Translate the text from English to Welsh.



 
It is paramount that people’s ability to live independently is not compromised by changes to the way their care and support is arranged and provided. Last July, and following close working with the \#SaveTheWILG campaign, I updated Members on the new arrangements I had introduced to provide independent care assessments for people who used to receive payments from the Welsh Independent Living Grant (WILG). These new arrangements were to aid any former WILG recipient who was unhappy with the outcome of their local authority care assessment. This statement is an update on those independent assessments.


Following my last update, ICS Assessment Services were appointed, through a competitive process, to organise and undertake the independent assessments for those who requested these, and 46 former recipients of payments from the WILG took up this opportunity.  ICS has now undertaken all of these assessments. 


All of the independent assessments completed have now been quality assured by ICS and passed to the respective local authority to consider. This was prior to a discussion between a social worker from ICS and a social worker from the respective local authority about the outcome of the independent assessment, and any effect its findings may have on the person’s current care package. Subsequent to this, a joint meeting is held with the person to discuss the outcome of that discussion, talk through the implications for their care package and agree the future care and support they will receive as a result.


In around half of the independent assessments completed, the discussion between the ICS and local authority social workers has now taken place, with the remaining discussions taking place over the next few weeks. Following these, meetings with care recipients have begun, with outcomes for those people being agreed and starting to be put in place.    While it is too soon to comment on the overall outcomes from these independent assessments, some important issues are coming to light.


In a number of cases ICS has found that individuals are currently receiving larger care packages than expected, potentially because those individuals are at the transition point for NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC).   This interface between CHC and direct payments, and the challenges this can cause for care recipients, are issues that have also been highlighted to me at the National Social Care Partnership Board


Having reflected on this, I have instructed my officials to undertake a review of the direct payments and CHC interface.  This is with a view to determining whether there are other mechanisms, for example independent users’ trusts, that could be used to ensure people that need more support from the NHS are not put in a position of losing the team of personal assistants they have funded through direct payments and built up over a number of years.  If a better more equitable way can be found, this would remove the apparent fear that some people feel about the prospect of CHC.


It is a complex area and I will not compromise the principle of an NHS that is in the public sector rather than in the hands of private individuals, but I want us to see if there is a better way and to do that work quickly.


The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Article 19, is clear that States must ensure disabled people have access to a range of home / residential and other community support services, including the personal assistance necessary to support living independently and inclusively within their community. The key principle regarding this human right is the ability to choose how you are supported in your everyday personal care. 


As the outcomes across the span of independent assessments are confirmed, I would remind Members that the cost of the independent care assessments, and any additional social care that might be identified from them, will be met by the Welsh Government. This is so that there can be no question of changes being made to people’s care and support as a cost cutting measure. The under\-pinning principle of my approach is to ensure that outcomes reached are fair and consistent with supporting people’s agreed wellbeing outcomes.







Translation:


 
Mae’n hollbwysig nad yw gallu pobl i fyw’n annibynnol yn cael ei roi yn y fantol oherwydd newidiadau i’r ffordd y mae eu gofal a’u cymorth yn cael eu trefnu a’u darparu. Fis Gorffennaf diwethaf, ar ôl gweithio’n agos gyda’r ymgyrch i gadw Grant Byw’n Annibynnol Cymru, rhoddais yr wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i’r Aelodau am y trefniadau newydd yr wyf wedi eu cyflwyno i ddarparu asesiadau gofal annibynnol i unigolion a arferai gael taliadau o dan Grant Byw’n Annibynnol Cymru. Nod y trefniadau newydd hyn oedd helpu unrhyw un a arferai dderbyn Grant Byw’n Annibynnol Cymru nad oedd yn hapus â chanlyniad asesiad gofal ei awdurdod lleol. Mae’r datganiad hwn yn rhoi’r diweddaraf am yr asesiadau annibynnol hynny. 


Wedi imi ddarparu diweddariad yn flaenorol, cafodd ICS Assessment Services eu penodi, drwy broses gystadleuol, i drefnu a chynnal asesiadau annibynnol ar gyfer y rheini a oedd wedi gofyn am asesiad o’r fath. Dewisodd 46 o’r rheini a arferai dderbyn taliadau o dan Grant Byw’n Annibynnol Cymru fanteisio ar y cyfle hwn. Erbyn hyn, mae ICS wedi cynnal yr holl asesiadau.


Mae’r holl asesiadau annibynnol a gwblhawyd wedi bod drwy wiriadau sicrhau ansawdd ICS erbyn hyn ac maent wedi cael eu trosglwyddo i’r awdurdodau lleol perthnasol i’w hystyried. Gwnaed hyn cyn i drafodaeth gael ei chynnal rhwng gweithiwr cymdeithasol o ICS a gweithiwr cymdeithasol o’r awdurdod lleol perthnasol ynglŷn â chanlyniad yr asesiad annibynnol, ac unrhyw effaith y gallai’r canfyddiadau ei chael ar becyn cymorth presennol unigolyn. Wedi cwblhau’r cam hwnnw, cynhelir cyd\-gyfarfod gyda’r unigolyn i drafod canlyniad y drafodaeth honno, siarad ynglŷn â’r goblygiadau ar gyfer ei becyn cymorth a chytuno ar y gofal a’r cymorth y bydd o ganlyniad yn eu cael yn y dyfodol.


Mae’r trafodaethau rhwng gweithwyr cymdeithasol ICS a’r awdurdodau lleol wedi’u cynnal yn tua hanner yr achosion erbyn hyn. Bydd y trafodaethau sy’n weddill yn cael eu cynnal yn ystod yr wythnosau sydd i ddod. Yn dilyn y trafodaethau a gynhaliwyd eisoes, mae cyfarfodydd wedi dechrau gyda’r rheini sy’n derbyn gofal, ac mae’r gwaith o gytuno ar ganlyniadau ar gyfer yr unigolion hynny, a’u rhoi ar waith, wedi dechrau. Mae’n rhy gynnar rhoi unrhyw sylw ar y canlyniadau cyffredinol yn deillio o’r asesiadau annibynnol hyn ond mae rhai materion pwysig yn dod i’r amlwg.


Mewn amryw o achosion, daeth ICS i’r casgliad bod unigolion yn derbyn pecynnau cymorth ar hyn o bryd sy’n fwy na’r hyn y byddid wedi’i ddisgwyl. Mae’n bosibl bod hyn yn digwydd oherwydd bod yr unigolion hyn ar fin trosglwyddo i becyn Cymorth Iechyd Parhaus y GIG. Mae’r pwynt lle trosglwyddir o daliadau uniongyrchol i Gymorth Gofal Iechyd Parhaus y GIG, a’r heriau y gall hyn eu hachosi i’r rheini sy’n derbyn gofal, yn faterion y tynnwyd fy sylw atynt gan y Bwrdd Partneriaeth Gofal Cymdeithasol Cenedlaethol hefyd. 


Ar ôl ystyried hyn yn ofalus, rwyf wedi cyfarwyddo fy swyddogion i gynnal adolygiad o’r pwynt lle trosglwyddir rhwng taliadau uniongyrchol a Chymorth Iechyd Parhaus y GIG. Y nod yw penderfynu a ellid defnyddio unrhyw fecanweithiau eraill, er enghraifft ymddiriedolaethau defnyddwyr annibynnol, i sicrhau nad yw unigolion sydd angen mwy o gymorth gan y Gwasanaeth Iechyd yn cael eu rhoi mewn sefyllfa o golli’r tîm o gynorthwywyr personol a ariannwyd ganddynt drwy daliadau uniongyrchol ac sydd wedi cymryd blynyddoedd i’w meithrin. Os gellid dod o hyd i ffordd decach, well, byddai hyn yn cael gwared ar yr ofn y mae rhai unigolion yn ei deimlo yn ôl pob golwg ynglŷn â’r syniad o drosglwyddo i Gymorth Iechyd Parhaus y GIG.


Mae’n faes cymhleth ac ni fyddaf yn cyfaddawdu yr egwyddor o GIG sy’n perthyn i’r sector cyhoeddus yn hytrach nag a gynhelir gan unigolion yn y sector preifat. Fodd bynnag, rwyf hefyd yn awyddus hefyd i weld a oes ffordd well o wneud hynny, a ffordd gyflymach.


Mae Erthygl 19 o Gonfensiwn y Cenhedloedd Unedig ar Hawliau Pobl ag Anableddau yn glir bod rhaid i Wladwriaethau sicrhau bod gan bobl anabl fynediad at amrywiaeth o wasanaethau cymorth yn y cartref / preswyl a gwasanaethau cymorth cymunedol eraill, gan gynnwys y cymorth personol sydd ei angen arnynt i’w helpu i fyw’n annibynnol yn eu cymunedau, ac i gymryd rhan lawn yn eu cymunedau lleol. Y gallu i ddewis sut fath o gymorth personol y byddwch yn ei gael yn eich bywyd o ddydd i ddydd yw’r egwyddor allweddol mewn perthynas â’r hawl ddynol hon.


Wrth i ganlyniadau’r holl asesiadau annibynnol gael eu cadarnhau, hoffwn atgoffa’r Aelodau y bydd cost yr asesiadau gofal annibynnol, ac unrhyw ofal cymdeithasol y gellid nodi ei fod yn angenrheidiol yn sgil cynnal yr asesiadau hyn, yn cael ei hysgwyddo gan Lywodraeth Cymru. O ganlyniad, ni fydd gofal a chymorth unigolion yn cael eu newid fel mesur i dorri costau. Sicrhau bod y canlyniadau a geir yn deg ac yn gyson ac yn cefnogi’r canlyniadau llesiant y cytunwyd arnynt ar gyfer unigolion yw’r egwyddor sylfaenol i fy null gweithredu.