Cyngor Gwynedd publishes a plan in response to Neil Foden's crimes

At a meeting on 21 January, Cyngor Gwynedd’s Cabinet will discuss a plan that sets out a range of procedures and arrangements that are underway to investigate all the lessons to be learnt following Neil Foden's crimes.

The plan has six main aims:

• Acknowledge openly and publicly that such offences should never have happened, and that no child should suffer such experiences.
• Apologise sincerely to the victims and their families for what they have had to suffer.
• Support the survivors, the school and the wider community as they recover.
• Establish all the facts of the case, the history around the situation and the wider context.
• Learn all the lessons identified as part of the findings and recommendations of the various investigations.
• Improve by responding in full and at pace to all findings and recommendations with the aim of providing confidence to the public that the Council is doing everything possible to ensure that no one will suffer in the same way ever again.

The Council has received valuable input from external agencies to draw up the plan and they will continue to play an important role as the plan is developed and implemented.

Cabinet Members will consider a series of recommendations, including:

• The allocation of resources to establish a specific Programme Board to co-ordinate and ensure appropriate and timely progress on the procedures and steps which will be taken in response. The Board will be led by an independent person and include external membership from bodies such as the Office of the Children's Commissioner for Wales, the Welsh Government and Estyn; as well as the Chair of the Child Practice Review Panel.
• The formalising of Cyngor Gwynedd’s call for the Welsh Government to undertake a Public Inquiry into Neil Foden's crimes.

If the Plan is adopted, the Programme Board will regularly review and monitor progress, and the Council's Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee will scrutinise the content.

Councillor Nia Jeffreys, Leader of Cyngor Gwynedd, said:

“As the Response Plan is submitted to the Cabinet, we are reminded once again of the courage and resilience of the victims and all those affected by these horrific crimes; and of our responsibility as elected members to do everything within our power to ensure that no young person in Gwynedd will suffer in the same way again.

“When I was elected Council Leader in early December, the very first thing I did was apologise to the victims and promise that no stone would be left unturned to establish what went wrong. If this Plan is adopted, it will be a first step on the journey towards realising this promise.

“The Plan draws together in one document the measures we have already put in place and what we will do over the coming months and years. This will enable councillors, the people of Gwynedd, the Government and the Children's Commissioner to measure our progress and identify any gaps. In addition, as it is a live document, we have the flexibility to modify it as needed.

“Of course, this work will not turn back the clock or undo the impact on the victims, but it is a robust and transparent plan in response to a truly horrific situation. It is our hope that this work will help the Ysgol Friars community as they restore and rebuild and that it will be a step forward on the Council's journey to investigate what went wrong and the lessons to be learnt for the future.

“The report re-iterates our full support and commitment as a Council to the Child Practice Review which is already underway. It also formalises Cyngor Gwynedd’s call for a Public Inquiry and asks that the Welsh Government – as the body with the relevant statutory powers – to come to a timely decision on this.”

Notes – The report which will be discussed by Cyngor Gwynedd’s Cabinet can be viewed here: Agenda for The Cabinet on Tuesday, 21st January, 2025, 1.00 pm