Translate the text from English to Welsh.



 
Today is **Youth** **Mental** **Health** **Day** and I am pleased to announce an additional £2\.5 million for youth work services to ensure that young people in Wales get the support they need. The emotional mental health and wellbeing of our children and young people is an absolute priority for me and youth workers have a vital role to play to help children and young people recover from the pandemic.


We know that young people often experience emotional and mental health issues in silence, and alone. This year, this has been compounded by the pandemic which has exacerbated existing inequalities and enforced periods of isolation. This additional funding, which will be available for the remainder of this financial year, will enable youth workers to help break the silence, to reach out and provide support where it is needed, urgently.


We will work with local authorities and their voluntary sector partners to fund youth work programmes that are tailored to meet the needs of the young people most affected by the pandemic. We know that the pandemic has hit vulnerable and disadvantaged young people the hardest.


This additional funding will make a significant difference to improve the resources and youth work services available to young people in these challenging times, and help them access the help they need, where and when they need it. It builds on the additional funding we’ve made available to youth work in recent years, almost quadrupling our investment in the Youth Support Grant compared to 2018 levels


Youth work is well placed to meet these needs, taking a person\-centred approach and promoting and protecting children’s rights.  Sometimes, a skilled youth worker can be the only trusted relationship that young people have with an adult outside of school, social services or other mandated contact. The early preventative nature of youth work can make a substantial difference, reducing the number of young people having to be referred to higher level mental health services at a later stage. We understand that getting the right support at the right time, in many cases, can prevent longer\-term adverse effects, and that’s why we’re making access to support a priority too.


I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to youth workers up and down the country for supporting young people through the pandemic. Staff have worked tirelessly to restructure delivery online through live digital sessions as well as providing advice and information 24/7\. This has helped to support young people experiencing emotional and mental health issues. As we head towards a new era for youth work in Wales, and the publication of the Interim Youth Work Board’s final report very shortly, we look to make positive changes that make differences to young people in Wales today; this is just a small step in starting that journey.


This statement is being issued during recess in order to keep members informed. Should members wish me to make a further statement or to answer questions on this when the Senedd returns I would be happy to do so.







Translation:


 
Mae’n **Ddiwrnod Iechyd Meddwl Pobl Ifanc** heddiw ac rwy’n falch o gael cyhoeddi £2\.5 miliwn ychwanegol ar gyfer gwasanaethau gwaith ieuenctid er mwyn sicrhau bod pobl ifanc yng Nghymru yn cael y gefnogaeth sydd ei hangen arnynt. Mae iechyd meddwl a lles emosiynol ein plant a’n pobl ifanc yn flaenoriaeth glir i mi, ac mae gan weithwyr ieuenctid rôl hanfodol i’w chwarae i helpu plant a phobl ifanc i ddod dros y pandemig.


Gwyddom fod pobl ifanc yn dioddef problemau iechyd meddwl ac emosiynol yn dawel fach yn aml, ac ar eu pen eu hunain. Eleni, mae’r pandemig wedi gwaethygu hyn, gan ddwysáu anghydraddoldebau a oedd eisoes yn bodoli a gorfodi pobl i hunanynysu. Bydd y cyllid ychwanegol hwn, a fydd ar gael ar gyfer gweddill y flwyddyn ariannol hon, yn helpu gweithwyr ieuenctid i dorri ar y tawelwch, estyn allan a chynnig cefnogaeth lle mae’r angen yn ddybryd.


Byddwn yn gweithio gydag awdurdodau lleol a’u partneriaid yn y sector gwirfoddol i gyllido rhaglenni gwaith ieuenctid sydd wedi’u teilwra ar sail anghenion y bobl ifanc y mae’r pandemig wedi effeithio fwyaf arnynt. Gwyddom mai pobl ifanc ddifreintiedig sy’n agored i niwed sydd wedi’u taro galetaf gan y pandemig.


Bydd y cyllid ychwanegol hwn yn gwneud gwahaniaeth sylweddol i wella’r adnoddau a’r gwasanaethau gwaith ieuenctid sydd ar gael i bobl ifanc yn y cyfnod heriol hwn, gan eu helpu i gael gafael ar y cymorth sydd ei angen arnynt, lle a phryd y mae ei angen. Mae’n adeiladu ar y cyllid ychwanegol rydym wedi’i ddarparu ar gyfer gwaith ieuenctid dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf, gan gynyddu ein buddsoddiad yn y Grant Cymorth Ieuenctid bron bedair o weithiau’n fwy, o gymharu â lefelau 2018\.


Mae gwasanaethau gwaith ieuenctid mewn sefyllfa dda i gyflawni’r anghenion hyn, gan ymateb i sefyllfa pob unigolyn, a hyrwyddo a diogelu hawliau plant. Weithiau, gweithiwr ieuenctid fydd yr unig oedolyn y mae person ifanc yn ymddiried ynddo y tu allan i gylch yr ysgol, gwasanaethau cymdeithasol neu drefniant swyddogol arall. Gall gwaith ieuenctid, a’i allu i atal problemau yn gynnar, wneud gwahaniaeth sylweddol, gan leihau nifer y bobl ifanc sy’n cael eu cyfeirio at wasanaethau iechyd meddwl ar lefel uwch yn nes ymlaen. Rydym yn deall bod sicrhau’r gefnogaeth iawn ar yr adeg iawn, mewn llawer o achosion, yn gallu atal effeithiau andwyol tymor hirach, a dyna pam ein bod yn rhoi blaenoriaeth hefyd i sicrhau mynediad at y gefnogaeth hon.


Rwyf am achub ar y cyfle hwn i ddiolch i weithwyr ieuenctid ar hyd a lled y wlad am gefnogi pobl ifanc drwy’r pandemig. Mae staff wedi gweithio’n ddiflino i ailstrwythuro eu darpariaeth ar\-lein drwy sesiynau digidol byw yn ogystal â chynnig cyngor a gwybodaeth 24 awr y dydd, 7 diwrnod yr wythnos. Mae hyn wedi helpu pobl ifanc sy’n dioddef problemau iechyd meddwl ac emosiynol. Wrth inni symud tuag at gyfnod newydd o ran gwaith ieuenctid yng Nghymru, ac adroddiad terfynol y Bwrdd Gwaith Ieuenctid Dros Dro ar fin cael ei gyhoeddi, rydym am wneud newidiadau positif sy’n gwneud gwahaniaeth i bobl ifanc yng Nghymru heddiw; ac mae hwn yn gam bach iawn i ddechrau’r daith honno.


Rwy’n cyhoeddi’r datganiad hwn yn ystod y toriad er mwyn rhoi’r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i’r Aelodau. Os bydd yr Aelodau am imi wneud datganiad pellach neu ateb cwestiynau ynghylch hyn pan fydd y Senedd yn ailymgynnull, byddwn yn hapus i wneud hynny.