English: Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. I'd like to start by making a declaration of interest on this item, as I'm still a registered social worker. 'They said I was going to be there until I was 18 but because it was so expensivethey had to move me back downthey waited until I got my GCSEs, I thought that was fair, but didn't like a decision about my future based on money given they had put me there in the first place.' This is a quote from a young girl, who, by the age of 16, had already been moved to 10 different places that she was expected to call home. That not only gets to the heart of the motion here today, but draws into question the way in which we provide care for children and young people. And I bring forward this proposal because time is of the essence. The interplay between motivators for providing care for some providers, and the budget and capacity challenges faced by local authorities, mean that too many children are going without the care that they need and deserve. Children and young people in care have said, quite clearly, that they can feel like commodities - a burden on others. We refer to the care system, but the experience of staff, children and young people suggests something other than care; rather, it can describe a complex, bureaucratic system that has developed over years, which is distracted by its component parts rather than by the needs, voices and hopes of children and young people. I have proposed legislation here because, as was recognised in Scotland, adding to the complex patchwork of systems and processes only serves to further remove the power of children and young people over their own lives. Legislation was also viewed in Scotland as an opportunity to go back to basics: that we must recognise children's status as human beings with a distinct set of rights, not simply passive recipients of care. In Scotland, that included removing the provision for profit making from the sector. In Scotland, all providers must be registered with regulators, and they are scrutinised to identify any presence of profit to ensure that funds are directed to the care and support the young people need, not to private shareholders. My proposal here would remove the ability of private providers to profit from the care of vulnerable children, ensuring that every penny is reinvested in care and staff and not back into the pockets of shareholders. This is not a judgement about private providers; many, I know, in my experience, are there to establish focussed, dedicated care and support. But, we must recognise the way in which the profit motive of some does impact negatively on the ability to focus solely on care and not battling with a complex, bureaucratic system. I don't pose this simply for moral reasons, but because the enormous pressure on local authorities to find placements, coupled with growing pressures on budgets, leaves little room for the laser-sharp focus on the quality of care, and on the voices and needs of children and young people. The lack of an all-Wales approach to commissioning care has resulted in authorities competing with one another, shifting commissioning practices in the favour of private providers. I caveat this proposal, and so too does the children's commissioner and other organisations, with the need to ensure that change is not to the detriment of children and young people. The rights of the child must be at the heart of any reform; no big bang and no unnecessary disruption. In preparing for today's motion, I heard from a representative organisation, which said, 'We need to stress that when we discuss value, it should begin with the value of the individual child and young person, and not simply in relation to financial stability or the system's capacity. This narrative relates to the care being a product'. So, any steps to remove profit as a driver in the provision of care need to be done carefully, over time, and must have the needs and wishes of every individual child and young person front and centre as we move forward. But, it must be a fundamental overhaul. In finishing, I hope our Senedd can send a signal to children and young people in care in Wales, wherever we are, that we hear them and we're listening. Thank you - diolch yn fawr iawn.
Welsh: Diolch yn fawr, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Hoffwn ddechrau drwy ddatgan buddiant ar yr eitem hon, gan fy mod yn dal i fod yn weithiwr cymdeithasol cofrestredig. 'Roeddent yn dweud y byddwn i'n dal yno hyd nes y byddwn yn 18 oed ond am ei fod mor ddrud bu'n rhaid iddynt fy symud yn ôl i lawr fe wnaethant aros hyd nes y cefais fy nghanlyniadau TGAU, roeddwn yn meddwl bod hynny'n deg, ond nid oeddwn yn hoffi'r ffaith bod penderfyniad am fy nyfodol yn seiliedig ar arian o ystyried mai hwy a'm gosododd yno yn y lle cyntaf.' Dyma ddyfyniad gan ferch ifanc, a oedd eisoes, erbyn ei bod yn 16 oed, wedi cael ei symud i 10 lle gwahanol roedd disgwyl iddi eu galw'n gartref. Mae hynny nid yn unig yn mynd at wraidd y cynnig yma heddiw, mae hefyd yn codi amheuaeth ynghylch y ffordd rydym yn darparu gofal i blant a phobl ifanc. Ac rwy'n cyflwyno'r cynnig hwn oherwydd bod amser yn brin. Mae'r rhyngweithio rhwng y cymhellion i rai darparwyr ddarparu gofal, a'r heriau cyllidebol ac o ran capasiti a wynebir gan awdurdodau lleol, yn golygu bod gormod o blant yn mynd heb y gofal y maent ei angen ac yn ei haeddu. Mae plant a phobl ifanc mewn gofal wedi dweud, yn gwbl glir, eu bod yn gallu teimlo fel nwyddau, ac yn faich ar eraill. Cyfeiriwn at y system ofal, ond mae profiad staff, plant a phobl ifanc yn awgrymu rhywbeth heblaw gofal; yn hytrach, gall ddisgrifio system gymhleth, fiwrocrataidd sydd wedi datblygu dros flynyddoedd, ac sy'n cael ei dargyfeirio gan ei rhannau cyfansoddol yn hytrach na chan anghenion, lleisiau a gobeithion plant a phobl ifanc. Rwyf wedi argymell deddfwriaeth yma oherwydd, fel y cydnabuwyd yn yr Alban, nid yw ychwanegu at y clytwaith cymhleth o systemau a phrosesau ond yn diddymu mwy o'r pŵer sydd gan blant a phobl ifanc dros eu bywydau eu hunain. Hefyd, câi deddfwriaeth ei hystyried yn yr Alban fel cyfle i fynd yn ôl at y pethau sylfaenol: fod yn rhaid inni gydnabod statws plant fel bodau dynol gyda set benodol o hawliau, nid dim ond derbynwyr gofal goddefol. Yn yr Alban, roedd hynny'n cynnwys dileu'r ddarpariaeth ar gyfer gwneud elw o'r sector. Yn yr Alban, rhaid i bob darparwr fod wedi'i gofrestru gyda rheoleiddwyr, a chraffir arnynt i nodi presenoldeb unrhyw elw er mwyn sicrhau bod arian yn cael ei gyfeirio at y gofal a'r cymorth sydd eu hangen ar y bobl ifanc, nid at gyfranddalwyr preifat. Byddai fy nghynnig yma yn dileu gallu darparwyr preifat i elwa o ofal plant sy'n agored i niwed, gan sicrhau bod pob ceiniog yn cael ei hailfuddsoddi mewn gofal a staff ac nid yn ôl i bocedi cyfranddalwyr. Nid barn ar ddarparwyr preifat yw hwn; yn fy mhrofiad i rwy'n gwybod bod llawer ohonynt yno i sefydlu gofal a chymorth penodol a phwrpasol. Ond rhaid inni gydnabod y ffordd y mae cymhellion elw i rai yn cael effaith negyddol ar y gallu i ganolbwyntio ar ofal yn unig a pheidio â gwrthsefyll system gymhleth, fiwrocrataidd. Nid wyf yn gwneud hyn am resymau moesol yn unig, ond oherwydd nad yw'r pwysau enfawr ar awdurdodau lleol i ddod o hyd i leoliadau, ynghyd â phwysau cynyddol ar gyllidebau, yn gadael llawer o le i ganolbwyntio'n fanwl ar ansawdd y gofal, ac ar leisiau ac anghenion plant a phobl ifanc. Mae diffyg dull Cymru gyfan o gomisiynu gofal wedi golygu bod awdurdodau'n cystadlu â'i gilydd, gan symud arferion comisiynu o blaid darparwyr preifat. Un cafeat sydd gennyf mewn perthynas â'r cynnig hwn, ac felly hefyd y comisiynydd plant a sefydliadau eraill, yw'r angen i sicrhau nad yw newid yn niweidiol i blant a phobl ifanc. Rhaid i hawliau'r plentyn fod wrth wraidd unrhyw ddiwygio; dim newid mawr sydyn a dim tarfu diangen. Wrth baratoi ar gyfer y cynnig heddiw, clywais gan sefydliad cynrychioliadol, a ddywedodd, 'Mae angen inni bwysleisio wrth drafod gwerth, y dylai ddechrau gyda gwerth y plentyn a'r person ifanc unigol, ac nid mewn perthynas â sefydlogrwydd ariannol neu gapasiti'r system yn syml. Mae'r naratif hwn yn ymwneud â'r gofal fel cynnyrch'. Felly, mae angen i unrhyw gamau i gael gwared ar elw fel sbardun i ddarparu gofal gael eu gwneud yn ofalus dros amser a rhaid iddynt gadw anghenion a dymuniadau pob plentyn a pherson ifanc unigol yn ganolog wrth inni symud ymlaen. Ond rhaid iddo fod yn ailwampio sylfaenol. Wrth orffen, rwy'n gobeithio y gall ein Senedd anfon neges at blant a phobl ifanc mewn gofal yng Nghymru, ble bynnag yr ydym, ein bod yn eu clywed a'n bod yn gwrando. Diolch yn fawr iawn.