English: One of the committee's key conclusions was that more should be done to ensure parity of terms and conditions and pay with NHS staff, with the intention of retaining staff and being competitive with other industries or sectors, such as the hospitality industry. The committee welcomes the Welsh Government's acceptance of this recommendation and introduction of the real living wage for social care workers. However, we'd be grateful if the Welsh Government could advise when the increase in the real living wage, announced by the Living Wage Foundation on 22 September, will be made available to providers via local authorities, where it's understood that, currently, recipients are still only receiving £9.90 per hour. The committee also acknowledges the work of the social care fair work forum, which is looking at working conditions for social care workers. The committee urges the Welsh Government to go further in its proposals to ensure parity with NHS staff and to be competitive with other sectors. We welcome the Welsh Government's stated commitment to evaluating the work of the WeCare.Wales recruitment campaign. The committee also welcomes the work of Social Care Wales in learning about how social care providers recruit care workers and the challenges they face in so doing. We look forward to hearing more about their work, once it's completed next April. On the subject of care home inspections, the committee is encouraged to hear about the efforts to reflect the opinions of service users during their inspections, but believes that more should be done to expand this part of the inspection process. Whilst the committee is encouraged to note Care Inspectorate Wales or CIW's intention to inspect all registered adult care homes in the period between 1 October 2021 and 31 March 2023, it is concerning to note that this aim may not be achieved. We, therefore, encourage the Welsh Government to update the committee on CIW's progress once this period concludes, and on how it complies with the measures introduced by the Welsh Government some years ago following a very worrying report by the then older people's commissioner. The committee is disappointed that the Welsh Government has chosen to reject three recommendations, and particularly on top-up fees. We were deeply concerned about the nature of these fees and the way they are communicated to service users. The committee heard evidence about how top-up fees were being misapplied to service users, meaning that some of our most vulnerable citizens were faced with costs for basic services. The Older People's Commissioner for Wales told the committee that service users were unclear about what services would incur top-up fees, going on to state that families had approached her office because of, quote, 'unexpected, sudden bills for top-up fees, quite often for things that you would expect should be in the standard fee'. The commissioner told us that service users had been charged for accessing the garden, for example. So, we strongly disagree with applying top-up fees for accessing basic services and rights, and concluded that more should be done to tighten the rules around these top-up fees, along with a new independent redress system to allow decisions to be challenged. Unfortunately, the Welsh Government chose to reject these recommendations, stating that clear guidelines are in place as part of the continuing healthcare framework, prohibiting top-up fees for basic services. However, the committee has been told by sector experts that these damaging practices continue to occur. The Welsh Government's guidance on this matter is not working and is unclear for service users and providers. We question what is being done to monitor and evaluate the impact of this framework, when it's clear from the Welsh Government response they seem unaware that this guidance is not being followed, despite the evidence to the contrary in our report. The committee urges the Welsh Government in the strongest terms to urgently review this matter, and, as part of that review, to work with users and the organisations who represent them, such as Care Forum Wales, Age Cymru and the older people's commissioner, amongst others, to develop a new approach to top-up fees that works for the social care sector, and more importantly, its users. The Welsh Government also rejected the committee's proposal about mandatory information sharing across the care home sector, with a particular focus on service user experience and satisfaction. The committee had concluded that this information should be shared at a national level, to ensure all parties have access to consistent and relevant information, linked with the seven well-being goals for Wales. In their response, the Welsh Government told the committee they were not seeking to mandate information sharing as they did not view the 'high cost' of implementing these provisions as resulting in 'a proportionate benefit in terms of data development over and above the measures we have already taken and have in hand.' The committee would like to know, therefore, how the Welsh Government calculated this 'high cost', and what the calculation showed. It is regrettable that the Welsh Government sees implementing such a provision as a cost, as opposed to an investment in the social care sector, which should lead to cost benefits and a better body of information, including the voice of lived experience, to influence and shape future policy making in this area. The committee heard from the chief executive of Care Forum Wales about the challenges associated with collecting information across local authority and health board boundaries, with different information requested in different formats. A national system would streamline this process and provide a comprehensive body of information on which to base future cost-saving decisions in the sector. It is therefore regrettable that the Welsh Government has disregarded the committee's conclusions in this area. The committee will continue to pursue these issues with the Welsh Government, and we otherwise look forward to further dialogue with them on this topic, and will be closely monitoring the implementation of our recommendations.
Welsh: Un o brif gasgliadau'r pwyllgor oedd y dylid gwneud mwy i sicrhau telerau ac amodau a chyflog cydradd â staff y GIG, gyda'r bwriad o gadw staff a bod yn gystadleuol gyda diwydiannau neu sectorau eraill, megis y diwydiant lletygarwch. Mae'r pwyllgor yn croesawu'r ffaith bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi derbyn yr argymhelliad hwn a chyflwyno'r cyflog byw gwirioneddol i weithwyr gofal cymdeithasol. Fodd bynnag, byddem yn ddiolchgar pe gallai Llywodraeth Cymru ddweud pryd fydd y cynnydd yn y cyflog byw gwirioneddol, a gyhoeddwyd gan y Living Wage Foundation ar 22 Medi, ar gael i ddarparwyr trwy awdurdodau lleol, lle deëllir bod derbynwyr yn dal i gael £9.90 yr awr yn unig ar hyn o bryd. Mae'r pwyllgor hefyd yn cydnabod gwaith y fforwm gwaith teg gofal cymdeithasol, sy'n edrych ar amodau gwaith gweithwyr gofal cymdeithasol. Mae'r pwyllgor yn annog Llywodraeth Cymru i fynd ymhellach yn ei chynigion i sicrhau trefniadau cydradd â staff y GIG ac i fod yn gystadleuol â sectorau eraill. Rydym yn croesawu ymrwymiad datganedig Llywodraeth Cymru i werthuso gwaith ymgyrch recriwtio Gofalwn.Cymru. Mae'r pwyllgor hefyd yn croesawu gwaith Gofal Cymdeithasol Cymru yn dysgu sut y mae darparwyr gofal cymdeithasol yn recriwtio gweithwyr gofal a'r heriau y maent yn eu hwynebu wrth wneud hynny. Rydym yn edrych ymlaen at glywed mwy am eu gwaith, wedi iddo gael ei gwblhau fis Ebrill nesaf. Ar archwiliadau cartrefi gofal, anogir y pwyllgor i glywed am yr ymdrechion i adlewyrchu barn defnyddwyr gwasanaethau yn ystod eu harolygiadau, ond mae'n credu y dylid gwneud mwy i ehangu'r rhan hon o'r broses arolygu. Er bod y pwyllgor yn cael ei annog i nodi bwriad Arolygiaeth Gofal Cymru neu AGC i archwilio pob cartref gofal cofrestredig i oedolion yn y cyfnod rhwng 1 Hydref 2021 a 31 Mawrth 2023, mae'n bryderus nodi efallai na chyflawnir y nod hwn. Rydym yn annog Llywodraeth Cymru felly i roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i'r pwyllgor ar gynnydd AGC ar ôl i'r cyfnod hwn ddod i ben, ac ar sut y mae'n cydymffurfio â'r mesurau a gyflwynwyd gan Lywodraeth Cymru rai blynyddoedd yn ôl yn dilyn adroddiad pryderus iawn gan y comisiynydd pobl hŷn ar y pryd. Mae'r pwyllgor yn siomedig fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi dewis gwrthod tri argymhelliad, yn enwedig yr argymhelliad ar ffioedd ychwanegol. Roeddem yn bryderus iawn am natur y ffioedd hyn a'r ffordd y cânt eu cyfleu i ddefnyddwyr gwasanaethau. Clywodd y pwyllgor dystiolaeth fod defnyddwyr gwasanaethau'n gorfod talu ffioedd ychwanegol ar gam, gan olygu bod rhai o'n dinasyddion mwyaf bregus yn wynebu costau am wasanaethau sylfaenol. Dywedodd Comisiynydd Pobl Hŷn Cymru wrth y pwyllgor fod defnyddwyr gwasanaethau'n aneglur ynghylch pa wasanaethau y byddai'n rhaid talu ffioedd ychwanegol amdanynt, ac aeth rhagddi i ddatgan bod teuluoedd wedi gofyn am gymorth gan ei swyddfa oherwydd, 'biliau annisgwyl, sydyn am ffioedd ychwanegol, yn eithaf aml ar gyfer pethau y byddech chi'n disgwyl iddynt fod yn y ffi safonol'. Dywedodd y comisiynydd wrthym fod defnyddwyr gwasanaethau wedi gorfod talu am gael mynediad i'r ardd, er enghraifft. Felly, rydym yn anghytuno'n gryf â gosod ffioedd ychwanegol ar gyfer cael mynediad at wasanaethau a hawliau sylfaenol, a daethom i'r casgliad y dylid gwneud mwy i dynhau'r rheolau sy'n gysylltiedig â'r ffioedd ychwanegol hyn, ynghyd â system gwneud iawn annibynnol newydd er mwyn caniatáu i benderfyniadau gael eu herio. Yn anffodus, dewisodd Llywodraeth Cymru wrthod yr argymhellion hyn, gan ddweud bod canllawiau clir ar waith fel rhan o'r fframwaith gofal iechyd parhaus, gan wahardd ffioedd ychwanegol am wasanaethau sylfaenol. Fodd bynnag, mae arbenigwyr y sector wedi dweud wrth y pwyllgor fod yr arferion niweidiol hyn yn parhau i ddigwydd. Nid yw canllawiau Llywodraeth Cymru ar y mater hwn yn gweithio ac nid ydynt yn glir ar gyfer defnyddwyr gwasanaethau a darparwyr. Rydym yn cwestiynu'r hyn sy'n cael ei wneud i fonitro a gwerthuso effaith y fframwaith hwn, pan fo'n amlwg o ymateb Llywodraeth Cymru nad yw i'w gweld yn ymwybodol nad yw'r canllawiau hyn yn cael eu dilyn, er gwaethaf y dystiolaeth i'r gwrthwyneb yn ein hadroddiad. Mae'r pwyllgor yn annog Llywodraeth Cymru yn gadarn iawn i adolygu'r mater ar frys, ac fel rhan o'r adolygiad hwnnw, i weithio gyda defnyddwyr a'r sefydliadau sy'n eu cynrychioli, fel Fforwm Gofal Cymru, Age Cymru a'r comisiynydd pobl hŷn, ymhlith eraill, i ddatblygu dull newydd o weithredu ffioedd ychwanegol sy'n gweithio i'r sector gofal cymdeithasol, ac yn bwysicach fyth, i'w ddefnyddwyr. Hefyd, fe wrthododd Llywodraeth Cymru gynnig y pwyllgor ynghylch gorfodaeth i rannu gwybodaeth ar draws y sector cartrefi gofal, gan ganolbwyntio'n benodol ar brofiad a boddhad defnyddwyr gwasanaethau. Roedd y pwyllgor wedi dod i'r casgliad y dylai'r wybodaeth hon gael ei rhannu ar lefel genedlaethol, er mwyn sicrhau bod gan bob parti fynediad at wybodaeth gyson a pherthnasol, yn gysylltiedig â'r saith nod llesiant i Gymru. Yn eu hymateb, dywedodd Llywodraeth Cymru wrth y pwyllgor nad oeddent am fandadu rhannu gwybodaeth gan nad oeddent yn ystyried 'cost uchel' gweithredu'r darpariaethau hyn fel un a fyddai'n arwain at greu 'budd cymesur o ran datblygu data ar ben y mesurau yr ydym eisoes wedi'u cymryd ac sydd wrth law.' Hoffai'r pwyllgor wybod, felly, sut y cyfrifodd Llywodraeth Cymru y 'gost uchel' hon, a beth oedd y cyfrifiad yn ei ddangos. Mae'n destun gofid fod Llywodraeth Cymru yn gweld gweithredu darpariaeth o'r fath fel cost yn hytrach na buddsoddiad yn y sector gofal cymdeithasol a ddylai arwain at fanteision o ran costau a gwell corff o wybodaeth, gan gynnwys llais profiad bywyd, i ddylanwadu ar lunio polisïau yn y maes hwn yn y dyfodol. Clywodd y pwyllgor gan brif weithredwr Fforwm Gofal Cymru am yr heriau sy'n gysylltiedig â chasglu gwybodaeth ar draws ffiniau awdurdodau lleol a byrddau iechyd, gyda galw am wybodaeth wahanol mewn fformatau gwahanol. Byddai system genedlaethol yn symleiddio'r broses ac yn darparu corff cynhwysfawr o wybodaeth i seilio penderfyniadau ynghylch arbed costau yn y sector yn y dyfodol. Mae'n destun pryder felly fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi diystyru casgliadau'r pwyllgor yn y maes. Bydd y pwyllgor yn parhau i fynd ar drywydd y materion hyn gyda Llywodraeth Cymru, ac fel arall edrychwn ymlaen at drafodaeth bellach gyda hwy ar y pwnc hwn, a byddwn yn monitro gweithrediad ein hargymhellion yn ofalus.