Translate the text from English to Welsh.



 
In January 2015 we jointly published a consultation to better support looked after children in Wales in improving their levels of educational attainment. In plenary on 3 February 2015 the Minister for Education and Skills committed to provide Assembly Members with an update of the progress on this work.


We would like to take this opportunity to inform Members that our joint education strategy – Raising the ambitions and educational attainment of children who are looked after in Wales \- has been published today.


The strategy identifies areas where action needs to be targeted to better support the education of children who are looked after. It focusses primarily on action to support children and young people of compulsory school age, but also ensures that arrangements take account of the need for effective transition to further or higher education and employment.


An accompanying action plan sets out the Welsh Government’s commitment through individual actions, working with all key partners, to improve educational outcomes for children who are looked after. Delivery against the action plan will be monitored annually, using data sources to check progress and ensure the support which is in place is working effectively.  


We are delighted to have worked closely with the Fostering Network, Voices From Care and Cardiff University Children's Research Centre, CASCADE – Cardiff University throughout last year to ensure the strategy reflects the views and experiences in education of foster carers and the children and young people themselves. This work has strengthened considerably our understanding of the challenges faced by children and their carers, and we will look for further opportunities to build on the work so far.


We are grateful for their help and support in this very important work and also of all those organisations and individuals who contributed to the consultation, and at two very well attended events in north and south Wales.


The strategy and action plan includes details of the work undertaken with the Fostering Network, Voices From Care and CASCADE \- Cardiff University.


The publication of this strategy is the first step in a concerted aim by the Welsh Government to ensure sustained improvements in all outcomes for looked after children which will impact positively on every aspect of their lives. Work is already underway on the development of a national approach for looked after children that will help reduce the number of children entering care, improve outcomes for children already in care and provide better opportunities for care leavers.  A Strategic Steering Group has been established to take a cross\-government strategic approach to looked after children, focusing on prevention and early intervention, improved collaborative working and sharing of best practice. We will also carefully consider how we can introduce independence into that process to ensure sufficient rigour. The Welsh Government will be commissioning further work in this area in the coming months.


 


 


 


 


 







Translation:


 
Ym mis Ionawr 2015 cyhoeddwyd ymgynghoriad ar y cyd i gefnogi plant sy’n derbyn gofal yng Nghymru yn well drwy wella lefelau eu cyrhaeddiad addysgol. Yn y cyfarfod llawn ar 3 Chwefror 2015 ymrwymodd y Gweinidog Addysg a Sgiliau i ddarparu diweddariad ar gynnydd y gwaith hwn i Aelodau’r Cynulliad.

Hoffem fanteisio ar y cyfle i hysbysu’r Aelodau bod ein strategaeth addysg ar y cyd \- Codi uchelgais a chyrhaeddiad addysgol plant sy’n derbyn gofal yng Nghymru \- wedi’i chyhoeddi heddiw.

Mae’r strategaeth yn nodi meysydd lle mae angen targedu camau gweithredu i gefnogi addysg plant sy’n derbyn gofal yn well. Mae’n canolbwyntio’n bennaf ar gamau gweithredu i gefnogi plant a phobl ifanc o oedran ysgol gorfodol, ond hefyd yn sicrhau bod trefniadau’n ystyried yr angen am bontio effeithiol i addysg bellach neu uwch a gwaith.

Mae cynllun gweithredu cysylltiedig yn nodi ymrwymiad Llywodraeth Cymru drwy gamau gweithredu unigol, gan weithio gyda’r holl bartneriaid allweddol, i wella canlyniadau addysgol i blant sy’n derbyn gofal. Bydd cyflawniad yn erbyn y cynllun gweithredu’n cael ei fonitro’n flynyddol, gan ddefnyddio ffynonellau data i wirio cynnydd a sicrhau bod y cymorth sydd ar gael yn gweithio’n effeithiol.  

Rydym wrth ein bodd o fod wedi cydweithio’n agos y llynedd â’r Rhwydwaith Maethu, Voices From Care a CASCADE – Prifysgol Caerdydd i sicrhau bod y strategaeth yn adlewyrchu barn a phrofiadau addysg gofalwyr maeth a’r plant a phobl ifanc eu hunain. Mae’r gwaith hwn wedi bod yn gymorth mawr i gryfhau ein dealltwriaeth o’r heriau y mae plant a gofalwyr yn gorfod eu hwynebu, a byddwn yn chwilio am gyfleoedd pellach i ddatblygu’r gwaith a gyflawnwyd hyd yn hyn.

Rydym yn ddiolchgar am eu cymorth a’u cefnogaeth gyda’r gwaith pwysig hwn ac i’r holl sefydliadau ac unigolion a gyfrannodd i’r ymgynghoriad ac yn y ddau ddigwyddiad llwyddiannus a gynhaliwyd yn y De a’r Gogledd.

Mae’r strategaeth a’r cynllun gweithredu yn cynnwys manylion y gwaith a wnaed gyda’r Rhwydwaith Maethu, Voices from Care a CASCADE \- Prifysgol Caerdydd.

Cyhoeddi’r strategaeth hon yw'r cam cyntaf mewn nod y cyd gan Lywodraeth Cymru i sicrhau gwelliannau parhaus ym mhob canlyniadau i blant sy'n derbyn gofal a fydd yn cael effaith gadarnhaol ar bob agwedd ar eu bywydau.    
Mae gwaith eisoes yn mynd rhagddo ar ddatblygu dull gweithredu cenedlaethol ar gyfer plant sy'n derbyn gofal a fydd yn helpu i leihau nifer y plant sy'n mynd i ofal, gwella canlyniadau i blant sydd eisoes mewn gofal a darparu gwell cyfleoedd i bobl sy'n gadael gofal. Mae Grŵp Llywio Strategol wedi'i sefydlu i gymryd ymagwedd traws\-lywodraeth strategol i blant sy'n derbyn gofal, gan ganolbwyntio ar atal ac ymyrraeth gynnar, cydweithio gwell a rhannu arfer gorau.  Byddwn hefyd yn ystyried yn ofalus sut y gallwn gyflwyno annibyniaeth i mewn i'r broses hon er mwyn sicrhau digon o drylwyredd. Bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn comisiynu mwy o waith yn y maes hwn dros y misoedd nesaf.