Translate the text from Welsh to English.



 
Pan ymddangosais gerbron y Pwyllgor Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol ar 6 Mehefin, ac mewn cyflwyniad ysgrifenedig i’r Pwyllgor Cyllid y mis diwethaf, rhoddais ymrwymiad i wneud Datganiad Ysgrifenedig ar gyllid ar gyfer Bil Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol a Llesiant (Cymru) cyn y toriad.  

Fel y bydd Aelodau’r Cynulliad ac Arweinwyr yr Awdurdodau Lleol yn gwybod, yn ystod y tri Setliad diwethaf gan Lywodraeth Leol mae arian ychwanegol ar gyfer gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol sy’n gyfwerth ag 1% yn uwch na’r codiad cyffredinol yng nghyllideb Llywodraeth Leol Cymru wedi’i gynnwys yn y Grant Cynnal Refeniw.  

Er hynny, gan fod y dystiolaeth yn dangos nad yw’r model presennol o ddarparu gofal cymdeithasol yng Nghymru bellach yn gynaliadwy, a chan ei bod yn fwyfwy amlwg y bydd y gostyngiadau i gyllideb Llywodraeth Cymru yn y blynyddoedd i ddod yn parhau i osod cryn bwysau ar yr ystod lawn o wasanaethau cyhoeddus yng Nghymru, mae’n glir na allwn fuddsoddi ar yr un lefel ag yn ystod y blynyddoedd blaenorol. Rhwng 2010\-11 a 2014\-15 mae cyllideb refeniw’r Cynulliad wedi cael ei thorri £1 biliwn mewn termau real.  Nid yw ceisio diogelu’r  elfen ar gyllideb gyffredinol sy’n ymwneud â  Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol pan fo’r gyllideb gyffredinol honno’n gostwng yn ateb hirdymor hyfyw. Deddfu ar gyfer newid o ran sut rydym yn cyflenwi gwasanaethau yw’r unig ffordd ymlaen a’r unig ffordd a fydd yn sicrhau y gall Llywodraeth Cymru barhau i fodloni ei dyletswydd gofal tuag at rai o’r bobl fwyaf agored i niwed mewn cymdeithas.   

O ran y pwysau hyn y gwir amdani yw nad oes rhagor o arian ar gael ac rwyf wedi ceisio gwneud hyn yn glir sawl tro.  Mae Bil Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol a Llesiant (Cymru) yn rhan o ymateb Llywodraeth Cymru i’r heriau a danlinellir gan y Papur Gwyn ar Wasanaethau Cymdeithasol Cynaliadwy, a gyhoeddwyd yn 2011 ac mae’n cydnabod mai newid yw’r allwedd i sicrhau sylfaen fwy cynaliadwy ar gyfer y sector. 

Beth y mae hyn yn ei olygu yw bod rhaid i bob un ohonom \- o’r Llywodraeth i’r rhai sy’n darparu gwasanaethau rheng flaen fod yn barod i feddwl yn wahanol am sut y mae gwasanaethau’n cael eu comisiynu a’u darparu. Mae angen meddwl am sut y gallwn ailailinio’r arian presennol â’r dyletswyddau a’r blaenoriaethau newydd a nodir o dan y Bill.

Bydd penderfynu sut yr awn ati i wneud hyn \- beth yr ydym yn ei gadw, yn ei  newid a pha drefniadau a sefydlwn i gydweithio yn fwy effeithiol ar draws y sector cyhoeddus, yn arbennig iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol \- yn cynnwys penderfyniadau anodd yn awr ac yn y tymor hwy.  Bydd y cynllun gweithredu a’r bwriad polisi ar gyfer rheoliadau’n ein helpu i wneud y penderfyniadau hyn a dyna paham yr wyf wedi gwneud ymrwymiad i wneud gwaith yn y meysydd hyn ochr yn ochr â hynt y Bil.

Rwyf yn ffyddiog y gallwn ymateb i’r her hon gan fy mod i wedi gweld, trwy Fforwm Partneriaeth Cenedlaethol y Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol, lawer o  enghreifftiau o’r ymrwymiad i wella gwasanaethau – a thrwy hynny bywydau –  pobl y mae arnynt angen gofal a chymorth. Rwyf hefyd yn hyderus oherwydd fy mod eisoes yn gweld gwaith sy’n dangos i ba gyfeiriad y mae angen i ni fynd ar draws y sector o dan y Bil hwn. 

Un enghraifft yw mynd ati’n raddol i gyflwyno Gwasanaethau Integredig Cymorth i Deuluoedd (IFSS) sy’n darparu cymorth dwys i deuluoedd cymhleth ac sy’n  anelu at gadw teuluoedd gyda’i gilydd trwy eu helpu i gymryd camau cadarnhaol i newid a gwella eu bywydau.

Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi dyrannu £4\.5m i weithredu a darparu’r gwasanaeth a fydd yn cwmpasu Cymru gyfan erbyn diwedd eleni.  Mae  gwerthoedd craidd IFSS \- cydnabod pobl fel rhan o deuluoedd, canolbwynt ar sicrhau integreiddio gwell, meithrin ymddiriedaeth rhwng y rhai y mae arnynt angen gofal a chymorth a gweithwyr proffesiynol medrus, a chynnig  gwasanaethau mewn ffordd lle caiff pobl eu gwerthfawrogi a lle caiff eu llais ei glywed \- yn adlewyrchu’n uniongyrchol y gwerthoedd yr ydym yn ceisio eu hymestyn i rannau eraill o’r sector trwy’r Bil. Trwy’r darpariaethau ar gyfer  datblygu trefniadau partneriaeth bydd y Bil yn fodd i ni wneud mwy o’r math hwn o waith.

Mae enghreifftiau pellach i’w cael yn y prosiectau a ariennir gan y Gronfa Cydweithredu Rhanbarthol.  Rwyf wedi dweud cyn hyn mor falch ydwyf o’r syniadau blaengar y mae’r Gronfa hon wedi’u hwyluso.  Teimlaf hefyd fod y gwaith a wnaed gan Gymdeithas Cyfarwyddwyr Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol Cymru (ADSSC) a Chymdeithas  Llywodraeth Leol Cymru (CLlLC) wrth ddatblygu cynllun gweithredu gan Lywodraeth Leol ar gyfer Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol Cymru wedi bod yn allweddol o ran cynnig cyfle i ddatblygu’r prosiectau cydweithredol hyn.  Dyma dystiolaeth gadarn o arweiniad effeithiol a llwyddo i sicrhau newid.

O ganlyniad i’r Gronfa mae gennym brosiectau bellach megis Canolfan Diogelu Amlasiantaeth Gogledd Cymru, sy’n anelu at wella cyfathrebu a chydweithredu rhwng gwasanaethau oedolion a phlant yn ogystal â’r Prosiect Integreiddio Gofal Cymdeithasol Oedolion ac Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol sy’n ail\-ddylunio modelau presennol gofal cymdeithasol a gofal iechyd i'r grwpiau allweddol o’r boblogaeth  gan gynnwys pobl hŷn.  

Mae’r prosiectau hyn, ynghyd ag eraill, yn cyflawni arloesi oherwydd y £10m a roddwyd i mewn i’r Cronfa Cydweithredu Rhanbarthol i roi hwb i gydweithredu ym maes gwasanaethau cyhoeddus. Mae hyn yn ffordd o fuddsoddi mewn newid sydd â chefnogaeth draws\-lywodraethol ac sydd wedi caniatáu i’r awdurdodau lleol gael gafael ar gymorth ariannol yn sail i’w syniadau am newid. Yr her i ni felly yw defnyddio mentrau o’r fath gan gynnwys Buddsoddi i Arbed (sy’n arian ysgogi sy’n sail i arloesi a gweddnewid), fel sbardun i ymchwilio i ddulliau newydd o gyflenwi gwasanaethau.  Gwyddom eisoes er enghraifft fod prosiectau Buddsoddi i Arbed ym maes iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol yn elwa ar fuddsoddiad o £13\.2 miliwn.

Mae angen hefyd i ni nodi ble y gallwn roi’r gorau i weithredu neu gyflenwi mewn meysydd nad ydynt bellach yn gydnaws â’n cyfeiriad neu sydd wedi’u disodli gan y Bil.  Unwaith eto, mae gennym brofiad da o wneud hyn trwy’r £4\.5m a roddwyd i’r Awdurdodau Lleol trwy’r Grant Cynnal Refeniw i helpu i dalu beichiau ychwanegol Deddf Plant a Phobl Ifanc 2008\.  A ninnau wedi cytuno i fynd ati’n raddol i roi’r ddeddfwriaeth honno ar waith dros dair blynedd  (2009/10 \- 2011/12\) ac ar ôl gwneud cynnydd da hyd at Ebrill 2011, penderfynwyd gohirio trydydd cam ei rhoi ar waith.  Y rheswm dros hyn oedd y byddai’n golygu cydgrynhoi rheoliadau a fyddai’n ganolog i Fil Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol a Llesiant (Cymru).  Yn sgil y penderfyniad hwn bu modd i gyfran o’r arian gael ei chadw gan yr Awdurdodau Lleol er mwyn gwrthbwyso beichiau’r dyfodol a fyddai’n codi wrth weithredu Bil Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol a Llesiant (Cymru). Mewn amgylchedd o gwtogi ar adnoddau dyma’r mathau o benderfyniadau clir ar flaenoriaethau y mae angen i ni fod yn fodlon eu cymryd gyda’n gilydd.  

Mae angen cyd\-ddealltwriaeth dda hefyd o faint yr her sydd o’n blaenau ni a’r manteision posibl y gellir eu gwireddu. Dyna paham yr oeddwn yn falch o gyfarfod â’r Sefydliad Gofal Cyhoeddus yng Nghynhadledd Genedlaethol Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol ADSS Cymru y mis diwethaf ac i ddysgu mwy am y gwaith y maent yn ei wneud ar ran CLlLC a Chymdeithas Trysoryddion Cymru.  Mawr obeithiaf y bydd yr adroddiad hwn yn cyfrannu at y ffordd y byddwn yn  dadansoddi cyfleoedd a manteision posibl yn ogystal â’r costau trosiannol interim er mwyn i ni gael darlun llawn o effaith y ddeddfwriaeth hon.

Mae’r rhaniad rhwng costau hirdymor ac arian trosiannol yn rhaniad yr wyf wedi  tynnu sylw ato nifer o weithiau yn ystod y cyfnod craffu o dan Ran 1\.  Rwyf wedi bod yn glir o ran fy ymrwymiad i gefnogi’r awdurdodau lleol wrth iddynt symud at y trefniadau newydd. Nododd y Memorandwm Esboniadol a oedd ynghlwm wrth y Bil pan gafodd ei gyflwyno y byddai’r cymorth hwn yn cynnwys arian. Hoffwn rannu rhai o’r datblygiadau diweddaraf â chi.

Yng Nghynhadledd ADSSC ar 27 Mehefin Cyhoeddais y caiff £1\.5m o’r gyllideb Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol Cynaliadwy ei ddosbarthu yn uniongyrchol i’r awdurdodau lleol y flwyddyn ariannol hon.  Caiff yr arian hwn ei neilltuo a’i ddefnyddio i gefnogi meithrin gallu ar lefel leol, ac mae’r awdurdodau lleol a’u  partneriaid wedi’i gwneud yn glir y byddent yn croesawu hyn.  Mae’n ychwanegol at y cyllid a roddwyd eisoes i’r Asiantaeth Gwella Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol (SSIA) i ddatblygu gweithredu Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol Cynaliadwy gan lywodraeth leol. Mae trafodaethau pellach â CLlLC ac ADSS Cymru ynghylch ar y mecanweithiau mwyaf priodol ar gyfer dosbarthu’r arian yn digwydd, ond rwyf yn disgwyl i hyn fod ar ffurf cynllun grant wedi’i dargedu gan ddefnyddio ôl troed gwasanaethau cyhoeddus yn sylfaen.

Mae diben y cynllun hwn yn glir. Bwriedir iddo feithrin y gallu lleol angenrheidiol i gefnogi’r agenda ar gyfer gweddnewid a nodir mewn gwasanaethau cymdeithasol cynaliadwy ac i baratoi am y trefniadau deddfwriaethol newydd a nodir ym Mil Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol a Llesiant (Cymru) a chefnogi’r broses o symud atynt. Yn hollbwysig, mae’r nod olaf hwn yn cynnwys cyd\-ddylunio rheoliadau craidd a Chodau Ymarfer \- rhai o feysydd allweddol gweithio mewn partneriaeth os bwriedir i ni gyflwyno Bil sy’n bodloni amcanion polisi'r Llywodraeth mewn ffordd y gellir ei chyflawni’n lleol.

Dyna paham y mae arweiniad ar lefel leol yn hanfodol. Bydd sicrhau’r capasiti   cywir o ran arwain tîm ym mhob ardal ôl troed a rhoi hwb i’r rhaglen newid gyda phartneriaid o gyrff eraill, gan gynnwys y GIG, yn flaenoriaeth o dan y grant.  Yn yr un modd bydd creu’r seilwaith i gynnal rhaglen o newid hyd at 2016 yn flaenoriaeth hefyd. Hon yw conglfaen gwireddu ein gweledigaeth ar draws Cymru a’r hyn yr ydym yn ei adeiladu yma yw model hirdymor ar gyfer dosbarthu arian. Rhoddaf yr wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i chi ar y gwaith hwn wrth iddo symud ymlaen.

Nid dyma’r unig faes lle rydym wedi darparu arian i hwyluso’r cyfnod pontio.  Rwyf bellach wedi cytuno ar gyfanswm o £622,000 yn y flwyddyn ariannol hon i gefnogi’r agenda ddiogelu ac i gryfhau ymhellach y trefniadau amlasiantaeth i  ddinasyddion er mwyn sicrhau eu bod yn rhydd rhag cae eu hecsbloetio a’u cam\-drin. Mae hyn yn cynnwys gwaith i gryfhau’r dull gweithredu cenedlaethol o ddiogelu ac amddiffyn plant sydd wedi’u hesgeuluso yn ogystal ag arian ar gyfer y Panel Datblygu Arbenigol Diogelu ac Amddiffyn a fydd yn darparu cyngor ar y  trefniadau diogelu ac amddiffyn yn y dyfodol i blant ac oedolion wrth iddynt gael eu datblygu trwy Reoliadau a Chodau ymarfer.

Yn yr un modd, ym mis Ebrill eleni trefnwyd bod £50,000 ar gael yn uniongyrchol i ADSS Cymru i gomisiynu adnoddau i ddatblygu cynlluniau am Wasanaeth Mabwysiadu Cenedlaethol ymhellach. Mae hyn yn dilyn y sêl bendith a roddwyd i fodel swyddogaethol gan y Grŵp Cynghori Arbenigol Mabwysiadu a’r gydnabyddiaeth y byddai angen capasiti ychwanegol i weithio trwy rai o’r manylion cyn ei roi ar waith. Bydd yr arian hwn bellach yn galluogi ADSS Cymru i gyflawni nifer o dasgau allweddol gan gynnwys nodi’r cydrannau busnes craidd y mae eu hangen ar y gwasanaeth a datblygu fframwaith perfformiad cenedlaethol. Caiff  adroddiad ei gyflwyno wedyn i Lywodraeth Cymru ym mis Awst fel y gellir cytuno ar y camau nesaf. 

Mae ein gallu i sicrhau’r newid o genhedlaeth i genhedlaeth sy’n ofynnol o dan y Bil hwn o ran cyflenwi gwasanaethau yn dibynnu ar sicrhau bod pawb sy’n cymryd rhan mewn gwaith cyflenwi yn meddu ar y sgiliau y mae arnynt eu hangen. Ni ddylem danbrisio felly, bwysigrwydd y gofynion hyfforddi a fydd yn deillio o weithredu’r ddeddfwriaeth hon. Dyna paham mae’r Memorandwm Esboniadol ar gyfer y Bil yn cyfeirio at Grant Datblygu’r Gweithlu Gofal Cymdeithasol (SCDWP) lle mae 70% o gyfanswm y gost yn cynnwys grant a ddefnyddir gan gyflogwyr i atodi eu hadnoddau hyfforddiant eu hunain. Yn 2013/14 daw hyn i £8\.1m.  Mae’r Memorandwm Esboniadol yn egluro fy mwriad i’r arian grant hwn gael ei ailgyfeirio i sicrhau bod y staff perthnasol yn cael yr hyfforddiant y mae ei angen drwy gydol y broses o baratoi am y Ddeddf a gweithredu’r Ddeddf. Mae hyn yn gydnaws â dibenion gwreiddiol y grant a grëwyd yn wreiddiol i gefnogi deddfwriaeth o bwys megis Deddf Plant 1989 a Deddf y Gwasanaeth Iechyd Gwladol a Gofal Cymunedol 1990\.   

Wrth gyflawni hyn ni allwn fforddio colli’r cynlluniau hyfforddiant neu’r cymwysterau hynny sydd â gwerth parhaus wrth i ni symud at y system newydd. Dyna paham mae swyddogion wedi mynd ati i ymgynghori ag ymarferwyr i ddatblygu Cynllun Hyfforddiant Cenedlaethol a fydd yn rhoi ystyriaeth benodol i sut y gellir cefnogi neu addasu anghenion hyfforddiant a datblygu presennol.  

Serch hynny rhaid i ni gydnabod y bydd angen i’r arian sylweddol a ddarperir trwy  SCDWP fod yn un o brif ffynonellau arian er mwyn sicrhau bod y gweithlu Gofal Cymdeithasol yn cael ei gefnogi gyda’r hyfforddiant y mae arnynt ei angen a’u bod wedi’u cyfarparu i gyflawni eu swyddogaethau o dan y ffyrdd newydd o weithio a gyflwynir gan y Bil.

               





Translation:


 
During my appearance at the Health and Social Care Committee on 6 June, and in a written submission to the Finance Committee last month, I gave a commitment to make a Written Statement on finance for the Social Services and Well\-being (Wales) Bill before recess.  


As Assembly Members and Leaders in Local Authorities will know, over the course of the last three Local Government Settlements additional funding for social services equivalent to 1% higher than the overall Welsh Local Government budget uplift has been included in the Revenue Support Grant.  


However, with evidence showing that the current model of social care provision in Wales is no longer sustainable, and with it becoming increasingly apparent that the reductions to the Welsh Government budget in future years will continue to place considerable pressure on the full range of public services in Wales, it is clear that we cannot invest at the level of previous years. Between 2010\-11 and 2014\-15 the Assembly revenue budget has been cut in real terms by £1 billion.  Simply trying to protect the social services element of a reducing overall budget is not a viable long term answer. Legislating for a change in how we deliver services is the only way forward and the only one which will ensure the Welsh Government can continue to meet its duty of care to some of the most vulnerable in society.   


The continuing reality of these pressures is why I have sought to be clear on many occasions that there simply is no more money.  The Social Services and Well\-being (Wales) Bill is part of the Welsh Government’s response to the challenges highlighted by the Sustainable Social Services White paper, published in 2011 and it recognises that the key to achieving a more sustainable footing for the sector is change. 


What this means is that all of us from Government to front line delivery must be prepared to think differently about how services are commissioned and delivered. This thinking needs to include how we can re\-align existing funding with the new duties and priorities set out under the Bill.


Deciding how we go about doing this \- what we keep, what we change and what arrangements we put in place to work together more effectively across the public sector and in particular health and social care – will involve difficult decisions now and in the longer term.  The implementation plan and policy intent for regulations will help us make these decisions and this is why I have made a commitment for work in these areas to be undertaken in parallel with the passage of the Bill.


I am confident in our ability to meet this challenge because I have seen, through my National Social Services Partnership Forum, many examples of the commitment to improve services – and therefore the lives – of people in need of care and support. I am also confident because I already see work which points us in the direction we need to take across the sector under this Bill. 


One example is the roll\-out of Integrated Family Support Services (IFSS) which provides intensive support to complex families and aims to keep families together by helping them take positive steps to change and improve their lives.


The Welsh Government has allocated £4\.5m for the implementation and delivery of the service which will cover the whole of Wales by the end of this year.  The core values of IFSS \- recognising people as part of families, a focus on achieving greater integration, the building of trust between those in need of care and support and skilled professionals, and the offering of services in a way in which people are valued and their voice is heard \- are of course direct reflections of the values we are seeking to extend to other parts of the sector through the Bill. Through the provisions for developing partnership arrangements the Bill will give us the ability to do more of this type of work.


Further examples can be found in the projects funded by the Regional Collaboration Fund.  I have said before how pleased I am with the forward thinking this fund has facilitated.  I also feel that the work done by the Association of Directors of Social Services Cymru (ADSSC) and the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) in developing a local government implementation plan for Sustainable Social Services has been instrumental in providing a platform for the development of these collaborative projects.  This is real evidence of effective leadership and delivery of change.


As a result of the fund we now have projects such as the North Wales Multi\- Agency Safeguarding Hub, which aims to improve communications and collaboration between adults and children services as well as the Adult Social Care and Health and Social Care integration Project which is redesigning current social care and health care models for key population groups including older people.  


These projects, along with others, are delivering innovation due to the £10m put into the Regional Collaboration Fund to drive public service collaboration. This is a way of investing in change that has cross government support and which has allowed local authorities to access financial support to underpin their ideas for change. Our challenge therefore is to use such initiatives, including Invest to Save (which is pump\-priming funding to underpin innovation and transformation), as catalysts to exploring new approaches to service delivery. We know already for example that health and social care joint working Invest to Save projects are benefitting from £13\.2m investment. 


We also need to identify where we can stop implementation or delivery in areas which are no longer compatible with our direction or which have been superseded by the Bill.  Again we have good experience of doing just this in the form of the £4\.5m provided to Local Authorities through the Revenue Support Grant to help meet the additional burdens of the Children and Young Person’s Act 2008\. Having agreed a phased approach to the implementation of that legislation over three years (2009/10 \- 2011/12\) and after making good progress up until April 2011, the decision was taken to defer the third phase of implementation. This is because it was due to involve the consolidation of regulations which would be central to the Social Services and Well\-being (Wales) Bill.  This decision allowed for a proportion of the funding to be retained by Local Authorities for the purposes of offsetting future burdens that would arise in implementing the Social Services and Well\-Being (Wales) Bill. In an environment of reducing resource these are the kinds of clear decisions on priorities that we need to be willing to take together.  


We also need a good shared understanding of the scale of the challenge we face and the potential benefits that can be realised. This is why I was pleased to meet with the Institute of Public Care at the ADSS Cymru National Social Services Conference last month and to learn more of the work they are undertaking on behalf of the WLGA and Society of Welsh Treasurers. I very much hope this report will contribute to our approach to analysing opportunities and potential benefits as well as the interim transition costs in order that we get a full picture of the impact of this legislation.


The split between long term costs and transition funding is one I have drawn attention to on a number of occasions during Stage 1 scrutiny.  I have been clear in my commitment to support local authorities as they make the transition to the new arrangements. The Explanatory Memorandum (EM) that accompanied the Bill when it was introduced indicated that this support would include funding. I would now like to share some of the latest developments with you.


I announced at the ADSS Cymru Conference on 27 June that £1\.5m from the Sustainable Social Services budget will be distributed directly to local authorities this financial year.  This funding will be ring fenced and used to support capacity building at a local level, something that local authorities and their partners have been clear that they would welcome.  It is in addition to the funding already provided to the Social Services Improvement Agency (SSIA) for the development of local government implementation of Sustainable Social Services.  Further discussion with WLGA and ADSS Cymru on the most appropriate mechanisms for distribution is underway, but I expect this to take the form of a targeted grant scheme using the public services footprint as a basis.


The purpose of this scheme is clear. It is intended to build the local capacity needed to support the transformational agenda set out in sustainable social services and to prepare for and support the shift to new legislative arrangements set out in the Social Services and Well\-being (Wales) Bill. Crucially, this latter aim includes the co\-design of core regulations and Codes of Practice \- key areas of partnership working if we are to introduce a Bill that meets the policy objectives of the Government in a way that can be delivered locally.


This is also why leadership at local level will be vital. Securing the right leadership capacity to head a team in each footprint area and drive forward the programme of change with partners from other organisations, including the NHS, will be a priority under the grant.  So too will be creating the infrastructure to sustain a programme of change through to 2016\. This is the cornerstone of making our vision a reality across Wales and what we are building here is a long term model for distributing funding. I will provide further updates on this work as it progresses.


This is not the only area where we have provided funding to assist with transition.  I have now agreed a total of £622,000 in this financial year with which to support the safeguarding agenda and further strengthen multi\-agency arrangements for citizens to ensure that they are free from exploitation and abuse. This includes work to strengthen the national approach to safeguarding and protecting neglected children as well as funding for the recently appointed Safeguarding and Protection Expert Development Panel which will provide advice on the future safeguarding and protection arrangements for children and adults as they are developed through Regulations and Codes of Practice. 


Similarly, in April of this year £50,000 was made directly available to ADSS Cymru for the commissioning of resource to further develop out plans for a National Adoption Service. This follows the endorsement of a functional model by the Adoption Expert Advisory group and the recognition that additional capacity would be required to work through some of the detail ahead of any implementation. This funding will now enable ADSS Cymru to undertake a number of key tasks including the identification of core business components required by the service and the development of a national performance framework.  A report will then be presented to the Welsh Government in August so that next steps can be agreed. 


Our ability to achieve the generational change in service delivery required under this Bill is reliant on making sure all those involved in delivery have the skills they need. We should not underestimate therefore, the importance of the training requirements that will arise from the implementation of this legislation. For this reason the Explanatory Memorandum for the Bill makes reference to the Social Care Workforce Development Grant (SCDWP) of which 70% of the total cost is made up of a grant used by employers to supplement their own training resources. In 2013/14 this amounts to £8\.1m. The EM makes clear my intention for this grant funding to be “re\-directed to ensure the relevant staff receive the training they need throughout the preparation for, and implementation of, the Act”. This is in keeping with the original purposes for this grant which first came into being to support major legislation such as the Children Act 1989 and the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990\. 


In achieving this we cannot afford to lose those training schemes or qualifications which have continuing value as we move towards the new system. For this reason, officials have begun a process of consultation with practitioners to develop a National Training Plan that will specifically take into account how existing training and development needs can be supported or adapted.  


Nevertheless, we must recognise that the considerable funding provided through SCDWP will need to be a primary source of money for ensuring that the Social Care workforce are supported with the training they need and that they are duly equipped to embrace and deliver their functions under the new ways of working that the Bill introduces.