Cyngor Gwynedd have finally published their -
Scrutiny Investigation Report into Safeguarding Arrangements in Schools
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/documents/s50904/Safeguarding%20Arrangements%20in%20Schools%20Scrutiny%20Investigation%20Report-.pdf
A reminder that this investigation was initiated by the Education and Economy Scrutiny committee in early 2025, yet makes no mention of the committee's own failings and missed opportunities to stop Neil Foden.
Wasn't Dewi Jones, the cabinet member for Education, originally part of the investigation?
Did he excuse himself..?
This report was intended to be published in 2025, but had to be delayed because the investigating team had not included the voice of the child...
The children's voice...
It is of high concern that the council did not utilise the recognised 'provider' due to the provider having fears that the council's 'remit' did not go far enough.
Ignoring the concerns of the independent provider, cyngor Gwynedd chose instead to appoint Dr Ceryl Teleri Davies, a former senior officer within the council's SS department - on the initial remit that others had considered insufficient.
Only 57 pupils were engaged...
Her 'Pupil Voice Report' can be found in appendix 7 here -
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/s50889/Appendices.pdf
The schools chosen by the council for the sample were -
Davies includes four bite sized quotes from the children...
Why Ysgol Friars, and Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle (the main schools where Foden was found abusing) were not included is not known...
The most vulnerable children...
Ysgol Pendalar in Caernarfon is a special school yet Davies does not give any detail of how these children were engaged with. There is no information to what measures are in place for ALN/disabled or how they are kept safe from predators and abuse...
What of the 21% of children in mainstream schools with ALN?
From reading the report there is no mention of how these pupils are engaged with in an appropriate manner and how their understanding is checked. How are pupils with speech and language and other communication issues supported in all of this?
Protect the higher pay-grades...
A reminder that everyone knew Neil Foden was an abusive bully...
Safeguarding arrangements did not fail - the toxic culture within schools and the council protected him from censure.
The Ffordd Gwynedd way...
The Safeguarding Arrangements report is not comprehensive and like many of the documents written by cyngor Gwynedd appears to be yet another exercise in tick boxing and marking the officers homework...
The report is to be presented to the Education and Economy Scrutiny committee on the 14th, July, 2026. The webcast of the meeting will be found here -
https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/1109262
Something is very wrong within Gwynedd council - and its schools...
In April, 2019, after a whistleblower raised concerns re Neil Foden, the head of children and families SS sent an email to Gwynedd's LADO requesting a meeting -
'Mater Diogelu Brys- Cyfrinachol’ (Urgent Safeguarding matter – Confidential)
But with a senior officer of cyngor Gwynedd's legal team present, the safeguarding meeting became one of a 'professional issue' only.
Who made the decision to ignore the safety of children - and why?
Is the answer to be found in the Canolfan Brynffynnon affair?
In 2016, the trial of two staff members at the pupil referral unit (PRU) in Felinheli, was halted after the CPS received new information...
In September, 2016, councillors of the services scrutiny committee did mention Brynffynnon when discussing the report -
GWYNEDD COUNCIL PERFORMANCE OVERVIEW 2015-16 -
CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE AND CARE
Cabinet Members: Cllrs. Mair Rowlands, Gareth Roberts, Gareth Thomas
The agenda pack for that meeting can be found here -
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/documents/g1706/Public%20reports%20pack%2027th-Sep-2016%2010.00%20Services%20Scrutiny%20Committee.pdf?T=10
A wall of silence...
No statement has been made by cyngor Gwynedd in a case that led to three staff members being suspended on full pay for approx 9 years.
The council did not answer a FOI request on the length of suspensions and the monitoring officer ignored the request for an internal review.
The council also paid NWP £800,000 after the collapse of the trial...
Sshhh...
Why has no councillor called for an investigation..?
It is believed Marian Parry Hughes and Dafydd Paul were the senior officers at this time.
Who interviewed the children?
Who gathered their evidence? Who else would have known?
Dilwyn Williams, who was then ceo of cyngor Gwynedd?
The director of SS at that time, Morwena Edwards?
Dyfed Edwards, who was the then leader of the council - and is now chair of BCUHB?
The monitoring officer?
In 2022, a final investigation report into Canolfan Brynffynnon, was received by the council.
Shortly after, Morwena Edwards, left her position.
The previous year, notable departures from the council included the ceo, along with the head of finance and a senior officer from the legal department.
Once bitten twice shy...
Were mistakes made in the handling of the Brynffynnon case possibly instrumental in officers failing to take action in regard to Neil Foden?
Evidence appears to have been an issue in both cases in one way or another - that, and the assessment of risk and thresholds.
Paul was also senior complaints officer for the children's SS when officers raised a complaint on behalf of a resident - without the resident's knowledge - so the council could 'investigate' a data breach that had already been investigated and upheld by an independent investigator.
This led to the manager of the Gwynedd information team producing a report that then vindicated the children's department. It was only after a second meeting with the manager that her report acknowledged the data breach of children's information. It took Parry three attempts before she finally took note of the evidence...
Both Hughes and Paul have been 'absent from work' for the last year after the council received a report by the barrister, Genevieve Woods, who investigated their roles in the Neil Foden case. (This report has still not been published)
It is well known that abuse continues when a system rewards silence and cover up...
In other news -
Essie Ahari, former chair of governors at Ysgol Friars, has retired from north Wales police.
Cyngor Gwynedd are to appoint a new interim head of the children's SS.
The position advertised internally was needed as -
'...a responsible and accountable Head was needed to lead; with the appointment of an interim Head, this
would allow for other vacancies within the Department to be filled retrospectively and the establishment of a robust structure for the service''
This would have been ratified at the chief officers appointment committee on March, 25th.
Cyngor Gwynedd have not yet announced their decision.
Only one application was received.
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/g5693/Public%20reports%20pack%2025th-Mar-2026%2010.00%20Chief%20Officers%20Appointments%20Committee.pdf?T=10
Legislation and Law not updated in 16 years...
Cyngor Gwynedd's Private Rented Sector Housing Enforcement Policy is to be updated as it was revealed that the original policy created in 2010 is still in use - despite much new legislation coming into force over the last 16 years including for HMO's...
Neil Foden, the paedophile headteacher, who was in charge of Ysgol Friars, Bangor and Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle in Penygroes was arrested in September, 2023 and jailed in 2024.
Many people in Gwynedd, including some councillors are of the belief that Foden was a one off. Abuse of children, especially of those in care in north Wales has been going on for decades.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/FY1QjMDlMCc
The North Wales Child Abuse scandal...
Where children were abused in 'care' homes across Gwynedd, Clywd and Wrexham.
Gwynedd council sacked a social worker who blew the whistle on the abuse.
This led to the Waterhouse inquiry and the Lost In Care Report, published in 2000.
The Lost In Care report was reviewed in 2010 -
'Lost in Care abuse report recommendations reviewed'
Sir Ronald will speak with health and social work professionals about the lessons learned and analyse whether local authorities across Wales are now developing and implementing effective care plans for looked-after children.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-11884852
In 2012, the scandal was raised by the government in Westminster -
Theresa May, then Home Secretary, gave a statement -
The recommendation was that there should not be a public inquiry but an examination of the work of private care homes and the social service departments in Gwynedd and Clwyd Councils.
This work revealed not only shortcomings in the protection of vulnerable children, but that the shortcomings had persisted even after the police investigation and subsequent prosecutions.https://www.gov.uk/government/news/historic-allegations-of-child-abuse-in-north-wales-home-secretarys-statement
Carwyn Jones, then First Minister for Wales, also gave a statement -
It made extensive recommendations for improving child protection, many of which were subsequently implemented by the Welsh Government. The Prime Minister has announced an inquiry to examine the extent to which the Waterhouse Report did what it was supposed to do.
https://www.gov.wales/written-statement-north-wales-child-abuse-allegations
Not forgetting OperationPallial -
In November 2012, Operation Pallial was set up to examine specific allegations of past child abuse in north Wales. This report looks at the early processes established by OperationPallial, including communications work, support for survivors, transition and the implications on children in present care settings in Wales -
https://www.childcomwales.org.uk/2015/01/learning-the-lessons-operation-pallial/
Then there was the Macur Review laid before Parliament in 2016, with Plaid MP, Liz Saville Roberts leading the discussion -
https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-2016-0070/
'Lessons not learnt' from report into sex abuse teacher.
The Welsh government said: "The recommendations from the Clywch report were implemented, and consistent national policies and procedures to safeguard children were introduced.
"The Our Bravery Brought Justice review found that despite there being clear processes in place, including those implemented following Clywch, there was a failure to apply them properly."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce3kexe2eeko
The Clywch report, from 2004, involved teacher, John Owen, who sexually abused pupils at Ysgol Gyfun Rhydfelen, near Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf.
But how is it that so many senior people in Gwynedd failed to follow procedures?
Worse still - many simply ignored concerns raised...
What of the two police officers, Essie Ahari and Keith Horton, then chair and vice chair of the school governors at Ysgol Friars?
What of the senior officer within Gwynedd's legal department who sat in on the safeguarding meeting re Neil Foden in 2019?
Sexual harassment in schools...
Delyth Lloyd Griffiths, was the senior safeguarding officer within the Education department before becoming a councillor in 2022.
Griffiths is named as the relevant officer in a report entitled 'Sexual harassment in schools' discussed at the Education/Economy scrutiny committee on the 8th, February, 2022. This report was in response to an Estyn report dated 2021 - 'We do not tell our teachers'
The report can be found in the agenda pack for the meeting here -
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/documents/g4378/Public%20reports%20pack%2008th-Feb-2022%2013.30%20Education%20and%20Economy%20Scrutiny%20Committee.pdf?T=10
Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle...
This committee also failed the children by not taking action against Foden when the video of him appearing to grab a pupil by the scruff of the neck appeared online. The matter was raised at the meeting and answers were promised for the next scrutiny committee.
The next meeting scheduled for the 31, March, 2022 was cancelled.
Sshh...
The council elections in May, 2022, meant a new scrutiny committee was formed.
Five members sat on both the old and the new committees - they are Olaf Cai Larsen, Beth Lawton, Dewi Owen, Paul Rowlinson and Colette Owen (co-optee)
It is believed that the alleged assault by Foden was never mentioned again...
Since Foden's arrest in 2023, cyngor Gwynedd have suspended 3 members of school staff from Friars.
Two other staff at different schools have also been suspended.
No further details have been released by the council or NWP.
Extended Child Practice Review...
Were all of the abused children receiving 'care' from the council ?
Were any in foster care?
The head and assistant head of the children's SS are still 'absent from work'.
A Statutory Public Inquiry...
Dafydd Gibbard, ceo of the council, told a meeting in February, that a reply to the requst for a public inquiry has been received from Welsh government but he has not yet shared the response...
Without accountability, the abuse will continue...
Something is very wrong within Gwynedd council...
Cyngor Gwynedd council are advertising for a new head of the children's SS department.
The job is paying £84,480 - £93,163 a year, which is a lot less than the £104,15, the former head, Marian Parry Hughes was 'earning' last year.
The highest-paid council employees in Gwynedd and Anglesey
https://www.northwaleschronicle.co.uk/news/25065053.highest-paid-council-employees-gwynedd-anglesey/
Hughes failed to act when concerns were raised against Neil Foden in 2019.
The former headteacher of Ysgol Friars, in Bangor was finally arrested for sexually abusing children in September 2023.
Hughes leadership has been dogged with controversy since the farce of Canolfan Brynffynnon. Then there was the Ombudsman for Wales report highlighting the department's ignorance of law, policy and procedures. The PSOW recommendations for improvement were not acted upon...
Untrained social workers/senior officers...
Dilwyn Morgan, the former cabinet member for children, did raise concerns about a lack of training within the department in 2021 - 'it would frighten you how few members of staff undertake these training.'
What action did Morgan, now cabinet member for adults take..?
No outsiders allowed..?
Cyngor Gwynedd are advertising the position internally, 'for a period of 6 months, with the possibility of an extension of up to 12 months...'
Does this mean that one of the interim heads of the department, Aled Gibbard or Sharron Williams Carter, is next in line to take the reins?
What next for Gwynedd's assistant head - safeguarding and quality also what next for the senior officer within the legal team?
Both knew about Foden in 2019.
Something is still very wrong within Gwynedd council...
Five years ago, Audit Wales flagged the culture within cyngor Gwynedd as 'destructive'.
At the recent extraordinary meeting of the full council, councillors Nia Jeffreys and Olaf Cai Larsen spoke of staff feeling safe to challenge.
Irony indeed - speaking to a full council meeting where councillors had been 'advised' not to challenge...
The webcast of the meeting can be found here -
https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/1063308
Larsen, the chair of the Plaid Cymru constituency party and Jeffreys may have missed the council's recent audit on whistleblowing. Staff do not feel safe...
It is not just staff...
People who do raise concerns have been smeared by senior officers and ignored by councillors.
Actions not words...
Safeguarding, scrutiny and culture are now buzzwords for council officers/members since Neil Foden's arrest in 2023.
The reality is somewhat different...
On April 11th, 2024, the children's department finally released their annual complaints handling report from 2022/23 to the care scrutiny committee.
Standards...
It was the first time the SS annual complaints reports had come before a scrutiny committee since 2019, after which a complaint was made against a senior officer for misleading the committee. The same officer had refused to answer questions of the care scrutiny committee at a previous meeting.
The report can be found in the agenda pack here -
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/g4975/Public%20reports%20pack%2011th-Apr-2024%2010.30%20Care%20Scrutiny%20Committee.pdf?T=10
Page 36 mentions a historic complaint –
The Senior Manager discussed fully with the Senior Complaints Officer as ten years had passed. The social worker did not work here anymore, therefore we would need to rely on records only to investigate the complaint...
Who is the senior manager?
It is believed that Dafydd Paul was the senior complaints officer at this time.
Did the legal department give advice to the officer's on the matter..?
The Ffordd Gwynedd way...
The PSOW can investigate historic complaints.
Treating the complaint in this way may have shut down the pathway to the Ombudsman for Wales.
There was another historic complaint on page 37 –
The cabinet member for children was silent on the historic complaints and not one councillor of the committee raised concerns. The report was voted through by the committee...
Shameful...
The presentation of the 2022/23 report for scrutiny had been long delayed.
The report - with the historic complaints of safeguarding failures - was finally released to the committee after Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) had completed its review of the council.
Would the CIW's report been different if they had known of the historic complaints of failure to listen and safeguard these two individuals ?
Playing catch up..?
5 months later, on the 26th, September, 2024, the SS departments presented their annual complaints handling reports for 2023/24 to the care scrutiny committee. The agenda pack for the meeting and the reports can be found here -
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/documents/g5188/Public%20reports%20pack%2026th-Sep-2024%2010.30%20Care%20Scrutiny%20Committee.pdf?T=10
The 2023/24 complaints report credits Marian Parry Hughes – Head of Children and Supporting Families Department and Aled Davies – Head of Adults, Health and Well-being Department as the authors.
During the meeting, Dafydd Paul, acting as the senior complaints officer and presenting the report gave the impression that he was the author of the children's report.
Darvo...
Paul, did not update the committee on the investigation that had taken place of the historic abuse from 2013/14 nor did any councillor ask...
Neil Foden used the same tactic of denial and blaming others...
The committee also scrutinised this complaint from the adult's learning disability team -
Dodgy..?
What was the 'relationship' between the support worker and the service user?
No proper explanation was given nor asked for by councillors.
Councillors passed the reports anyway...
3 months later, on the 17th, December, 2024, a cabinet meeting was held.
The 'Complaints and Service Improvement Report Quarter 1-2 2024/25' was presented.
The report can be found in the agenda pack here -
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/documents/g5260/Public%20reports%20pack%2017th-Dec-2024%2013.00%20The%20Cabinet.pdf?T=10
The contact officer for the report is Ian Jones, Head of Corporate Services.
For some reason, a complaint from the children's SS department was included.
Neither Jones nor Menna Trenholme, the cabinet member for children, explained why the report was being presented to the cabinet rather than the care scrutiny committee...
'difficult and tiresome complainants...?
So a complaint to the children's service was brought to the attention of the monitoring officer who had to remind the children and adult's SS customer care/complaint officers of the law when dealing with complaints...
Nolan Principles...The officer's are well aware of the law, procedures and guidelines.
It is a choice to ignore them and infringe on the rights of the residents of Gwynedd.
Jones, also included two complaints concerning the education department.
Again, these complaints were not presented to the education/economy scrutiny committee...
The complaints in question are on page 53 and 54 of Jones' report.
Three serious complaints - one a safeguarding issue - avoiding proper scrutiny.
Cabinet members should have challenged Jones' report.
Instead, cabinet members voted to accept the report without real discussion...
All this has taken place after Neil Foden's arrest...
Many councillors continue to turn a blind eye...
Trauma informed...
For many families, seeking advice and support from Gwynedd's SS departments is traumatic -
SYSTEMS GENERATED TRAUMA
How disabled children and their families are traumatised by dysfunctional public services when they ask for support -
https://cerebra.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Systems-Generated-Trauma-Report-web.pdf
The Cerebra report is authored by Professor Luke Clements and Dr Ana Laura Aiello.
They give insight to the damage caused to children and families by the very departments that were created to support them...
Culture...
Clements is a Professor of Law at Leeds University and has written an article on Gwynedd council -
‘Omg … will it never end’
https://www.lukeclements.co.uk/omg-will-it-never-end-2/
Grooming...?
Some councillors and senior officer's have mentioned they were also groomed by Foden.
This is disingenuous...
Cabinet members through to scrutiny committee members – most complicit in the toxic culture that has been allowed to continue to cover for incompetence and protect reputational damage - for years.
A public inquiry is needed.
Has the Children's Commissioner for Wales, Rocío Cifuentes, been approached?
When will the monitoring officer give an account of the 'advice' given by a senior officer within the legal department to the safeguarding meeting re Neil Foden in 2019?
Cyngor Gwynedd's care scrutiny committee meet on Thursday, 29th January, 2026. The agenda pack for the meeting can be found here -
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=394&MId=5671
The meeting will discuss the 'Keeping Families Together Strategy' co-authored by Sharron Williams Carter, the interim head of children's SS and Gwenan Medi Hughes, Sue Layton and Caren Brown.
A report from the Youth Justice Service, authored by Stephen Wood, will be presented.
Eighteen months ago, senior officers of the YJS were criticised by HM Inspectorate of Probation. The link to their report shows 'Page not found' but an archived version can be found here -
https://web.archive.org/web/20240312162338/https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprobation/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/08/An-inspection-of-youth-justice-services-in-Gwynedd-Ynys-Mon.pdf
An excerpt from the HMIP report –
Assessment work to identify and analyse risks to the child’s safety and wellbeing was much weaker. Practitioners, while generally accessing information well, did not use the information from other agencies regularly. We identified failures to appropriately consider or respond to exploitation concerns and suggest this is an area that requires additional training, understanding and focus by the service. Inspectors did not agree with almost half of the risk classifications made by case managers.
In June, 2024, the same time as the HMIP report, cyngor Gwynedd's cabinet met to discuss the 'Performance Report for Children and Supporting Families' presented by the former cabinet member for children, Elin Walker-Jones.
Main discussion points were the Small Group Homes scheme and the Autism Plan. The agenda pack can be found here -
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/g5221/Public%20reports%20pack%2011th-Jun-2024%2013.00%20The%20Cabinet.pdf?T=10
Aled Gibbard answered questions of the cabinet members.
Councillors asked what happens when these children reach the age of 18.
Gibbard replied that the council no longer have a responsibilty for these children.
In his latest report ,16+ Team (Leaving Care), the interim head of SS now states -
While the young person is under 18, they are treated as children in care.
When they turn eighteen they become Care Leavers and are the responsibility of the local authority until they are 25 years old.
If true, this change of policy and alignment with lawis to be welcomedbut exactly what support will be given to care leavers?
In recent meetings, the council has scrutinised safeguarding practices and repeatedly emphasised the importance of listening to the child’s voice. There have been assurances that this will be the number one priority through not only the SS departments, but all council departments
Is it not of concern then that the 16+ service report states -
5. Consultation
5.1 We have not consulted with service users for the purposes of this report.
It is not just the' voice of the child' that is missing...
But the child...
They can not all be refugees and even if they were - where are they?
Gibbard also relies on the Population Needs Assessment.
Some people remember the meeting of the care scrutiny committee on the 3rd February, 2022, which accepted the document.
Gwynedd's contribution to the North Wales Population Needs Assessment was ...incomplete.
Dafydd Meurig presented the document and concerns were raised that few people were responding with requests for information – surveys etc and that not all data was positive to the services...
The document along with the agenda pack for 2022 can be found here -
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/documents/g4539/Public%20reports%20pack%2003rd-Feb-2022%2010.30%20Care%20Scrutiny%20Committee.pdf?T=10
If officers were not blaming residents they were blaming covid.
The data is worthless but councillors thanked the officers for their honesty and voted to accept the document anyway. Of the councillors present -
Councillor Eryl Jones-Williams (Chair)
Councillor Angela Russell (Vice-chair)
Councillors: Menna Baines, Beca Brown, Anwen J. Davies, Alan Jones Evans, Richard Medwyn Hughes, Gareth Tudor Morris Jones, Linda Ann Jones, Olaf Cai Larsen, Linda Morgan, Beth Lawton and Dafydd Owen.
Only one voted against with another abstaining. The rest voted it through.
Something is very wrong within Gwynedd council...
