Cyngor Gwynedd Council - Not My Shame...?

Cyngor Gwynedd held a full council meeting on the 1st, May, 2025.
The agenda pack can be found here -

https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//mgChooseDocPack.aspx?ID=5167

The meeting passed a motion raised by councillor Beca Brown.

The #NotMyShame motion was in response to the actions of paedophile headteacher, Neil Foden.
Brown was the former cabinet member for Education, who resigned last year in protest at the council leader's handling of the matter and was vocal in calling for a full public inquiry...

Brown mentioned that child abuse can happen '...more often than not in their own homes.'
Gwynedd has a long history of child abuse and many of the abusers have been those in a position of trust. A reminder that cyngor Gwynedd has recently reported an increase in allegations against those in a position of trust. 

But what happens when someone blows the whistle?
In 2019, the then head of education, Garem Jackson, was contacted by a teacher with concerns of Foden's closeness to children. After seeking advice from a safeguarding officer, Jackson simply had a chat with Foden about his behaviour and also outed the whistleblower to him.

 

A reminder that the council sacked a social worker who blew the whistle on the last child sexual abuse scandal. 

 

A recent survey of Gwynedd staff revealed many would NOT blow the whistle on wrongdoing - including sexual abuse. Fear of retribution...?
Is this the 'culture' that the executive officers say must change...?
It has never been explained what the culture was that needed to change...

There were other opportunities to stop Foden.
Were claims of undeserved examination passes at Ysgol Friars investigated?
Judgements from Employment Tribunals are published online and it is presumed that senior officers would have knowledge of the case as well as the school governors.

Then there was a ruling against Foden for unprofessional conduct...

There was also the video of Foden allegedly showing him grabbing a pupil by the scruff of the neck.
What action did Garem Jackson and the school governors at Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle take?

Councillors of Gwynedd's Education and Economy Scrutiny committee did raise this issue at one meeting but Jackson refused to answer though he did promise the committee an update. (Gwynedd officers are sometimes reluctant to give information within public meetings and some councillors are given more details afterwards)

So were committee members informed?
What actions did members and the then cabinet member for Education take?
The committee is currently investigating Foden and their report should be completed soon.

Many will find it ... distasteful that the Not My Shame campaign flag is to be flown above the heads of a council who could and should have stopped Foden years ago. 

 

Councillors could be asking for the Woods report to be published.
They could also ask for the Canolfan Brynffynnon reports.

The webcast of the meeting can be found here -
https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/981083

Something is very wrong within Gwynedd council...

Cyngor Gwynedd Council - Scrutiny Investigation Into Safeguarding Begins...

Cyngor Gwynedd Education and Economy Scrutiny committee held a meeting on the 13th, February, 2025.

Sioned Williams, the council's head of Economy and Community and Dylan Griffiths, Economic Development Service Manager, authored the Gwynedd Economy Plan. It was presented by Richard Medwyn Hughes, cabinet member for the Economy.

Councillors were not impressed and expressed their disappointment with the 'plan'.
Councillor Rhys Tudor, voiced his frustration at the 'mickey mouse' exercise of scrutinising a document that has no substance and remarked that they should leave in protest.

Bizarrely, all members of the committee voted to accept the 'plan' anyway...

The webcast of the meeting can be found here -
https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/957593

Members received a report from Bethan Adams, a scrutiny advisor titled - 
Safeguarding Arrangements in Schools Scrutiny Investigation Brief

This scrutiny investigation is taking place because of the sexual abuse of children by the head teacher, Neil Foden. 

Gwynedd council promoted Foden to 'superhead' status giving him control over Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle and Ysgol Friars after he was found guilty of unacceptable professional conduct. A reminder that this committee failed on two occasions to hold Foden to account in the past....

The report makes mention of their internal 'experts' in the field of safeguarding including - 
The statutory director of Gwynedd SS.
The head of children and supporting families department.
The assistant head of safeguarding and quality - children department.

The director has only been in post since 2022, replacing Morwena Edwards who quit her post shortly after a final report into Canolfan Brynffynnon was received by the council. No report or statement has been publicly released by Gwynedd council in a case that has probably cost £2 million.

The head of SS chaired a meeting where an independent investigator reported feeling bullied and overwhelmed after writing a report critical of the department. Four to five pages were deleted from the original report before it was accepted by her department.

The safeguarding officer has refused to answer questions of a care scrutiny committee and had a complaint raised against him for misleading councillors and the public at anoher meeting. 

Questions remain to how the childrens department dealt with the historic abuse cases that came to light in 2024. More on that here -
https://gwyneddsfailingcouncil.blogspot.com/2024/04/social-worker-complaint-cyngor-gwynedd.html

Others involved in the investigation include - the Safeguarding and Wellbeing Quality Leader, Education Protection and Wellbeing Officer - Education Department appears to have only been in post a month -
https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/job-listing/safeguarding-and-wellbeing-quality-leader-gwynedd-council-JV_IC3301713_KO0,41_KE42,57.htm?jl=1009571911599

Dyfrig Siencyn, the former leader of the council, who quit after refusing to apologise for the actions of Neil Foden, will also be part of the investigation. Siencyn only undertook safeguarding training on 24th September, 2024, presumably to allow him to become part of this investigation?

The remit for investigation appears totally inadequate - failing to ask which safeguarding officer advised Garem Jackson to simply have a word with Neil Foden when concerns were raised in 2019.

Were procedures implemented to protect the integrity of evidence after Foden's arrest?
Will the investigation review leadership accountability and the committee's own failings?
Will the investigation hear from parents and the children?

Who will investigate the claims heard at an Employment Tribunal that pupil's examination passes were undeserved at Ysgol Friars? What of the school's budget that had to be replenished by the council?

Will the investigation take note of the recent audit of the whistleblowing policy?
“Due to past examples where the Council has not acted in high profile cases when an individual or individuals have blown the whistle members of staff tend to think there is no point in raising an issue as they suspect some form of cover-up will take place.”

It appears neither staff nor the public have trust in the senior officers.
A public inquiry into Neil Foden AND the failings of cyngor Gwynedd is needed...

The draft brief can be found on page 109 of the agenda pack here -
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/g5171/Public%20reports%20pack%2013th-Feb-2025%2010.30%20Education%20and%20Economy%20Scrutiny%20Committee.pdf?T=10