Children ‘at risk from ketamine’

Richard Evans Local Democracy Reporter

Children are being put at risk from street drugs such as ketamine, warns an outspoken councillor following a damning youth justice inspection.

Cllr Paul Luckock has now been kicked out of Conwy’s First Independent Group after upsetting members with his criticism following a meeting this month.

Speaking at the social care and health overview scrutiny committee, Cllr Luckock addressed a chamber at Bodlondeb after an inspection gave a damning report on Conwy and Denbighshire Youth Justice Service.

Conwy and Denbighshire Youth Justice Service is a multi-agency partnership with a statutory responsibility for providing support for young people and their families – particularly in the areas of anti-social behaviour, substance misuse, and crime.

But the report found the service requires improvement overall – with its leadership, partnership, and services deemed ‘inadequate’.

Improvement

Cllr Luckock said at the meeting: “It doesn’t come as a surprise, I suspect, to any councillor in this room that the recommendation from this inspection requires improvement.

“In a sense I’m disappointed because since I was elected as a councillor I’ve been banging on about youth justice and the heightened risk to children locally – some of the issues I have had to deal with locally are deeply distressing.

“From a child’s point of view, I would say the lack of service, the lack of engagement and an attachment to some of these youngsters at very high risk… and that’s not to say there are not very good people out there doing good work every day, and some people are engaged and attached with these young people.

“How did we politically and professionally allow this to happen? How did we allow it to get into the state it is in today?”

Responsibility

But whilst Conwy’s strategic director Jenny Williams said she accepted full responsibility for the damning report, Conwy’s leader Cllr Charlie McCoubrey said he didn’t have knowledge of the issues.

Ms Williams said: “This isn’t where we want to be at all. I’m prepared to take that responsibility as board chair, but I don’t think the team themselves have allowed this to happen, if I can respond to your direct question, but I certainly take responsibility for that wider strategic governance and not driving that with the rigour it needed, for sure.”

In response to Cllr Luckock, Cllr Charlie McCoubrey said: “As leader I can only get involved with things when I know there is an issue and there’s evidence there’s an issue. That’s why we have audits. That’s why we have investigations.

“Once we are aware of something then you can take the appropriate action, and I have every confidence in the plan that has been outlined here. It recognises where there are failings and take steps to move them forward.

“Maybe it’s a failure of the system, but if you are not aware of a problem, then you can’t deal with that problem. We have been made aware, and I’m confident it’ll be dealt with.”

Cllr Liz Roberts is the cabinet member for children, families and safeguarding.

During the meeting, she said: “I joined the board in the latter end of 2022, and I realised there were difficulties, but all I can say is today that board is really functioning, and I am confident that we will get to where we want to get to, and what Jenny (Williams) and the team’s aim is to be the best, and that is what now we will be endeavouring to do.”

But Cllr Luckock said he didn’t accept the council was unaware politically of problems with children and anti-social behaviour in the community and the help those young people and their families needed.

Cllr Luckock then claimed he tried to raise several matters with the Youth Justice Service but said he was denied access with ‘push-back’.

Criticism

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Luckock was highly critical of the partnership’s leadership and even called for Cllr Liz Roberts to resign.

“The big issue is if the Youth Justice Service is not working effectively, the risk to children locally is significant,” he said.

“And it’s not just the children who are using the drugs and are involved in anti-social behaviour and criminal damage, and all those issues that happen locally. Obviously, they then draw in other kids, drugs from cannabis to ketamine, even cocaine and heroin, Vapes, other substances, everything.

“People don’t want to talk about it, but it is rife locally. People want to assume that maybe it goes on but in Rhyl. But it goes on in Llandudno, Colwyn Bay, and Abergele, Pensarn and Belgrano.

“It is everywhere. There is a risk of fatalities, but if these youngsters are not engaged then the risk to them becomes greater, either from exploitation, or there’s violence, and some of these drugs, particularly ketamine, increase the risk of physical and sexual abuse.

“All of those things are happening in Conwy, and obviously the Youth Justice Service, social services, and the police have to get on top of it; otherwise, it grows each year. The use of ketamine locally has gone up every year in recent years. Ketamine can cause overdoses, but it also takes away your inhibitions, and people do crazy things, like they are flying, so there are injuries and accidents from that too.”

Cllr Luckock added: “The chief exec, leader, and cabinet member should be held accountable (for the poor inspection). Ultimately, the chief exec, under the legislation, is legally responsible for youth justice.

“Politically, the responsibility lies with the leader and the cabinet member. If I’d been the cabinet member, and this was under my watch, you’d definitely have to have gone to the leader and said I think I need to reconsider my position and resign. The leader might say no, but I think you’d have to offer your resignation.

“I’ve often publicly raised questions and challenged people about accountability, and I got hauled in a year ago in front of the cabinet, and they said, ‘You are too critical. You are too challenging’ and I said I was doing my job. You can’t turn away from difficult issues.”

He added: “I think Cllr Charlie McCoubrey thinks and feels I undermine his authority by questioning and challenging some of his decision making.”

“Failing”

The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 places a responsibility on each local authority to establish and maintain a Youth Justice Service.

Its primary aim is to prevent anti-social behaviour, offending, and re-offending by young people aged 10 – 17 years.

The partnership includes staff from Conwy and Denbighshire county councils, North Wales Police, the Probation Service, NHS, Careers Wales, and substance misuse organisations.

But the largely negative inspection report was provided by the HM Inspectorate of Probation and presented to councillors at the Bodlondeb meeting.

According to the report, Conwy and Denbighshire Youth Justice Service is failing in several areas.

Perhaps most damning, the areas of governance and leadership and partnerships and services were scored as ‘inadequate’.

The partnership’s overall rating was described as ‘requiring improvement’ -these areas included staff, information and facilities, assessment, planning, implementation and delivery, and reviewing – as well as the service’s out-of-court disposal policy.

As a result of the findings, several recommendations have been made to improve the partnership’s running.

The Conwy and Denbighshire Youth Justice Management Board has now been advised to undertake a detailed ‘needs analysis’ to inform the board and partnership of what services are needed.

It also must make sure there are effective information-sharing agreements in place so children can access the service quickly.

The service will also be required to monitor children’s access to partnership services, addressing any barriers in a timely way – with other advice issued to partner agencies.

In a statement Cllr Charlie McCoubrey explained why Cllr Luckock was ousted from the independent group.

He said: “Independent councillors don’t belong to a political party. Conwy First Independent group is not a political party and as such independently elected members are free to vote on any issue as they see fit.

“The main purpose of the group is to appoint members to council committees in order to meet the council’s requirement for political balance. It is clear that on a number of issues Cllr Paul’s (Luckock) views do not represent the views of the group as a whole, and for this reason a democratic decision was unanimously supported by members to remove him from the group.”

Cllr McCoubrey also addressed Cllr Luckock’s comments regarding the inspection.

“The inspection of the multi-agency Conwy and Denbighshire Youth Justice Service clearly identified areas that need improvement. These recommendations have been accepted in full, and I would like to record my thanks to our Chief Executive Rhun ap Gareth, the portfolio holder Cllr Liz Roberts, and to the team, for the excellent progress they have made in ensuring that all agencies work together more effectively to achieve the necessary improvements.”

Cllr Liz Roberts and Conwy County Council were contacted for a comment.