Cyngor Gwynedd council held a Planning Committee meeting on the 2nd October, 2023.
It began with an announcement from the chair, Edgar Wyn Owen, that the monitoring officer, Iwan G D Evans, has resigned his position as solicitor for the planning committee. Miriam Evans is now responsible for any legal matters arising...
Councillors voted to approve one application contrary to the recommendation of the officers. The application by a former councillor was allowed. His son who sits on the committee had to leave the meeting during discussion and was not allowed to vote.
"Where are your principles", asked councillor Elwyn Edwards. The chair quickly moved the meeting on... The webcast can be found here - press english for the translated video - https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/812297
The committee has a history of voting contrary to its own planning policies...
Nine days later on the 11th October, Andrew Forgrave, wrote in the Daily Post - Cyngor Gwynedd Council was adjudged to have 'behaved unreasonably' over the issue The decision, by Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW), overturned previous rulings made Cyngor Gwynedd Council’s planning committee which went against officers’ recommendations. Welsh Government inspector Janine Townsley considered the local authority to have “behaved unreasonably”. https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/century-old-footpath-row-ends-27881162?int_source=nba
Perhaps the Cabinet Member could give an explanation? With a breakdown of the costs incurred by the appeal... How many more appeals against planning decisions are there?
Something is so very wrong within Gwynedd council...
Gwynedd's Care Scrutiny Committee met on the 21st September, 2024. The
Housing Allocation Policy And Housing Waiting List was discussed. It was reported that empty homes are not being refurbished as quickly as was hoped. For the translated feed press the english tab - https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/808714
One councillor asked about the social housing that would be built through the council tax premium. No social housing is to be built - the premium is for 'affordable' housing. Does affordable housing attract more grants? Can they then be rented out for higher/market rates?
Problems with the online application form was mentioned and issues with the data was raised. The cabinet member for housing, Craig ab Iago, challenged the officers with regard to outsiders being given a house and said he knew of an example where this happened. He asked for anyone with examples to contact the department and to also inform him. With regard to homelessness, the cabinet member mentioned a sticking plaster on cancer and what was needed was solutions...
Councillors wanted knowledge of who was moving in to their area and if there was a local connection. One councillor mentioned that refugees have been given a house while six local families are left waiting in one village and said that animosity will increase...
Councillors asked for the senior officers of the housing associations to attend a meeting. The report was accepted while asking for an update - in a years time.
On supported housing - one councillor expressed his disappointmrnt at the housing officers who had already left the meeting. A lack of accountability for these homes was also raised with the fear of abuse for those vulnerable residents. The Head of Adults SS, Aled Davies, said the quality assurance team responsible for services 'is not as strong as it should be'. In light of the recent embargo on care homes in Gwynedd could this be considered a high risk?
The Autism plan was discussed... A task and finish group is to be established. Concerns were raised with the wording of the report and what was highlighted. Vera Jones, the lead officer who was to present the report was absent but her colleague said it was a mistake and the whole plan should have been included in the brief.
The draft brief focuses on learning disabilities and there was a call for those in the autism field to be included in the autism plan. Councillor Gwynfor Owen who has a son receiving support said he was not allowed to be a member of the task and finish group after discussion with the monitoring officer.
The former chair of the care scrutiny committee stated that his wife received domiciliary services but this was not considered prejudicial by the monitoring officer - he simply declared an interest where money was discussed and left the meeting. Others did not think it an issue either. It was thought the councillor's knowledge of autism would be invaluable...
One officer suggested the autism plan may be too large for the task and finish group... It was agreed to consider the whole plan and not simply the two points highlighted in the report by the democratic services manager. The webcast then ended so the committee could have an informal meeting behind closed doors...
It must be remembered that the autism plan is separate from learning difficulties and the council has already received 'ringfenced' monies from government to create such services - since 2008 and the introduction of the autism SAP.
In other news, a member of a separate committee sits on a task and finish group that has been set up to investigate the county's smallholdings and rents in particular. This member has a smallhoding rented from the council...
Cyngor Gwynedd Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee met on the 14th September, 2023. The webcast can be found here - https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/805628
SEND provision was discussed - or the lack of it. For those children with complex needs the committee was told that though medical cares and technologies have evolved to keep certain children alive they do bring extra pressures on the sector...
Absences and exclusions from school was discussed - the figures are high... Gwynedd council's exclusion officer blamed the pandemic and praised the schools for being open with the figures. The officer was asked twice before informing the highest number of exclusions are in the Arfon area.
The former inclusion officer tried to ensure an education for all - including those with complex needs, autism, behavioural issues et al. What is the problem with the Arfon schools? Has policy changed?
Why have these children been excluded? More importantly, what are they doing now? The exclusion officer did comment that the youth clubs are to be 'reinvigorated'. Will these be the same youth services the council cut previously?
The meeting is notable more for what was not discussed...
Garem Jackson, the Head of Education at cyngor Gwynedd, quit his post shortly after the meeting...
For too many years, Cabinet members and other Gwynedd councillors have
turned a blind
eye to the behaviours and maladministration of senior officers but it is the CEO and leader of the council who are ultimately responsible
for the culture of their organisation...
Cyngor Gwynedd's executive officers have commented on the culture within the council. They give little detail - and any insights are hidden amongst word salads with no explanations given. The comments can be found amongst the Ffordd Gwynedd report - https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/documents/g4839/Public%20reports%20pack%2007th-Mar-2023%2013.00%20The%20Cabinet.pdf?T=10
The report by the leader of the council, Dyfrig Siencyn, and Geraint Owen, Corporate Director states - ...This is all rooted in a change of culture, behaviours and mind-set and its aim of realising the ambition across all parts of the Council's activities is acknowledged as a substantial challenge and one which requires a comprehensive programme of support...
The report starting at page 18 begins well enough with the present CEO stating - Building on the culture and way of working, which is based on the principle of providing the best possible services to the residents of our county, with every one of us supporting each other to achieve this, is central to the Council's vision. The aspiration to ensure continuous improvement can already be seen widely across the Council and the next step is to ensure that nothing prevents us from embedding that mindset further and aim to improve even further what is already being delivered" (Chief Executive)
But the leader and executive officer are more honest - ...in order to maintain the "way of working", the mindset must be changed above anything else. Doing the right things before making the things better" is the mantra. Unless we change the mindset before, or during, changing a process, we will certainly fail and the changes will not be sustained in the long-term.
The executive are adamant that they will focus on collaboration and developing appropriate leadership behaviours Also - Develop methods to nurture an environment where managers feel safe to declare that performance is not up to scratch.
But it is officers of a lesser paygrade and the public that do not feel safe. What methods have been developed by the executive to protect them? Recording all telephone calls to the council would be a start. Removing the senior safeguarding officer from his role as the senior complaints handling manager? Ensuring that cabinet members have the conviction to challenge the departments they have responsibility for? How are the exit interviews going?
Other nuggets from the executive incude - Each person working for the Council should have a job description setting out core expectations for their role, duties and way of working. Focus on appropriate 'Behaviours' Acting on the basis of evidence, rather than on the basis of what appears to be logical, is one of the cornerstones of the "way of working"and here there is an important function to ensure that managers and their teams use the information and data available to its full potential.
"Acting on the basis of evidence, rather than on the basis of what appears to be logical..." This admission is the most frightening. That senior officers have acted without evidence on the basis of their unconscious and conscious biases...? Which officers? Which cases? How many people harmed? What cost?
In other news, there is a bin strike in Gwynedd. This is another crisis of the council's own making. Relationships between the staff and senior officers have not recovered since the pandemic when a bonus was denied the essential workers. -
From the article by Gareth Williams, July,2020.- Sent to the authority’s leader and chief executive, the letter notes:
“In our view its totally unfair to expect us to work through this period
on standard pay while the majority of (council) staff have been sent
home on full pay or are working from home. https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/gwynedd-bin-collectors-call-front-18556569
Now there is a cost of living crisis and the council are again digging in their heels...
Also the Education and Economy scrutiny committee met on the 14th September 2023, Due to legal matters, scrutiny of the Education officer was presumably constrained. This meeting, like so many others, was plagued by technical difficulties during the live feed and following the dicussion became impossible. The translated feed has still not been uploaded to the council's website...
Many people will remember the banner protesting cyngor Gwynedd officers misuse of council vehicles, in 2021. It was attached to the railings outside Morrisons supermarket in Caernarfon before being swiftly taken down by council officers...
A council spokesman said - “We are aware that there are some instances where staff may not have
adhered to this policy, and we are working with our trade union partners
to address this matter and update our policy.
The picture is from the article written by Gareth Wyn Williams, in 2021 - https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/gwynedd-council-review-vehicle-policy-19777848
On the 13th April, 2023, Dafydd Meurig, Cabinet Member for the Environment reported - A letter and email
was sent to officers who had the right to take vehicles home as part of
their working terms, on 29/03/2023. The letter stated that the
consultation period has ended and that
no officer from the Waste and Recycling service is now exempt from the
new policy - 'Use of Council vehicles for commuting'. In accordance with
the procedure, a period of notice must be given to staff and the period
of 90 days has started on 31/03/2023 and
ends on 29/06/2023. So by the end of June the exercise of using the
council's vehicle for journeys between home and work will come to an
end. Does this mean that officers continued to misuse the publicly funded vehicles for nearly two and a half years? Perhaps councillor Meurig could give an explanation for the long delay?
The public and local politicians may presume that this directive applies to all departments. Where cyngor Gwynedd is concerned nothing should be presumed...
In November, 2021, Neil Foden, headteacher at Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle in Penygroes wrote to parents informing that any child with a debt of 2p would be refused school meals. This caused a national furore with interventions from Marcus Rashford and blogger Simon Harris (men behaving dadly)
The headteacher blamed the decision on his council bosses who he claims 'threw him under a bus' - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-59341464 "All I did was to pass on the authority's message to parents."
Gwynedd Council blamed "lack of clarity" from its education department on school food debt policy - https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/education/council-apologises-school-meal-debt-22153658
Councillors of Gwynedd's Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee challenged the Head of Education, Garem Jackson, for an explanation. He did not provide one but promised an update for the next meeting.
Two months later, a video was posted online that appears to show Neil Foden grabbing a pupil by the scruff of the neck - https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/education/head-teacher-filmed-appearing-grab-22967578
At the next scrutiny meeting, Mr Jackson failed to answer the committees previous concerns and was also unwilling to respond to the latest incident. Once again, promising to get the full facts and return with an update for councillors. There is no record of Mr Jackson updating the committee on either incident...
Mr Foden has a history of controversy. In 2018, a Biology teacher was awarded £8,000 compensation after an 'outrageous' suspension by the Ysgol Friars headteacher - The tribunal was convinced Mr Foden had at one stage been “looking for an excuse to make things difficult for the claimant”. https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/biology-teacher-awarded-8000-compensation-14867550
Also - “We developed a particular view about the evidence given by Mr Foden
which undermined his credibility and/or reliability as a witness.” https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/autocratic-gwynedd-headmaster-included-malpractice-14853841 How is this not perjury?
In 2020, he was found guilty of unacceptable professional conduct by the Education Workforce Council. It was proved that Mr Foden treated a third teacher unfairly when
providing a reference in 2016 in which he said he was facing an
allegation of malpractice when, in fact, the teacher had been cleared. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-54300055
The panel heard evidence that included - "I
felt victimised by Neil Foden due to the way he operated. You were
either in his gang or you were not," person D told the panel. He
claimed he was never interviewed by school governors and that Mr
Foden's daughter had investigated the allegations against him. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-51710557
The teacher claimed Mr Foden was looking to "pressurise" him after he
made whistleblowing complaints over erroneous submissions of exam
results by his department boss. Person D said he made the whistleblowing complaints in 2014 because
pupils had been "awarded an exam pass" and he was initially concerned it
was an "administrative error".
However, he said the evidence had been moved for the five pupils concerned. "The evidence had been removed from a computer file. It had taken a year and a quarter for the exam board to be told." Person D said he and two other concerned teachers were not interviewed about the exam concerns until "four to six months later". https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/headmaster-victimised-teacher-who-blew-17850450
The delay in interviewing the teachers will affect any legal process as there is a very short window to lodge complaints and/or take legal action. After one year, it is presumed that the exam board would dismiss any concerns as out of time... Mr Foden is also Head of Ysgol Friars in Bangor.
Perhaps the scrutiny committee could remind the Head of Education of his promise to report on the incidents and also ask for an update on the two teachers believed to have been suspended on full pay for 9 years...
In 2014, the council's safeguarding team began an investigation alongside north
wales police.. It did not go well. In 2018, the CPS threw out the case
after they did a deep dive of the 'evidence'.
A spokesman for the council said - "This process concluded with the CPS deciding not to proceed with any
prosecutions. The council is currently carrying out its own subsequent
internal investigation into the matter and as a result the individuals
remain suspended from their posts.” https://web.archive.org/web/20180729072902/https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/welsh-councils-paid-9m-staff-14876849
Gwynedd council also paid over £800,000 of public money to north wales police. For what...? The costs of this case, including the legal fees, must be approaching 2 million pounds - if not more...
An FOI seeking information on the matter was shut down by the
monitoring officer who simply ignored the request for an internal
review. The next step in the legal process - a complaint to the ICO - usually requires an internal review to have been undertaken. Regardless, the ICO can only 'advise' the council to release information. Gwynedd council have ignored the 'advice' of the ICO in the past...
Questions to the integrity and professionalism of the safeguarding team remain. The senior safeguarding officer for Gwynedd has not been seen at a council meeting since 2019 when he was called out for deceiving the care scrutiny committee in another case.
Something is so very wrong within Gwynedd council...
Last month, Cyngor Gwynedd council's monitoring officer's reassurance that there is indeed a code of conduct for members AND officers of cyngor Gwynedd council is welcomed, but is it accurate?
The code of conduct for councillors is regulated by the Ombudsman for Wales (PSOW). If a complaint is received the Ombudsman will investigate taking account of all evidence and come to a decision. Many of these complaints are petty and probably best described as turf wars between local councillors. One Gwynedd councillor has a history of complaining about their political opponents come election times but the code of conduct is much more than this...
No public record of the code of conduct for officers of the council can be found. Obviously, managers will have access to disciplinary procedures against employees who do not meet the Gwynedd standards but what happens when the problem is 'the management'?
One Employment Tribunal found in favour of a disabled social worker in a dispute with her senior manager. Employment Judge T Vincent Ryan, found against Gwynedd council. The decision to dismiss the claimant in these circumstances was discrimination arising from disability.
This case is disturbing on many levels. During the legal process, it is reported the senior officer wanted the complainant to undertake a psychological assessment. Perhaps the hope was a colleague would find the social worker unfit for work due to a mental health issue..?
This action forced a more senior manager to step in calling the psychological assessment 'unusual and potentially inappropriate'. Gwynedd council have a history of undertaking fake assessments so this officer should be praised for her actions.
The Tribunal also commented that the senior officer 'gave his evidence in an unconvincing way which was not credible in the circumstances'. How can being called out by a Judge in a court of law not break the officer's code of conduct? Isn't this perjury?
The monitoring officer is well aware of the bad behaviour by the senior officers but instead of taking on the bad apples he appears to have washed his hands of them. The council's constitution has been recently changed so the MO is no longer responsible for the service. The 'responsible officer for SS complaints is now Ian Jones, the Head of Corporate Support. More on that change here - https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/mgAi.aspx?ID=20536
To sum up - fact checkers would say that the monitoring officer's claim is accurate. One senior manager may say 'as long as you're not dumb enough to actually try it.'
Cyngor Gwynedd Communities Scrutiny Committee met on Thursday, 13th July 2023. Yet another meeting beset with 'technical issues' and translation problems.
The leader of the council, Dyfrig Siencyn, was to present the Annual Report of the Gwynedd and Anglesey Public Services Board 2022-23 - https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/s38421/Annual%20Report%20of%20the%20Gwynedd%20and%20Anglesey%20Public%20Services%20Board%202022-23.pdf
The report lacks detail of the Board's work and committee members would have had many questions for the council leader. Mr Siencyn instead sent his apologies and did not attend the meeting.
Concerns were raised that the documents of the board's meetings were absent from it's own wesbsite and committee members asked how there could be proper scrutiny without them. An officer blamed admin for the site not being updated...
After a break to sort out more technical issues, a motion was raised that the meeting should be stopped. The motion was voted down and so 'scrutiny' continued...
There was discussion on the board's climate change subgroup and questions were asked to the meaning of net zero. One councillor reminded the meeting that CO2 is food for plants...
Questions were asked of the electric buses that should have been running since February. It was reported that Gwynedd council have three such buses but they can not be used. The officer blamed Scottish Power for the lack of infrastructure. Range anxiety was also mentioned.
The Welsh Government may have handed over four electric buses to the council - but technical difficulties made following the conversation difficult. Gwynedd council have since uploaded both the english and Welsh translations but there is a discrepancy with one being shorter in length - https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/792005
Concerns were raised that bus services were already failing residents in outlying villages. It was revealed that due to 'issues' there will be even less buses running after 6pm. Will those issues be with the young people who had their youth clubs closed by Gwynedd council?
One councillor compared the plans to a 'slow motion car crash whilst laughing along the way...' The reports were still accepted by the committee.
In other news, the council's bin collections are still a cause for concern. Also the funding from Welsh Government for public transport during the pandemic will no longer be available from early next year.
Cyngor Gwynedd held a full council meeting on the 6th July, 2023. The chair welcomed all and asked for everyone's full attention as the meeting was being webcast. Not all councillors got the message.
The Annual Report of the SS Statutory Director was presented. The report had not been corrected with regard to the work of the Youth Justice team and the recent imprisonment. Yet again, a generic report is published with incorrect data. The report was passed anyway.
The full agenda can be found here - https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=130&MId=4889
The former Chair of the Care Scrutiny Committee praised the work of scrutiny members and referenced a meeting he chaired that took the Wales Ambulance Service to task. But made no mention of the critical Ombudsman for Wales investigation(s) into the SS departments under the committee's watch. No mention either of the SS departments not being properly scrutinised for the past four years...
Some Councillors raised their own concerns with scrutiny practices and one compared it to a 'children's parliament.'
Gwynedd council's monitoring officer did state that there is a code of conduct for members and officers - any concerns with his role are to be raised with the CEO.
Link to the webcast - https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/789318
This page has now been removed from the Isle of Anglesey website... The statement of accounts explains Isle of Anglesey County Council’s
finances during the financial year and its financial position at the end
of that year.
Further information about the accounts and budgets of the council is
available from the Finance Service. You are welcome to send any comments
or questions to the Finance Service.
Delay in the preparation and publication of the draft accounts beyond 31 May 2023
Regulation 10(1) of the Accounts and Audit (Wales) Regulations 2014
(as amended) requires that the Responsible Financial Officer of the Isle
of Anglesey County Council sign and date the draft Statement of
Accounts of the Isle of Anglesey County Council and certify that it
presents a true and fair view of the financial position at the end of
the year to which it relates and of the council’s income and expenditure
for that year.
The Regulations require that this be completed by 31 May each year.
However, the regulations make provision for local authorities having
to delay preparing and publishing their annual financial accounts on the
basis that a notice is published on the relevant council’s website to
explain why the draft accounts have been delayed.
This notice is to inform Anglesey citizens and stakeholders that the
council’s Statement of Accounts for 2022 to 2023 will be delayed.
Welsh Government’s expectations for the revised timescales for the
preparation and publication of local authorities’ 2022 to 2023 Statement
of Accounts are shown on this page. Welsh Government has recognised
that 'following the pandemic and infrastructure assets (such as roads,
footpaths, street lighting and street furniture), audit issues raised
last year', there is an ongoing impact on local authority staff
resources and there may be additional work to finalise the accounts this
year.
Welsh Government's suggested timetable
Draft Statement of Accounts
Statutory deadline: 31 May 2023
Extended deadline: 31 July 2023
Audited Statement of Accounts
Statutory deadline: 31 July 2023
Extended deadline: 31 December 2023
The Responsible Financial Officer has not signed and certified the
draft accounts for the year ended 31 March 2023 by 31 May 2023.
This is due to the impact of the delayed completion and audit of the
Statement of Accounts 2021 to 2022, as highlighted by Welsh Government.
In addition, more complex and additional work has led to a further
delay, particularly in relation to increased agency arrangements, more
joint working with other local authorities, increased capital accounting
due to the progress of the sustainable communities for learning
projects, such as the new school Ysgol Corn Hir in Llangefni, and the
building of new council dwellings, as well as the purchase and
refurbishment of houses to further increase the number of council
houses.
The draft statement of accounts is also delayed awaiting CIPFA
guidance in relation to the council’s unusual pension asset position,
which also affects several other councils. The council will, therefore,
work within Welsh Government’s extended deadlines.
Marc Jones FCPFA Director of Function (Resources) / Section 151 Officer Isle of Anglesey County Council Council Offices Llangefni Anglesey LL77 7TW
https://www.anglesey.gov.wales/en/Council/Council-finances/Statement-of-Accounts.aspx This page has now been removed by Isle of Anglesey council...
In a meeting of cyngor Gwynedd's Language Committee held on Tuesday, 27th June, 2023 10.00 am, the Head of Children's SS, Marian Hughes, reports (from the translated feed) -
"...and then of course the other barrier we have as i have already mentioned is the provision of placements beyond Gwynedd and Wales for children and young people who have intensive needs need specialist placements in the same manner as well. We are also concerned about the language needs of young offenders who receive a custodial sentence. When I was writing up this report we didn't have any single person who needed a custodial sentence in Gwynedd for several years but unfortunately that has changed in the past week and we have one young person now who has received a custodial sentence for very serious offences and of course has been placed in prison in england. So the youth justice service and his social workers now ensure he has access to resources through the medium of Welsh and they'll work with the prison to ensure that happens. The prison where he's been placed or where he has been imprisoned is one that encourages the use and the use of welsh medium resources for prisoners from Wales who are Welsh with first language and of course need translations through the medium of Welsh. This matter has been included on our departmental risk register because of the fact we feel that young people from Gwynedd are placed under a disadvantage in terms of their choice and use of their first language in the prison..."
This was a hybrid meeting held over Zoom which Gwynedd council do not upload to their website. Minutes will be available, but as many Councillors are now discovering the minutes are not always accurate.
The Director of Gwynedd SS, Dilwyn Owen, would have known of this case but in his just published Annual Report states - Implementing the 2022/23 Youth Justice Plan... The rates of new offenders and reoffending rates are lower than regional and national comparisons and no young person from Gwynedd has been remanded since 2020. https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/s38361/Item%208%20-%20Appendix.pdf
He also states - Using our influence is important. The former director was the national and regional lead on More Than Just Words, which enabled substantial progress in the provision nation-wide. Another example is that we refused to welcome Youth Justice inspectors as they were unable to guarantee bilingual inspectors, and they agreed to delay their inspection until this was possible.
This report along with the annual complaint handling reports are to be scrutinised by the Care Scrutiny Committee later this year.This will be the first time the SS complaints handling reports have come before the Care Scrutiny Committee since the senior
complaints officer for the children and families department was called out for misleading the Committee in 2019.
This also means that all through the Covid pandemic no SS complaints report went through a scrutiny committee, instead going straight to Cabinet for 'scrutiny'. One of the jobs of the scrutiny committees is to hold cabinet members to account for their departments actions. In the past some Councillors even went to the press to complain of similar issues - Gwynedd councillors say they were ‘shut out’ of decision-making during lockdown https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/gwynedd-councillors-say-were-shut-18705757
The former director's incumbency was littered with maladministration, managers who marked their own homework and wrote reports in spite of the evidence. The data is useless and recommendations for improvement from regulators unfinished. Officers have misled councillors and even the Ombudsman for Wales - repeatedly.
Mr Owen also raises concerns that some recent risks have not been managed by the Mental Health Service and worries for the future - The Children’s Referrals Team received over 7,000 referrals this year
- an increase of around 2,500 since the pre-COVID-19 period. The Mental
Health Service saw a similar increase and I know that due to the
excellent work of our teams the risks was managed in the vast majority
of cases. We take pride in this work, whilst also knowing that
dealing with the increace in referrals is not sustainable, and I am
concerned about the pressures placed on our workforce.
Cyngor Gwynedd meetings last month included the Planning Committee - yet another meeting plagued by 'technical difficulties'. The vote for a new Chair had to be retaken as a councillor who was not part of the committee took part in the vote.
One application caused consternation for some councillors who wondered whether having shares in the Wynnstay group meant they could not vote. It was pointed out that the application was not from Wynnstay and that officers were recommending to refuse.
The councillors voted to go against the recommendation and accept the application... The agenda and webcast can be found here - https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=135&MId=4919
On the 24th May, the GwE joint committe met. The school improvement agency reported a budget overspend - https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=243&MId=4879
Has there been any action by the CEO to concerns raised by council auditors in 2020? A council officer also conceded that it could be seen as "odd" that GwE
amended many staff's official workplaces on the same day that Gwynedd's
stricter guidelines were introduced, adding that the authority's HR
department had attempted to challenge GwE on the decision. https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/eyebrows-raised-what-schools-agency-18716183
Then there was the Governance and Audit committee on the 25th May. The meeting elected a panel of three as a service improvement group to look into issues that the Audit flagged - some have been ongoing for years... Staff retention (exit interviews) The Liberty Protection Safeguards formerly Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards DOLS Smallholdings.
With regard to Gwynedd council's smallholdings, officers have already actioned - The Estates Manager has committed to implementing the following steps to mitigate the risks highlighted: Update the Smallholdings Management Policy to ensure consistency, encompassing e.g. responsibilities, procedure for letting the units, rent review, debt recovery and internal administration. Update the Service's records with current details of the holdings. Ensure that the tenants pay the correct rent. Review the arrears reports and assist the Finance department to recover them. More - https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/documents/s38031/OUTPUT%20OF%20THE%20INTERNAL%20AUDIT%20SECTION.pdf
But in 2018, the CEO, Dafydd Gibbard authored a report presented by Dafydd Meurig to the Communities Scrutiny Committee - The size of the estate extends to 2996 acres or 1213.53 hectares. The size of the holdings vary from 2.5 acres to 212 acres. The average size of a holding is 65 acres. 1.4 There are 2 holdings in the commercial category, 22 in the middle category, 15 in the start-up units and 5 holdings are grazing land only. Part of Penllyn Farm, Tywyn is on a business tenancy as a caravan site and the holding of Tŷ Nant, Dolgellau is currently let on a business tenancy as a café and bunkhouse...
The former senior property manager also mentions one of the reasons for retaining 'smallholdings' as - A bank of land ready for any challenges the Council may face in future including affordable homes, environmental plans, carbon trading etc. https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/documents/s19509/Gwynedd%20Councils%20Smallholdings%20Estate.pdf
Much of this land is in the Dwyfor Meirionnydd area. Councillors have cited the difficulty in purchasing suitable land as one of the barriers to building more affordable homes. It makes no sense that the council has not taken the opportunity to build much needed
council homes on this publicly owned land.
In other news, Gwynedd council have increased the amount in financial reserves to £130.6 million. Perversely all departments are reporting large overspends in their allocated budgets bar corporate support.
The dementia update by cyngor Gwynedd is grim - '...it is difficult to know exactly how many people are living with the condition. There arenational studies that estimate the proportion of the population of different age groups with the condition, and based on that it can be estimated that there are 2,049 individuals with dementia in Gwynedd, representing 1.67% of the population (122,864). Daffodil Cymru research predicts that the number of people over 65 in Gwynedd with dementia will increase from 2,018 in 2020 to 3,085 in 2040;a 35% increase in twenty years.
The 35% increase is incorrect and should read 52% - an apology was given. Whilst the figures are concerning the data is not specific to Gwynedd and its aged population.
The update also contains a table which highlights care homes offering specialist dementia support - https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/s37698/Support%20for%20Individuals%20with%20Dementia%20in%20Gwynedd.pdf
The number of these beds is recorded as 84 - but the report continues - 'Across six of our care homeswe will have 84 specialist dementia beds, which is 26% of the totalnumber ofbeds we have across thecounty. Please note that not all of these beds are in use yet. Understaffing has meant that we have been unable to open 9 specialist dementia beds in Bryn Blodau, Llan Ffestiniog. In addition, in relation to a total of 14 beds, the units at Hafod Mawddach and Plas Hedd are yet to be completed.'
So not 84 beds...Is 61 more accurate? Less? The crisis in Gwynedd social care services has been building for many years. The former Director of SS rang the alarm bell during her tenure even asking for ideas at one meeting.
So what is the reality for those with dementia and their families? The husband/wife will usually be the main caregiver and they will be exhausted. They will be dealing with medication, food and toileting. Some of their loved ones will be 'sundowning' - increased anxiety when darkness falls - and sleep patterns go out of the window. All this and no support...
There is no support for OAP's either. Frail elderly have been leaving hospital without a care package in place. No home help getting in/out of bed, no help with washing, dressing and meals. This domiciliary care has tradionally been used to keep the elderly and vulnerable safe in their own homes instead of a hospital or care setting.
The Gwynedd Adults Population Needs Assessment gives more information - https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/s37696/Appendix%201%20Gwynedd%20Adults%20Population%20Needs%20Assessment%202022-2027.pdf
This document also mentions direct payments and developing their use - The intention is to review our arrangements for Direct Payments and make it easier for people to access funding... We need to promote the use ofDirectPayments, simplify the process around it and develop arrangements that make it easier to establish DP arrangements in an emergency.
In a past meeting, one officer admitted to problems with the private company the council employ to process direct payments and people are not receiving the available funding. Why the council use a private company was not revealed - the council's webcasts are also contracted out...
The council believe that new technology and robots are the answer and inform of heavy investment in this area. One officer mentioned robots roaming the Gwynedd countryside - more like flying pigs...
Cyngor Gwynedd Care Scrutiny Committee met on the 20th April, 2023, to hear progress on the autism plan.
Councillor Gwynfor Owen asked the senior operational manager, Aled Gibbard, if the training of staff had taken place yet. The officer did not give a simple yes or no but rambled on about e-modules for staff (created by the National Autistic Team) and that over 300 people have viewed the video. So no - the Councillor retorted.
The senior operational manager appears to have forgotten the 'intense training' that senior officers put forward as evidence in an Ombudsman's investigation. The original recommendation agreed to was - 81 (f) Reviews its process on monitoring commissioned services for adults. (g)
Undertakes a review of its ASD procedures, specifically those for
adults and children with high functioning ASD, and ensure that the
requirements of the SSWA 2014, MHM 2010 and ASD SAP have been met. (h)
Undertakes an audit of its ASD trained officers, identifies any
shortfall and arranges appropriate training within the following 12
months.
When the Ombudsman followed up with the council to check compliance with its orders, the senior officers informed - Further to the request below for information, here’s the latest
information we have about the situation in terms of the ASD service.
There has been no specific review, but intense training has been
undertaken in the subject (and in the plans).I have prepared an answer
below. You are welcome to pass this forward, by also explaining that no
specific review has yet taken place.
"The staff delivering Learning Disability services are acutely aware of
the increasing need for timely and effective provision of high quality
services for people living with ASD. We have implemented an extensive
training and awareness programme as evidenced by the Training Unit. In
addition, we are proactive members of the North Wales Integrated Autism
Service (details attached). We have also begun work to establish a new
team within the Learning Disability service which will be taking a
preventative approach to service delivery, with effective ASD provision
being an integral part."
Even though this 'intensive training' was not autism specific the Ombudsman accepted this as a 'variance' and only then closed the investigation. A reminder that this case 201700388 was featured in the Ombudsman's hall of shame casebook - Equality and Human Rights 2019/20.
Cyngor Gwynedd had even posted details of this 'extensive training and awareness programme' on its website - but removed it soon after the Ombudsman received a critique of the officers 'evidence' after a Freedom of Information request revealed the disconnect with reality. Luckily for officers, the Ombudsman does not reopen cases - even after new evidence is provided.
Something is very wrong within Gwynedd council - the problem is the senior officers.
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 Leadhas 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 beingarranged. 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
The minutes presented to cyngor Gwynedd planning committee on the 20th March, 2023, were challenged by its own Councillors.
At the previous planning meeting, a recorded vote was asked for due to the controversial decision to refuse an application. The recorded vote was absent from the minutes. One Councillor was not recorded as attending the meeting when they had attended and another Councillor pointed out the lack of detail in the english translated minutes. The lack of information could effect any legal appeal if referring to the english version only.
The webcast can be found here - https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/760497
In other news, Councillor Louise Hughes recently spoke to the Daily Post with regard to the reporting of a council meeting that debated the Relationship and Education Curriculum and ended with police being called. Councillor Hughes challenged the narrative of a near riot and said that concerns for officer/member safety were 'over-egged.'
"As far as I’m concerned, there was no physical danger to the
councillors or to anyone. There was no violence or threats, certainly no
need to bring the police in. I've seen much rowdier meetings
when we discussed the closure of our small village schools. If we can’t
have robust or opposing debate during council meetings, then what is the
point of local democracy?" https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/concerns-over-safety-gwynedd-sex-26535355
The council's 'concerns for safety' are simply an excuse to dilute its duties under the new law - Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021. Scrutiny and public participation are not welcomed by senior officers of this council. Whilst Welsh government is trying to make councils more open cyngor Gwynedd appear as closed as ever...
All this coincides with the disappearance of the Employment Appeals Committee from the council's calendar. Is an appeal due...?
Will this have anything to do with the employees rumoured to have been suspended for nearly 10 years? As so much time has passed, the officers will be confident of no legal comeback due to time restraints on reporting. The investigation has been completed and the executive officers with reponsiblities at the time have recently left the council.
With all this going on behind closed doors it was no surprise to find that someone had made a complaint about Councillor Hughes. A meeting of Gwynedd Standards Committee will be held on the 18th, April, 2023. From the agenda - Following a complaint that CouncillorLouise Hugheshad breached the code of conduct for members ofGwyneddCouncil, the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales decided to conduct an investigation. The Ombudsman concluded that the matter should be referred to the Monitoring Officer for consideration by the Standards Committee. https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/s500008403/Cover%20Report.pdf
Cyngor Gwynedd Planning Committee met on Monday, 27th February 2023 at 1:00pm The webcast cab be found here - https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/751721
Councillors threw out a planning application against the advice of planning officers...
The application is for Tyn Lon Afonwen Pwllheli Gwynedd LL53 6TX to establish a touring caravan site (19 unit) with toilet block and associated works. https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/s37238/Tyn%20Ln%20Afonwen%20Pwllheli%20Gwynedd%20LL53%206TX.pdf
Objections included over development of sites in the area and that it
would be detrimental to the Welsh language. The question of over
development was batted away by officers reiterating that it was not a
site for static caravans and no evidence was presented of damage to the
language. Still, seven councillors voted to refuse...
Both the monitoring officer and the planning officer compared a similar application from last year (in an area of outstanding beauty) that committee passed against the direction of the planning department and consistency was asked for. The monitoring officer stated the application was fully in line with council policy and warned the decision to refuse could incur costs to the council if the applicant appealed....
The Ombudsman for Wales investigation(s) into cyngor Gwynedd social services has changed nothing but revealed much - the legal process to challenge a council's behaviour and its social care policies is broken...
The optics after years of dealing with these officers are that there is no such thing as an independent anything in Gwynedd. The investigators are employed by the SS senior complaints manager - who is also the senior safeguarding and quality officer. The two roles are not compatible and could be considered bad practice...
Some investigators are not as 'independent' as they should be - one is perceived as acting against one complainant and sabotaging her own investigation by not wishing to interview a witness and producing an unacceptable 'remit' for investigation. Shameful...
Social workers, tasked by their managers to fake assessments on disabled children. 'We are here to help''' They are most definitely not...
It is not just the ignorance of law and policies and procedures that has been revealed. It is the culture of cover up and pushback when challenged. Council officers have presented evidence to official investigations that is false and misleading, complainants have been smeared and the councillors lied to.
Then there are the official reports written by the officers in the course of their duties...
Concerns to the integrity of these reports and the issue of data manipulation have been raised but shut down by the same officers who write the reports. One wonders if they were still presented to the Sir Hugh Morgan review as accurate? Then again it is the only data they have...
The Ombudsman wrote to express its own frustrations with officers (more than once) and bemoaned that its recommendations are not legally binding merely a 'gentleman's agreement'. So they lied to you, too...?
The same regulator who has literally had a front row seat into the disingenuous nature of these officers - over many years - seemed genuinly upset when officers yanked its chain, too. The PSOW was warned...
A CEO renaging on agreements after long and costly investigations is contemptible... Why the Ombudsman did not instigate further action after the behaviour of the senior officers is not clearly understood as this could amount to risk to the council and a matter for the council's insurers.
When one department can persuade another department's manager to investigate an issue (that had already been been investigated and upheld) and produce a report in spite of the evidence the problem is systemic...
Whilst evidence of this did not make the Ombudsman's 'remit' to investigate, the Ombudsman was clearly unimpressed with the SS department's complaint officers and ordered retraining in their statutory duties.
So the same people responsible for the culture are now tasked with changing the culture. How's that going...?
Accepting the Ombudsman for Wales offer of a third investigation into cyngor Gwynedd was a mistake.
Yet again, the 'remit' for investigation was a bone of contention. So much evidence of continued bad behaviour by officers was not to be investigated, nor action taken over non compliance as the Ombudsman had signed this off as completed - when it was not. Farcical.
A reminder that the child's diagnosis of autism was repeatedly ignored
by Gwynedd's Derwen manager and was not allowed to be taken into
account by social workers in either care assessment. Social workers said that they had
not accessed and read the the child's files and were not interested in the family history, preferring they said to 'take it from here'. The second care assessment carried out on the orders of the Ombudsman appeared to morph into a safeguarding issue of a neurotypical child
and an exercise in parent bashing...
The Ombudsman appeared not to take full regard of the child's diagnosis
of autism either and when challenged by the family who cited another case
for comparison, the Ombudsman warned that cases should not be compared.
Of course not, but the fact remains one child's diagnosis appeared to be
treated differently from another.
Reading through past investigation reports and FOI's to both organisations reveal council officers who apologise, sometimes even sincerely, and then ignore agreements made. The Ombudsman's acceptance of variances to its recommendations without complainants knowledge is also insulting after such lengthy and costly investigations.
The Ombudsman then submitted its preferred 'remit' to cyngor Gwynedd without the complainant's approval or knowledge. The complainants were not happy and a 'pause' to the complaint was asked of the Ombudsman while a Subject Access Request was submitted to its information office seeking its correspondence with the council. The Ombudsman agreed to the delay...
A SAR had also been submitted to cyngor Gwynedd and whilst the council's Information office had dealt fairly with previous requests, it now produced pages of censored content...
Part of an email thread does show officers discussing waylaying the child at their place of education - without parents knowledge. Would this be an attempt to get the child to agree to something so the third investigation could be
halted? The same council officers who have a history of fake assessments, interference in investigations, bullying staff and writing reports in spite of the evidence and an autistic child with complex issues. How desperate were senior officers to even contemplate this...?
A reminder that Gwynedd SS department had been investigated previously by the Ombudsman and hauled over the coals for similar tactics in the case of an autistic man in residential care who had their services removed. The case involved officers speaking with the man alone without family members or support. Using a person's disability against them...?
As usual, the SS department apologised for their behaviour but recommendations from this case were also not complied with though the Ombudsman has signed this off as completed albeit with another variance. Extra training in ASD for staff was accepted by the Ombudsmaninstead of the required review of services. There is no public record of this training or how many attended...
The Ombudsman's Information office did comply with part of the SAR but did not release documentation between themselves and the council adding further doubt to the impartiality of the Ombudsman.
Cyngor Gwynedd. who had released dialogue between the Ombudsman in a previous case now refused. An internal review was requested where the reviewing officer claimed that the Ombudsman had discussion with the council to not disclose information in this case. For obvious reasons, the officer was not believed and challenged to provide the evidence. The letter from the Ombudsman to the council was released to the family...
The Ombudsman is independent, impartial and fair - it says that on its website, nor does it advise either party.
When challenged, the Ombudsman explained that the correspondence was not 'advice' but merely their response to a council's query. The response was very detailed and information passed between the two organisations in how the council deal with the SAR, for 'transparency' and 'consistency' as the Ombudsman advised. A reminder that the Ombudsman was not the data controller in this instance...
During this time, the Ombudsman had become impatient and demanded a decision be made to accept the 'remit' or the complaint would be closed. The 'remit' was not accepted by the complainants and the Ombudsman closed the case.
Something is very wrong with the complaints process in Wales...
