English: So far, during my time as Deputy Minister, I've spoken to a range of people involved with the lives of children and families. I've spoken to senior local authority officers, local politicians, third sector organisations, and I've spoken directly to children and young people about their experiences of services too, and that, I think, has been one of the most important exercises I've undertaken - listening directly to children and young people. And while the experiences I've heard have been varied - what they've said to me has covered a range of responses - I do continue to be humbled and impressed by the sheer dedication and passion of those involved with helping children and families who are living through very unsettled times. I do have to speak up for the many social workers and workers in the childcare system who do work very hard and very genuinely to try to improve the lives of children, and there is much determination to do the right thing. I want us, the Government, to do all we can to facilitate and support those social workers and our stakeholders to make sure that we do try to deliver the best services possible. So, that is the profound wish of the Government, that we want to improve the lives of children who are in difficult circumstances, and we know that the children and young people who come into contact with public services will be going through the most difficult and challenging family circumstances, and I have really admired many of those children who have shown great resilience, often, and great coping mechanisms to deal with very difficult situations. I think, as Neil McEvoy did acknowledge in his contribution, that the safety of our children is paramount, and whilst we do all we can to work with families to keep the family unit together, sometimes, it is in the best interest of the child to live in a different arrangement, and that is and should always be completely as a last resort. This, of course, could be with their extended family or friends, or often with grandparents or in more formal arrangements such as special guardianship or kinship foster placements. Children living in any of these arrangements should receive the support they and their carers need to promote their well-being, whether or not they are a looked-after child, and when children do go into a care setting, we all have a responsibility to ensure their lives and opportunities are as favourable as their peers'. We are committed to do all we can for those children, and I'm sure you will know that the Welsh Government has publicly committed to our vision for children's services in our programme for Government, 'Taking Wales Forward' and the national strategy, 'Prosperity for All'. Deputy Presiding Officer, our First Minister strongly supports this vision, and has set out his priorities, which I believe will help local authorities focus their efforts where significant impact can be made. And in support of those priorities, I will be working with local authorities individually - with individual local authorities - to safely reduce the number of children in care, and, as appropriate, the number of out-of-county and out-of-country placements. The Member did say in his contribution about the rising numbers of children in care, and I think he's making a very important point there. The Government wants to reduce those numbers who are in care and we want to do that safely. So, during April and May this year, our officials will be meeting with all local authorities to talk with them about how we can work together to make progress on these priorities and to put in place appropriate plans for some of these children because, obviously, we've got to take into account the demography and the environment within which local authorities are delivering services so that we can understand the challenges and produce together a tailored solution. So, I hope I'll have the chance to update you further on how this work is progressing.
Welsh: Hyd yma, yn ystod fy amser fel Dirprwy Weinidog, rwyf wedi siarad ag amrywiaeth o bobl sy'n ymwneud â bywydau plant a theuluoedd. Rwyf wedi siarad ag uwch-swyddogion awdurdodau lleol, gwleidyddion lleol, sefydliadau trydydd sector, ac rwyf wedi siarad yn uniongyrchol â phlant a phobl ifanc am eu profiadau o wasanaethau hefyd, ac rwy'n credu mai dyna un o'r ymarferion pwysicaf a wneuthum - gwrando'n uniongyrchol ar blant a phobl ifanc. Ac er bod y profiadau a glywais wedi bod yn amrywiol - roedd yr hyn a ddywedasant wrthyf yn cynnwys amrywiaeth o ymatebion - rwy'n parhau i gael fy synnu a fy nghalonogi gan ymroddiad ac angerdd y bobl sy'n ymwneud â helpu plant a theuluoedd sy'n byw drwy adegau ansefydlog iawn. Rhaid i mi siarad ar ran llawer o weithwyr cymdeithasol a gweithwyr yn y system gofal plant sy'n gweithio galed ac sydd o ddifrif yn ceisio gwella bywydau plant, a cheir llawer o benderfyniad i wneud y peth iawn. Rwyf am inni, y Llywodraeth, wneud popeth a allwn i hwyluso a chefnogi'r gweithwyr cymdeithasol hynny a'n rhanddeiliaid i wneud yn siŵr ein bod yn ceisio darparu'r gwasanaethau gorau posibl. Felly, dyna yw dymuniad diffuant y Llywodraeth, ein bod am wella bywydau plant sydd mewn amgylchiadau anodd, a gwyddom y bydd y plant a'r bobl ifanc sy'n dod i gysylltiad â gwasanaethau cyhoeddus yn mynd drwy'r amgylchiadau teuluol mwyaf anodd a heriol, ac rwyf wedi edmygu'n fawr y ffordd y mae nifer o'r plant hynny wedi dangos gwydnwch mawr, yn aml, a'r dulliau o ymdopi â'r sefyllfaoedd anodd hynny. Fel y cydnabu Neil McEvoy yn ei gyfraniad, rwy'n credu bod diogelwch plant yn bwysicach na dim, ac er ein bod yn gwneud popeth a allwn i weithio gyda theuluoedd i gadw'r uned deuluol gyda'i gilydd, weithiau, sicrheir y budd pennaf i'r plentyn drwy fyw mewn trefniant gwahanol a dewis olaf yn bendant fydd hwnnw ac y dylai hwnnw fod bob amser. Gallai hyn fod, wrth gwrs, gyda'u teulu estynedig neu ffrindiau, neu'n aml gyda neiniau a theidiau neu mewn trefniadau mwy ffurfiol megis lleoliadau maeth sy'n berthnasau neu warcheidiaeth arbennig. Dylai plant sy'n byw mewn unrhyw un o'r trefniadau hyn gael y cymorth sydd ei angen arnynt hwy a'u gofalwyr i hybu eu lles, boed yn blant sy'n derbyn gofal ai peidio, a phan fo plentyn yn mynd i leoliad gofal, mae cyfrifoldeb ar bawb ohonom i sicrhau bod eu bywydau a'u cyfleoedd mor ffafriol â rhai eu cyfoedion. Rydym wedi ymrwymo i wneud popeth yn ein gallu ar gyfer y plant hynny, ac rwy'n siŵr y byddwch yn gwybod bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ymrwymo'n gyhoeddus i'n gweledigaeth ar gyfer gwasanaethau plant yn ein rhaglen lywodraethu, 'Symud Cymru Ymlaen' a'r strategaeth genedlaethol, 'Ffyniant i Bawb'. Ddirprwy Lywydd, mae ein Prif Weinidog yn cefnogi'r weledigaeth hon yn gadarn, ac mae wedi nodi ei flaenoriaethau, a chredaf y byddant yn helpu awdurdodau lleol i ganolbwyntio eu hymdrechion ar ble y gellir sicrhau effaith sylweddol. Ac i gefnogi'r blaenoriaethau hynny, byddaf yn gweithio gydag awdurdodau lleol yn unigol - gydag awdurdodau lleol unigol - i leihau nifer y plant mewn gofal yn ddiogel, ac fel y bo'n briodol, nifer y lleoliadau y tu allan i'r sir a'r tu allan i'r wlad. Fe soniodd yr Aelod yn ei gyfraniad am y niferoedd cynyddol o blant mewn gofal, a chredaf ei fod yn gwneud pwynt pwysig iawn. Mae'r Llywodraeth yn dymuno lleihau'r niferoedd sydd mewn gofal ac rydym am wneud hynny'n ddiogel. Felly, yn ystod mis Ebrill a mis Mai eleni, bydd ein swyddogion yn cyfarfod â phob awdurdod lleol i siarad gyda hwy ynglŷn â sut y gallwn weithio gyda'n gilydd i wneud cynnydd ar y blaenoriaethau hyn ac i roi cynlluniau priodol ar waith ar gyfer rhai o'r plant hyn oherwydd, yn amlwg, rhaid inni roi ystyriaeth i'r ddemograffeg a'r amgylchedd y mae'r awdurdodau lleol yn darparu gwasanaethau ynddynt fel y gallwn ddeall yr heriau a chynhyrchu ateb wedi'i deilwra gyda'n gilydd. Felly, rwy'n gobeithio y caf gyfle i roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i chi ynglŷn â chynnydd y gwaith hwn.