Translate the text from English to Welsh.



 
Dear colleagues, 


I hope this letter finds you well, and I ask for you to please share it across as many of your partner organisations as possible. This includes children and young people with special educational needs (SEN), their parents/carers and families, and all others who support them.


I am immensely grateful for the way those supporting children and young people with SEN in Wales have worked together to deal with the challenges of the Coronavirus (Covid\-19\) pandemic and to mitigate the impact on learners, their families and staff.


We are all in unprecedented, uncertain and testing circumstances. We know this is particularly challenging for children and young people with SEN, their families, and those who work tirelessly to support and care for them.


This is why we have made announcements and issued FAQs with information about schools and their services during the pandemic. We will continue to update the FAQs regularly. As the Minister responsible for SEN, I wanted to let you know that we are committed to doing everything possible to support you during this difficult time. 


Vulnerable children and young people, including those with safeguarding needs and supported by social care, are at the forefront of our minds. We are working in partnership with many organisations, including the Directors of Education, Health and Social Services, to make sure we are focusing our efforts in the right places.


In accordance with Welsh Government advice, childcare and educational settings should now only be open to care for the children of critical workers and vulnerable children/children in need of specialist support and only then if the child cannot be cared for safely at home. A link to a statement made by the Minister for Education and the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services on 20 March is provided here. Further information on the Welsh Government’s definition of critical workers was made available on 27 March and can be found here. 


The safeguarding of vulnerable learners remains a priority for all, and local authorities have a duty to meet the needs of learners for whom it maintains a Statement of SEN. Many children who have a statement receive their education in a mainstream setting and would be expected to access provision in the same way as all children in this type of setting. However, for a significant minority who receive their education in a special school setting this would not be appropriate. In the event of a special school closing, the local authority must consider alternative educational provision for learners for whom it maintains a statement of SEN. Residential special schools, boarding schools and special settings should continue to care for children and young people wherever possible, and follow the guidance available on health and wellbeing for school staff and learners. A letter in relation to children living in children’s homes is available here.


On 25 March, the UK Government introduced The Coronavirus Act 2020 in response to the pandemic. Included in the Act are temporary emergency powers to enable Welsh Ministers, where necessary, to modify the legal requirements on local authorities in fulfilling their duties in relation to SEN. We are considering if we need to apply these powers in Wales and will issue information around this as soon as possible.


I encourage you to keep up to date by regularly checking the Welsh Government’s webpages on Coronavirus and please be aware of the mailbox set up specifically for Education queries relating to the Coronavirus: Covid19Education@gov.wales.


The challenges we are now facing serve to further highlight the importance of ensuring the system of support for children and young people with SEN is as effective as possible in the future. Despite the restrictions necessitated by the pandemic, we continue to work towards the successful implementation of the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018, which remains a priority.


I know that by working together, we can ensure that children and young people with SEN receive the support they need during this difficult time.


Thank you again for the incredibly important work you are doing to support the national effort at this exceptionally difficult time.  

  

Yours sincerely


**Kirsty Williams AC/AM**  

Y Gweinidog Addysg  

Minister for Education







Translation:


 
Annwyl gyfeillion, 


Gobeithio eich bod chi i gyd yn cadw’n iawn. Gofynnwn i chi rannu’r llythyr hwn gyda chynifer â phosib o’ch sefydliadau partner. Mae hyn yn cynnwys plant a phobl ifanc ag anghenion addysgol arbennig (AAA), rheini/gofalwyr a theuluoedd, a phawb arall sy’n eu cefnogi.


Rwy'n hynod ddiolchgar am y ffordd y mae'r rhai sy'n cefnogi plant a phobl ifanc ag AAA yng Nghymru wedi gweithio gyda'i gilydd i ddelio â heriau pandemig Coronafeirws (Covid\-19\) ac i leihau'r effaith ar ddysgwyr, eu teuluoedd a staff.


Rydyn ni i gyd mewn amgylchiadau digynsail, ansicr ac anodd. Rydym yn gwybod bod hyn yn arbennig o heriol i blant a phobl ifanc ag AAA, eu teuluoedd, a'r rhai sy'n gweithio'n ddiflino i'w cefnogi ac i ofalu amdanynt.


Dyna pam, dros yr wythnos ddiwethaf, rydym wedi gwneud cyhoeddiadau a chyflwyno Cwestiynau Cyffredin i roi gwybodaeth am amseroedd agor ysgolion a’u gwasanaethau yn ystod y pandemig Coronafeirws. Byddwn yn parhau i ddiweddaru y Cwestiynau Cyffredin yn rheolaidd. Fel y Gweinidog sydd â chyfrifoldeb dros AAA, roeddwn am ysgrifennu atoch i roi gwybod i chi ein bod ni wedi ymrwymo i wneud popeth posib i’ch cefnogi yn y cyfnod anodd sydd ohoni.  


Mae plant a phobl ifanc agored i niwed, gan gynnwys y rhai sydd ag anghenion diogelu ac yn cael cymorth gofal cymdeithasol, ar flaen ein meddyliau. Rydym yn gweithio mewn partneriaeth gyda nifer o sefydliadau, gan gynnwys Cyfarwyddwyr Addysg a Chyfarwyddwyr Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol, i wneud yn siŵr ein bod yn canolbwyntio’n hymdrechion yn y mannau cywir.


Yn unol â chyngor Llywodraeth Cymru, dylai lleoliadau gofal plant ac addysg fod ar agor i ofalu am blant gweithwyr allweddol a phlant agored i niwed/plant sydd angen cymorth arbenigol yn unig, a hynny dim ond os na ellir gofalu am y plentyn yn ddiogel gartref. Mae dolen i ddatganiad a wnaed gan y Gweinidog Addysg a'r Dirprwy Weinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol ar 20 Mawrth ar gael yma. Roedd rhagor o wybodaeth am ddiffiniad Llywodraeth Cymru o weithwyr hanfodol ar gael ar 27 Mawrth ac mae i'w weld yma.


Mae diogelu dysgwyr agored i niwed yn parhau i fod yn flaenoriaeth i bawb, ac mae'n ddyletswydd ar awdurdodau lleol i ddiwallu anghenion dysgwyr y mae'n cynnal Datganiad AAA ar eu cyfer. Mae llawer o blant sydd â datganiad yn derbyn eu haddysg mewn lleoliad prif ffrwd a byddai disgwyl iddynt gael mynediad at ddarpariaeth yn yr un modd â phob plentyn yn y math hwn o leoliad. Fodd bynnag, i leiafrif sylweddol sy'n derbyn eu haddysg mewn ysgol arbennig, ni fyddai hyn yn briodol. Os bydd ysgol arbennig yn cau, rhaid i'r awdurdod lleol ystyried darpariaeth addysgol amgen ar gyfer dysgwyr y mae'n cadw datganiad AAA ar eu cyfer. Dylai ysgolion arbennig preswyl, ysgolion preswyl a lleoliadau arbennig barhau i ofalu am blant lle bynnag bo hynny’n bosib, a dilyn y canllawiau sydd ar gael ynghylch iechyd a llesiant staff ysgolion a dysgwyr. Mae llythyr mewn perthynas â phlant sy'n byw mewn cartrefi plant ar gael yma.


Ar 25 Mawrth, cyflwynodd Llywodraeth y DU Ddeddf y Coronafeirws 2020 mewn ymateb i’r pandemig. Mae’r ddeddf yn cynnwys pwerau brys dros dro i’n galluogi ni, lle bo angen, i addasu’r gofynion cyfreithiol ar awdurdodau lleol i gyflawni eu dyletswyddau mewn perthynas ag AAA. Rydym yn gweithio i roi’r pwerau hyn ar waith yng Nghymru ac fe fyddwn yn dosbarthu gwybodaeth ynghylch hyn cyn gynted â phosib.


Rwy’n eich annog i gadw llygad ar yr wybodaeth ddiweddaraf drwy edrych ar dudalennau’r Coronafeirws ar wefan Llywodraeth Cymru, a chofiwch fod blwch e\-bost penodol ar gyfer ymholiadau Addysg ynghylch y Coronafeirws, sef Covid19Education@llyw.cymru.


Mae’r heriau sydd o’n blaen yn tynnu sylw at bwysigrwydd sicrhau bod y system o gymorth ar gyfer plant a phobl ifanc ag AAA mor effeithiol â phosib yn y dyfodol. Er gwaetha’r cyfyngiadau sy’n angenrheidiol yn sgil y pandemig, rydym yn parhau i weithio i roi Deddf Anghenion Dysgu Ychwanegol a’r Tribiwnlys Addysg (Cymru) 2018 ar waith yn llwyddiannus, ac mae hynny’n parhau i fod yn flaenoriaeth i ni.


Rwy’n gwybod y gallwn, drwy gydweithio, sicrhau fod plant a phobl ifanc ag AAA yn derbyn y cymorth sydd ei angen arnynt yn ystod y cyfnod anodd hwn. 


Diolch eto am y gwaith anhygoel o bwysig rydych chi'n ei wneud i gefnogi'r ymdrech genedlaethol ar yr adeg hynod anodd hon.


Yn gywir


**Kirsty Williams AC/AM**  

Y Gweinidog Addysg  

Minister for Education