Extraordinary Meeting of Cyngor Gwynedd

“The greatest tribute we can pay to the courage of the victims is the assurance and promise of change and action”  

At am extraordinary meeting of Cyngor Gwynedd today (5 February 2026), all elected members of the authority were given the opportunity to share their thoughts on the content of the Response Plan, which follows the ‘Our Bravery Brought Justice’ Report.  

Following today’s meeting, Councillor Nia Jeffreys, Leader of the Council, said: “The victims are at the forefront of my mind, and I sincerely apologise to everyone affected by these horrific crimes. It's simply not good enough that their voices weren't heard.  

“The content of the ‘Our Bravery Brought Justice’ report is truly awful and the details of the case have shaken the people of Gwynedd and the Council.  

“Cyngor Gwynedd is on a journey – from failure towards our ambition of being gold standard in child protection.  

“It would be a hollow apology if we didn’t act and make sure that things change. The greatest tribute I can pay to the courage of the victims and survivors is to give assurances and the promise of change and action. Failures of the type highlighted in the review will not happen again.  

“Only by working together – with everyone pulling in the same direction – can we make real and timely progress in such a vitally important area. No department, party or individual can achieve change on their own; we must work together across boundaries to ensure a safer future for the county's children and young people.”  

“I’m confident that the Council has today taken another step on the journey to learn lessons and to take action to ensure that the county’s child safeguarding arrangements are robust.  

“Today’s meeting follows three other Council committees held over the past few weeks, where my fellow members have done detailed work to scrutinise and challenge the new Plan.  

“I am grateful to them all for their unwavering dedication to this important process.”  

The original Response Plan was adopted by Cyngor Gwynedd’s Cabinet in January 2025 and has already led to changes within the county. Over time, the plan has evolved as a fuller picture of what went wrong has emerged.  

Following the publication of the ‘Our Bravery Brought Justice’ report on 4 November 2025, the plan has been adapted to fully reflect the experts’ findings and recommendations.  

Throughout this journey, a Response Board – independently chaired by former Children’s Commissioner for Wales Professor Sally Holland and includes observers from several national organisations – has offered input, advice and a challenge to the Response Plan.  

 

Notes  

The revised Response Plan will be presented to the Council’s Cabinet on 10 March 2026 to consider its formal adoption. 

The revised Response Plan has already been discussed in the following committees and forums: 

• Response Plan Board on 8 December,  

• Care Scrutiny Committee - Tuesday, 13 January, 2026. More details here: Agenda for Care Scrutiny Committee on Tuesday, 13th January, 2026, 10.30 am 

• Governance and Audit Committee - Thursday, 15 January, 2026. More details here: Agenda for Governance and Audit Committee on Thursday, 15th January, 2026, 10.00 am 

• Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee - Monday, 19 January, 2026. More details here: Agenda for Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee on Monday, 19th January, 2026, 10.30 am 

• Ministerial Assurance Group, 22 January 2026. 

More information, including a link to the full Our Bravery Brought Justice report, is available on the Council’s website: Child Practice Review Outcome, November 2025