Cyngor Gwynedd Council - More Questions Re Compliance - Ombudsman.

The Ombudsman for Wales email of the 23rd, December, 2021, also mentions Derwen, Cyngor Gwynedd council's disabled children's service and states -

 
"The consultant’s review considered the role of Derwen (responsible for assessments of children) and of NEWIAS (with a remit for accessing adult diagnostic assessment) and the chart within the draft plan seen demonstrates how the agencies will work together.  The need in particular for a transitional social worker and additional training for relevant officers was identified and is to be implemented as well as establishing an Autism champion."

What draft plan? 

Gwynedd council and Derwen should have been working with agencies since 2008 and the introduction of the Autism SAP. How can they plan to work with agencies that they have been working with for the past 14 years?

With regard to an autism champion the Plaid Cymru Councillor for Glyder in Bangor, Elin Walker Jones, was the nominated autism champion from 2012 and was even nominated for an award in 2014 - she didn't win. What happened to her? 

The 'additional training' the Ombudsman mentions should have already taken place (details below)

 

It would be interesting to have sight of the evidence provided to Hugh Morgan's Review by Gwynedd senior management - and fact checked.

The SS departments these officers manage and their actions and behaviours have been heavily criticised in five Ombudsman investigations . Four of those investigations involved the bad treatment meted out to those on the autistic spectrum. their families and even complaint investigators. One investigation - not autism related - was because of a death in a local care home.

 

Have the Ombudsman's recommendations from that case been complied with? The council's last CEO, Dilwyn Williams, warned the adult SS department that the work was long overdue before he retired. Where is evidence of compliance? 

Hugh Morgan's review and recommendations that senior officers have accepted but also failed to implement can be found here -
https://gwyneddsfailingcouncil.blogspot.com/2021/04/finally-gwynedd-councils-autism-report.html

 

But why is Mr Morgan raising issues with the Derwen 'criteria'...?
The council were meant to have already updated their Derwen criteria to align with law from a previous investigation - the Ombudsman has signed this off as completed. It makes no sense....

Also this from an Ombudsman's investigation which the council accepted in 2018 -

What is the point of costly and time consuming reviews and investigations when nothing changes?

Something is very wrong within Gwynedd council...

 

Cyngor Gwynedd Council - When Is Compliance Compliance ?

On the 23rd, December, 2021 the Ombudsman for Wales wrote regarding Cyngor Gwynedd council's compliance - or rather non compliance - with recommendations from a 2019 investigation into the children's SS department.

"In relation to compliance I had also chased the Council in the interim for confirmation as to the outcome of the Cabinet meeting on 30 November (having not had any update). I received its response yesterday morning. I have also today been able to see the minutes of that Cabinet meeting on its website and confirmation that the plan was approved. Having considered the question of compliance, we are content that the Council has met this as a varied implementation from the strict wording of the recommendation as set out.

Think on that - the Ombudsman had to chase the council for confirmation and then checked the minutes of the meeting to confirm the council's confirmation..Lessons learnt?

But what is this 'varied implementation from the strict wording'?

 

On October 22, 2020, the Ombudsman shared his thoughts on what was expected of the council to meet compliance...- 

 

Mr Bennett went on -

 

The Transitional Social Worker has still not been employed.

 

Re the Derwen eligibilty criteria - Why does Hugh Morgan, OBE,  recommend a 'further (and immediate)' review? An Ombudsman's investigation from 2019 recommends - 

 

70. The Council should review its Derwen policy to ensure its criteria aligns with the Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act 2014 and the Equality Act 2010’s definition of ‘disability’, and ensure staff are informed about any changes (within three months).

 

The Ombudsman has signed this off as completed. So why is the consultant calling for a further review only one year later? By this time, there should be two reviews into Derwen - where are they?

Just before Christmas, the Derwen manager, Aled Gibbard, was asked to share the autism data collected with Councillors of the Care Scrutiny Committee. Apart from a vague 1 in 100 figure he produced no local data. Why not? Why not simply collate all the data from the agencies that have been working together since 2008.

 

Hugh Morgan's review makes mention of 'ring fenced' (and non ring fenced) monies for these services over the same period. By my estimation, there is £680,000 worth of data - where is it?

 

The 'plan to be launched by April, 2021' has still not been launched.

Anyway it is not a plan - it is simply a copy and paste presented by the contact officer, Aled Gibbard,  of Hugh Morgan's review and recommendations . The Equality Impact Assessment also undertaken by Mr Gibbard is mostly a copy and paste of Welsh Government's Code of Practice Equalty Impact Assessment. 

 

Regardless - the Ombudsman has signed it off...

Something is very wrong within Gwynedd council...has it infected the Ombudsman's office?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cyngor Gwynedd Council - 'it would frighten you how few members of staff undertake these trainings..'

Cyngor Gwynedd council's Care Scrutiny Committee meeting held on the 25th November, 2021 was interesting on so many levels....

All councillors on the committee bar two, were emailed calling out the Autism plan as a cut and paste of Hugh Morgan's, review summary and recommendations. Only one response was received and 6 councillors excused themselves on the day as not able to attend the virtual meeting. Gwynedd council's 'public' webcast does not include the start of the meeting where those apologies were given.
The webcast of the meeting can be found here -
https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/621168

Moving on, the Cabinet Member for Children and Families, Dilwyn Morgan, talks about the difficult times during the pandemic but sees the autism plan produced during these times with 'pride'. He also mentions the importance of listening to young people and their families...

The councillor appears to have forgotten that in 2018, he, along with the children's senior complaints manager, refused point blank to discuss an investigation into this case with the Care Scrutiny Committee. Has he also forgotten the email exchanges he had with a family who raised issues of bad behaviour by officers where he stated in relation to the first Ombudsman's investigation that the council has 'accepted and acted upon his recommendations' ?
This was not correct...

It is also a matter of concern that issues were raised with the Cabinet member regarding the accuracy of annual SS complaints handling reports written by the children's department. A SAR has revealed that the Cabinet Member did indeed discuss the matter - not with the council's democratic services as one may expect but with the senior complaints manager for children and families.  The conversation does mention that a corporate complaint could have been made, but the email exchange has been so heavily redacted by Gwynedd's Information Manager that the remainder of the conversation is unreadable.

Regardless, the Cabinet Member did not pass on that information...Sshh...

During the webcast, Dilwyn Morgan attempts to blame the system for the deficiencies highlighted by the various investigations and implies that he and the officer's will 'sort it out'.
The same people who ignored their responsibilities under the Autism SAP, the Equality Act 2010, the SSWB (Wales) Act 2014, NICE guidelines, code of ethics et al and ignored the SS complaints procedure (in order to squash complaints)...will now sort it out. Right oh...

Regarding the training of members and staff, the Cabinet member states - "it would frighten you how few members of staff undertake these trainings..."

Imagine what it is like for people on the receiving end of these untrained staff - from a Head of Services that does not know what the Equality Act,2010 is to a Gwynedd social worker who 'suggested' parents setting up an autistic child up to 'fail' re safeguarding  - "I can't help him otherwise..."

He also states that the situation is more difficult and far worse in other counties of Wales. Which counties are those, Mr Morgan and have you raised concerns ?

And where was the voice of the Cabinet Member for Adults, Dafydd Meurig ? Still sitting on an Ombudsman's report where an autistic young man was left to rot in bed when his commissioned hours were taken from him and the staff used elsewhere in the home to cover for its own staff shortages...

Something is so very wrong within Gwynedd council...

 

 

 

Cyngor Gwynedd Council's Autism Plan Is Simply A Copy And Paste Exercise...

The Ombudsman for Wales finally had his meeting with the present CEO of Cyngor Gwynedd council, Dafydd Gibbard, to discuss continuing non compliance with recommendations made in 2019 - that the past CEO had informed was complete 'bar a nuance'.

The nuance happens to be the Autism plan now heralded on the council's website as 'innovative'. It is anything but....

The 'plan' presented by the contact officer, Aled Gibbard, is simply a cut and paste of the review report summary and recommendations agreed to after the Hugh Morgan, OBE review of services in Gwynedd undertaken last year -
The plan can be found here -
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=32127

Aled Gibbard is also responsible for the 'equality impact assessment report' - tacked on to the already published council agenda. It, too, is a copy and paste - this time, of the Code of Practice for Autism -
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=32135

A plan is meant to inform and clarify - this does neither. Ditto the equality impact assessment report....

Senior officers gave evidence to Hugh Morgan and presumably assurances during his review of the evidence presented -
https://gwyneddsfailingcouncil.blogspot.com/2021/04/finally-gwynedd-councils-autism-report.html  

Hugh Morgan's thoughts on the council 'plan' would be interesting. The urgent recommendations from his review have still not been complied with.... 

Has Dafydd Gibbard been dodging the Ombudsman until the Derwen manager, Aled Gibbard, presented a 'plan' that they consider meets with compliance ?  By now we are guessing that Nick Bennett may have become so frustrated with the council that any piece of work masquerading as a plan will be accepted as compliance. Interesting times...

Senior officers may claim there are no financial resources but as Mr Morgan points out the money is already there. He makes mention of the ring fenced monies from 2008 until 2016 at £60,000 a year and then £40,000 (not ring fenced) from then on. By my calculations, Gwynedd council have received £680,000 of government money for support services that do not exist. Where has that money gone ?

And talking of money, Gwynedd council have once again increased the amount in 'reserves'.
This money can only have come from the council not spending on services and support.
Why is Wales Audit not raising concerns ?

Something is very wrong within Gwynedd council...

Cyngor Gwynedd Council - Handling Of FOI Requests Under The Law.

Browsing through Freedom of Information requests made to Cyngor Gwynedd council makes for some interesting reading...

In 2018/19, an FOI request with regard to the Education department titled 'Additional Learning Needs and Inclusion Service' brought about an interesting interchange which included -
Perhaps you would like to explain why it is that you have told me that 1507 children are currently on the register yet in response to the same question being asked less than a month later by another interested party they claim not only to have received the information before I did but that the information given to them was that there are in fact 2621 children on the ALN register.
The request for an Internal review appears to have been ignored.

More recent requests include - 'Council Expenditure or Payment to Suppliers from January to June 2021' with regard to Health and Social Care. Now this was first asked for in August but was not responded to correctly and the information officer has now stated the information will be made available on the 25th of November. We shall see....

Other requests include - 'FOI Request For Vacant Crofts In Gwynedd Council Area'. The Information officer replied that the council did not hold this information. The requester replied - 'I find it difficult to understand that the council down(sic) not have information on the small holdings or crofts it owns in its own council area. If the council does not know what it owns then who would know?'
The requester then asked for an Internal Review but the account is now suspended so presumably the review will not now be undertaken.

How many more FOI requests are not being treated according to law - and more importantly why ?

WhatDoTheyKnow helps you make a Freedom of Information request. It also publishes all requests online. The link to the website where you can browse all requests made through the website can be found here -
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/

 

 

Application For Indemnity Refused - Cyngor Gwynedd Council.

With regard to the article, dated 20th October, in which a councillor asked Cyngor Gwynedd council for indemnity under the council's policy. 

The Standards Committee published a decision notice on the 26th October declining the request - 

Having looked very carefully at the application, and considering Gwynedd Council's Indemnity Policy attached as Appendix 1 to the report submitted to the committee, the Chair should write to inform the member that the Standards Committee is not in a position to offer him indemnity in relation to legal representation at a hearing of the Standards Committee.
The case the councillor is defending deals entirely with his role as a Town Council Councillor. Any decision would impact on that role only, and would not have any affect on the councillor's role as a member of Gwynedd Council. 

 https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/documents/g4500/Decisions%2026th-Oct-2021%2010.00%20Standards%20Committee.pdf?T=2

Does this relate to the discarded file of various documents ? One of the councillors named has previously made a complaint against a fellow councillor which was upheld. 

That case involved a councillor who wrote in his blog that a local person “intended to retire soon...and stand for election to the council in a seat held by another councillor”.

The Appeals Tribunal, found these allegations to be “factually untrue and unfounded” and the councillor was then suspended from Gwynedd council for three months.

The local person then stood for council and was elected....
So what on earth is going on now....?

'Technical Difficulties...' Cyngor Gwynedd Council.

Two years have passed since Cyngor Gwynedd council agreed to implement the recommendations of an Ombudsman for Wales investigation yet the council remain in non compliance...

The last CEO of the council had told councillors that all recommendations had been met 'bar a nuance' - this was not correct.

The present CEO was meant to have had a meeting with the Ombudsman in which he was to provide the Ombudsman with an update and discuss issues around compliance. Unfortunately.... 'technical difficulties' meant the meeting had to be abandoned. Why the CEO could not update the Ombudsman by telephone or email remains unclear.

It has also been over two years since the Ombudsman for Wales sent two of his officers to North Wales to take a complaint in relation to non compliance with yet another Ombudsman's investigation.

                                 
The officer's explained they could not take this complaint as the Ombudsman's office had already signed off compliance without really understanding what was required of the council. The Ombudsman has apologised for the actions of the officer who signed it off.

The Ombudsman's investigator also refused to take a complaint against the social worker involved in the Stage 2 complaint investigation that senior managers of the council interfered with as the SW may have forgotten what happened....and may deny the charge..!!!

Instead, the Ombudsman wished to focus on the assessment undertaken by Gwynedd council in response to a recommendation from his previous investigation.

Concerns had been raised with the Ombudsman that the council would not treat the assessment fairly and we asked that an independent social worker be assigned. The request was refused and the council then tasked Sharon and Barry with conducting the assessment. It has come to light that Barry was not there for the assessment and one can only wonder why he was involved in the process.

The assessment carried out ended up an exercise in parent blaming...

Questions remain of who was actually in charge of the assessment. The assessor visited the parents to inform the assessment was complete before flying off to holiday in Florida the next day. Yet comments made after this have found their way into the file. Which manager in the SS department was responsible for the handling of this assessment ? A SAR (subject access request) was requested but Gwynedd council's information manager has heavily redacted the information to the extent it is unreadable. Sshh...

Something is very wrong within Gwynedd council...