English: Unfortunately, while these children may believe that they're escaping from a source of danger or unhappiness, they are at increased risk, of course, of harm during the missing episode. Children who go missing face the risk of sexual exploitation, criminal exploitation or human trafficking, and according to the Children's Society's research, 25 per cent of children who had run away overnight had either been hurt or harmed or had slept rough or with someone they had just met or had stolen or begged to survive. Now, these children face complex risks, and we need to make sure that we have a multi-agency response that keeps these children safe. I want to focus my comments on three areas that largely determine the response children receive when they go missing, on which there is room for improvement in the current response to missing children. To do this, I'll structure my contribution this afternoon on the safeguarding process taken when a child is reported as missing. So, firstly, I want to turn to information sharing. When a child is first reported as missing, as first responders, of course, the police will start to look for the child and, crucially, they'll decide, on a spectrum of risk, how unsafe the child may be and determine, therefore, their response accordingly. Now, to increase the chances of finding the child and keeping them safe, the police need information about where the child could be and whom he or she might be with. Without a complete picture of the risks these children face, drawn from a range of agencies, police officers will be unable to adequately assess the risks faced by children, leaving those children, of course, in danger. This is especially the case with children who are at risk of exploitation or trafficking. The most effective way of having a robust risk assessment for these children is through multi-agency working. This involves members from police, health, education, children's services and the third sector all sharing information to build a holistic profile of a child at risk of going missing and to use that information to provide a child with appropriate support to prevent him or her from going missing repeatedly. Now, the Gwent multi-agency missing team exemplified the effectiveness of this, with missing incidents in the area decreasing by over 30 per cent since its inception, and I know we'll be hearing more about that later on in this debate. However, findings from the Children's Society and the Church in Wales's joint report show that, of the local authorities who have provided information, 12 said that they don't share risk assessments with police and don't have a multi-agency partnership in place to allow agencies to share information. Now, this makes the police's task of trying to find the child more difficult and, therefore, could put a child who is known to be at risk in even more danger. There has to be a way for agencies across Wales to be able to share information with each other. Not only does doing so potentially protect a child from risks and, in extreme cases, save a child's life, but it can also enable agencies to better target their resources, thereby, of course, realising savings in the medium to longer term. The UK Government has announced the creation of a new national missing persons database that will enable police forces to track missing children across boundaries. As children and, indeed, adults who go missing or face risks don't respect administrative boundaries, well, we need to ensure that these boundaries don't prevent close working and sharing information to keep those children safe. One way in which we can move forward with this in Wales is that local authorities, the all-Wales heads of children's services and police forces in Wales should agree a procedure whereby local authorities can place a marker on police systems identifying the risks to children so that the police have a clear understanding of the risks facing children when they go missing and then they can respond accordingly. This will help the police understand the risks to children when they go missing and help keep them safe. Secondly, I want to turn to another vital part of the puzzle in keeping children safe. When a child is found or returns from a missing episode, he or she should be offered a debrief, which can also be called a return home interview. Now, a debrief gives a child an opportunity to talk about the missing episode, which can involve discussing where the child was during the episode and whom he or she was with. Debriefs also allow practitioners to understand the reasons why a child may have gone missing. Although debriefs, by themselves, can't stop children from going missing repeatedly, they can be an effective safeguarding tool that can help to provide a child with support that could help prevent them from going missing again. If the interview provider is independent of statutory services, as they should be, a child may find it easier to trust the interview provider and the process, and, therefore, this introduces the child to a person in whom he or she could confide, instead of going missing in future. However, under the current all-Wales protocol for missing children, offering missing children a debrief is not a statutory requirement, whereas it is a legal duty in England. 'The Knowledge Gap' report illustrates the consequences of this lack of legal requirement. The report shows that four out of the 13 local authorities who provided information provide debriefs on a case-by-case basis, meaning that children who go missing aren't guaranteed an opportunity to talk about their experience and given support to, potentially, prevent them from going missing repeatedly. In north Wales, I know the situation has become urgent. Since the police innovation fund, which paid for debrief provision in north Wales, was discontinued by the UK Government, it's alarming that the average number of debriefs provided per quarter has decreased dramatically. So, to help address this, revising the all-Wales protocol for missing children provides us with a vital opportunity to make offering debriefs a statutory requirement across Wales, and I look forward to hearing the Minister's comments on this recommendation in particular, later on. Finally, I wanted to turn to a group of children who are particularly at risk of going missing and therefore need a particular response. Now, these are children who are in care of the local authority but are placed in another authority area, known, of course, as children placed out of area. In some cases, looked-after children may need to be placed out of their home local authority area to safeguard them from risks identified in their home area. In 2015-16, around 1,500 children in Wales lived in placements outside of their local authority area. Now, this equates to around 27 per cent of all looked-after children in Wales. And it's now known that children who are placed out of their local authority areas are more likely to go missing - one of the key reasons for this being that, of course, they may try to return to any support networks they may have back in their home area. If a child who is placed out of area has had previous experiences of going missing, then this should be noted in any risk assessments that are passed on from the local authority placing the child to the local authority who is receiving the child into their care. This information should also be shared with the receiving police force, who may be the first statutory agency to pick up the child when they first go missing. Unfortunately, research from the Children's Society and the Church in Wales shows that 13 out of the 14 local authorities who responded to this question don't provide police forces with risk assessments of children placed in their areas, stating that it would be the responsibility of the placing local authority to do so. However, that is contradicted by the fact that only five out of the same 13 local authorities stated that they themselves shared a risk assessment with the police when they placed a child in a different area. So, it's clear that the police are vital. They're a vital agency in protecting children who go missing and should be informed when a child, and a child at high risk of going missing by the nature of their placement, is placed in their area. And I would echo the Children's Society and the Church in Wales's recommendation that this becomes a statutory requirement for local authorities to notify and share a risk assessment with the receiving police force when they place a child in their area. Llywydd, I hope that you agree that this issue is urgent and timely. Revising the all-Wales protocol for missing children is an opportunity to put right the issues raised in this debate and endeavour to provide effective safeguarding support for all children in Wales who go missing. Good work is happening in Wales to safeguard missing children, and it's an endeavour we share, I'm sure, across parties, to keep improving our response to these vulnerable children and young people. We now have the opportunity to spread this good work across the country, and I would urge the Government, in response to this debate, to take action. Diolch.
Welsh: Yn anffodus, er efallai y bydd y plant hyn yn credu eu bod yn dianc o ffynhonnell o berygl neu anhapusrwydd, maent yn wynebu mwy o risg o niwed, wrth gwrs, tra'u bod ar goll. Mae plant coll yn wynebu risg o gamfanteisio rhywiol, camfanteisio troseddol neu fasnachu mewn pobl, ac yn ôl ymchwil Cymdeithas y Plant, mae 25 y cant o blant a oedd wedi diflannu dros nos naill ai wedi cael eu brifo neu eu niweidio neu wedi cysgu allan neu gyda rhywun roeddent newydd gyfarfod â hwy, neu wedi dwyn neu gardota er mwyn goroesi. Nawr, mae'r plant hyn yn wynebu risgiau cymhleth, ac mae angen inni wneud yn siŵr fod gennym ymateb amlasiantaethol sy'n cadw'r plant yn ddiogel. Rwyf am ganolbwyntio fy sylwadau ar dri maes sy'n pennu i raddau helaeth yr ymateb y bydd plant yn ei gael pan fyddant yn mynd ar goll, ac mae lle i wella'r ymateb presennol i blant coll. I wneud hyn, rwyf am strwythuro fy nghyfraniad y prynhawn yma ar y broses ddiogelu a ddilynir pan roddir gwybod bod plentyn ar goll. Felly, yn gyntaf, rwyf am droi at rannu gwybodaeth. Pan roddir gwybod gyntaf fod plentyn ar goll, fel ymatebwyr cyntaf, wrth gwrs, bydd yr heddlu yn dechrau edrych am y plentyn ac yn hollbwysig, byddant yn penderfynu ar sbectrwm risg, pa mor anniogel y gallai plentyn fod a phennu eu hymateb yn unol â hynny. Nawr, er mwyn cynyddu'r gobaith o ddod o hyd i blentyn a'u cadw'n ddiogel, mae'r heddlu angen gwybodaeth ynglŷn â ble y gallai plentyn fod a chyda phwy y gallai fod. Heb ddarlun cyflawn gan amrywiaeth o asiantaethau o'r risgiau y mae'r plant hyn yn eu hwynebu, ni fydd swyddogion yr heddlu yn gallu asesu'n ddigonol y risgiau sy'n wynebu plant, gan adael y plant hynny mewn perygl wrth gwrs. Mae hyn yn arbennig o wir yn achos plant sy'n wynebu risg o gamfanteisio neu fasnachu pobl. Y ffordd fwyaf effeithiol o gael asesiad risg cadarn ar gyfer y plant hyn yw drwy weithio amlasiantaethol. Mae hyn yn golygu cael aelodau o'r heddlu, gwasanaethau iechyd, addysg a phlant, a'r trydydd sector i rannu gwybodaeth er mwyn adeiladu proffil cyfannol o blentyn sydd mewn perygl o fynd ar goll a defnyddio'r wybodaeth honno i ddarparu cymorth priodol i atal y plentyn rhag mynd ar goll dro ar ôl tro. Nawr, roedd tîm amlasiantaethol Gwent ar gyfer plant coll yn enghraifft o effeithiolrwydd hyn, gyda digwyddiadau yn yr ardal yn gostwng dros 30 y cant ers ei sefydlu, a gwn y byddwn yn clywed mwy am hynny yn nes ymlaen yn y ddadl hon. Fodd bynnag, mae canfyddiadau o adroddiad ar y cyd Cymdeithas y Plant a'r Eglwys yng Nghymru yn dangos fod 12 awdurdod lleol o blith yr awdurdodau lleol sydd wedi darparu gwybodaeth, yn dweud nad ydynt yn rhannu asesiadau risg gyda'r heddlu ac nid oes ganddynt bartneriaeth amlasiantaethol ar waith i ganiatáu i asiantaethau rannu gwybodaeth. Nawr, mae hyn yn gwneud gwaith yr heddlu o geisio cael hyd i'r plentyn yn fwy anodd ac felly, gallai roi plentyn y gwyddys ei fod mewn perygl eisoes mewn mwy o berygl hyd yn oed. Rhaid bod ffordd i asiantaethau ledled Cymru allu rhannu gwybodaeth gyda'i gilydd. Nid yn unig y mae gwneud hynny'n gallu amddiffyn plentyn rhag risgiau, ac achub bywyd y plentyn mewn achosion eithafol, ond gall hefyd alluogi asiantaethau i dargedu eu hadnoddau'n well, a chreu arbedion yn sgil hynny yn y tymor canolig i'r tymor hwy wrth gwrs. Mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi cyhoeddi cronfa ddata genedlaethol newydd ar gyfer unigolion coll a fydd yn galluogi heddluoedd i olrhain plant coll ar draws ffiniau. Gan nad yw plant, nac oedolion yn wir, sy'n mynd ar goll neu'n wynebu risgiau yn parchu ffiniau gweinyddol, wel, mae angen inni sicrhau nad yw'r ffiniau hyn yn atal gweithio agos a rhannu gwybodaeth i gadw'r plant hynny'n ddiogel. Un ffordd y gallwn symud ymlaen ar hyn yng Nghymru yw y dylai awdurdodau lleol, penaethiaid gwasanaethau plant Cymru gyfan a heddluoedd Cymru gytuno ar weithdrefn lle y gall awdurdodau lleol osod nodyn ar systemau heddlu i nodi'r risgiau i blant fel bod yr heddlu'n deall yn eglur pa risgiau sy'n wynebu plant pan fyddant yn mynd ar goll ac yna, gallant ymateb yn unol â hynny. Bydd hyn yn helpu'r heddlu i ddeall y risgiau i blant pan fyddant yn mynd ar goll ac yn helpu i'w cadw'n ddiogel. Yn ail, rwyf am droi at ran hanfodol arall o'r jig-so ar gyfer cadw plant yn ddiogel. Pan yw plentyn yn cael ei ddarganfod neu'n dychwelyd o gyfnod o fod ar goll, dylai gael cynnig cyfle i ôl-drafod, y gellid ei alw hefyd yn gyfweliad dychwelyd adref. Nawr, mae ôl-drafod yn rhoi cyfle i blentyn siarad am y cyfnod pan oedd ar goll, sy'n gallu golygu trafod lle roedd y plentyn yn ystod y cyfnod a chyda phwy oedd ef neu hi. Mae cyfle i ôl-drafod hefyd yn galluogi ymarferwyr i ddeall y rhesymau pam y gallai plentyn fod wedi mynd ar goll. Er na all cyfarfodydd ôl-drafod ohonynt eu hunain atal plant rhag mynd ar goll dro ar ôl tro, gallant fod yn adnodd diogelu effeithiol a allai helpu i roi cymorth i blentyn a fyddai'n helpu i'w atal rhag mynd ar goll eto. Os yw'r sawl sy'n darparu'r cyfweliad yn annibynnol ar y gwasanaethau statudol, fel y dylent fod, efallai y bydd plentyn yn ei chael hi'n haws ymddiried yn y sawl sy'n darparu'r cyfweliad a'r broses, ac felly, mae hyn yn cyflwyno'r plentyn i berson y gall ymddiried ynddo, yn hytrach na mynd ar goll yn y dyfodol. Fodd bynnag, o dan brotocol presennol Cymru gyfan ar gyfer plant coll, nid yw cynnig cyfle i blant coll ôl-drafod yn ofyniad statudol, er ei bod yn ddyletswydd gyfreithiol yn Lloegr. Mae'r adroddiad 'Bwlch yn y Wybodaeth' yn dangos canlyniadau'r diffyg gofyniad cyfreithiol hwn. Mae'r adroddiad yn dangos bod pedwar o'r 13 awdurdod lleol a roddodd wybodaeth yn darparu cyfarfodydd ôl-drafod ar sail achosion unigol, sy'n golygu nad oes sicrwydd y rhoddir cyfle i blant coll siarad am eu profiad na chymorth, o bosibl, i'w rhwystro rhag mynd ar goll dro ar ôl tro. Yng ngogledd Cymru, gwn fod y sefyllfa'n ddifrifol bellach. Ers i Lywodraeth y DU ddiddymu cronfa arloesedd yr heddlu, a dalai am ddarpariaeth ôl-drafod yng ngogledd Cymru, mae'n frawychus fod nifer gyfartalog y cyfarfodydd ôl-drafod a ddarparir bob chwarter wedi gostwng yn ddramatig. Felly, er mwyn helpu i fynd i'r afael â hyn, mae adolygu protocol Cymru gyfan ar gyfer plant coll yn rhoi cyfle hollbwysig i wneud cyfarfodydd ôl-drafod yn ofyniad statudol ar draws Cymru, ac edrychaf ymlaen at glywed sylwadau'r Gweinidog ar yr argymhelliad hwn yn benodol, yn nes ymlaen. Yn olaf, roeddwn am droi at grŵp o blant sydd mewn perygl arbennig o fynd ar goll ac felly'n galw am ymateb penodol. Nawr, plant yw'r rhain sydd yng ngofal yr awdurdod lleol ond cânt eu lleoli yn ardal awdurdod arall, a'u galw'n blant a leolir y tu allan i ardal wrth gwrs. Mewn rhai achosion, efallai y bydd angen lleoli plant sy'n derbyn gofal y tu allan i ardal eu hawdurdod lleol cartref er mwyn eu diogelu rhag risgiau a nodwyd yn ardal eu cartref. Yn 2015-16, roedd tua 1,500 o blant yng Nghymru yn byw mewn lleoliadau y tu allan i ardal eu hawdurdod lleol. Nawr, mae hyn yn cyfateb i tua 27 y cant o'r holl blant sy'n derbyn gofal yng Nghymru. A gwyddys bellach fod plant sydd wedi'u lleoli y tu allan i ardaloedd eu hawdurdodau lleol yn fwy tebygol o fynd ar goll - ac un o'r prif resymau am hyn yw y gallant geisio dychwelyd, wrth gwrs, at unrhyw rwydweithiau cefnogi a allai fod ganddynt yn ôl yn ardal eu cartref. Os yw plentyn sy'n cael ei leoli y tu allan i ardal wedi cael profiadau blaenorol o fynd ar goll, yna dylid nodi hyn mewn unrhyw asesiadau risg sy'n cael eu trosglwyddo oddi wrth yr awdurdod lleol sy'n lleoli'r plentyn i'r awdurdod lleol sy'n derbyn y plentyn i'w ofal. Dylid rhannu'r wybodaeth hon hefyd gyda'r heddlu sy'n derbyn, a allai fod yr asiantaeth statudol gyntaf i godi'r plentyn pan fydd yn mynd ar goll gyntaf. Yn anffodus, mae ymchwil Cymdeithas y Plant a'r Eglwys yng Nghymru yn dangos nad yw 13 o'r 14 o awdurdodau lleol a ymatebodd i'r cwestiwn hwn yn darparu asesiadau risg i heddluoedd ar gyfer plant a leolir yn eu hardaloedd, gan ddweud mai cyfrifoldeb yr awdurdod lleol sy'n lleoli fuasai gwneud hynny. Fodd bynnag, caiff hyn ei wrth-ddweud gan y ffaith mai pump yn unig o'r un 13 o awdurdodau lleol a ddywedodd eu bod hwy eu hunain yn rhannu asesiad risg gyda'r heddlu pan oeddent yn lleoli plentyn mewn ardal wahanol. Felly, mae'n amlwg fod yr heddlu'n hanfodol. Maent yn asiantaeth hanfodol wrth ddiogelu plant coll a dylid eu hysbysu pan fydd plentyn, a phlentyn sy'n wynebu risg uchel o fynd ar goll yn rhinwedd ei leoliad, yn cael ei leoli yn eu hardal. A buaswn yn ategu argymhelliad Cymdeithas y Plant a'r Eglwys yng Nghymru y dylid ei wneud yn ofyniad statudol i awdurdodau lleol hysbysu a rhannu asesiad risg gyda'r heddlu sy'n derbyn pan fyddant yn lleoli plentyn yn eu hardal. Lywydd, rwy'n gobeithio eich bod yn cytuno bod hwn yn fater pwysig ac amserol. Mae adolygu protocol Cymru gyfan ar gyfer plant coll yn gyfle i unioni'r materion a nodwyd yn y ddadl hon ac yn ymdrech i ddarparu cymorth diogelu effeithiol ar gyfer holl blant coll Cymru. Mae gwaith da yn digwydd yng Nghymru i ddiogelu plant coll, ac mae'n ymdrech rydym yn ei rhannu, rwy'n siŵr, ar draws y pleidiau, er mwyn parhau i wella ein hymateb i'r plant a'r bobl ifanc hyn sy'n agored i niwed. Bellach mae gennym gyfle i ledaenu'r gwaith da ar draws y wlad, a buaswn yn annog y Llywodraeth, wrth ymateb i'r ddadl hon, i roi camau ar waith. Diolch.