Safeguarding board updates councillors after Neil Foden child abuse case

Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter

Corporate Safeguarding Board update senior councils on their latest report after historical Neil Foden case.

At a meeting of Powys County Council’s Liberal Democrat/Labour Cabinet on Tuesday, May 19, senior councillors received an update on the work done by the Corporate Safeguarding Board who last met in March.

The report included details of how the council and board are addressing the findings of Cyngor Gwynedd’s child practice review: “Our Bravery Brought Justice.”

This review, which was published last November, is an independent, multi-agency report commissioned by the North Wales Safeguarding Board into the historical sexual abuse committed by Neil Foden, the former headteacher of Ysgol Friars secondary school in Bangor.

Foden was convicted at Mold Crown Court in May 2024 for sexual offences against four victims and sentenced to 17 year’s in prison.

In the wake of the scandal, the Welsh Government asked all safeguarding boards to review the recommendations of the report.

Cabinet member for regulatory services Cllr Richard Church (Liberal Democracy – Welshpool Castle) said: “I wanted to highlight our response to the Gwynedd child practice review which has been a very serious case involving child abuse over a long period which failed to be adequately reported and dealt with because of the power of certain individuals involved in it.

“The point that comes across very strongly out of our discussions is the need for us to use every mechanism we can,to ensure we are listening properly to the voice of the child.”

He added that the council needed to work closely with its schools to ensure the staff training in place so that young people are being listened to and messages are not “ignored.”

Cabinet member for children’s services Cllr Sandra Davies (Labour – Cwm Twrch) said : “Long gone are the days when a child should be seen and not heard, we’re reversing that.

“If we see or hear of anything we don’t think is right, please please report it, it’s very important.”

She believed it was better to over report potential issues rather than “miss out” on something that could be important.

“Children are our future and we need to protect them,” stressed Cllr Davies.

Director of social services Nina Davies said: “Just to note that children’s services have submitted a very detailed response via the regional safeguarding board to Welsh Government.

“One of the actions agreed by the board is that we will have a further update in due course on progress against those recommendations.”

This was to provide cabinet and councillors that there will be “continuing corporate oversight,” of this work.

“Just to give you that assurance that we’ll be continuing corporate oversight of this work.”

The report was noted by cabinet and will also be on the agenda for discussion at meetings of the Governance and Audit committee on Friday, May 22, and a meeting of the Health and Care scrutiny committee next month.