English: Thank you, acting Presiding Officer. For my contribution, I want to highlight some important aspects of the committee's scrutiny on the impact of COVID-19 as it relates specifically to vulnerable children and young people. I know that this Senedd shares a general concern for the future prospects of our children and young people but, as the report highlights, the committee heard specific concerns around safeguarding of children, and the fact that many problems may have become hidden from view. So, I'd like to thank the partner organisations who provided such evidence to us. It was a sombre reminder that, very sadly, home isn't a safe place for every child. And while safeguarding agencies would have had intelligence about a number of vulnerable children, we have no idea how many more children became at risk during the pandemic, due to circumstances that lockdown created. The NSPCC told us: 'We are concerned that with the lockdown in place, children who are at risk of, or are experiencing abuse and neglect, risk being hidden from services.' The evidence highlighted, for example, the important role that schools and teachers normally play in the disclosure of safeguarding issues. They are often the trusted adults who've been out of easy reach for so many children during this time. We therefore scrutinised Ministers and the Deputy Minister on Welsh Government guidance as published on 1 May, and we welcomed the cross-Government approach to the needs of vulnerable children. The guidance includes the flexibility in criteria around vulnerable children, and providing wider access to the school hubs. And those plans were an important part of the effort to support vulnerable children over recent months. But we also heard concerns that vulnerable children were not making use of the hubs. And while the numbers steadily increased, still too many did not attend, and were largely unseen. The committee is therefore suggesting that further evidence is required in order to understand in more detail what's happened during the period of the stay-at-home guidance. We know that for Welsh Government, social services authorities, safeguarding boards, and the organisations providing support and services, a significant drop in safeguarding referrals is a major concern, as it should be to all of us. And it's also been another huge challenge for our partners in local government, and because there was no easing of children's services legislation, then, quite rightly, the same standards remained in place and had to be responded to. So, the task of keeping in touch with vulnerable children in a variety of care settings, and of minimising disruption to them, has required innovation and flexibility, and we've seen that through the greater use of digital technology during the crisis. But that can be limited in those home settings that do not have the necessary technology, despite the digital inclusion support that's been made available, and, of course, the inability of some parents, carers, and wider family members to actually provide the educational and emotional support that children need. The committee also scrutinised provision for children with special educational needs, and we thank Ministers for their response. But the committee is very clear in asking that, if any relaxations occur, they contain a mix of the checks and balances that will be required to ensure SEN pupils receive the necessary support. And that was articulated so well by my colleague Hefin David earlier on. In the time available, I can only highlight some of the aspects of the scrutiny undertaken by the committee. But we have been clear that the rights of the child, and the needs of vulnerable children and young people in particular, sit at the core of our work. We cannot let this pandemic be a cover for allowing those most vulnerable children and young people in our communities to be put at even greater risk. And I hope the committee's recommendations assist the Welsh Government, and other partners, with the important tasks that we face. This pandemic has been challenging for the most resilient of us, so let us be the voices that protect and look out for the least.
Welsh: Diolch, Llywydd dros dro. O ran fy nghyfraniad, hoffwn dynnu sylw at rai agweddau pwysig ar waith craffu'r pwyllgor ar effaith COVID-19 fel y mae'n berthnasol i blant a phobl ifanc agored i niwed yn benodol. Gwn fod y Senedd hon yn rhannu pryder cyffredinol ynghylch rhagolygon ein plant a'n pobl ifanc yn y dyfodol ond, fel y mae'r adroddiad yn ei bwysleisio, clywodd y pwyllgor bryderon penodol ynghylch diogelu plant, a'r ffaith y gallai llawer o broblemau fod wedi eu cuddio o'r golwg erbyn hyn. Felly, hoffwn ddiolch i'r sefydliadau partner a ddarparodd dystiolaeth o'r fath i ni. Fe wnaeth ein hatgoffa yn ddifrifol, yn anffodus iawn, nad yw'r cartref yn lle diogel i bob plentyn. Ac er y byddai gan asiantaethau diogelu wybodaeth am nifer o blant agored i niwed, nid oes gennym unrhyw syniad faint yn fwy o blant a oedd mewn perygl yn ystod y pandemig, oherwydd yr amgylchiadau a grëwyd gan y cyfyngiadau symud. Dywedodd yr NSPCC wrthym: Rydym ni'n pryderu, gyda'r cyfyngiadau symud ar waith, bod plant sydd mewn perygl o gael eu cam-drin a'u hesgeuluso, neu sy'n cael eu cam-drin a'u hesgeuluso, mewn perygl o gael eu cuddio oddi wrth wasanaethau. Tynnodd y dystiolaeth sylw, er enghraifft, at y rhan bwysig y mae ysgolion ac athrawon yn ei chwarae fel rheol wrth ddatgelu materion diogelu. Yn aml, nhw yw'r oedolion dibynadwy sydd wedi bod allan o gyrraedd rhwydd cymaint o blant yn ystod y cyfnod hwn. Buom yn craffu felly ar waith Gweinidogion a'r Dirprwy Weinidog ar ganllawiau Llywodraeth Cymru fel y'u cyhoeddwyd ar 1 Mai, a chroesawyd y dull traws-lywodraethol o ymdrin ag anghenion plant agored i niwed gennym. Mae'r canllawiau yn cynnwys hyblygrwydd yn y meini prawf sy'n ymwneud â phlant agored i niwed, a chynnig mynediad ehangach i'r ysgolion hyb. Ac roedd y cynlluniau hynny yn rhan bwysig o'r ymdrech i gynorthwyo plant agored i niwed dros y misoedd diwethaf. Ond clywsom bryderon hefyd nad oedd plant agored i niwed yn defnyddio'r hybiau. Ac er bod niferoedd wedi cynyddu yn gyson, roedd gormod nad oeddent yn mynychu o hyd, ac yn anweledig i raddau helaeth. Mae'r pwyllgor yn awgrymu felly bod angen rhagor o dystiolaeth i ddeall yn fanylach yr hyn sydd wedi digwydd yn ystod cyfnod y canllawiau aros gartref. I Lywodraeth Cymru, awdurdodau gwasanaethau cymdeithasol, byrddau diogelu, a'r sefydliadau sy'n darparu cymorth a gwasanaethau, rydym ni'n gwybod bod gostyngiad sylweddol i atgyfeiriadau diogelu yn bryder mawr, fel y dylai fod i bob un ohonom ni. Ac mae hefyd wedi bod yn her enfawr arall i'n partneriaid mewn llywodraeth leol, a chan nad oedd unrhyw lacio ar ddeddfwriaeth gwasanaethau plant, yna, yn gwbl briodol, roedd yr un safonau yn dal i fod ar waith a bu'n rhaid ymateb iddyn nhw. Felly, mae'r dasg o gadw mewn cysylltiad â phlant agored i niwed mewn amrywiaeth o leoliadau gofal, ac o darfu cyn lleied â phosibl arnyn nhw, wedi gofyn am arloesedd a hyblygrwydd, ac rydym ni wedi gweld hynny drwy'r defnydd cynyddol o dechnoleg ddigidol yn ystod yr argyfwng. Ond gall honno fod yn gyfyngedig yn y cartrefi hynny nad oes ganddyn nhw'r dechnoleg angenrheidiol, er gwaethaf y cymorth cynhwysiant digidol sydd wedi bod ar gael, ac, wrth gwrs, anallu rhai rhieni, gofalwyr, ac aelodau teulu ehangach i ddarparu'r cymorth addysgol ac emosiynol sydd ei angen ar blant. Craffodd y pwyllgor hefyd ar y ddarpariaeth ar gyfer plant ag anghenion addysgol arbennig, a diolchwn i'r Gweinidogion am eu hymateb. Ond mae'r pwyllgor yn eglur iawn wrth ofyn, os bydd unrhyw lacio, eu bod nhw'n cynnwys cymysgedd o'r mesurau cadw cydbwysedd a fydd yn ofynnol i sicrhau bod disgyblion AAA yn cael y cymorth angenrheidiol. A chafodd hynny ei fynegi mor dda gan fy nghyd-Aelod Hefin David yn gynharach. Yn yr amser sydd ar gael, ni allaf ond tynnu sylw at rai o'r agweddau ar y gwaith craffu a wnaed gan y pwyllgor. Ond rydym ni wedi nodi'n eglur bod hawliau'r plentyn, ac anghenion plant a phobl ifanc agored i niwed yn arbennig, yn ganolog i'n gwaith. Ni allwn ni adael i'r pandemig hwn guddio'r weithred o adael y plant a'r bobl ifanc sydd fwyaf agored i niwed yn ein cymunedau wynebu mwy fyth o risg. Ac rwy'n gobeithio y bydd argymhellion y pwyllgor yn cynorthwyo Llywodraeth Cymru, a phartneriaid eraill, gyda'r tasgau pwysig sy'n ein hwynebu. Mae'r pandemig hwn wedi bod yn her i'r rhai mwyaf cydnerth ohonom ni, felly gadewch i ni fod yn lleisiau sy'n amddiffyn ac yn gofalu am y lleiaf cydnerth.