Cyngor Gwynedd's response to the Our Bravery Brought Justice report

Cyngor Gwynedd has welcomed the publication of ‘Our Bravery Brought Justice’, the North Wales Safeguarding Board’s report in response to the crimes of Neil Foden.

The Council accepts all the findings of the Child Practice Review Report; takes responsibility for the failures that are highlighted; apologises unreservedly to all victims and commits to continue to work to improve safeguarding arrangements in the county's schools. 

In January 2025, in response to these crimes, Cyngor Gwynedd adopted an action plan to strengthen procedures in schools and within Council services and a Board was established to oversee this vital work.

Councillor Nia Jeffreys, Leader of Cyngor Gwynedd, said:

“This has been a shocking case that has caused so much harm to children. We are saddened by the details that have been highlighted by the independent reviewers and we take responsibility for the mistakes and missed opportunities to stop Neil Foden.

“On behalf of the Council, I apologise to all those who have suffered and pay tribute to their courage and strength.

“The task of putting the situation right locally has begun. To drive this critical work forward, we have established a Programme Board chaired by Professor Sally Holland, an authority on social care and a former Children's Commissioner for Wales.

“Child protection experts from several national organisations are also present at all Board meetings as observers, providing valuable input.

“We will go through the report with a fine-tooth comb to identify what further steps need to be taken so that mistakes are not repeated. We will not hide from our responsibility to do whatever it takes to protect children – now and into the future.”

Councillor Menna Trenholme, Cyngor Gwynedd's Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children and Supporting Families, said:

“I welcome the report and I state my admiration of the victims and survivors, and also thank them for their resilience.

“Following the publication of the 'Our Bravery Brought Justice' report we are committed to improving and strengthening our safeguarding arrangements for the sake of all children in Gwynedd.”

Councillor Dewi Jones, Cyngor Gwynedd's Cabinet Member for Education, said:

“We will never forget the harm and far-reaching effect that this has had on the lives of children who should have been safe at school.

“We cannot change the past, but we will continue to work with the new leadership and governors of Ysgol Friars to support the school community to cope with what has happened.

“We are committed to learning from this horrendous situation and ensuring that Gwynedd schools are safe and supportive of learners and staff. We have already made progress in this respect and our local arrangements are much more robust than they were before the offender was arrested. 

“There is still much to be done, and we will act on all further guidance arising from the Our Bravery Brought Justice report.

“The challenge for the Education Department is to ensure that lessons are learned so that deceptive individuals can never again take advantage of weaknesses in local and national systems and protocols.”

Dafydd Gibbard, Chief Executive of Cyngor Gwynedd said:

“The responsibility for many of the failures highlighted in this report lie with Cyngor Gwynedd and we sincerely apologise to all the victims for that. We pay tribute to them for their courage and strength.

“As painful as this report is to read, we welcome it and accept all its conclusions and recommendations.

“In situations where an organisation is under scrutiny, there is sometimes a tendency to be defensive. Today, I assure you that will not be the case with Cyngor Gwynedd. We will not shirk our responsibility to do all that is needed to protect children now and into the future.”

Further information on the website: Child Practice Review Outcome, November 2025

For more information, please contact: communications@gwynedd.llyw.cymru