,
For promis’d joy Robert Burns
Elin Walker Jones report references the Autism Plan and promises to "improve our provision and make it easier for individuals and their families to transfer between different services."
This is disingenuous of the cabinet member who knows better than anyone that there is no real provision for autistic individuals without a learning disability and never has been. How can you improve something that does not exist?
The cabinet member for children was also heard to make a comment regarding autism and disability, but the comment can not be verified as the webcast meeting has not yet been made available to the public.
Regardless of the many concerns, the Cabinet members voted to accept the reports as requested by senior officers.
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