Following the completion of the Criminal Justice process into the offending of Neil Foden ex-headteacher Ysgol Friars a Child Practice Review was commissioned. The Child Practice Review aims to identify any steps that can be taken by the Safeguarding Board partners (Police, Local Authority, Health or other bodies) to achieve improvements in multi-agency child protection practice. The Child Practice Review process commenced in August 2024.
Learning from this review relates to:
- Perpetrator behaviour and the culture in the school that enabled his offending.
- The Perpetrator professional conduct and behaviour and his management and leadership of the schools at which he worked.
- Governance arrangements.
- Disclosure and decision making.
- The impact of sexual abuse on children and the wider school community.
- Improving systems and arrangements for the protection of children from sexual abuse and exploitation.
The Review Team
The Child Practice Review team consists of Jan Pickles OBE as Chair and two reviewers. Jan is an experienced reviewer having completed many similar reviews where children and young people have been sexually abused by those in positions of trust. Jan works alongside two reviewers who both have significant experience in education and child protection. The Review Team are independent and have no local connection professionally or personally and have not previously worked for any of the agencies involved.
How to contact the Review Team
In the initial stages of the Child Practice Review, we have been collecting information from many sources, spending time in the school and interviewing those that worked with Neil Foden.
We would welcome your involvement if you or family members has been impacted by the actions of Neil Foden.
As we have a fluent Welsh speaker on the team, please do contact us in your language of choice. If you feel you could contribute to the Child Practice Review or have other information to share, please contact the review team at reviews@denbighshire.gov.uk.
We wish to assure you that your information will be treated in the strictest confidence we will only breach this confidence if we believe a child or adult with care and support needs is currently at risk of harm.
Within the review you will not be identified, this is to ensure all feel able to speak up.
Current Updates
November 2025
Today, the Board has published the Child Practice Review called ‘Our Bravery Brought Justice.’
This is the Child Practice Review in response to Neil Foden’s sexual offending at Ysgol Friars in Gwynedd.
The name of the report has been chosen by one of the young people who took part in the review, and it was important that the courage of these young people was recognised and at the heart of the review.
We apologise again for the delay in the publication of the report
Please see below for the following documents and pre – recorded interviews
- Full Child Practice Review report
- Child friendly version of the report
- Pre recorded interview from the Co- Chair of the North Wales Safeguarding Board and the Chair of the Review
- Press statements from North Wales Safeguarding Board/ Chair of the Review / North Wales Police / Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board/Cyngor Gwynedd
Our Bravery Brought Justice – CPR Report Eng-_.pdf
Our Bravery Brought Justice CPR Review-Eng. Child Friendly Version.pdf
FOR CHILDREN / OR ADULTS IMPACTED BY THE CONTENTS OF THE REPORT, THE FOLLOWING HELPLINES ARE AVAILABLE:
CHILDREN:
The office of the Children’s Commissioner for Wales is here to promote and protect the rights and welfare of all children who usually live in Wales. The Children’s Rights Advice and Assistance Team offer a free and confidential helpline which is there to advise and assist children and young people or those who care for them if they feel that a child has been treated unfairly.
Tel: 0808 801 1000 Email: advice@childcomwales.org.uk
Childline
Childline: A free counselling service for kids and young people, providing support for a wide range of issues, including mental health and online safety. Childline is open 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, so Children can speak to them any time. Counsellors are here to listen and support you with anything you’d like to talk about.
You can call for free on 0800 1111 or speak online using the 1-2-1 chats.
Meic
Meic is the helpline service for children and young people up to the age of 25 in Wales. From finding out what’s going on in your local area to help dealing with a tricky situation,
https://www.meiccymru.org/
Tel- 080880 23456
ADULTS
Mind support line
Call Mind’s support line on 0300 102 1234.
This is a safe space for you to talk about your mental health. Advisors are trained to listen to you and help you find specialist support if you need it.
Samaritans
You can contact Samaritans 24 hours a day, 365 days a year:
Call 116 123 (free from any phone)
Call the Samaritans Welsh Language Line on 0808 164 0123 (7pm–11pm every day)
Email: jo@samaritans.org (email responses may take several days)
SANEline
If you’re experiencing a mental health problem or supporting someone else, you can call SANEline on 0300 304 7000 (4.30pm–10pm every day).
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October 2025
On behalf of the North Wales Safeguarding Board, we are notifying you that the Child Practice Review report will be published on Tuesday 4th November. The report will be available on the North Wales Safeguarding Board website https://www.northwalessafeguardingboard.wales/gwynedd-child-practice-review/ from 3pm on that date.
We would like to apologise again for having to delay the publication of the report and the impact this had on victims and families.
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September 2025
It is with the deepest of regrets that the North Wales Safeguarding Board has had to take the difficult decision to delay publication of the Child Practice Review ‘Our Bravery Brought Justice’ to consider its legal obligations and information sharing. We appreciate that this is a huge disappointment to all those involved not least the brave women and children who are at the heart of this review. We will endeavour to provide a revised timeline as soon as we are able to. Those leading on the review continue with their responsibilities of focussing on the wellbeing of victims during this difficult time, as has been the case throughout the review cycle.
The North Wales Safeguarding Board have made the decision to delay the publication of the Gwynedd Child Practice Review this month as it considers its legal obligations and information sharing further.
April 2025
The Gwynedd Child Practice Review led by Jan Pickles OBE is continuing to make progress in relation to formalising the final report before it’s presentation to the North Wales Safeguarding Board. The draft report will be presented to the North Wales Safeguarding Board before being shared with the Safeguarding and Advocacy team in Welsh Government. During the summer period, the review team will be making arrangements to meet with the victims and families to discuss the contents of the report.
The North Wales Safeguarding Board now expect that the report will be published in September 2025.
February 2025
The Gwynedd Child Practice Review led by Jan Pickles OBE is continuing to meet with professionals and members of the general public who have information that they feel will inform the review process.
We have recently published the terms of reference for the review and provided a further update to Welsh Government in January 2025.
As part of the process, we would again encourage anyone with information that is relevant to the review to refer to the terms of reference to contact the review team.
We wish to assure you that your information will be treated in the strictest confidence. The only instance where there may be a breach of this confidence is if we believe a child or adult with care and support needs is currently at risk of harm.
Please contact the review team at reviews@denbighshire.gov.uk
Press Release Jan 2025
Terms of reference extended child practice review into the abuse by Neil Foden
Press Release Nov 24
The Gwynedd Child Practice Review led by Jan Pickles OBE is continuing to meet with professionals and members of the general public who have information that they feel will inform the review process.
The North Wales Safeguarding Board provides regular updates to the Welsh Government Safeguarding and Advocacy Unit regarding the review’s progress although at this stage the Board does not expect the review report to be completed until the late spring of 2025.
The Child Practice Review Panel continues to review the time period that the review covers and also the Terms of Reference to reflect any new concerns that the review has identified.
The Review Panel have focused on key issues such as perpetrator behaviour and professional conduct. Governance arrangements and management of disclosures are also considered in the review.
Jenny Williams in her role as Chair of the North Wales Children’s Safeguarding Board, “Learning from the review”, will help identify improvements that need to be made to safeguarding systems and arrangements for the protection of children from sexual abuse and exploitation.”
Any information relevant to the review can be sent directly to the North Wales Safeguarding Board via the regional email address reviews@denbighshire.gov.uk
Press Release July 24
Following the conclusion of the criminal court case in respect of Neil Foden on 15 May 2024, the North Wales Safeguarding Board have started a Child Practice Review.
The North Wales Safeguarding Board have commissioned Jan Pickles OBE to be the Independent Chair for the Child Practice Review. Jan Pickles is a registered social worker who has worked with the Probation Service, the Police, the NSPCC and has been a National Independent Safeguarding Board Wales member.
Alongside Jan Pickles the Board has also commissioned two independent reviewers from outside the region who have experience of safeguarding in schools.
Press queries should be directed to public.relations@denbighshire.gov.uk
