Autism And Dementia Support Update - Cyngor Gwynedd Council.

As if by magic, Cyngor Gwynedd have now added an Employment Appeals Committee to its calendar. The meeting will take place on Friday, 21st April, 2023 at 9.00 am. The agenda is yet to be published.

The Care Scrutiny Committee meet on the 20th April. The agenda includes the overdue update on the council's autism plan. Some members of the committee will remember the Senior Operational Manager, Aled Gibbard, launching the 'innovative' plan in the 2021 meeting.

Full Minutes of the Autism Strategy from the 2021 meeting can be found here -
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/mgAi.aspx?ID=22140
An excerpt -
'The Cabinet Member elaborated on the content of the report noting that this Plan was one of the Council's improvement priority projects, namely to ensure that Families and Children with autism had access to the support they needed to thrive...'
'It was added that work on the Plan had continued during the recent difficult period and the opportunity was taken to thank Council Officers for their work along with other partners including the Health Board'

There was a high number of councillors absent from that meeting including apologies from the Head of childrens SS and the Cabinet member for Adults. The former Chair of the committee was clear to point out to Mr Gibbard the department's long standing failure to support autism services. Other observations included -
'It was enquired whether the number of people with the condition was increasing. It was also stated that it would have been useful to see more input from families during the consultation. It was suggested that regular feedback should be received from service users and their families in order to review whether or not this Plan had improved their experiences...'

The updated report contains no data...
The link to the updated report can be found here - https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/s37702/UPDATE%20ON%20THE%20GWYNEDD%20AUTISM%20PLAN.pdf

Under Staffing Update - the officers write that the previous 'innovative' plan had 'originally included the appointment of a co-ordinator and transition age social worker..'
Note 'originally'.This post was a specific requirement of the 2020 Hugh Morgan OBE Review. The post has been paid for, after all.

The update report continues - An Autism Practice Lead has now been appointed and will take up her role in May 2023. This post will co-ordinate the development of Autism services in Gwynedd and will act as the line manager for the other posts. The Social Worker post has been advertised for the second time, with no applicants responding to the first advertisement. Interviews for the post are currently being arranged. The Key Worker posts are due to be advertised shortly...

It mentions that one SW job was advertised but had no candidates - the report fails to mention that the permanent position was originally advertised as a 4 year, temporary position. No wonder there was no response.

A copy of the Hugh Morgan review into Gwynedd autism services can be found here -  https://gwyneddsfailingcouncil.blogspot.com/2021/04/finally-gwynedd-councils-autism-report.html 

With the senior officers accepting the recommendations of the review this also re-assured the Ombudsman for Wales who was looking into non compliance from another investigation. Councillors will remember the Ombudsman's 'outrage' with the council and the summoning of the former CEO to Cardiff to personally apologise for the failings.

The council have not yet employed the staff - and appear to be sitting on the funding.
Just smoke and mirrors...

The Cabinet Member for Adults is to also update the Committee on dementia support. The report is...bad and shows the deep crisis in Gwynedd. Did the embargo on care homes affect dementia placements too? So many questions and a member that has refused to answer to the Committee in the past. It is not looking good for the elderly...

That report can be found here - https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/s37698/Support%20for%20Individuals%20with%20Dementia%20in%20Gwynedd.pdf

Complaint Against Gwynedd Council - 6 Of 6.

The customer care and complaints department at Cyngor Gwynedd council continue to remain silent in regard to our complaint first raised in May, last year on the advice of the Ombudsman for Wales.

So this is the sixth and final point of our Stage 2 complaint  -

Despite repeated requests, (complainants) have never been offered a carers assessment by social services.

And our desired outcome -

The complainants seek a Carers Assessment to be undertaken and completed by Gwynedd County Council.

I am reminded that we had to ask Sian Gwenllian, #Plaid_Cymru AM for Arfon for help in getting the Children and Family department to respond to our request for a carer's assessment, last year.
It took Marian Parry Hughes, Department Head of Children and Family services three months to respond to the AM....

"...we had responded to the family's lawyer, by letter from Sharron Carter, Senior Operational Manager, dated March 27th setting out the reasons for not offering a carer's assessment to (Mother)"

The solicitor states this letter was never received.
More detail on this from an earlier post -  https://gwyneddsfailingcouncil.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/gwynedd-department-head-finally.html

This child has a diagnosis of Autism, PDA and the council itself has made reference to the childs 'complex needs'.

Marian Parry Hughes goes on -

"This response was sent following consultation with our legal department. Consideration was given to the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 and the Equality Act 2000 when considering our response...

 ...(childs) needs does not make him eligible to receive a care and support plan, and (...) did not reach the cirteria to be considered as a disabled child/young person under the Equality Act. Therefore, since the Act specifies that a carer's assessment is offered to carers of a disabled adult or child, we were not in a position to assess (mother) as a carer..."
                                               **************************
 Where is the Independent Report ?

 




                                   













 

                                                   

Gwynedd Council's Secure Letterbox - NOT.

In March 2016, a letter addressed to an Aled Gibbard (Senior Operational Manager) at Cyngor Gwynedd was hand delivered to #SiopGwynedd at the Caernarfon offices and placed in their secure letterbox.

It contained confidential and sensitive information relating to an Official Complaint and raised questions in response to a letter from Aled Gibbard dated 11th March.

Mr Gibbard, was dealing with the complaint himself, and, even though repeated reference was made to this letter, alleges the letter was never received.

Margaret Kenealy Jones, refused to acknowledge that hand delivering a letter to Cyngor Gwynedd shop in Caernarfon and physically dropping it into their secure(?) letterbox means it was delivered and... "We have conducted a search; unfortunately this has come back negative....we do not feel that failing to respond to a letter which we did not receive warrants...investigation.

How many letters to the council posted in the secure letterbox get lost each year ?

Months later, Kenealy assured me in a letter that if the letter was to be re-presented Aled Gibbard would answer the points raised.

Is that offer still available, Mrs Jones ?