English: Before I turn to the recommendations, it's important to remind ourselves that the commissioner has corporate sole status, and is an independent human rights institution, who holds the Welsh Government to account through a number of routes. She has powers to review the effect on children of the exercise - or the proposed exercise - of any function of Welsh Ministers, the First Minister for Wales, or the Counsel General to the Welsh Government, including any subordinate legislation they make or propose to make. And you will be aware that the commissioner has decided to use her formal powers in relation to elective home education and safeguarding in independent schools. The Welsh Government will respond to that review when required, through the formal process, and I won't be discussing the review whilst it's ongoing. In this year's annual report, the commissioner has set out 18 recommendations: five relate to care experienced children, including reforming corporate parenting, the criminalisation of children in care, safe accommodation of children with complex needs, access to personal advisors, and semi-independent supported living for care leavers. Other recommendations focus on youth justice services, health advocacy and health transitions and mental health, as well as child sexual exploitation statutory guidance for vulnerable children and young people, and publication of the child poverty review findings. The commissioner has made three recommendations relating to schools, including investigations into allegations of child abuse against teaching staff, guidance for governing bodies on disciplinary and dismissal procedures, and independent schools registering with the Education Workforce Council, as well as a recommendation related to laying the additional learning needs code of practice. It's important to note, and I know the children's commissioner understands, that a number of the recommendations she has put forward are linked to work that has been paused or reprioritised as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Redeploying Welsh Government officials, or reprioritising some areas of work, have been necessary consequences of the pandemic, and have sadly but unavoidably meant that some activity has not been progressed to original timescales. We do share substantial common ground with the commissioner. We have and will continue to work with her and others to enable children and young people to realise their rights. And I'd like to thank David Melding for chairing the corporate parenting task and finish group, which is developing a voluntary charter that organisations can sign up to, setting out their unique offer for care experienced children. And I'd like to use this opportunity to pay tribute to the work that David has done for children, and particularly for children who are looked after. And of course, the mental health and well-being of children and young people remains a priority. Building on the work of the Children, Young People and Education Committee's report, 'Mind over matter', we've been determined to push ahead with a whole-school approach to the well-being framework. Coronavirus has delayed the consultation by a few months. However, initial findings are being considered by the task and finish group, ahead of finalising publication. The commissioner published her 'No Wrong Door' report in March this year, which focused on bringing services together to meet children's needs and stop situations where different professionals cannot agree who is responsible for the care of children and young people with complex needs. The commissioner has called on the Welsh Government to respond to the recommendations outlined in her report, and we're keen to make progress on this issue. The First Minister will publish the Welsh Government's response to the commissioner's annual report by 30 November, taking into account what Members say in this debate. The commissioner's approach, as stated in her report, has always been to respond to the Welsh Government as a critical friend, to challenge robustly where necessary, but to welcome and acknowledge positive developments. And I should like to take this opportunity to thank the children's commissioner for her role in being a critical friend to the Welsh Government. And this has been of particular value in the last eight months whilst we've responded to the pandemic in Wales and where we've strived to recognise and mitigate the impact of the pandemic on children and young people. The commissioner has been very supportive in challenging and advising the Welsh Government on our responses to the pandemic and how we've had to balance keeping children safe with respecting and protecting their rights. While some of those decisions have not been easy, I am proud of the way the Welsh Government has pulled together to keep children and young people and their rights at the forefront of decision making, and particularly the emphasis that's been given to vulnerable children during this time. With all that's happened during 2020, we should remember that it was only a year ago that we were celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child - a major milestone for children's rights. And finally, I want to restate that the UNCRC continues to be the basis for all our policies for children: it's central to our work to improve children's outcomes by helping and supporting them to achieve their full potential. We want to build on our achievements so far to ensure that Wales is a place where children's rights are respected, protected and fulfilled. Thank you.
Welsh: Cyn i mi droi at yr argymhellion, mae'n bwysig atgoffa ein hunain bod gan y comisiynydd statws corfforaeth undyn, a'i fod yn sefydliad hawliau dynol annibynnol, sy'n dwyn Llywodraeth Cymru i gyfrif drwy nifer o lwybrau. Mae ganddi bwerau i adolygu effaith arfer ar blant - neu arfer arfaethedig - unrhyw swyddogaeth Gweinidogion Cymru, Prif Weinidog Cymru, neu Gwnsler Cyffredinol Llywodraeth Cymru, gan gynnwys unrhyw is-ddeddfwriaeth y maen nhw'n ei gwneud neu'n bwriadu ei gwneud. A byddwch chi'n ymwybodol bod y comisiynydd wedi penderfynu defnyddio ei phwerau ffurfiol o ran addysg ddewisol yn y cartref a diogelu mewn ysgolion annibynnol. Bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn ymateb i'r adolygiad hwnnw pan fydd angen, trwy'r broses ffurfiol, ac ni fyddaf yn trafod yr adolygiad wrth iddo barhau. Yn yr adroddiad blynyddol eleni, mae'r comisiynydd wedi nodi 18 o argymhellion: mae pump yn ymwneud â phlant sydd wedi bod mewn gofal, gan gynnwys diwygio rhianta corfforaethol, troseddoli plant mewn gofal, llety diogel i blant ag anghenion cymhleth, cyfle i ddefnyddio cynghorwyr personol, a byw yn lled-annibynnol gyda chymorth i'r rhai sy'n gadael gofal. Mae argymhellion eraill yn canolbwyntio ar wasanaethau cyfiawnder ieuenctid, eiriolaeth iechyd a phontio iechyd ac iechyd meddwl, yn ogystal â chanllawiau statudol ar gamfanteisio'n rhywiol ar blant i blant a phobl ifanc sy'n agored i niwed, a chyhoeddi canfyddiadau'r adolygiad tlodi plant. Mae'r comisiynydd wedi gwneud tri argymhelliad yn ymwneud ag ysgolion, gan gynnwys ymchwiliadau i honiadau o gam-drin plant yn erbyn staff addysgu, canllawiau i gyrff llywodraethu ar weithdrefnau disgyblu a diswyddo, ac ysgolion annibynnol sy'n cofrestru gyda Chyngor y Gweithlu Addysg, yn ogystal ag argymhelliad yn ymwneud â gosod y cod ymarfer anghenion dysgu ychwanegol. Mae'n bwysig nodi, ac rwy'n gwybod bod y comisiynydd plant yn deall, fod nifer o'r argymhellion y mae wedi eu cyflwyno yn gysylltiedig â gwaith sydd wedi ei oedi neu ei ailflaenoriaethu o ganlyniad i'r pandemig coronafeirws. Mae adleoli swyddogion Llywodraeth Cymru, neu ailflaenoriaethu rhai meysydd gwaith, wedi bod yn ganlyniadau angenrheidiol i'r pandemig, ac yn anffodus ond yn anochel mae hynny wedi golygu nad yw rhywfaint o'r gweithgarwch wedi mynd yn ei flaen yn unol â'r amserlenni gwreiddiol. Rydym ni yn rhannu llawer o dir cyffredin â'r comisiynydd. Rydym ni wedi gweithio a byddwn yn parhau i weithio gyda hi ac eraill i alluogi plant a phobl ifanc i wireddu eu hawliau. A hoffwn i ddiolch i David Melding am gadeirio'r grŵp gorchwyl a gorffen rhianta corfforaethol, sy'n datblygu siarter wirfoddol y gall sefydliadau ymrwymo iddi, gan nodi eu cynnig unigryw ar gyfer plant sydd wedi bod mewn gofal. A hoffwn i fanteisio ar y cyfle hwn i dalu teyrnged i'r gwaith y mae David wedi ei wneud dros blant, ac yn enwedig dros blant sy'n derbyn gofal. Ac wrth gwrs, mae iechyd meddwl a lles plant a phobl ifanc yn parhau i fod yn flaenoriaeth. Gan ategu gwaith adroddiad y Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg, 'Cadernid Meddwl', rydym ni wedi bod yn benderfynol o fwrw ymlaen ag ymagwedd ysgol gyfan at y fframwaith llesiant. Mae'r coronafeirws wedi gohirio'r ymgynghoriad am ychydig o fisoedd. Fodd bynnag, mae'r canfyddiadau cychwynnol yn cael eu hystyried gan y grŵp gorchwyl a gorffen, cyn eu cyhoeddi'n derfynol. Cyhoeddodd y comisiynydd ei hadroddiad 'Dim Drws Anghywir' ym mis Mawrth eleni, a oedd yn canolbwyntio ar ddod â gwasanaethau at ei gilydd i ddiwallu anghenion plant ac atal sefyllfaoedd lle na all gwahanol weithwyr proffesiynol gytuno ar bwy sy'n gyfrifol am ofal plant a phobl ifanc ag anghenion cymhleth. Mae'r comisiynydd wedi galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i ymateb i'r argymhellion sydd wedi eu hamlinellu yn ei hadroddiad, ac rydym ni'n awyddus i wneud cynnydd ar y mater hwn. Bydd y Prif Weinidog yn cyhoeddi ymateb Llywodraeth Cymru i adroddiad blynyddol y comisiynydd erbyn 30 Tachwedd, gan ystyried yr hyn y mae'r Aelodau yn ei ddweud yn y ddadl hon. Dull gweithredu'r comisiynydd erioed, fel sydd wedi ei nodi ei hadroddiad, yw ymateb i Lywodraeth Cymru fel cyfaill beirniadol, herio'n gadarn pan fo angen, ond croesawu a chydnabod datblygiadau cadarnhaol. A hoffwn i fanteisio ar y cyfle hwn i ddiolch i'r comisiynydd plant am ei swyddogaeth o fod yn ffrind beirniadol i Lywodraeth Cymru. Ac mae hyn wedi bod o werth arbennig yn ystod yr wyth mis diwethaf wrth i ni ymateb i'r pandemig yng Nghymru a lle yr ydym ni wedi ymdrechu i gydnabod a lliniaru effaith y pandemig ar blant a phobl ifanc. Mae'r comisiynydd wedi bod yn gefnogol iawn yn herio a chynghori Llywodraeth Cymru ar ein hymatebion i'r pandemig a sut yr ydym ni wedi gorfod cydbwyso cadw plant yn ddiogel â pharchu a diogelu eu hawliau. Er nad yw rhai o'r penderfyniadau hynny wedi bod yn hawdd, rwy'n falch o'r ffordd y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi dod at ei gilydd i gadw plant a phobl ifanc a'u hawliau yn flaenoriaeth wrth wneud penderfyniadau, ac yn enwedig y pwyslais sydd wedi ei roi ar blant sy'n agored i niwed yn ystod y cyfnod hwn. Gyda'r cyfan sydd wedi digwydd yn ystod 2020, dylem ni gofio mai dim ond blwyddyn yn ôl yr oeddem ni'n dathlu pen-blwydd Confensiwn y Cenhedloedd Unedig ar Hawliau'r Plentyn yn drideg - carreg filltir bwysig ar gyfer hawliau plant. Ac yn olaf, hoffwn i ailddatgan bod CCUHP yn parhau i fod yn sail i'n holl bolisïau ar gyfer plant: mae'n ganolog i'n gwaith i wella canlyniadau plant drwy eu helpu a'u cefnogi i gyflawni eu llawn botensial. Rydym ni'n awyddus i adeiladu ar ein cyflawniadau hyd yma er mwyn sicrhau bod Cymru yn rhywle lle mae hawliau plant yn cael eu parchu, eu hamddiffyn a'u cyflawni. Diolch.