Translate the text from English to Welsh.



 
In October 2018, Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) undertook an inspection of Children’s Services in Powys County Council. CIW’s report is published today (9 January). This inspection follows up on its previous inspection in July 2017, where serious concerns were identified about the delivery of children’s services in Powys. A formal Warning Notice, was issued to Powys County Council under Part 8 of the Social Services and Well\-being (Wales) Act 2014, in October 2017\. The Warning Notice placed a number of requirements upon the local authority; including the development of an Improvement Plan and the establishment of an Improvement Board.  


A Follow\-Up Warning Notice was issued in January 2018 and an Addendum to the Follow\-Up Warning Notice issued in April 2018\.  Both these notices highlighted further work to be progressed to deliver improvements to services in the medium and long term. CIW has been formally monitoring the implementation of the local authority’s improvement plan. 


In May 2018, the then Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public Services delivered an oral statement to Plenary announcing details of a corporate support package for the Council. This support provided the opportunity to introduce an Improvement and Assurance Board to support and monitor progress of improvement across the organisation. The Board provides strategic oversight to the Leader of the Council, ensuring cross\-authority collaboration and action to secure the improvements required.


Care Inspectorate Wales has now completed a follow\-up inspection of Powys County Council’s Children’s Services. The report acknowledges the hard work of staff within Powys County Council’s Children’s Services to support and deliver improved outcomes for children and young people. It recognises there have been significant improvements in certain areas of practice, these include:  


* Greater corporate oversight of children’s services and strengthening of management oversight.
* Greater ease of access to the ‘front door’ of children’s services and greater timeliness and quality of initial decision making through strengthened management oversight
* Significant improvements in the regularity of visits to children looked after and subject to child protection registration.
* Assessment teams have been established and indications of improving timeliness and quality of assessments.
* Improvement in timeliness and quality of applications for court orders in respect of children.
* Reduction in individual workloads and significantly increased regularity of staff supervision.  

  

 Priority areas for action identified are:
* Ensure a clear strategic vision to direct overarching planning and the delivery of a seamless service for children and families, incorporating effective early help and family support services alongside statutory intervention.
* Clearer focus on improving strategic relationships with partners to increase collaborative working to the benefit of children and families.
* Development of a commissioning strategy and social work practice to anticipate children’s accommodation needs and reduce the numbers of emergency placements.
* Ensure the safeguarding process incorporates multi\-agency information sharing as soon as possible following referral to ensure informed practice and best outcomes for children.
* Ensure an immediate multi\-agency response is in place to safeguard children at risk of sexual exploitation.
* Ensure investigations of complaints are thorough and timely in accordance with Welsh Government guidelines.


Care Inspectorate Wales expects Powys County Council’s Children’s Services to review its existing improvement plan in response to its new report. 


Formal monitoring will continue through Care Inspectorate Wales’ through focussed activity. The Improvement and Assurance Board continues to support the Leader of the Council in driving improvement and the Chair, of the Assurance Board, provides Welsh Ministers with regular updates on progress.


 







Translation:


 
Ym mis Hydref 2018, cynhaliwyd arolygiad gan Arolygiaeth Gofal Cymru o Wasanaethau Plant yng Nghyngor Sir Powys. Mae adroddiad yr Arolygiaeth yn cael ei gyhoeddi heddiw (9 Ionawr). Mae’r arolygiad hwn yn adeiladu ar yr arolygiad a gynhaliwyd yn ôl ym mis Gorffennaf 2017, lle nodwyd pryderon difrifol ynghylch cyflenwi gwasanaethau plant ym Mhowys. Cafodd Hysbysiad Rhybuddio ffurfiol ei gyhoeddi i Gyngor Sir Powys o dan Ran 8 o Ddeddf Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol a Llesiant (Cymru) 2014, a hynny ym mis Hydref 2017\. Roedd yr Hysbysiad Rhybuddio hwnnw yn gosod amryw o ofynion ar yr awdurdod lleol; gan gynnwys datblygu Cynllun Gwella a sefydlu Bwrdd Gwella. 


Cyhoeddwyd Hysbysiad Rhybuddio Dilynol ym mis Ionawr 2018 ac Atodiad i’r Hybsysiad Rhybuddio Dilynol ym mis Ebrill 2018\. Roedd y ddau hysbysiad hwn yn tynnu sylw at waith pellach yr oedd angen ei wneud er mwyn gwella’r gwasanaethau yn y tymor canolig a’r tymor hir. Mae Arolygiaeth Gofal Cymru wedi bod yn monitro’n ffurfiol y ffordd y mae cynllun gwella’r awdurdod lleol wedi cael ei roi ar waith. 


Ym mis Mai 2018, rhoddodd yr Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Lywodraeth Leol a Gwasanaethau Cyhoeddus ar y pryd ddatganiad llafar i’r Cyfarfod Llawn yn cyhoeddi manylion pecyn cymorth corfforaethol ar gyfer y Cyngor. Roedd y cymorth hwn yn rhoi cyfle i gyflwyno Bwrdd Gwella a Sicrwydd i gefnogi cynnydd y gwelliannau ar draws y sefydliad, a’i fonitro. Mae’r Bwrdd yn rhoi trosolwg strategol i Arweinydd y Cyngor, ac yn sicrhau bod cydweithio a gweithredu ar draws pob rhan o’r awdurdod er mwyn cyflawni’r gwelliannau angenrheidiol.   


Mae Arolygiaeth Gofal Cymru wedi cwblhau arolygiad dilynol o Wasanaethau Plant Cyngor Sir Powys erbyn hyn. Mae’r adroddiad yn cydnabod gwaith caled staff yng Ngwasanaethau Plant Cyngor Sir Powys i gefnogi a chyflawni canlyniadau gwell i blant a phobl ifanc. Mae’n cydnabod bod gwelliannau mawr wedi’u gwneud mewn rhai meysydd ymarfer, ac mae’r rhain yn cynnwys: 


* Cynyddu’r trosolwg corfforaethol o wasanaethau plant a chryfhau trosolwg y rheolwyr.
* Gwella’r mynediad i ‘ddrws y ffrynt’ gwasanaethau plant a darparu’n fwy amserol a gwella ansawdd y penderfyniadau cychwynnol drwy gryfhau trosolwg y rheolwyr.
* Gwneud gwelliannau sylweddol o ran cynnal ymweliadau rheolaidd â phlant sy’n derbyn gofal a phlant sy’n cael eu rhoi ar y gofrestr amddiffyn plant.
* Sefydlu timau asesu ac arddangos arwyddion bod y gwasanaeth yn cyflawni’n fwy prydlon a bod ansawdd yr asesiadau yn gwella.
* Gwella amseroldeb ac ansawdd ceisiadau am orchmynion llys mewn perthynas â phlant.
* Lleihau llwythi gwaith unigolion a goruchwylio staff yn llawer mwy rheolaidd.


Mae’r meysydd gweithredu â blaenoriaeth fel a ganlyn: 


* Sicrhau bod gweledigaeth strategol glir ar gyfer cyfarwyddo cynllunio cyffredinol a chyflenwi gwasanaeth di\-dor ar gyfer plant a’u teuluoedd, sy’n cynnwys darparu cymorth effeithiol yn gynnar a gwasanaethau cymorth i deuluoedd ynghyd ag ymyrraeth statudol.
* Rhoi ffocws cliriach ar wella perthnasoedd strategol â phartneriaid i gydweithio mwy er budd plant a’u teuluoedd.
* Datblygu strategaeth gomisiynu ac arferion gwaith cymdeithasol er mwyn rhagweld anghenion llety plant a lleihau nifer y lleoliadau brys.
* Sicrhau bod y broses ddiogelu yn cynnwys rhannu gwybodaeth amlasiantaethol cyn gynted â phosibl wedi i blentyn gael ei atgyfeirio er mwyn sicrhau bod yr ymarfer yn seiliedig ar yr wybodaeth honno ac i gael y canlyniadau gorau posibl i blant.
* Sicrhau bod ymateb amlasiantaethol ar gael yn syth i ddiogelu plant sydd mewn perygl o gam\-fanteisio rhywiol.
* Sicrhau bod ymchwiliadau i gŵynion yn fanwl ac yn amserol yn unol â chanllawiau Llywodraeth Cymru.


Mae Arolygiaeth Gofal Cymru yn disgwyl i Wasanaethau Plant Cyngor Sir Powys adolygu ei gynllun gwella presennol fel ymateb i’w adroddiad newydd. Bydd Arolygiaeth Gofal Cymru yn parhau i fonitro’n ffurfiol drwy weithgareddau ag iddynt ffocws penodol. Mae’r Bwrdd Gwella a Sicrwydd yn parhau i gefnogi Arweinydd y Cyngor i ysgogi gwelliannau ac mae’r Cadeirydd yn rhoi diweddariadau rheolaidd ar gynnydd i Weinidogion Cymru.