English: I'd like to thank you for the statement here today. Around 29 per cent of the population report feeling socially lonely, 91,000 people feel consistently lonely, and the situation is at its worst for our older people. Over half of the people aged 60 to 74, and just under half of people over the age of 75, report feeling lonely. That's pretty sad, really, isn't it? Loneliness is associated with sleep problems, abnormal stress response, high blood pressure, poor quality of life, frailty, depression and increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, depression and dementia. In fact, Age UK has reported that loneliness can be as harmful to our health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Now, as the older people's commissioner noted in the 'State of the Nation' report, Wales is falling behind other parts of the UK. The UK Government introduced a Minister for loneliness in January 2018. Scotland launched its loneliness strategy in December 2018. And, whilst welcoming the publication of the strategy today, I would appreciate just a reason, really, why there was such a delay on the one here in Wales. I would like to note, though, that I do agree with you that the strategy is just the start. The British Red Cross estimates that each older person who requires services as a result of loneliness and isolation could cost £12,000 per person over the next 15 years. Therefore, I welcome the fact that the strategy will be supported by a £1.4 million loneliness and social isolation fund, and a new single advice fund of £8.4 million. One question that I do have for you, Minister, and that is: we know that social isolation is helped by people being able to be mobile, to be able to catch a bus, go off to see shops in another town, go off to see their doctor, and the community bus service is really integral, yet, in Wales, we've seen so many of our community bus services actually withdrawn, so I wondered what you are doing to work with the Minister and Deputy to see how we can actually just enforce the fact that, really, taking something away like that is hardly feeding into the prevention and intervention agenda. It's foolhardy and it's not a cost-worthy initiative. What steps will you take to ensure that the new, innovative approaches you will be investing in have strong evidence to ensure that they succeed? I do agree with the four priorities, but I have some questions about the key commitments. Priority 3, people need a health and social care system that provides well-being and community engagement: we only have to look at my own health board to see how, in some respects - . I know, people coming in through the door of my office, it is often they who feel very badly let down by the health service, and sometimes, the integration in health and social care that was a fundamental part of the social care and well-being Act that we all sat through scrutinising in 2014, which came in 2016 - . We still have lots of concerns in the community about the lack of join-up, especially when somebody needs to leave hospital and they need a discharge; quite often, it can take weeks for that actual referral to be made so that people can go home and not be in hospital. Two, will your strategy look at making more finance available to help deal with the restrictions on domiciliary care visits to enable more time for interactions between carers and housebound clients? I was pleased to see priority 3 highlight the Making Every Contact Count initiative. The Welsh NHS Confederation has written to me stating their belief that more work can be done around that particular agenda. I agree, and the respondents to your consultation highlighted that further work to build the capacity of health professionals to understand the trigger points and the effective support available should be a key priority. Another question: in addition to exploring the potential for developing specific training, what clear actions can you outline today that will help empower health services and local authority staff to recognise the role that they have in supporting residents making positive changes to their physical and mental health and well-being? As you know, you've rightly pointed out previously that younger people are very likely to report feeling lonely. Your consultation highlighted that many feel that schools have a key role to play. This has fed into the strategy before us today, including priorities 1 and 4. Calls have also been made, though, for pastoral sessions to be introduced into the school curriculum concentrating on loneliness and social isolation. Having studied the health and well-being area of learning in the curriculum, I believe that schools could consider taking steps to help tackle loneliness. What steps will you be taking to ensure that pastoral sessions focused on loneliness and social isolation are undertaken by every school? Finally, you are right that a cross-Government approach is needed, and I would like to think, and you certainly have my support, that it should be a cross-party initiative. I am concerned that other portfolios may not be feeding into the agenda as much as you are. You will be establishing an advisory group to oversee the implementation of the strategy, so I wonder whether you have considered asking your Welsh Government colleagues to consult the group on every relevant legislative proposal that is presented to this Assembly, because, quite often, those legislative proposals, actually, whilst doing good in some parts, can impact negatively on other areas. So, what I'm looking for is more joined-up thinking between Welsh Government Ministers as regards this particular strategy. Thank you.
Welsh: Hoffwn ddiolch i chi am y datganiad yma heddiw. Mae tua 29 y cant o'r boblogaeth yn dweud eu bod yn teimlo'n unig yn gymdeithasol, mae 91,000 o bobl yn teimlo'n unig yn gyson ac mae'r sefyllfa ar ei gwaethaf ymhlith ein pobl hŷn. Mae dros hanner y bobl rhwng 60 a 74, ac ychydig dan hanner y bobl dros 75 oed, yn dweud eu bod yn teimlo'n unig. Mae hynny'n eithaf trist, mewn gwirionedd, onid yw e? Mae unigrwydd yn gysylltiedig â phroblemau cysgu, ymateb yn annaturiol i straen, pwysedd gwaed uchel, ansawdd bywyd gwael, eiddilwch, iselder a mwy o berygl o drawiad ar y galon, strôc, iselder a dementia. Yn wir, mae Age UK wedi dweud y gall unigrwydd fod yr un mor niweidiol i'n hiechyd ag ysmygu 15 sigarét y dydd. Nawr, fel y dywedodd y comisiynydd pobl hŷn yn yr adroddiad 'Cyflwr y Genedl', mae Cymru'n llithro i fod ar ei hôl hi o gymharu â rhannau eraill o'r DU. Cyflwynodd Llywodraeth y DU Weinidog dros unigrwydd ym mis Ionawr 2018. Lansiodd yr Alban ei strategaeth unigrwydd ym mis Rhagfyr 2018. Ac er ein bod yn croesawu cyhoeddi'r strategaeth heddiw, byddwn i'n gwerthfawrogi rheswm, mewn gwirionedd, pam fu cymaint o oedi ar yr un yma yng Nghymru. Hoffwn ddweud, serch hynny, fy mod yn cytuno â chi mai dim ond y dechrau yw'r strategaeth. Mae'r Groes Goch Brydeinig yn amcangyfrif y gallai pob person hŷn sydd angen gwasanaethau o ganlyniad i unigrwydd ac ynysigrwydd gostio £12,000 y pen dros y 15 mlynedd nesaf. Felly, rwy'n croesawu'r ffaith y bydd y strategaeth yn cael ei chefnogi gan gronfa unigrwydd ac ynysigrwydd cymdeithasol gwerth £1.4 miliwn a chronfa cyngor sengl newydd o £8.4 miliwn. Un cwestiwn sydd gennyf i chi, Gweinidog, sef hyn: gwyddom y gellir helpu i drechu ynysigrwydd cymdeithasol pan fo pobl yn gallu symud o gwmpas, yn gallu dal bws, i fynd i weld siopau mewn tref arall, i fynd i weld eu meddyg, ac mae'r gwasanaeth bws cymunedol yn hanfodol iawn, ac eto, yng Nghymru, rydym ni wedi gweld dileu cynifer o'n gwasanaethau bysiau cymunedol, felly tybed beth yr ydych chi'n ei wneud i weithio gyda'r Gweinidog a'r Dirprwy i weld sut y gallwn ni mewn gwirionedd bwysleisio'r ffaith nad yw cael gwared ar rywbeth fel yna yn cyfrannu o gwbl at yr agenda atal ac ymyrryd. Mae'n wirion ac nid yw'n fenter sy'n gosteffeithiol. Beth fyddwch chi'n ei wneud i sicrhau bod tystiolaeth gref i'r dulliau newydd, arloesol y byddwch yn buddsoddi ynddynt i sicrhau eu bod yn llwyddo? Rwy'n cytuno â'r pedair blaenoriaeth, ond mae gennyf rai cwestiynau am yr ymrwymiadau allweddol. Blaenoriaeth 3, mae angen system iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol ar bobl sy'n darparu lles ac ymgysylltu â'r gymuned: nid oes ond rhaid inni edrych ar fy mwrdd iechyd fy hun i weld sut, mewn rhai ffyrdd - . Rwy'n gwybod, pobl sy'n dod i mewn drwy ddrws fy swyddfa, yn aml maen nhw'n teimlo eu bod wedi'u siomi'n fawr iawn gan y gwasanaeth iechyd, ac weithiau, y broses o integreiddio iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol a oedd yn rhan sylfaenol o'r Ddeddf gofal cymdeithasol a lles y buom ni i gyd yn craffu arni drwy 2014, a ddaeth i rym yn 2016 - . Mae llawer o bryderon yn y gymuned o hyd ynglŷn â diffyg cydgysylltu, yn enwedig pan fydd angen i rywun adael yr ysbyty a bod angen iddynt gael eu rhyddhau; yn aml iawn, gall gymryd wythnosau i wneud yr union atgyfeiriad hwnnw fel y gall pobl fynd adref a pheidio â bod yn yr ysbyty. Dau, a fydd eich strategaeth yn ceisio sicrhau bod mwy o arian ar gael i helpu ymdrin â'r cyfyngiadau ar ymweliadau gofal cartref er mwyn sicrhau bod mwy o amser ar gyfer rhyngweithio rhwng gofalwyr a chleientiaid sy'n gaeth i'r tŷ? Roeddwn yn falch o weld blaenoriaeth 3 yn rhoi sylw amlwg i'r fenter Gwneud i Bob Cyswllt Gyfrif. Mae Cydffederasiwn y GIG yng Nghymru wedi ysgrifennu ataf yn datgan eu bod yn credu y gellir gwneud mwy o waith ynghylch yr agenda benodol honno. Rwy'n cytuno, ac roedd y sawl a ymatebodd i'ch ymgynghoriad yn tynnu sylw at y ffaith y dylai'r gwaith pellach i feithrin gallu gweithwyr iechyd proffesiynol i ddeall yr amgylchiadau tyngedfenol a'r cymorth effeithiol sydd ar gael fod yn flaenoriaeth allweddol. Cwestiwn arall: yn ogystal ag archwilio'r potensial ar gyfer datblygu hyfforddiant penodol, pa gamau gweithredu clir y gallwch eu disgrifio heddiw a fydd yn helpu i rymuso gwasanaethau iechyd a staff awdurdodau lleol i gydnabod y swyddogaeth sydd ganddynt o ran cynorthwyo trigolion i wneud newidiadau cadarnhaol i'w hiechyd a'u lles corfforol a meddyliol? Fel y gwyddoch chi, rydych chi wedi dweud o'r blaen fod pobl iau yn debygol iawn o ddweud eu bod yn teimlo'n unig. Tynnodd eich ymgynghoriad sylw at y ffaith bod llawer yn teimlo bod gan ysgolion ran allweddol i'w chwarae. Mae hyn wedi cyfrannu at y strategaeth sydd ger ein bron heddiw, gan gynnwys blaenoriaethau 1 a 4. Fodd bynnag, galwyd hefyd am gyflwyno sesiynau bugeiliol i gwricwlwm yr ysgol gan ganolbwyntio ar unigrwydd ac ynysigrwydd cymdeithasol. Ar ôl astudio'r maes dysgu iechyd a lles yn y cwricwlwm, credaf y gallai ysgolion ystyried gwneud ambell beth i helpu mynd i'r afael ag unigrwydd. Beth wnewch chi i sicrhau bod pob ysgol yn cynnal sesiynau bugeiliol sy'n canolbwyntio ar unigrwydd ac ynysigrwydd cymdeithasol? Yn olaf, rydych chi'n gywir bod angen dull trawslywodraethol o fynd ati, a hoffwn feddwl, ac mae gennych fy nghefnogaeth yn sicr, y dylai fod yn fenter drawsbleidiol. Rwyf yn pryderu nad yw portffolios eraill o bosib yn cyfrannu at yr agenda gymaint ag yr ydych chi. Byddwch yn sefydlu grŵp cynghori i oruchwylio gweithredu'r strategaeth, felly tybed a ydych chi wedi ystyried gofyn i'ch cyd-Aelodau yn Llywodraeth Cymru ymgynghori â'r grŵp ar bob cynnig deddfwriaethol perthnasol a gyflwynir i'r Cynulliad hwn, oherwydd, yn aml iawn, gall y cynigion deddfwriaethol hynny, mewn gwirionedd, er eu bod yn gwneud daioni mewn rhai rhannau, effeithio'n negyddol ar feysydd eraill. Felly, yr hyn yr wyf yn chwilio amdano yw meddylfryd mwy cydgysylltiedig rhwng Gweinidogion Llywodraeth Cymru ynglŷn â'r strategaeth benodol hon. Diolch.