5 Care Homes In Gwynedd Placed Under 'Escalating Concerns Procedure'...

Cyngor Gwynedd Council have published a report that went before the Care Scrutiny Committee on the 30th, Sept, 2021 entitled - The Quality Assurance Service within the Safeguarding Unit.

The purpose of this report is to offer an overview of the work of the Quality Assurance Unit within the Adults, Health and Well-being Department of Gwynedd Council. It is intended to focus on the demand and the impact of the work in the context of providing care services for vulnerable residents in the County.

Towards the end of 2020, several safeguarding reports were received claiming that suitable care was not being provided within five homes in the County. In response to this, face-to-face monitoring was undertaken and three care homes and two nursing homes within the county were placed under the Escalating Concerns procedure. Owing to the monitoring work, an embargo on new placements was imposed on the five homes, and two now have a conditional embargo in terms of the number of new residents who may be admitted.

If any provision under-performs and that an embargo on admissions or placements is in place, it has a significant impact on the area teams in terms of their ability to place or use that service. It also has a significant effect on the individuals and their families as it is not always possible to place people within their preferred area or receive a specific service in their community in a timely manner.

The report states that one nursing home and two care homes have closed in Gwynedd over the past two years and concludes with mentioning the Magaret Flynn Review (2012) and the Winterbourne View Hospital scandal - twice. Why reference institutional abuse of those with autism and learning difficulties in a care setting from a decade ago ?

The full report can be found here - https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/s31392/Adroddiad%20Saesneg%20Sicrwydd%20Ansawdd%20-%20Pwyllgor%20Craffu%2030%2009%202021.pdf

The report makes for uncomfortable reading - but these issues have been known for years. It also makes no mention of serious incidents such as - "Care 'failings' before man choked to death on toast" https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-51388454 From the BBC article - "The report said there was no documentation relating to the awarding of the care contract to Cartrefi Cymru or any specific terms relating to Mr N's care needs and the responsibilities of parties involved in his care. It was also found there was no documentation to demonstrate the council, as lead commissioner, had monitored the delivery of care to Mr N. " No documents. No monitoring of publicly funded care delivery. No social worker. No care. So what is happening within the care homes for those with Dementia ? "What inspectors found at Gwynedd care home featured in undercover exposé" The Pines in Criccieth was featured on S4C's Byd a Bedwar https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/what-inspectors-found-gwynedd-care-15843830 What of Adults with Autism in care ? "69. - In my view, these failings not only caused Mr A a significant injustice but also impacted upon Article 8 of his Human Rights. However, I have decided that the finding I have made of maladministration is so clear and so serious that to consider the human rights issues further would add little value to my analysis or to the outcome.I have therefore decided to say no more about that." The full Ombudsman's report can be found here - http://www.lukeclements.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Ombudsman-Gwynedd-Council-report-201700388.pdf

Recommendations from this report included - 81 (f) Reviews its process on monitoring commissioned services for adults. The council agreed to complete this work by January, 2019... Will the Children's department be producing such a report ? What happened in the case of the vulnerable 15 year old, living in a caravan during his placement at a care setting in Gwynedd ? "Schoolboy 'wrapped in cling film and gagged by children's home staff' https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2020-01-29/schoolboy-wrapped-in-cling-film-and-gagged-by-children-s-home-staff-says-hearing

Something is very wrong within Gwynedd council.