Gwynedd Council - How Can A Rating Of 19/36 Be Good?
The Gwynedd and Ynys Môn Youth Justice Service (YJS) has recently been inspected by the HM Inspectorate of Probation. This inspection was delayed from last year due to the insistence of the Director of SS that the inspectors be bilingual.
Inspectors may have been informed by last years annual statement from the director as part of their investigation. This statement contained information relating to the YJS that was not accurate…
An excerpt from the HMIP report –
Assessment work to identify and analyse risks to the child’s safety and wellbeing was much weaker. Practitioners, while generally accessing information well, did not use the information from other agencies regularly. We identified failures to appropriately consider or respond to exploitation concerns and suggest this is an area that requires additional training, understanding and focus by the service. Inspectors did not agree with almost half of the risk classifications made by case managers.
While the report singles out frontline staff and volunteers for praise, it highlights that the governance and leadership requires improvement. The strategic management board (SMB) also comes in for criticism –
After only receiving a score of 19/36 the report rates the service as ‘good’.Gwynedd council’s response to the report is given by Stephen Wood, the manager of the service –
https://www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/en/Council/News/Press-releases/May-2024/Gwasanaeth-Cyfiawnder-Ieuenctid-Gwynedd-a-M%c3%b4n-wedi-ei-raddio-fel-Da.aspx
No link to the HMIP report is provided but can be found here – https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprobation/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/08/An-inspection-of-youth-justice-services-in-Gwynedd-Ynys-Mon.pdf
The disconnect is obvious.
Something is very wrong within Gwynedd council…