Joint Committee for Transforming Cities Funds Projects - Norfolk County Council Democratic Services

Joy Division - Isolation (Official Lyric Video)

Cyngor Gwynedd Council - One Gwynedd Councillor Continued To Work In His Shed..

On Thursday, 17th February, 2022, Cyngor Gwynedd council held a Democracy Services Committee meeting. The agenda can be found here -
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=140&MId=4494

There was an update on the May elections, an update on hybrid meetings, a diversity in democracy report, a Democratic Services team performance report, and the increase in salaries for Councillors were all discussed. After each report, a vote was called for and each one passed...

One councillor was present but not really present. He had taken the laptop into what looked like his workshop for the Zoom meeting and spent most of it pottering around away from the screen. He was shouted at to get his attention and asked how he was voting on the first report - he voted to accept. He then returned to his project and took little part in the rest of proceedings.

Regarding the increase of salaries to councillors only one councillor objected and voted against. She thought it disgusting with the cost of living crisis now hitting residents hard. It was explained that this was the recommendation from a renumeration panel...

Democratic services raised the following in one report -  

This is the experience of the Deiniol Ward Councillor, who has decided not to stand again in the May elections. He was very clear in an article published by the Bangor Aye -

“The largest part of the decision not to stand probably comes from the boundary changes. For those who don’t know, several new ‘mega-wards’ have been created in Bangor which only take account of the small number of registered voters, but take no account of the amount of businesses, infrastructure and 10,000 students population (plus most of the university campus) which fall in the new ward.".

He continued - 

“It’s also been a strange 5 years in the world of electoral politics, which I must admit was never my natural home. Elections – whether local or national – don’t change things much because the institutions we get elected to are tied into far too many patterns and systems that are designed to halt real change whilst keeping the money and the real power in the hands of a very small number of self-serving and corrupted people".

The article can be found here -
https://www.thebangoraye.com/gwynedd-councillor-to-stand-down-following-bangor-boundary-changes/

The Democracy Services Committee meeting should be available on the council's website for public viewing sometime soon - https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/portal/home

Cyngor Gwynedd Council Fail.: One Gwynedd Councillor Continued To Work In His Sh...:

The Rotten Heart Of Welsh Politics-Response to Standards Report-Neil McEvoy

In May 2016, I made the mistake of thinking that as a Plaid Cymru Politician, I had been elected to hold the Government to account and to be an opposition politician.

 

I quickly found out that my job was to not rock the boat, not to expose scandals, but to toe the line. Plaid Cymru was furious when I asked questions about Deryn’s client ACT obtaining £113 million from the Welsh Government. https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/plaid-politician-been-criticised-over-11659526

 

They were furious when I asked questions about Deryn’s dodgy contract with OFCOM. I was told many times to leave it well alone. I later discovered through complaints that Deryn itself had complained to Plaid Cymru to reign me in. My senior advisor was told to tell me to stop asking questions about Plaid Cymru’s lobbying firm, or “face the consequences.” https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/ofcom-wales-under-fire-after-12649696

 

I had to go home to my wife to tell her that my ability to pay our mortgage would be gone, if I continued to ask questions which powerful people did not want put. My wife was rock solid and said that if we had a choice between earning a good living, or sticking to our principles, then we would stick to our principles. Very soon after getting married, my wife realised why I told her to not take my surname when we got married. Let’s just say life is never dull.

 

Eleven days after the story about Deryn which I was supposed to ignore became public, I was suspended from the Plaid Cymru Senedd Group, supposedly for being found guilty of bullying by the Ombudsman for saying that I wanted to restructure Cardiff Council to change eviction processes and stop people being evicted.

 

Plaid just did not care about us winning seats in the Council Elections in 2017. It was clear that senior people wanted us to lose. I was reminded at the time that they did not want me elected in the first place.  In 2016, we were the busiest Plaid team in Wales, but I was the only candidate in a target seat to lose party funding. They also took Senedd staff off me at a crucial point and gave them to Simon Thomas; more about him later. Anyway, as you can gather Plaid Cymru used Senedd staff to campaign politically in Senedd time. Every party does this. It would be odd if they didn’t.

 

Moving on, I was the first politician in 17 years to ask to see Government Ministers’ diaries. I had a whistle blower about a matter and I needed to prove certain meetings had taken place. The Government refused to publish the diaries retrospectively, but after a fuss agreed in early 2017 to publish them going forward. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-politics-38830073 I was still able to prove that lobbyists had access to ministers by simply flashing around a photograph of lobbyists with ministers in the Senedd.

 

Both Labour and Plaid Cymru voted against my proposal to bring in rules for lobbyists in Wales. This keeps covered the awkward fact that Welsh politics is run by a small group of people, who do not want scrutiny.

 

In March 2017, complaints were made about me, almost all connected to Deryn. It was pay back time.

After the 2017 election in June, I suspended my office manager. There were complaints he had harassed a young female and I had witnessed one incident myself. Members of the public had also complained about him for not doing his job; one person also witnessed the harassment. Michael Deem had also misused my office budget, causing me to have to pay for an expensive unwanted item myself. Shockingly, I later discovered that Deem had taken photographs of a child protection file and kept the details of the children on his phone. I was sickened and staggered. I sacked him.

 

The man who had harassed a young woman and had stored details of children on his phone was supported by Plaid Cymru and he made further complaints about me. He was later employed by the Plaid Cymru Senedd member who replaced me, Rhys ab Owen, whose brother Rhodri is a lobbyist, who worked with Darran Hill at Positif Politics. Rhodri Ab Owen is now managing partner and co-owner of a re-branded Camlas Public Affairs, listing big pharmaceuticals as clients. 

 

The complaints process took on a life of its own. The BBC’s Aled ap Dafydd always knew more than me about what was going on. He became the first journalist who I refused to deal with. I later discovered he was in a relationship with Plaid Cymru’s Head of Communications, who was later given a top job by Plaid Cymru’s Presiding Officer at the Senedd. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-46740445

Plaid Cymru denied on behalf of Deryn that the complaints about me were coordinated. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-42745842 Please note that a political party was answering for a lobbying firm.

The Deryn issue rumbled on. I understand they monitored me closely. My complaint had merit and they lost the disputed contract https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/controversial-contract-awarded-ofcom-welsh-13493333  

OFCOM admitted fault.  https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/ofcom-admits-broke-rules-giving-13801707

Rhodri Williams who oversaw the contract process left OFCOM and re-appeared as the Chair of S4C. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/secretary-of-state-appoints-rhodri-williams-as-s4c-chair

I was really unhappy with the Standards Complaints process. Before it began, a key organiser of the complaints, who had known the former Standards Commissioner for decades had a meeting about me. I was not allowed to attend and there were no notes of the meeting. I stated that the former Standards Commissioner had allowed himself to be lobbied.

 

I was so concerned at what was happening that I requested the audio recordings of my hearings. It took some time to get them, but it was worth the wait. I heard the former Standards Commissioner making a derogatory remark about me when I was out of the room. The complainant and Standards staff were present when it was said.

 

In the public interest and for self-defence, I then decided to secretly record everything when I was out of the room.  If the hearing was at 9am, I would place my phone under the table on record at 8.15am. I would usually irritate the Standards staff by then turning up late for the hearing, which gave them plenty of time to voice their true feelings about me. This went on for months, with hours of audio footage. I heard the investigators discussing the case with the complainant, who was offered career advice and help in his career. I heard about a lack of evidence against me. I also listened to the same complaints made about another MS not taken forward. I also heard about a really serious matter just brushed under the carpet.

It was also shocking to hear about staff saying they had consulted with a senior member of the Senedd staff who was open to just seeing my appeal against guilt, “ just thrown out,” before I had even made the appeal. This was the basis for the police investigation into Standards staff, which did not result in charges being laid by the Crown Prosecution Service.

Knowing what I knew, I pulled out of the farce and refused to play any further part on legal advice.

Months later, my staff member was threatened with imprisonment; I felt that things had gone too far and I pulled the trigger on the recordings. The Standards Commissioner resigned. At that point, the so called investigation should have been dismissed. https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/neil-mcevoy-assembly-roderick-evans-17240606

My press conference can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/O2t6eRbGTso

The complaints process was delayed, which provoked what I can only describe as “fury”.

A new commissioner came in and continued a very unjust process as I see it.

I continued my work exposing what I could:

2 Welsh Government properties being sold at almost a £1 million loss https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-politics-37509242.amp : officials forgot to do an up to date valuation…silly them!

Light bulbs costing £245 and being fitted in just a few minutes: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/assembly-members-joke-cost-lightbulb-16752799

Our office brought the plutonium laced nuclear mud scandal to public attention https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgyMOmpzXAY

I blew the whistle of the fake fire safety certificates in the cladding scandal https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-54401722

I was vilified in writing by Plaid Cymru Members of the Senedd for attacking the early retirement of Natural Resources Wales’ Chief Executive, after the £39 million wood contract being found to be unlawful by the Auditor General. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-44845904

I pursued many family cases and employed a social worker to do so. Supporting a child alleging abuse in care got me called a bully again and banned from the Council for 4 months. The alleged abuser started the complaint. An issue conveniently ignored by ‘journalists’, politicians and useful idiots on new media, all eager to stick the boot in, whilst ignoring the poor child’s allegations. https://youtu.be/YDpsjUF6Ykk

I pleaded with journalists to give the child a voice, but the author of the Walesonline article today,  Ruth Mosalski and her husband Cemlyn Davies of the BBC had no appetite to find out what had happened to the child. I am still as disgusted now as I was then at how those people had such little care for what a child said happened to it. Shame on them. I can look in the mirror in the morning without guilt. I cannot see how they can do the same thing.

Shamefully, when I said that the paedophile Plaid MS Simon Thomas should have gone to jail, disciplinary action was taken against me for bringing Plaid Cymru “ into disrepute.” https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/neil-mcevoy-plaid-cymru-expelled-16546210

This made me feel sick and I ultimately withdrew my application to get back into Plaid Cymru. We backed Dewi Evans in his bid to clean up Plaid, but he was prevented from campaigning and bureaucratic means were used to stop members voting. My time with Plaid, such a disorganised hypocrisy was over in the Autumn of 2019. A once proud Plaid Cymru has been reduced to being a poodle for the corrupt Labour Party, cheaply bought off with press opportunities, appointments on public bodies and jobs.

Fast forward to September 2021 and the complaints process was complete and written up. The reports were held back until now, just as the Council election campaign is starting.

I deny doing anything other than being a politician. I did my job. My staff printed and folded material for example opposing Cardiff’s Local Development plan and I did so unashamedly. I paid for the folding machine.

I am supposedly guilty of using electricity for political purposes. Are they serious?

Who does not do that? Both Labour and Plaid Cymru Senedd Groups were also found guilty of misusing public resource for political purposes, but those details were not covered by the Welsh media. Plaid Cymru used the Senedd restricted areas for party political filming, but nothing was done.

I did interview someone on the Senedd estate about a political job; which party political group has not done that? I did attend a party political meeting on the Senedd estate for which Plaid Cymru kindly provided the invite and minutes to the Standards Commissioner. The irony is that Leanne Wood’s staff booked the room, yet it was me who carried the can. I did organise a few political meetings in my office. Which MS has not done that?

The Standards Commissioner got the most basic details wrong. I did correct him on the Committee, but that did not make the report. For example, he accused me of employing a family member who is no relation to me at all!

One staff member did have an exchange of messages with a complainant. It was not a wise move, but after being harangued in public by the same person who was worse the wear for alcohol, it was difficult to look too unkindly on the exchange.

If anyone ever has the chance to look at all the documentation regarding the complaints, they will see that the complaints changed as the process went on. I was first accused on producing 250,000 leaflets on the Assembly printer. A simple look at the manufacturing specification showed that this was impossible. Eventually, the total was boiled down to a few thousand.

When I was in the Senedd, I donated my councillor allowance to various causes. I am not motivated by money. On the grounds of natural justice,  I will not pay the sum of money plucked out of thin air, because I do not owe anybody anything. I pay my way and I will not credit such a shocking stitch up with any financial contribution.

Cyngor Gwynedd Council Fail.: Wales Audit - Councillors were still heard to make remarks...

 On the 10th, February, 2022, Cyngor Gwynedd Audit and Governance Committee sat to discuss the Saint David's Day Celebration, the revenue budget review, savings schemes, the budget and Audit Wales reports.

The agenda pack - that includes the Audit Wales reports can be found here - https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=136&MId=4597

As in most meetings, the councillors had few questions for officer's and the presented data - the most significant challenges coming from Sharon Warnes, the lay member of the committee.

One councillor fell asleep during the meeting...

Part of the Audit Wales report highlighted that the council was developing a new 'performance arrangement framework'...but that communication with and training for councillors has not been effective enough. No kidding... .

The Audit Wales officer was asked for his opinion of scrutiny during the meeting - he just laughed...

The same officer presented the 2019 report to council where he had raised concerns with the provision of youth services - that old chestnut. It was not a meeting the officer would have enjoyed. More on that here - https://gwyneddsfailingcouncil.blogspot.com/2019/10/did-cyngor-gwynedd-council-dogpile.html

Remembering that, the officer may have been thankful to be attending via Zoom rather than in the council chamber, but councillors were still heard to make remarks...

The recording of the 10th, February, 2022, Audit and Governance Committee meeting should be found on the council's website some time soon - https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcasts

Something is so very wrong within Gwynedd council...

Cyngor Gwynedd Council Fail.: One Councillor Was Asleep - Cyngor Gwynedd Council.:

Cyngor Gwynedd Council Fail.: Cyngor Gwynedd Council - Harassment In Schools.

On the 8th February, 2022, Cyngor Gwynedd council held an Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee meeting. The agenda for the meeting can be found here -
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=392&MId=4380

The agenda included -
HARASSMENT OF HEADTEACHERS, TEACHERS AND SCHOOL STAFF ON SOCIAL MEDIA
There have been incidents and the situation is being monitored...

What of the video of a Headteacher appearing to have a child by the neck? The same Headteacher who caused the social media backlash on school dinners - but then accused the council of throwing him under a bus...
https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/north-wales-headteacher-filmed-appearing-22954185

The Education officer thanked the committee for the question and said he would get back to them....

Why the headteacher accused the council of throwing him under the bus was asked at the Education Scrutiny Committee meeting but the Cabinet Member for Education, Cemlyn Williams, did not answer the question. Instead, he chose to focus on his perception that he was being compared to Boris Johnson. The Education officer simply wished to be 'moving forward'

Have Committee members thought about inviting Mr Foden, so that they may hear his side of the story?
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/headteacher-says-thrown-under-bus-22213496

SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN SCHOOLS
Whilst acknowledging there is a problem, there was again very little in the way of data. The main data coming from a UK website on bullying and harassment...

Where is the local data? The schools must have recorded incidents - why was that data not presented? Why is there no data from Gwynedd Youth Justice. The Police - Governors - Pupils - Parents?

With regard to the Economy report - the data driving future works in the county appears to come from a survey undertaken by the council. There were less than 160 responses...Of those some were critical of the lack of youth provision in Gwynedd - this criticism does not appear in the council report...

Regardless, the committee passed the reports...

This meeting should be available for public viewing on the council website sometime soon -
https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/portal/home

Something is very wrong within Gwynedd council...

Cyngor Gwynedd Council Fail.: Cyngor Gwynedd Council - Harassment In Schools.:

Cyngor Gwynedd Council Fail.: Care Scrutiny Committee Pass What...

Cyngor Gwynedd council's Care Scrutiny Committee met on the 3rd February, 2022 to receive a progress report on the Occupational Therapy service and also to scrutinise the North Wales Population Needs Assessment.

Whilst the OT report was quite encouraging, if accurate - the Needs Assessment had not been completed.
The officer blamed the pandemic and a lack of data but promised the report will be ready to be presented to the Cabinet next week. So no proper scrutiny then?
Regardless, a vote on the report that was not a report was called for....!!!

A debate ensued - well sort of...
There appeared to be a plea for councillors to help in the collecting of data - then it was said there is enough data...!!
Concerns were raised that few people were responding with requests for information - surveys etc and were there mumblings that the data was not positive to the services?

The meeting bemoaned the fact not enough people are engaging to aid with data collection. But families have tried to engage and are ignored...or parent bashed. Councillors of the Scrutiny Committee have been made aware of the concerns for those with protected characteristics (and the data) for several years now - the committee has not engaged. Are members now asking for those with past experience of council services to come forward? It was all very confusing...

Have any of the five recent Ombudsman's investigations been used to inform the Assessment? Has the Hugh Morgan, OBE review been used - apart from the cut and paste 'plan' presented to the last Scrutiny meeting?

Have we reached the point where departmental reports and data are in complete contradiction to recent investigations, reviews and people's personal experiences?

One of the counci's most important pieces of work to plan services for the next 5 years is being bodged...For why? The data is worthless....

Only one committee member saw through it all and voted against accepting the report, one other abstained - the rest voted it through....

The webcast of the meeting should be available on the council's website for viewing some time soon -
https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcasts

The North Wales Population Needs Assessment can be found here -
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/documents/s32793/20220223%20Appendix%201.pdf

Something is very wrong with Gwynedd council....

Cyngor Gwynedd Council Fail.: Cyngor Gwynedd Council Scrutiny Committee Pass Wha...:

NEU - Girls' Day Schools Trust (GDST) Ballot Video

Cyngor Gwynedd Council Fail.: More Questions Re Compliance - Ombudsman

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

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

What draft plan? 

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

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

Something is very wrong within Gwynedd council...

Cyngor Gwynedd Council Fail.: Cyngor Gwynedd Council - More Questions Re Complia...

Cyngor Gwynedd Council Fail - When Is Compliance Compliance??

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

Mr Bennett went on -

 

The Transitional Social Worker has still not been employed.

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

Regardless - the Ombudsman has signed it off...

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

Cyngor Gwynedd Council Fail.: Cyngor Gwynedd Council - When Is Compliance Compli...: 

 

“No one told me it was wrong” says Boris Johnson

 “I carry full responsibility for what took place, but nobody said to me that this was an event that is against the rules."  #Partygate

.

Constitution and Standards Committee (Wirral Council) 14th December 2021

#Grenfell Local Authority Building Control (LABC) - Wednesday 8th December 2021 (1/2)

Cyngor Gwynedd Council Fail.: "it would frighten you how few members of staff undertake these trainings..."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Something is so very wrong within Gwynedd council...

Cyngor Gwynedd Council Fail.: Cyngor Gwynedd Council - 'it would frighten you ho...:

Cyngor Gwynedd Council Fail.: Autism Plan Is Simply A Cut And Paste Exercise.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Something is very wrong within Gwynedd council...

Cyngor Gwynedd Council Fail.: Cyngor Gwynedd Council's Autism Plan Is Simply A C...:

Cyngor Gwynedd Council Fail.: Handling Of FOI Requests By Information Officers.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cyngor Gwynedd Council Fail.: Cyngor Gwynedd Council - Handling Of FOI Requests ...

Cyngor Gwynedd Council Fail.: Application For Indemnity Refused

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cyngor Gwynedd Council Fail.: Application For Indemnity Refused - Cyngor Gwynedd...

Cyngor Gwynedd Council Fail.: 'Technical Difficulties...'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Something is very wrong within Gwynedd council...

Cyngor Gwynedd Council Fail.: 'Technical Difficulties...' Cyngor Gwynedd Council.: