NOTICES OF MOTION
(A) NOTICE
OF MOTION BY COUNCILLOR BECA BROWN
In accordance with the Notice of Motion received under Section 4.19 of the Constitution, Councillor Beca Brown will propose as follows:-
We would like
to welcome the publication of the Child Practice Review on 4 November, noting
our deep thanks to chair, Jan Pickles, for her careful work, and so too to the
panel and to the North Wales Safeguarding Board.
We would
like to note the title of the report, which is Our Bravery Brought Justice. It
is important that we always acknowledge the title when discussing this report,
as it pays a well-deserved tribute to the bravery of children – children who
were supposed to be safe in their schools, and children who ended years of
horrific offending by one of the most powerful men in this county. We owe them
a great deal. Our thoughts are with them, and we thank them from the bottom of
our hearts for their remarkable determination and resilience.
We as a
council are committed to learning all the lessons that come from the report,
but beyond that, we are committed to looking at any relevant issues that have
fallen outside the remit of the CPR, which looked at the case of this offender
in the period from 2017 to September 2023.
We
therefore call on the Cabinet to consider what further independent
investigations are needed to address matters outside the boundaries of the CPR.
We are fully alert to the fact that further work needs to be done and ask the
Cabinet to work tirelessly to identify what is yet to be achieved.
We once
again express our sincere apologies to the children who have suffered harm, and
we pledge to leave no stone unturned to ensure, to the best of our ability,
that 'never again' means 'never again'
(B) NOTICE
OF MOTION BY COUNCILLOR NIA JEFFREYS
In accordance with the Notice of Motion received under
Section 4.19 of the Constitution, Councillor Nia Jeffreys will propose as
follows:-
Propose
that the Council
1. Notes: that suicide figures in Wales registered in 2024 were 15.7 per
100,000 people which was an increase on the figure for 2023, which was 14.0 per
100,000.
There are
several factors associated with suicide, including: poverty, unemployment,
mental and physical health problems, grief, abuse, loneliness, relationship
problems, alcohol and substance misuse etc.
We also note
that suicide is the leading cause of death of young people up to the age of 35
according to the Papyrus charity, because young people rarely die from other
causes.
Middle-aged
men between the ages of 30-44 in Wales are most likely to commit suicide. 76%
of deaths by suicide were men. There is a correlation between poverty and
suicide, with 15.8 in 100,000 suicides occurring in deprived areas, and 8.6 in
100,000 in the least deprived areas.
126.7 in
100,000 are unemployed.
Suicide is
preventable, and support is available.
2. Believes: That the people of Wales have a right to live ... view the full agenda text for item 11
Additional documents:
Decision:
Item 11
(a): NOTICE OF MOTION FROM COUNCILLOR
BECA BROWN
In
accordance with the Notice of Motion received in accordance with Section 4.19 of
the Constitution, a motion was received from Councillor Beca Brown proposing as
follows:-
We would
like to welcome the publication of the Child Practice Review on 4 November,
noting our deep thanks to chair, Jan Pickles, for her careful work, and so too
to the panel and to the North Wales Safeguarding Board.
We would
like to note the title of the report, which is Our Bravery Brought Justice. It
is important that we always acknowledge the title when discussing this report,
as it pays a well-deserved tribute to the bravery of children – children who
were supposed to be safe in their schools, and children who ended years of
horrific offending by one of the most powerful men in this county. We owe them
a great deal. Our thoughts are with them, and we thank them from the bottom of
our hearts for their remarkable determination and resilience.
We as a
council are committed to learning all the lessons that come from the report,
but beyond that, we are committed to looking at any relevant issues that have
fallen outside the remit of the CPR, which looked at the case of this offender
in the period from 2017 to September 2023.
We once
again express our sincere apologies to the children who have suffered harm, and
we pledge to leave no stone unturned to ensure, to the best of our ability,
that 'never again' means 'never again'.
Item 11
(b): NOTICE OF MOTION FROM COUNCILLOR NIA JEFFREYS
In accordance with the Notice of Motion received in
accordance with Section 4.19 of the Constitution, Councillor Nia Jeffreys will
propose as follows:-
Propose that the Council:
1. Notes: that suicide figures in Wales registered in
2024 were 15.7 per 100,000 people which was an increase on the figure for 2023,
which was 14.0 per 100,000. There are several factors associated with suicide,
including: poverty, unemployment, mental and physical health problems, grief,
abuse, loneliness, relationship problems, alcohol and substance misuse etc.
We also note that suicide is the leading cause of
death of young people up to the age of 35 according to the Papyrus charity,
because young people rarely die from other causes.
Middle-aged men between the ages of 30-44 in Wales are
most likely to commit suicide. 76% of deaths by suicide were men. There is a
correlation between poverty and suicide, with 15.8 in 100,000 suicides
occurring in deprived areas, and 8.6 in 100,000 in the least deprived areas.
126.7 in 100,000 are unemployed.
Suicide is preventable, and support is available.
2. Believes: That the people of Wales have a right to live in communities that are free of the fear and stigma that are associated with suicide and self-harm. We believe that the people of Wales have a right to be empowered and supported to access and offer support wherever they are needed (Welsh ... view the full decision text for item 11
Minutes:
The following notice of motion was submitted by Councillor Beca Brown under Section 4.19 of the
Constitution and it was seconded. The member set out the context to her motion, noting:-
·
That
it took a village to bring up a child, with the intention of protecting the
children. She emphasised that everyone, both officers and Councillors, were a
part of the village and had a responsibility to commit to be a voice for those
without a voice and a shoulder for those who were most vulnerable.
·
When
adults abused the most vulnerable in society, i.e. children, it destroyed lives.
·
It
was emphasised that the young girls had been the brave ones here, not the adults.
·
It
was vowed that child protection was at the heart of this work, and if there was
concern, "think the unthinkable", as noted by Jan Pickles.
·
The
proposal clearly noted that the publication of the report was only the
beginning of the work, and that there was a need to work together to be a
county where people who wished to turn to the Council were aware that their voice was heard and that action was taken, and to be the county that the children
deserved.
The motion was
supported, noting:-
·
An
apology to the children and they were thanked for their bravery. Unfortunately,
and with a heavy heart, the council had seriously failed in several ways. It
was noted that there were clear themes where children's voices had not been
listened to. It was expressed that there was a need to be alert to and to know how to respond effectively to
safeguarding matters.
·
The
need to carry out a self-assessment again was noted, since we as a Council had
fallen short of our statutory duties.
·
It
was expressed that there was a need to revisit processes as well as the Council’s attitude to processes as it had been highlighted as a clear
failure in the Child Practice Review.
·
The
seriousness of the report was emphasised, and important themes running through
the report were highlighted, such as consistent failures to follow the
child protection guidelines correctly and a failure to identify transferrable
risks.
·
Further
potential investigations were noted, which included investigations to see
whether the Council's response was sufficient and prompt and investigate the
roles of other agencies in the case.
·
The
need to look at the relationship between the Education Department, School Governors and the School, as this had failed in Friars,
emphasising how it looked in the real world, and thus ensuring the correct
culture.
·
It
was asked that Safeguarding training to be carried out by external specialists,
and it was not done in-house.
·
It
was noted that the Cabinet would be looking at what investigations needed to be
carried out and that they were done independently.
·
It
was emphasised that the Council had let families and children down and had
broken the trust of parents sending their children to school.
· It was ... view the full minutes text for item 11