Governance...? Cyngor Gwynedd Council.

Cyngor Gwynedd council held a Governance and Audit Committee meeting on Thursday, 5th September, 2024. The agenda pack for the meeting can be found here - https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/g5289/Public%20reports%20pack%2005th-Sep-2024%2010.00%20Governance%20and%20Audit%20Committee.pdf?T=10

This committee is one of the most important with responsiblity for ensuring the governance and financial arrangements of the Council are in order. Yet, this committee is not webcast and so can not be viewed later by other councillors and the public. The meeting is reliant on the accuracy of its minutes. Issues were raised with the minutes...

The Gwynedd & Ynys Môn Youth Justice Service report was discussed. With an overall performance score of 19/36, the service was rated as 'good', though its governance and leadership was called out as requiring improvement.

The report was presented by Marian Parry Hughes, head of SS for children, with contributions from Stephen Wood, the service manager. The inspection by HMIP was delayed due to Gwynedd council's insistence for bilingual assessors. One councillor asked for the numbers of the work carried out in Welsh and an approximation was given of 60%. The manager spoke to the committee in english...

Earlier this year, the Director of SS presented his Annual Statement to the council. It contained information about the Youth Justice service that was not correct. Was this statement considered by HMIP as part of their assessment?

HMIP also criticised the strategic management board (SMB) -

An improvement plan was presented to the committee, signed by Fon Roberts, Chair of the YJS management board - https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/s41567/Gwynedd%20and%20Ynys%20Mon%20YJS%20Inspection%20Improvement%20Plan%202024.pdf

Not all recommendations for improvement have been implemented yet the Governance and Audit committee accepted the report.

Members of the committee seem to have forgotten that in May, 2023, they set up a 'working group' to look into long standing issues of rent arrears and low rents of the council owned smallholdings. Staff retention and exit interviews were also to be investigated. How is that going?

In other news, the social work register is once again showing the senior safeguarding and quality officer's place of work as Gwynedd council. This information was changed to 'not applicable' at the time of the children's SS department revelation that historic complaints had been made against the department dating back to 2013/14. Why the register was changed and then changed back again is not clear...

Perhaps the website was suffering a glitch... Something is very wrong within Gwynedd council...