#garem jackson

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Cyngor Gwynedd held a Governance and Audit Committee on Thursday, 6th February, 2025. Dafydd Meurig was in attendance after concerns were raised to his absences at the last meeting.

The January meeting heard mention that a balanced budget need not be set by councils and a 'zero based budget' could be used instead. This may work better for many councils and would give more insight in to how public money is used by departments within local government. 

No minutes were presented of the previous meeting on January 16th...

Reports presented to the meeting can be found in the agenda pack here -  https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/g5293/Public%20reports%20pack%2006th-Feb-2025%2010.00%20Governance%20and%20Audit%20Committee.pdf?T=10

Dewi Morgan, head of finance reported that £1,868k of underspend on corporate budgets was transferred to the council's financial strategy reserves. Nearly two million pounds not spent on services now in the bank. 

Savings and cuts were discussed... Gwynedd council report the increase in employer's National Insurance contributions will add £4.5 million to staff costs. The government aims to provide funding to cover the increased NI costs for council employees. 

There will also be a further increase in fees to the public for services provided as well as the increase in council tax.

An Internal Audit Plan by the Audit manager, Luned Fon Jones, was presented. She gives limited assurance in respect of schools transport, whistleblowing, homeless prevention grant and the housing support grant. 

The 'Out of County' placements are of particular concern in light of the comments made by the director of SS at the January meeting as to costs. 

A work improvement group (task and finish) was set up to look at the council owned smallholdings in 2023. Why this has not yet been completed is not known. Mention has been made, in a different council meeting, that costs of repairs to the smallholdings are to be paid for out of the council tax premium. Exit interviews do not appear on the list. Are staff now being asked their reasons when leaving the council's employment?

On page 138, Jones presents her audit on cyngor Gwynedd's Whistleblowing policy. She gives 'limited assurance' on the policy but on reading perhaps 'no assurance' would be more accurate...

Instead of an anonymous form, the council emailed just over 2,000 of its 6,000 employees.That only 817 responded is concerning but not a surprise. Jones gives no information to which departments these people work in...

More concerning is that 81 staff (who responded) would NOT blow the whistle on something that is - 'unlawful, fraudulent or corrupt' nor the - 'sexual, physical or emotional abuse of clients' 

Some staff gave their reasons for not whistleblowing - 

Their fears may well be justified...

Garem Jackson, the former head of education, 'outed' the teacher who whistleblew on Neil Foden in 2019. The council's safeguarding officer who advised Jackson to simply have a word with Foden about his behaviour has still not been named by the council and is presumably still in post. The staff responses show a toxic culture of fear and mistrust of senior managers.

Dafydd Gibbard, Geraint Owen and the former leader of the council, have all raised concerns with the culture that exists and the need for change... From March, 2023 - ...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... https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/documents/g4839/Public%20reports%20pack%2007th-Mar-2023%2013.00%20The%20Cabinet.pdf?T=10

Yet it is executive officers that are responsible for a council's culture and behaviours. Cabinet members and councillors of scrutiny committees turning a blind eye has only embedded the culture. Something is so very wrong within Gwynedd council...

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Why wasn't Neil Foden stopped...? Cyngor Gwynedd council

Earlier this year, Gwynedd council's children and family department reported that complaints of a historic nature had been received dating back to 2013. No action was taken by social workers of the Arfon team. When the report was presented to the Care Scrutiny Committee not one councillor commented or even asked about their welfare. Shameful...

Controversy has plagued Gwynedd council ever since its creation in 1996 after the North Wales abuse scandal. Concerns about its councillors have been raised in Parliament, too. More recently, the Ombudsman for Wales has found them guilty of maladministration - on several occasions.

In 2014, the safeguarding team along with officers from the education department and North Wales police began an investigation into a complaint of alleged cruelty against children at Canolfan Brynffynnon in Y Felinheli. The pupil referral unit (PRU) catered for children with behavourial issues and others who did not cope well in mainstream schools including those with disabilities. Two members of staff were arrested and suspended by the council.

It is believed that a few weeks later, a third member of staff was suspended after a separate incident was reported. It is claimed this staff member was interviewed by police who decided there was no case to answer.  

The initial allegation of cruelty has always been disputed and the case was dropped in 2016 after the Criminal Prosecution Service received new information from the police. This 'new information' has never been made public. 

This case is troubling on many levels. There has been speculation asking if the investigating officers followed law and official procedures when interviewing the children? Or did the investigation begin from a malicious allegation and then evidence gathered to support the initial complaint? Wasn't Liz Saville Roberts, now MP for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, the Cabinet member for Education at this time? Perhaps she could throw some light on this case and put an end to the speculation?

Over £800,000 was paid to NWP by the council and then there is the cost of those suspended on full pay, plus the cost to the council conducting their own investigation(s) into the matter. A reminder that Gwynedd council have a history of interference in investigations and writing reports in spite of the evidence. 

Did the actions of the safeguarding team in 2014 make them reluctant to take on Neil Foden?  Or, as some have suggested, was he protected because of his paygrade?

The Foden case is a can of worms for senior officers within safeguarding, education and NWP. It is no surprise that senior officers wish for a review of safeguarding only - which will be so limited that it will be worthless.

Six months before Foden's arrest, Geraint Owen, executive of the council and councillor Dyfrig Siencyn, leader of the council presented the Ffordd Gwynedd Plan to the Cabinet. It talked of a change of culture and mindset within the council - …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… Also - 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. 

The executive officers and many senior officers have worked for the council for 20 years plus. Are they responsible for the culture and mindset? To outsiders, the culture and mindset could be read as nepotism, bullying and collusion in cover up of bad decision making and even worse behaviours.

Then there is the Education Workplace Council investigation which found Foden guilty of unacceptable professional conduct. This alone should have been the end of him. What action, if any, was taken by the council and school governors at Ysgol Friars?

In early, 2022, a video was released online showing Foden appearing to grab a pupil by the scruff of the neck at Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle, in Penygroes. What action, if any, was taken by the council and school governors at Dyffryn Nantlle?

This video was discussed by the Education and Economy Committee but no action appeared to have been taken by the then head of education, Garem Jackson,, nor the former Cabinet member for Education, Cemlyn Williams, at that time. It is believed that Elin Walker Jones, now Cabinet member for children was a member of this committee. Her knowledge of what the council knew of Neil Foden and the discussions that took place would be invaluable.

Something is so very, very wrong within Gwynedd council...

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Neil Foden The abuse of children in Gwynedd has been going on for decades...

In 2012, Theresa May, then Home Secretary, gave a statement to the House of Commons with regard to historic allegations of child abuse in the region. Excerpts include - In 1995, the then Secretary of States for Wales, my Rt Hon Friend the Member for Wokingham, appointed a QC to examine all the relevant documents and recommend whether there should be a public inquiry.  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

The recommendation not to hold a statutory public inquiry was a mistake. 'Examinations' and reviews of those responsible for the failings are heavily reliant on the evidence of those responsible for the failings and therein lies the problem. The former Prime Minister continued - The Waterhouse Inquiry sat for 203 days and heard evidence from more than 650 people.  Statements made to the Inquiry named more than eighty people as child abusers, many of whom were care workers or teachers.  In 2000, the Inquiry’s report, ‘Lost in Care’, made 72 recommendations for changes to the way in which children in care were protected by councils, social services and the police.  And following the report’s publication, 140 compensation claims were settled on behalf of the victims. Theresa May's full statement can be found here - https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/historic-allegations-of-child-abuse-in-north-wales-home-secretarys-statement-to-the-house-of-commons

According to a SS complaints handling report published earlier this year by Marian Parry Hughes, two children raised concerns with social workers from the Arfon team, in 2013. One historic complaint concerned a social worker who did not take action to keep her safe. Safe from whom? Hughes gives even less information of the second historic complaint and claims the young person mentioned 'compensation' thus shutting down any investigation.

Since May's statement in 2012, many problems within schools in Gwynedd have been reported...

Teenage boy rapes female classmate shortly after sex education lesson - https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/teenage-boy-rapes-female-classmate-shortly-after-sex-education-lesson-9880277.html Gwynedd schoolgirl, 14, left 'petrified' by bullies 'threatening to kill her', she claims - https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/gwynedd-schoolgirl-14-left-petrified-25241053

Pervert Gwynedd teacher brothers leave their jobs after downloading child porn - https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/pervert-gwynedd-teacher-brothers-leave-11587972

There are other examples... It can be presumed that not all incidents are reported by the press...

Then there was the findings of the Everyone's Invited website - set up for children to report sexual harassment from other pupils in schools. Neil Foden, himself, commented on the findings - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-58721707

In response to these findings, Gwynedd Education and Economy committee discussed a report on the 8th, February,2022, from Delyth Lloyd Griffiths, Senior Officer for Safeguarding Children - The report responds to information that became apparent in 2021 when information on pupil sexual harassment was seen on the “Everybody’s Invited” website. The report can be found here - https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/documents/s32890/Item%206b%20-%20Sexual%20harassment%20in%20schools.pdf

The Cabinet Member for Education was then Cemlyn Rees Williams. It was at this time, that a video had emerged of Neil Foden, grabbing a pupil by the scruff of the neck. The Education and Economy committee knew of this video but failed to ensure the Cabinet member and the former Head of Education acted on the alleged assault.

Neil Foden was an abusive bully whose position as headmaster and as an executive member of the NEU trade union made him untouchable. The same could be said of officers in a senior position at other organisations in the region.

To some onlookers, Gwynedd council appears to run on nepotism, bullying and a culture of 'you don't dob on me and I won't dob on you.'

Executive officers have made mention that the culture within the council must change. Does the same culture exist within Gwynedd schools..? Have school officials, governors and councillors acted when they should?

The new Head of Education has reported that police DBS checks are now taking place. 

Any review into Foden and the council's risk model of safeguarding will be a waste of time and money. The only people who will come in for criticism will be the teacher(s) who worried more for Foden than they did the children he was abusing and Garem Jackson, who has already fallen on his own sword.

Jackson - a  man promoted above his ability and, it must be remembered, acted only after seeking the advice of a cyngor Gwynedd head of safeguarding.

https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx3oAr7MNGbcEn-nDxSTf9-GcMHQDK5TaBR2gSwhF531VS7SSx69KPAT9ReLC6I3W-vpeF2ntt88BIwubAxwfhFPZ_fo-M5irwXIQL6-2PcUPi-rP4BEBNlfnZZdqJBaLTFbmg What is needed is a statutory public inquiry.

Something is so very wrong within Gwynedd council... Credit for the video to Andrew Barton.

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Neil Foden, has been found guilty of sexual offences against children. The Headmaster of Ysgol Friars in Bangor, Gwynedd was also Strategic Head at Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle, in Penygroes. It is presumed that Foden's considerable salary has still been paid by Gwynedd council since his arrest in September, last year.

Could Foden have been stopped...? The trial heard evidence from Garem Jackson, former Head of Education at cyngor Gwynedd, that concerns were raised about Foden in 2019. The concerns raised by another senior teacher were not acted upon and instead Garem Jackson was advised to have a chat with Foden about the issues raised. Jackson outed the whistleblower to Foden during the subsequent telephone conversation. https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2024-04-30/authorities-failed-to-investigate-former-accused-headteacher-over-concerns

Garem Jackson was advised by (presumably?) the senior safeguarding officer for children at Gwynedd council and while Jackson made no record of the concerns raised, surely this safeguarding officer would have done...?

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Cyngor Gwynedd Education and Economy Scrutiny committee held a meeting on the 13th, February, 2025. Sioned Williams, the council's head of Economy and Community and Dylan Griffiths, Economic Development Service Manager, authored the Gwynedd Economy Plan. It was presented by Richard Medwyn Hughes, cabinet member for the Economy.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The director has only been in post since 2022, replacing Morwena Edwards who quit her post shortly after a final report into Canolfan Brynffynnon was received by the council. No report or statement has been publicly released by Gwynedd council in a case that has probably cost £2 million. The head of SS chaired a meeting where an independent investigator reported feeling bullied and overwhelmed after writing a report critical of the department. Four to five pages were deleted from the original report before it was accepted by her department. The safeguarding officer has refused to answer questions of a care scrutiny committee and had a complaint raised against him for misleading councillors and the public at anoher meeting. 

Questions remain to how the childrens department dealt with the historic abuse cases that came to light in 2024. More on that here - https://gwyneddsfailingcouncil.blogspot.com/2024/04/social-worker-complaint-cyngor-gwynedd.html Others involved in the investigation include - the Safeguarding and Wellbeing Quality Leader, Education Protection and Wellbeing Officer - Education Department appears to have only been in post a month - https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/job-listing/safeguarding-and-wellbeing-quality-leader-gwynedd-council-JV_IC3301713_KO0,41_KE42,57.htm?jl=1009571911599

Dyfrig Siencyn, the former leader of the council, who quit after refusing to apologise for the actions of Neil Foden, will also be part of the investigation. Siencyn only undertook safeguarding training on 24th September, 2024, presumably to allow him to become part of this investigation? The remit for investigation appears totally inadequate - failing to ask which safeguarding officer advised Garem Jackson to simply have a word with Neil Foden when concerns were raised in 2019. Were procedures implemented to protect the integrity of evidence after Foden's arrest? Will the investigation review leadership accountability and the committee's own failings? Will the investigation hear from parents and the children? Who will investigate the claims heard at an Employment Tribunal that pupil's examination passes were underserved at Ysgol Friars? What of the school's budget that had to be replenished by the council?

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

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

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

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The virtual meeting of Cyngor Gwynedd's council's cabinet took place on the 21st January.

First up was the report to close the day centres Y Ganolfan, in Blaenau Ffestiniog and Encil y Coed, in Cricieth.

Dilwyn Morgan, the cabinet member for Adults, began his presentation of the report by reading from a prepared statement 'for clarity'. He began by apologising that part of the report is incorrect or as he put it 'a bit ahead of the game'. 

We are also aware that there is a new hub development set up in Porthmadog very recently and we are very keen to collaborate and learn more about this new development.

Why was it not deleted? Its retention within the report gives the impression that those with profound needs and dementia will not miss out, indeed it informs that these very people are by now enjoying numerous and varied support services in their own communities, the report also states that in some cases people are having to travel out of their local area for support/services. But in the meeting, Aled Davies, the Head of Adults SS could not guarantee that support services would be available... 

One day centre building also houses the local library, which presumably closes too? Members of the cabinet voted for the closures anyway...

The response to the Neil Foden's offending plan was also passed. It has been 16 months since Foden's arrest and Gwynedd council's "commitment to apologise sincerly to the victims and survivors and their families for what they have had to suffer" will be seen as disingenuous by many - and way too late.

The webcast of the meeting can be found here - https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/947749/start_time/0

Instead of 'commiting to apologise' perhaps people would prefer the council took action on the officers who failed the children?

There were ample opportunities for school governors and council officers to stop Foden - they all failed. In addition to these failures, it is still not known who the safeguarding officer was that advised Garem Jackson to simply have a word with Foden when concerns were raised in 2019. Is that officer still in post?

No concerns raised with regard to Jackson giving Foden the name of the teacher who whistleblew in 2019, nor mention of the class action being taken against Gwynedd council.

The cabinet, which includes a school governor at Ysgol Friars in post during Foden's reign of terror, also missed an opportunity to discuss claims that some pupils received undeserved examination passes. That particular councillor did not speak during the discussion... No mention was made of the missing money either...

Not one cabinet member enquired if a 'critical incident' had been declared after Foden's arrest which would have preserved the integrity of the evidence...

The Education and Economy Scrutiny committee are also to hold an investigation into Neil Foden. This is the same committee that twice failed to hold him to account in the past....

The cabinet member for education did not ask questions of the safeguarding complaint that appears to have avoided any scrutiny, nor query the complaint about the assessment from the meeting he missed previously.

Nor did he ask for more information on the cohorts of children excluded from schools such as those with ALN and also council 'looked after children'.

A full public inquiry is needed - which covers the failures of council officers also.

Something is very wrong with Gwynedd council...

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Regarding Neil Foden - S4C has put in Freedom Of Information requests to cyngor Gwynedd. They have not been responded to and now the Information Commissioner has ruled against the council. 

Google translated - "Based on evidence available to the Commissioner, by the date of this notice the public authority has not published a substantial response to this application.

"So the Commissioner finds a breach of section 10."

As a result of the decision, Gwynedd Council has 30 days to give a "substantial response" to S4C News, the Commissioner's Office said:

"The public authority must provide a substantive response to the request in accordance with its obligations under the Freedom of Information Act.

"The public authority must take this step within 30 calendar days of the date of the notification of decision.

"Failure to comply may result in the Commissioner certifying this fact in writing to the High Court in accordance with section 54 of the Freedom of Information Act and may be dealt with as contempt of court."

The S4C article can be found here - https://newyddion.s4c.cymru/article/24125

Freedom of Information requests are dealt with by Gwynedd's Information Office...

The department has a history of failing to respond properly to some FOI's and complaints (internal review) to Gwynedd's monitoring officer are sometimes ignored.

The ICO has found against the department in the past... The department simply ignored the ruling of the ICO.

Gwynedd's information office also deal with SARS (subject access requests). Some SAR's have not been dealt with according to law and the council has even censored information when it should not...

The information manager has also written investigation reports in spite of the evidence...

One involved a data breach by the childrens department which had already been upheld by an independent investigator. The council did not inform the ICO of the data breach...

So what information has Gwynedd council been asked for? FOI's have been requested for correspondence between senior officers and the former head of education, Garem Jackson, between a certain date.

Correspondence has also been requested between Jackson and Beca Brown, the Cabinet member for Education between September until the beginning of October 2023.

The decision not to comply with the FOI would, presumably, have been made by the monitoring officer. The monitoring officer's main duty is to safeguard the council and its officers. 

It is not only Gwynedd council who are unwilling to share information re Foden... North Wales Police responded to a FOI request re Foden in June -

NWP refused to answer...

Considerations against disclosure – Section 30 If North Wales Police released specific details of investigations it could prejudice law enforcement or potentially damage the criminal justice system. In this case, to disclose additional details of this case not already in the public domain would have a detrimental effect on any future proceedings or appeals process.

A reminder that the former chair of Ysgol Friars school governors is a chief superintendent of NWP...

In other news, Gwynedd council are to hold a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, 15th October, 2024. The agenda pack can be found here - https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/g5257/Public%20reports%20pack%2015th-Oct-2024%2013.00%20The%20Cabinet.pdf?T=10

One report is -

LLECHEN LÂN (A CLEAN SLATE) - SOCIAL SERVICES FOR OLDER PEOPLE FOR THE FUTURE

The action plan will drive policy in Gwynedd for many years. It is not looking good for the elderly...

Something is very wrong within Gwynedd council...