Gwynedd and Anglesey Public Services Board - 'a slow motion car crash whilst laughing along the way'

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.

Something is very wrong within Gwynedd council...

 

 

 

Cyngor Gwynedd - A 'Children's Parliament...'

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

Something is very wrong within Gwynedd council...

 

 

Anglesey Council - Delay in the preparation and publication of the draft accounts beyond 31 May 2023...

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...

Cyngor Gwynedd - Rinse And Repeat.

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.

 

Could Cyngor Gwynedd Owned Smallholdings Be Used For Housing?

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.
 
Something is very wrong within Gwynedd council...

Cyngor Gwynedd Council - Age Friendly...?

The dementia update by cyngor Gwynedd is grim -
'...it is difficult to know exactly how many people are living with the condition. There are national
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 homes we will have 84 specialist dementia beds, which is 26% of the total number of beds we have across the county. 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 of Direct Payments, 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...

 

 

 

 

 

Training Fact Check - Cyngor Gwynedd Council.

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.

 

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

Concerns For Safety - Cyngor Gwynedd (But Whose Safety?)

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 Councillor Louise Hughes had breached the code of conduct for members of Gwynedd Council, 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

Something is very wrong within cyngor Gwynedd...

 

 

Cyngor Gwynedd Monitoring Officer Calls For Consistency Re Planning Decisions.

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 Problem Is Systemic...PSOW - Cyngor Gwynedd Council.

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...?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PSOW 'Variances' To Recommendations Made And Remits For Investigations...

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 Ombudsman instead 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...

 

 

A Home Visit From The Ombudsman For Wales...

The aborted Stage 2 complaint emails between the 'independent investigator' and Cyngor Gwynedd's safeguarding and quality officer were passed to the Ombudsman for his information. They included input from the Monitoring Officer and also ahowed this 'investigator' sending correspondence to someone not involved in the complaints process...

Because of the unreasonable demands imposed by the council officer, the complaint did not proceed and was timed out by the council. After reading the emails, the Ombudsman returned with an offer of a complaint without enduring further officer bad behaviour. But trust in the Ombudsman was now on the wane.

Evidence of wrongdoing by senior officers - from an officer leaving the council during one investigation then rejoining once interviews were completed through behaviour by officers that many have thought abusive. There was the council's Information manager's data breach report - written in spite of the evidence, the creation of documents that should not exist and legal documents written not to inform but mislead. All not investigated...

Not forgetting, the Ombudsman was warned that the council's SS officers may treat the second assessment - and the family - with the same disingenuity as the first - and they did...

It was pointed out to the Ombudsman that Gwynedd council have not complied with other recommendations from past investigations and that if they had been called to account previously then further investigations would not have been needed. The Ombudsman did not respond to this point.

A FOI request was put in asking for the compliance correspondence between the Ombudsman and Gwynedd council regarding Case 201700388 and later in the family's own case. Whilst the Ombudsman's Information office released the correspondence for someone else's investigation showing the council admitting non compliance, the FOI for emails from the family's own case was refused. Even more evidence of non compliance...?

By now, the family's perception was that the Ombudsman appeared unwilling or unable to deal with the serious issues the evidence had revealed. Regardless, the offer of a third Ombudsman's investigation into the SS department's second assessment which should have already been investigated by the Ombudsman was accepted.

A home visit was arranged to discuss and take further evidence against Gwynedd council. Home visits from the Ombudsman are not usual...

Shortly after, the senior safeguarding officer used a Care Scrutiny Committee on the 14/11/19 to declare the Ombudsman had - 
"given them a further challenge, to make sure that someone goes to see the family, meet the family, ensure that they receive that assessment and that is something that we have now arranged with the adult services, to go into that situation on the Ombudsman's behalf, despite the fact that they have not expressed a wish to receive the service, our usual ethos involves intervention but only if the person invites us in and wishes for us to intervene in this way, the Ombudsman has judged this and wants us to go no matter what the wish of the individual may be, so that is now our response to that challenge provided by the Ombudsman."

The Ombudsman was contacted and denied the words of the officer...
But what of the language used to Councillors and the public - 'challenge' and 'intervention' and 'ethos' are such strong words to use when all that was required was a simple carer's assessment...

Gwynedd council had used the excuse that they did not understand the wording in one Ombudsman report. The recommendation that Executive officers and presumably the council's legal team had already agreed to but now clearly misunderstood was  -
“Provides Mr Y and his family with a comprehensive assessment of their needs and ensures that adequate measures are put in place to meet any identified needs."

Hardly a complex sentence. Bizarrely, the Ombudsman accepted this excuse and presumably another box was ticked instead of following policy and procedures which could have resulted in an Ombudsman's Special Report into continued non compliance.

The Ombudsman also introduced the word 'variance' into the dialogue and it appears that recommendations for improvement can be downgraded once an investigation has been completed in a deal done between the Ombudsman and the CEO behind closed doors - without the complainants knowledge...

All this while attempting to come to agreement with the 'remit' for the third investigation.

Having investigated several complaints into Gwynedd council during his incumbancy, the Ombudsman was well aware of the disingenuous nature of the senior officers and their treatment of the disabled. Gwynedd council even featured in the Ombudsman's hall of shame casebook which can be found here -
https://www.ombudsman.wales/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/104483-Equality-and-Human-Rights-Casebook_Eng_v03.pdf

The full Ombudsman's report for case 201700388 can be found here -
http://www.lukeclements.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Ombudsman-Gwynedd-Council-report-201700388.pdf