English: Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'm very pleased to be able to contribute to this debate on young adult carers, and I move the amendment on the importance of respite care for young carers. Of course, Janet Finch-Saunders has described the landscape for young carers very well. I won't expand on that. But I'm also contributing this afternoon as the Chair of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, because the committee is currently undertaking an inquiry into the impact of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 in relation to carers. The committee has completed its evidence gathering and is in the stages of drafting the report with a view to publishing before the summer recess, so we don't want to pre-empt any of the committee's findings in this debate. However, as part of the inquiry earlier this year, on Young Carers Awareness Day - which was on 31 January this year - the committee devoted a day to young carers to hear their views on how well the Act is working for them. We spoke to a group of young carers aged between 10 and 22 from across Wales, and in this short contribution, I will outline some of the key issues heard by the committee that face young carers in Wales today. Many young carers have significant responsibilities, both for the person with an illness or disability, and for other family members. This can include providing emotional support as well as help with health needs, mobility and domestic tasks. In some cases, this can occupy a considerable amount of time, which affects young carers' education as well as their social lives and their leisure opportunities. The impact of caring on children and young people is substantial, and young carers face worse prospects than their peers, for example in terms of jobs and accessing higher education. The number of young carers is increasing, as is the complexity of their needs. Young carer support schemes play a vital role in facilitating leisure activities and opportunities for young carers to meet and share their experiences and to support each other. They support young carers who, on average, provide between 15 and 20 hours per week of care. The approach of local authorities to the assessment of the needs of young carers under the Act is also variable. Some young carers have not had their own needs assessed, while others have been assessed without being aware of it. Young carers' needs should be assessed in the family context, and not in isolation. Evidence from third sector bodies suggests that the steps that are taken to prioritise young carers have declined during the last five years. School can be an important source of support for young carers. Getting good support in school can often depend on the commitment of an individual teacher, and awareness of young carers and the support that they need is often poor across the school as a whole. Many young carers do not feel supported at school, and not all young carers are aware of the support available to them in this setting. Some young carers are reluctant to identify themselves at school for fear of facing stigma or bullying, especially if they are caring for a person with mental health issues. Young carers say that it's important to have someone at school who they feel that they can trust and who understands the challenges that they face as young people who have caring duties for other people. I very much look forward to bringing this important report forward to the Assembly later this year. Thank you very much.
Welsh: Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. Dwi'n bles iawn i allu cyfrannu i'r ddadl yma ar oedolion ifanc sy'n ofalwyr, ac yn symud y gwelliant ar bwysigrwydd gofal seibiant i ofalwyr ifanc. Wrth gwrs, mae Janet Finch-Saunders wedi disgrifio'r tirlun i ofalwyr ifanc yn dda iawn. Fe af i ddim i ymhelaethu ar hynny. Ond, hefyd dwi'n cyfrannu y prynhawn yma fel Cadeirydd y Pwyllgor Iechyd, Gofal Cymdeithasol a Chwaraeon, achos ar hyn o bryd mae'r pwyllgor iechyd yn cynnal ymchwiliad i effaith Deddf Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol a Llesiant (Cymru) 2014 ar ofalwyr. Mae'r pwyllgor wedi gorffen casglu tystiolaeth ac mae'r gwaith o lunio adroddiad wedi dechrau, gyda'r bwriad o'i gyhoeddi cyn toriad yr haf yma, felly nid ydym am achub y blaen ar unrhyw un o ganfyddiadau'r pwyllgor yn y ddadl yma. Fodd bynnag, fel rhan o'r ymchwiliad yn gynharach eleni, ar Ddiwrnod Ymwybyddiaeth Gofalwyr Ifanc - sef 31 Ionawr eleni - neilltuodd y pwyllgor iechyd ddiwrnod i glywed barn gofalwyr ifanc ar ba mor dda y mae'r Ddeddf yn gweithio iddyn nhw. Gwnaethom ni siarad efo grŵp o ofalwyr ifanc rhwng 10 mlwydd oed a 22 mlwydd oed o bob cwr o Gymru, ac, yn y cyfraniad byr hwn, fe wnaf i amlinellu rhai o'r materion allweddol a glywodd y pwyllgor sy'n wynebu gofalwyr ifanc yng Nghymru heddiw. Mae gan lawer o ofalwyr ifanc gyfrifoldebau sylweddol, o ran gofalu am y person sydd â salwch neu anabledd, ac o ran gofalu am aelodau eraill o'r teulu. Gall hyn gynnwys rhoi cymorth emosiynol yn ogystal â chymorth ag anghenion iechyd, symudedd a thasgau domestig. Mewn rhai achosion, gall hyn gymryd amser sylweddol, sy'n effeithio ar addysg gofalwyr ifanc yn ogystal â'u bywyd cymdeithasol a'u hamser hamdden. Mae effaith gofalu ar blant a phobl ifanc yn sylweddol, ac mae gofalwyr ifanc yn wynebu rhagolygon gwaeth na'u cyfoedion, er enghraifft o ran swyddi a chael mynediad at addysg uwch. Mae nifer y gofalwyr ifanc yn cynyddu, a hynny law yn llaw efo cymhlethdod eu hanghenion. Mae cynlluniau i gefnogi gofalwyr ifanc yn chwarae rhan hanfodol wrth hwyluso gweithgareddau hamdden a chyfleoedd i ofalwyr ifanc gwrdd a rhannu eu profiadau a chefnogi ei gilydd. Maent yn cefnogi gofalwyr ifanc sydd, ar gyfartaledd, yn darparu rhwng 15 ac 20 awr o ofal bob wythnos. Mae ymagwedd awdurdodau lleol tuag at asesu anghenion gofalwyr ifanc o dan y Ddeddf hefyd yn amrywio. Nid yw rhai gofalwyr ifanc wedi cael asesiad o'u hanghenion eu hunain, ac mae eraill wedi'u hasesu yn ddiarwybod iddyn nhw. Dylid asesu anghenion gofalwyr ifanc yng nghyd-destun y teulu, nid ar wahân. Mae tystiolaeth gan gyrff y trydydd sector yn awgrymu bod y camau sy'n cael eu cymryd i flaenoriaethu gofalwyr ifanc wedi gostwng yn ystod y pum mlynedd diwethaf. Gall yr ysgol fod yn ffynhonnell bwysig o gymorth i ofalwyr ifanc. Mae cael cymorth da yn yr ysgol yn aml yn dibynnu ar ymrwymiad athro unigol, ac mae ymwybyddiaeth o ofalwyr ifanc a'r cymorth sydd ei angen arnyn nhw yn aml yn wael ar draws yr ysgol gyfan. Nid yw llawer o ofalwyr ifanc yn teimlo eu bod yn cael eu cefnogi yn yr ysgol ac nid yw pob gofalwr ifanc yn ymwybodol o'r cymorth sydd ar gael iddyn nhw yn y lleoliad yma. Mae rhai gofalwyr ifanc yn amharod i ddweud eu bod yn ofalwyr yn yr ysgol rhag ofn iddynt wynebu stigma neu fwlio, yn enwedig os ydyn nhw'n gofalu am berson efo problemau iechyd meddwl. Dywed gofalwyr ifanc ei bod yn bwysig cael rhywun yn yr ysgol y maen nhw'n teimlo y gallant ymddiried ynddo ac sy'n deall yr heriau sy'n eu hwynebu nhw, fel pobl ifanc efo dyletswyddau gofalu am bobl eraill. Rwy'n edrych ymlaen at gyflwyno'r adroddiad pwysig hwn i'r Cynulliad yn ddiweddarach eleni. Diolch yn fawr.