Bowen
This lady was in attendance at Safeguarding Strategy Meetings at Ynysowen Primary School on 24th and 25th of February 2016
This lady was a major player in the cover-up of the weaknesses of Safeguarding and Child Protection Practices at Merthyr Council.
If AB was not in attendance, at the meeting on 25th, the meeting must have been convened and chaired by Sarah Bowen.
So Sarah Bowen would have been responsible for recording the minutes of the meeting.
No minutes or notes of the meetings on 24th and 25th February exist. That was one of the weaknesses identified by the WAO Auditor in the Report on the Review of Whistleblowing Arrangements related too Safeguarding at Merthyr Council.
In all of the Officers’ Reports to Committees that have had some selected references from the Report you will find no reference to the failure to provide such notes (as is required by Welsh Government Regulations).
That is just one example.
There are many more.
A Safeguarding Strategy meeting was held at Ynysowen Primary School on 25th February 2016 to discuss what action was required to be taken to comply with Safeguarding children in education: handling allegations of abuse against teachers and other staff. Guidance for local authorities, headteachers, school staff, governing bodies and proprietors of independent schools: Welsh Government circular no: 009/2014 Date of issue: April 2014
- The following persons were in attendance at that meeting
- Rosa Lazell (RL)
- Chair of Governors
- Alex Beckham (AB)
- Safeguarding Manager Social Services Department
- Sarah Bowen (SB)
- Lead Manager for Child Protection – Education
- Chris Jones (CJ)
- Senior HR Officer
CJ stated that consideration needed to be given to the arrangement of an independent investigation into the allegation recently .
CJ stated that if it was decided not to proceed with an independent investigation because it was considered that the allegation was Unfounded, a record of the reasons for arriving at that decision needed to be kept.
What else Should have happened at the Safeguarding Strategy Meeting
SB should have advised RL that CJ’s advice was correct.
AB or SB, whoever convened the meeting, should have recorded the decisions made at the meeting.
What should have happened next
SB should have reported back to her Line Managers that RL was not prepared to follow the procedures laid down by the Welsh Government Regulations.
An independent investigation should have been carried out into the failures of:
- SB to inform RL that CJ’s advice was correct
- AB or SB to ensure that an appropriate written record was made of the decisions at the meetings
- SB to report RL’s refusal to follow the advice given to her by CJ
What happened next?
Sweet FA
Two Questions: 1.What happened after the Safeguarding Strategy Meeting held at Ynysowen Primary School 25th February 2016? 2. What should have happened after that Safeguarding Strategy Meeting?
Merthyr Council Cover-up 