English: Diolch. Deputy Presiding Officer, it is a privilege, on behalf of the Welsh Conservative group, to open today's debate, standing up to protect our children and further rights to support our younger carers. The motion being debated today is an extension of our former work here, with the introduction of the Social Services and Well-Being (Wales) Act 2014, the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018 and the Donaldson review. However, our motion goes even further, proposing that the more than 21,000 young adult carers in Wales are not only officially recognised for their sacrifices, hard work and invaluable care of family and friends, but are given the practical support that they need in order to look after their own health and needs and to flourish in other areas of their lives. This includes providing financial support to young caring students and we have no hesitation in endorsing a policy brought forward earlier by this group that would see young caring students and apprentices with £60 per week. This Conservative recommendation has been repeatedly ignored and I wish to reiterate my support, and this group's, for this measure. As a result of further research into the realities of young carers' lives, more so than ever we are aware of the immense and complex difficulties facing our young carers. Crucially, our research and engagement with young caring organisations, such as Carers Trust Wales and the Prince's Trust, has illustrated that young carers do require further frameworks of support, and that each instance of caring and supporting a family member or other loved one is rather unique. Young adult carers range from 14 to 16-year-olds in schools - although, I have to say I heard recently of a young carer of eight years old - trying to manage their GCSE commitments and maturity into adolescence, to 18-year-olds in sixth form; 20-year-olds in university and 24 and 25-year-olds trying to adapt to the demands of adult and work life. Whilst I fully recognise that this path can vary depending on the individual, it is widely corroborated that young adult carers are far less likely to be in education, employment or other training. In fact, according to young carers in Wales, young adult carers are three times more likely to be or have been classified as not in education, employment or training. This has been supported by the Audit Commission, which, as early as 2010, concluded that young carers between ages 16 and 18 were twice more likely to have been NEET for over six months. And, according to the research from Carers Trust Wales, 'Time to be Heard Wales', the most common qualification among the survey respondents was a grade D at GCSE. Yet, Deputy Presiding Officer, these educational barriers and challenges have been identified at earlier stages in school life. In 2014, the University of Nottingham concluded in their report, 'Time to be Heard: A Call for Recognition and Support for Young Adult Carers', that one quarter of young carers reported experiences of bullying and abuse in school purely because of their caring role and responsibilities. Given the myriad of ways in which one can act as a carer, classmates may find the situation of a carer's parents or sibling actually laughable - we know of instances of that - subjecting them to humiliation and, in fact, deep embarrassment. Similarly, schoolchildren may abuse and bully a young carer if they find they are attending to a disability of another, or because of their poor academic performance, financial troubles, emotional maturity and personality characteristics that seem at odds with other members of the class. Young adult carers should not be stigmatised and subject to bullying, and, in addressing the concerning statistics on academic and educational performance, the Welsh Government must acknowledge the social and emotional dimensions that influence these trends and endeavour to encourage schools and further education institutions to develop practical ways of supporting this vulnerable and disadvantaged group.
Welsh: Diolch. Ddirprwy Lywydd, braint ar ran grŵp y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig yw agor y ddadl heddiw, a chodi i ddiogelu ein plant a hawliau pellach i gefnogi ein gofalwyr iau. Mae'r cynnig sy'n cael ei drafod heddiw yn estyniad o'n gwaith blaenorol yma, a chyflwyno Deddf Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol a Llesiant (Cymru) 2014, Deddf Anghenion Dysgu Ychwanegol a'r Tribiwnlys Addysg (Cymru) 2018 ac adolygiad Donaldson. Fodd bynnag, mae ein cynnig yn mynd hyd yn oed ymhellach, gan gynnig bod y mwy na 21,000 o oedolion ifanc sy'n ofalwyr yng Nghymru yn cael eu cydnabod yn swyddogol am eu haberth, eu gwaith caled a'u gofal amhrisiadwy i deulu a ffrindiau, a hefyd yn cael y cymorth ymarferol sydd ei angen arnynt er mwyn gofalu am eu hiechyd a'u hanghenion eu hunain a ffynnu mewn agweddau eraill ar eu bywydau. Mae hyn yn cynnwys rhoi cymorth ariannol i fyfyrwyr ifanc sy'n ofalwyr ac nid ydym yn petruso rhag cymeradwyo polisi a gyflwynwyd yn gynharach gan y grŵp hwn a fyddai'n rhoi £60 yr wythnos i fyfyrwyr a phrentisiaid ifanc sy'n ofalwyr. Mae'r argymhelliad hwn gan y Ceidwadwyr wedi'i anwybyddu dro ar ôl tro a hoffwn ailadrodd fy nghefnogaeth, a chefnogaeth y grŵp hwn, i'r mesur hwn. O ganlyniad i ymchwil pellach i realiti bywydau gofalwyr ifanc, rydym yn fwy ymwybodol nag erioed o'r anawsterau anferth a chymhleth sy'n wynebu ein gofalwyr ifanc. Yn hollbwysig, mae ein hymchwil a'n hymgysylltiad â sefydliadau gofalwyr ifanc, fel Ymddiriedolaeth Gofalwyr Cymru ac Ymddiriedolaeth y Tywysog, wedi dangos bod angen fframweithiau cymorth pellach ar ofalwyr ifanc, a bod pob achos o ofalu a chefnogi aelod o'r teulu neu rywun annwyl arall yn wahanol. Mae oedolion ifanc sy'n ofalwyr yn amrywio o rai 14 i 16 oed mewn ysgolion - er i mi glywed yn ddiweddar am ofalwr ifanc wyth mlwydd oed - yn ceisio ymdopi â'u hymrwymiadau TGAU a thyfu drwy'r glasoed, i rai 18 oed yn y chweched dosbarth; a phobl 20 oed mewn prifysgolion a 24 a 25 oed yn ceisio addasu i ofynion bywyd fel oedolion a bywyd gwaith. Er fy mod yn llwyr gydnabod y gall y llwybr hwn amrywio yn dibynnu ar yr unigolyn, cytunir yn gyffredinol fod oedolion ifanc sy'n ofalwyr yn llawer llai tebygol o fod mewn addysg, cyflogaeth neu hyfforddiant arall. Yn wir, yn ôl gofalwyr ifanc yng Nghymru, mae oedolion ifanc sy'n ofalwyr deirgwaith yn fwy tebygol o fod wedi cael eu categoreiddio fel pobl nad ydynt mewn addysg, cyflogaeth na hyfforddiant. Ategwyd hyn gan y Comisiwn Archwilio, a ddaeth i'r casgliad, mor gynnar â 2010, fod gofalwyr ifanc rhwng 16 a 18 oed ddwywaith yn fwy tebygol o fod wedi bod yn NEET ers dros chwe mis. Ac yn ôl ymchwil Ymddiriedolaeth Gofalwyr Cymru, 'Time to be Heard Wales', y cymhwyster mwyaf cyffredin ymhlith ymatebwyr yr arolwg oedd gradd D mewn TGAU. Eto i gyd, Ddirprwy Lywydd, mae'r rhwystrau a'r heriau addysgol hyn wedi'u nodi ar gamau cynharach ar y daith drwy'r ysgol. Yn 2014, daeth Prifysgol Nottingham i'r casgliad yn eu hadroddiad, 'Time to be Heard: A Call for Recognition and Support for Young Adult Carers', fod chwarter y gofalwyr ifanc wedi sôn am brofiadau o fwlio a cham-drin yn yr ysgol oherwydd eu rôl a'u cyfrifoldebau gofal. O ystyried y llu o ffyrdd y gall rhywun weithredu fel gofalwr, gall rhai cyd-ddisgyblion weld sefyllfa rhieni neu frawd neu chwaer gofalwr fel rhywbeth i chwerthin yn ei gylch - gwyddom am enghreifftiau o hynny - gan wneud iddynt deimlo cywilydd ac embaras dwfn. Yn yr un modd, gall plant ysgol gam-drin a bwlio gofalwr ifanc os ydynt yn gweld eu bod yn helpu rhywun arall anabl, neu oherwydd eu perfformiad academaidd gwael, trafferthion ariannol, aeddfedrwydd emosiynol a nodweddion personoliaeth sy'n ymddangos fel pe baent yn gwrthdaro yn erbyn rhai aelodau eraill o'r dosbarth. Ni ddylai oedolion ifanc sy'n ofalwyr gael eu stigmateiddio a bod yn destun bwlio, ac wrth fynd i'r afael â'r ystadegau ar berfformiad academaidd ac addysgol, rhaid i Lywodraeth Cymru gydnabod y dimensiynau cymdeithasol ac emosiynol sy'n dylanwadu ar y tueddiadau hyn a cheisio annog ysgolion a sefydliadau addysg bellach i ddatblygu ffyrdd ymarferol o gefnogi'r grŵp hwn sydd o dan anfantais ac yn agored i niwed.