Financial Reporting Council ...

 What is the Financial Reporting Council?

The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) is the UK’s independent regulator of corporate governance, financial reporting, audit and the actuarial profession. In 2019, amid criticisms over the body’s performance, the government decided to replace the FRC with a new Audit, Reporting and Governance Authority (ARGA). But the government reversed this decision in January 2026, despite introducing the necessary legislation in the King’s Speech in 2024.

What does the FRC do?

The FRC was originally established in 1990 with the principal aim of promoting best practice in financial reporting.¹  Over time, its remit has expanded, and its stated purpose is now to serve the public interest by setting high standards of corporate governance, reporting, auditing and actuarial work, and by holding to account those responsible for delivering them.²  In practice, its main work is in overseeing the audit, accounting and actuarial professions, and corporate governance.

The FRC sets the eligibility criteria, and technical and ethical standards, for those approved to carry out the statutory audit of an organisation’s annual accounts in the UK.³  It also maintains, or requires others to maintain, various registers including of those approved to audit public interest or local bodies.⁴

It also issues accounting standards and clarifies conflicting interpretations of those standards. It oversees self-regulation conducted by various professional accounting bodies and monitors compliance with accounting and legal requirements, for example when companies issue directors’ reports.⁵  Its accounting standards are also applicable in Ireland.⁶

The FRC’s role is similar for the actuarial profession – setting standards, overseeing professional bodies and providing an independent investigation and discipline scheme for matters potentially affecting the public interest.⁷

Finally, it oversees corporate governance by setting and monitoring the UK Corporate Governance Code (which applies to companies listed in the UK and Ireland) and the Stewardship Code (which applies to institutional investors in the UK).⁸

What enforcement powers does the FRC have?

The FRC relies on a combination of statutory powers and non-statutory agreements with various other organisations – especially professional bodies – to achieves its aims. In some areas, particularly oversight of the actuarial profession and local authority audit, its concrete powers have been described as “limited or even non-existent”.⁹

It has powers to investigate misconduct by statutory auditors or audit firms and can impose sanctions ranging from a public statement that a breach has been committed to financial penalties and prohibitions from working.¹⁰  It can also take action against members of the professional accounting bodies – individuals or firms – as well as individual actuaries who are members of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA). But the FRC currently has no powers to investigate, take enforcement action or impose sanctions on individuals, including directors, who are not members of these bodies, and its jurisdiction over actuaries relies on agreement with the IFoA.¹¹

How is the FRC structured?

The FRC is a company limited by guarantee¹² , but is also classified as an executive non-departmental public body of the Department of Business and Trade¹³ , and since 2019 its board members have been appointed by the business secretary.¹⁴  It is funded through obligatory contributions from professional bodies and voluntary contributions from private companies, pension schemes and insurance companies.¹⁵

What is the future of the FRC?

Following high-profile auditing and accounting scandals including the collapse of Carillion, the FRC was heavily criticised by the business select committee, which said that its “weak response” contributed to a “crisis of trust in audit”.¹⁶

An independent review by Sir John Kingman in 2018 found it to be “an institution constructed in a different era – a rather ramshackle house, cobbled together with all sorts of extensions over time” and highlighted its lack of a strong statutory foundation and limited powers.¹⁷ 

More - 
https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/financial-reporting-council

Is Data Still ‘Personal’ If The Recipient Cannot Identify The Data Subject?

Data protection practitioners know that the first question to ask when considering their organisation’s data protection obligations in relation to any data is: “Is it personal data?” 

The Court of Appeal recently handed down a decision which gives useful judicial guidance on the definition of ‘personal data’ under UK data protection law and the responsibility on organisations to keep personal data secure.    

DSG Retail Limited v The Information Commissioner [2026] EWCA Civ 140 is concerned with events from 2017 and 2018 when the old Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA 1998) was in force. As such the judgement is persuasive rather than binding on UK courts when deciding on issues under the current law; namely the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018. 

The background to the case is that, in 2017, DSG Retail Limited (the parent company of Dixons and Currys PC World) (DSG) suffered a cyberattack targeting point of sale systems in all its shops. Over a nine month period, attackers deployed malware to scrape transaction level card data and attempted to exfiltrate the captured information. More than 5.6 million payment cards were affected; though the majority consisted only of the 16-digit payment card numbers and expiry dates (together referred to as ‘EMV data’). Crucially, the attackers did not obtain any information that could directly identify the cardholders. 

In 2020, the ICO fined DSG £500,000 for breach of the data security principle. 
This was the maximum fine under the DPA 1998. There then followed a series of appeals. The First Tier Tribunal (FTT) upheld the ICO’s findings but reduced the fine by half.  

The Upper Tribunal (UT) in setting aside the FTT’s decision held that the data security principle under the DPA 1998 applies to only to ‘personal data’ i.e. information about living, identifiable, individuals. The data in question, EMV data, did not constitute ‘personal data’ from the attackers’ perspective because the attackers could not link it to specific individuals. As a result, the UT held that DSG did not have any security obligations with respect to such data.  

Following an appeal by the ICO, the Court of Appeal (CoA) has now overturned the UT’s ruling. The CoA held that the Data Controller (in this case DSG) is required to comply with the data security principle under the DPA 1998 with respect to data that is ‘personal’ from the perspective of the Data Controller,  regardless of whether the data might not be personal ‘in the hands of’ or ‘from the perspective’ of any other person. 

The CoA considered it implausible that (absent an explicit statement) Parliament intended to limit the scope of the data security duty so that a Data Controller would have no obligation to protect some parts of the data provided by the Data Subject. The CoA also noted the potential consequences of a contrary reading; there would be no obligation for the Data Controller to protect data when a third party would be unable to identify the Data Subject from that data. In the Court’s view, third-party interference with data, even where the attacker is unable to identify the Data Subjects, can still be harmful. Moreover, the Court found it impractical to put Data Controllers in a position where, in determining their data security obligations, they would need to assess whether attackers could
re-identify individuals via ‘jigsaw’ techniques. 

More - 
https://actnowtraining.blog/2026/03/02/is-data-still-personal-if-the-recipient-cannot-identify-the-data-subject/

Legal challenge launched against government SEND proposals that “significantly weaken the legal rights of children and young people”

Well, that didn’t take long. It’s less than a week since the Government published long-awaited proposals for “reforming” the SEND system, and the first steps have already been taken in a legal challenge against the Secretary of State for Education.

If successful, this could force ministers to publish an amended version of the consultation to add more information about what is proposed, as well as specific questions on some key changes. It could also mean extending the consultation period.

Consultation lawfulness questioned

The family of Jessica Hayhurst, a little girl with complex special educational needs, has instructed lawyers to send a formal letter before legal action to Bridget Phillipson. The letter questions the lawfulness of the consultation process on SEND reform in relation to two things:

1. The proposed weakening of SEND Tribunal powers, and
2. A shift in legal duties from local authorities to schools.

The family is being represented by Polly Sweeney and Bethany Parr from Rook Irwin Sweeney, which is funding the claim through its Social Justice Fund. Barrister Steve Broach KC is providing pro bono support.

The letter says:

“Many of the proposals being put forward in the White Paper will result in parents and children losing important existing legal rights”.

As we outlined in our first post on the Schools White Paper and SEND proposals, the 132-page consultation paper invites views and responses to 40 specific questions from anyone with an interest in the plans by 18^th May 2026. The questions cover things such as how children can be supported in the new proposed ‘layers’ and how “Inclusion Bases” should work.

More - 
https://www.specialneedsjungle.com/legal-challenge-against-send-proposals-significantly-weaken-legal-rights-children/

Inquiry hears how lack of accountability for disabled people’s Covid deaths caused lasting harm...

The lack of accountability for the tens of thousands of Covid-related deaths of disabled people receiving care in their own homes and residential settings has caused lasting harm, the UK Covid inquiry has been told.

In their opening written submission to the 10^th and final module of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry – on the pandemic’s impact on society – three national disabled people’s organisations (DPOs) said many deaths remained un-investigated, particularly in England and Wales.

Despite tens of thousands of Covid-related deaths of disabled people who had been reliant on care or health workers, the number of all deaths reported to coroners in England and Wales in 2020 was the lowest since 1995, partly because of easements to requirements around the registration of deaths and reporting by medical practitioners.

Among the matters left under-investigated was whether the use of inappropriate “do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation” notices and “clinical frailty score” assessments led to preventable deaths.

In Scotland, there was an increase in reported deaths because of the work of the Covid-19 Deaths Investigation Team, although this was limited to deaths linked to employment and residential care.

The three national DPOs – Disability Rights UK, Inclusion Scotland and Disability Action Northern Ireland – told the inquiry in their opening oral submission last week that disabled people were “far more likely to die from Covid-19 than non-disabled people”, and people with Down’s syndrome could have been more than 30 times more likely to die from the virus.

But they said there was “never a point in the pandemic when government and public authorities properly scrutinised the detail of these deaths in terms of their relevant impairments and circumstances, let alone examine their preventability”.

They told the inquiry, through their barrister, Kate Beattie: “Rather than continuing or even enhancing the reporting and investigation of deaths of disabled people, at a moment when people were dying in dependent situations outside hospitals in numbers unknown in living memory, the formal reporting of deaths reached a historic low.

“The various health and care monitoring bodies did not necessarily inspect and did not prioritise site visits, and if deaths were reported, the holding of inquests was minimised without the anxious scrutiny which was warranted by these unparalleled circumstances.

“The outcome, as recounted by the Covid Bereaved Families for Justice and others, was a failure of accountability to disabled people who were bereaved, to non-disabled people who were grieving the deaths of their disabled loved ones, and to disabled people more generally.”

She added: “The legacy is a terrible human cost for those denied the opportunity to establish truth so that a person can properly begin to grieve it.”

The DPOs also told the inquiry that the government needed to “acknowledge the importance of disabled people’s rights and the failure to do enough to protect those rights” by incorporating the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities into UK law and introducing new laws that would “embed accessibility across all aspects of life”.

And they stressed the importance of “effective and properly funded co-production” of policy with disabled people, intersectional organisations and DPOs, as well as “far greater understanding of the social model and of intersectional experiences that mean that certain societal groups are far more marginalised than others”.

Giving oral evidence to the inquiry this week, Dr Pauline Nolan, head of participation and policy at Inclusion Scotland, said that a survey by her organisation in April 2020 showed that 30 per cent of respondents said their usual social care support had been “either stopped completely or reduced, sometimes overnight or without any warning” in the early months of the pandemic.

And, she said, disabled people had been “really anxious about not getting social care support recovered after the pandemic because they were seen to manage”.

She said that at least 28,000 recipients of domiciliary care in England and Scotland had died by May 2021..

More - 
https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/inquiry-hears-how-lack-of-accountability-for-disabled-peoples-covid-deaths-caused-lasting-harm/

Gwynedd Council - Leader Of The Gang...?

In November, 2021, Neil Foden, headteacher at Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle in Penygroes wrote to parents informing that any child with a debt of 2p would be refused school meals. This caused a national furore with interventions from Marcus Rashford and blogger Simon Harris (men behaving dadly)

The headteacher blamed the decision on his council bosses who he claims 'threw him under a bus' -
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-59341464
"All I did was to pass on the authority's message to parents."

Gwynedd Council blamed "lack of clarity" from its education department on school food debt policy -
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/education/council-apologises-school-meal-debt-22153658

Councillors of Gwynedd's Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee challenged the Head of Education, Garem Jackson, for an explanation. He did not provide one but promised an update for the next meeting.

Two months later, a video was posted online that appears to show Neil Foden grabbing a pupil by the scruff of the neck -
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/education/head-teacher-filmed-appearing-grab-22967578

At the next scrutiny meeting, Mr Jackson failed to answer the committees previous concerns and was also unwilling to respond to the latest incident. Once again, promising to get the full facts and return with an update for councillors.
There is no record of Mr Jackson updating the committee on either incident...

Mr Foden has a history of controversy. In 2018, a Biology teacher was awarded £8,000 compensation after an 'outrageous' suspension by the Ysgol Friars headteacher -
The tribunal was convinced Mr Foden had at one stage been “looking for an excuse to make things difficult for the claimant”.
https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/biology-teacher-awarded-8000-compensation-14867550

Also -
“We developed a particular view about the evidence given by Mr Foden which undermined his credibility and/or reliability as a witness.”
https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/autocratic-gwynedd-headmaster-included-malpractice-14853841
How is this not perjury?

In 2020, he was found guilty of unacceptable professional conduct by the Education Workforce Council.
It was proved that Mr Foden treated a third teacher unfairly when providing a reference in 2016 in which he said he was facing an allegation of malpractice when, in fact, the teacher had been cleared.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-54300055

The panel heard evidence that included -
"I felt victimised by Neil Foden due to the way he operated. You were either in his gang or you were not," person D told the panel. He claimed he was never interviewed by school governors and that Mr Foden's daughter had investigated the allegations against him.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-51710557

The teacher claimed Mr Foden was looking to "pressurise" him after he made whistleblowing complaints over erroneous submissions of exam results by his department boss.
Person D said he made the whistleblowing complaints in 2014 because pupils had been "awarded an exam pass" and he was initially concerned it was an "administrative error".

However, he said the evidence had been moved for the five pupils concerned. "The evidence had been removed from a computer file. It had taken a year and a quarter for the exam board to be told."
Person D said he and two other concerned teachers were not interviewed about the exam concerns until "four to six months later".
https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/headmaster-victimised-teacher-who-blew-17850450

The delay in interviewing the teachers will affect any legal process as there is a very short window to lodge complaints and/or take legal action. After one year, it is presumed that the exam board would dismiss any concerns as out of time...
Mr Foden is also Head of Ysgol Friars in Bangor.

Perhaps the scrutiny committee could remind the Head of Education of his promise to report on the incidents and also ask for an update on the two teachers believed to have been suspended on full pay for 9 years...

In 2014, the council's safeguarding team began an investigation alongside north wales police.. It did not go well. In 2016, the CPS threw out the case after they did a deep dive of the 'evidence'. 

A spokesman for the council said -
"This process concluded with the CPS deciding not to proceed with any prosecutions. The council is currently carrying out its own subsequent internal investigation into the matter and as a result the individuals remain suspended from their posts.”
https://web.archive.org/web/20180729072902/https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/welsh-councils-paid-9m-staff-14876849

Gwynedd council also paid over £800,000 of public money to north wales police. For what...?
The costs of this case, including the legal fees, must be approaching 2 million pounds - if not more... 

An FOI seeking information on the matter was shut down by the monitoring officer who simply ignored the request for an internal review. The next step in the legal process - a complaint to the ICO - usually requires an internal review to have been undertaken. Regardless, the ICO can only 'advise' the council to release information. Gwynedd council have ignored the 'advice' of the ICO in the past...

Questions to the integrity and professionalism of the safeguarding team remain. The senior safeguarding officer for Gwynedd has not been seen at a council meeting since 2019 when he was called out for deceiving the care scrutiny committee in another case.

Something is so very wrong within Gwynedd council...

 

Cyngor Gwynedd Council Fail.- 'Unusual And Potentially Inappropriate'

Last month, Cyngor Gwynedd council's monitoring officer's reassurance that there is indeed a code of conduct for members AND officers of cyngor Gwynedd council is welcomed, but is it accurate?

The code of conduct for councillors is regulated by the Ombudsman for Wales (PSOW). If a complaint is received the Ombudsman will investigate taking account of all evidence and come to a decision. Many of these complaints are petty and probably best described as turf wars between local councillors. One Gwynedd councillor has a history of complaining about their political opponents come election times but the code of conduct is much more than this...

No public record of the code of conduct for officers of the council can be found. Obviously, managers will have access to disciplinary procedures against employees who do not meet the Gwynedd standards but what happens when the problem is 'the management'? 

One Employment Tribunal found in favour of a disabled social worker in a dispute with her senior manager. Employment Judge T Vincent Ryan, found against Gwynedd council.
The decision to dismiss the claimant in these circumstances was discrimination arising from disability.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5cf61dd7e5274a0771578036/1600022.2017_Mr_S_Parry_v_Gwynedd_Council_-_CORRECTED_JUDGMENT_AND_REASONS.pdf

This case is disturbing on many levels. During the legal process, it is reported the senior officer wanted the complainant to undertake a psychological assessment. Perhaps the hope was a colleague would find the social worker unfit for work due to a mental health issue..?

This action forced a more senior manager to step in calling the psychological assessment 'unusual and potentially inappropriate'. Gwynedd council have a history of undertaking fake assessments so this officer should be praised for her actions.

The Tribunal also commented that the senior officer 'gave his evidence in an unconvincing way which was not credible in the circumstances'.  
How can being called out by a Judge in a court of law not break the officer's code of conduct?
Isn't this perjury?

The monitoring officer is well aware of the bad behaviour by the senior officers but instead of taking on the bad apples he appears to have washed his hands of them. The council's constitution has been recently changed so the MO is no longer responsible for the service. The 'responsible officer for SS complaints is now Ian Jones, the Head of Corporate Support.
More on that change here - https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/mgAi.aspx?ID=20536 

To sum up - fact checkers would say that the monitoring officer's claim is accurate.
One senior manager may say 'as long as you're not dumb enough to actually try it.'

Something is very wrong within Gwynedd council...

 

Cyngor Gwynedd Council Fail.: Cyngor Gwynedd - 'Unusual And Potentially Inapprop...

Sinead O' Connor - Famine

Cllrs refuse to accept minutes at planning committee...Bristol.

Cyngor Gwynedd Council - 'CO2 Is Food For Plants...

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 Council Fail.: Gwynedd and Anglesey Public Services Board - 'a sl...

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

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...

 

Cyngor Gwynedd Council Fail.: Cyngor Gwynedd - A 'Children's Parliament...':

Anglesey Council - Statement of Accounts for 2022 to 2023 will be delayed...

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 Council Fail.: Anglesey Council - Delay in the preparation and pu...:

Rinse and Repeat - Gwynedd Council...

 In a meeting of cyngor Gwynedd's Language Committee held on Tuesday, 27th June, 2023 10.00 am, the Head of Children's SS, Marian Hughes, reports (from the translated feed) -

"...and then of course the other barrier we have as i have already mentioned is the provision of placements beyond Gwynedd and Wales for children and young people who have intensive needs need specialist placements in the same manner as well. We are also concerned about the language needs of young offenders who receive a custodial sentence. When I was writing up this report we didn't have any single person who needed a custodial sentence in Gwynedd for several years but unfortunately that has changed in the past week and we have one young person now who has received a custodial sentence for very serious offences and of course has been placed in prison in england. So the youth justice service and his social workers now ensure he has access to resources through the medium of Welsh and they'll work with the prison to ensure that happens. The prison where he's been placed or where he has been imprisoned is one that encourages the use and the use of welsh medium resources for prisoners from Wales who are Welsh with first language and of course need translations through the medium of Welsh. This matter has been included on our departmental risk register because of the fact we feel that young people from Gwynedd are placed under a disadvantage in terms of their choice and use of their first language in the prison..."

This was a hybrid meeting held over Zoom which Gwynedd council do not upload to their website. Minutes will be available, but as many Councillors are now discovering the minutes are not always accurate. 

The Director of Gwynedd SS, Dilwyn Owen, would have known of this case but in his just published Annual Report states -
Implementing the 2022/23 Youth Justice Plan...
The rates of new offenders and reoffending rates are lower than regional and national comparisons and no young person from Gwynedd has been remanded since 2020.
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/s38361/Item%208%20-%20Appendix.pdf

He also states -
Using our influence is important. The former director was the national and regional lead on More Than Just Words, which enabled substantial progress in the provision nation-wide. Another example is that we refused to welcome Youth Justice inspectors as they were unable to guarantee bilingual inspectors, and they agreed to delay their inspection until this was possible.

 

This report along with the annual complaint handling reports are to be scrutinised by the Care Scrutiny Committee later this year.This will be the first time the SS complaints handling reports have come before the Care Scrutiny Committee since the senior complaints officer for the children and families department was called out for misleading the Committee in 2019. 

This also means that all through the Covid pandemic no SS complaints report went through a scrutiny committee, instead going straight to Cabinet for 'scrutiny'.
One of the jobs of the scrutiny committees is to hold cabinet members to account for their departments actions. In the past some Councillors even went to the press to complain of similar issues -
Gwynedd councillors say they were ‘shut out’ of decision-making during lockdown
https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/gwynedd-councillors-say-were-shut-18705757

The former director's incumbency was littered with maladministration, managers who marked their own homework and wrote reports in spite of the evidence. The data is useless and recommendations for improvement from regulators unfinished. Officers have misled councillors and even the Ombudsman for Wales - repeatedly.

Mr Owen also raises concerns that some recent risks have not been managed by the Mental Health Service and worries for the future -
The Children’s Referrals Team received over 7,000 referrals this year - an increase of around 2,500 since the pre-COVID-19 period. The Mental Health Service saw a similar increase and I know that due to the excellent work of our teams the risks was managed in the vast majority of cases.
We take pride in this work, whilst also knowing that dealing with the increace in referrals is not sustainable, and I am concerned about the pressures placed on our workforce.

Cyngor Gwynedd Council Fail.: Cyngor Gwynedd - Rinse And Repeat.:

Cyngor Gwynedd Training Fact Checks Need Checking...

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.

 

Cyngor Gwynedd Council Fail.: Training Fact Check - Cyngor Gwynedd Council.:

Cyngor Gwynedd - 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...

Cyngor Gwynedd Council Fail.: Cyngor Gwynedd Council - Age Friendly...?:

Cyngor Gwynedd - Autism And Dementia Support Update

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

Cyngor Gwynedd Council Fail.: Autism And Dementia Support Update - Cyngor Gwyned...:

Covid Inquiry Emma Reed Jenny Harries

UK Covid-19 Inquiry Live Stream

Cyngor Gwynedd Council Concerns For Safety - Whose?

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 Council Fail.: Concerns For Safety - Cyngor Gwynedd (But Whose Sa...

Cyngor Gwynedd Monitoring Officer Calls For Consistency...

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....

                                              

Cyngor Gwynedd Council Fail.: Cyngor Gwynedd Monitoring Officer Calls For Consis...:

UCPI Closing Statement Hearings: Tranche 1 | Day 1 - (20 February 2023) ...