BASW Cymru Adroddiad – Ionawr 2014/BASW Wales Report - January 2014

Wrth edrych ymlaen at y Nadolig, bydd llawer o bobl Cymru yn parhau i ddioddef mewn tlodi. Tra medrwn ddadlau mai’r unig ffordd i gael gwelliant ‘gyfan gwbl’ effeithiol yw i Lywodraeth San Steffan newid polisi economaidd a chymdeithasol, gall pawb ohonom wneud ein rhan fel unigolion trwy sicrhau gall ein cleientiaid ennill uchafswm eu hincwm. I rai, bydd hyn yn golygu chwilio am waith, ac i eraill, bydd yn golygu y byddent yn hawlio eu budd-daliadau yn llawn - neu weithiau’r ddau! 

Tueddiad sy’n achosi pryder yng Nghymru yw’r son am rai gweithwyr cymdeithasol nad ydynt yn meddwl mai eu gwaith hwy yw rhoi cyngor ar hawliau budd-daliadau i ddefnyddwyr y gwasanaethau a’u gofalwyr. Yn  hytrach, maent yn ei drosglwyddo i asiantaethau eraill - neu yn gobeithio bydd pobl yn cymryd camau ar liwt eu hunain. Un peth yw gwneud cyfeiriadau priodol ond peth arall yw taflu’r baich. Mae hybu hawliau, annibyniaeth a dosbarthu adnoddau ynghlwm yng Nghod Moeseg  a Chod Ymarferiad Gweithwyr Gofal Cymdeithasol - felly gadewch i ni roi’r gorau i chwarae taflu’r parsel a dechrau (neu barhau) i gymryd cyfrifoldeb personol i wneud gwir wahaniaeth ar dlodi.

Papur Gwyn ar Reoleiddio ag Archwilio

Daw’r cyfnod ymgynghori ar y papur gwyn allweddol hwn i ben ar 6 Ionawr 2014. Mae’n ddarn arall hanfodol o ddeddfwriaeth arfaethedig sydd ar y gweill ac yn effeithio ar bob gweithiwr cymdeithasol yng Nghymru. Gwnewch yn siŵr eich bod yn cyflwyno eich sylwadau naill ai trwy ymateb yn uniongyrchol i Swyddfa Llywodraeth Cymru neu anfonwch eich barnau a'ch sylwadau atom ni cyn y Nadolig, fel y cawn eu cynnwys yn ymateb ein corff proffesiynol - BASW Cymru. Diolch.  

Mesur Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol a Llesiant (Cymru)

Yn dilyn gwelliannau a gyflwynwyd yng Ngham 2 y Mesur hwn, cafwyd mwy o newidiadau. Rydym yn arbennig o falch bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi derbyn yr angen i ddynodi yn y Mesur, y newid o “gofal a chefnogaeth”  i “gofal ac / neu gefnogaeth”.  Golyga hyn bod pobl yn cael mynediad at gefnogaeth a dulliau atal heb iddynt fod ag angen gofal dynodedig hefyd. Mae hyn yn pwysleisio uchelgais y Mesur, sef ymdrin â llesiant pobl. Diolch yn arbennig i’m cydweithwyr ar y Grŵp Ymgynghorol - yn arbennig Mary, Nick ag Amy - am eu gwaith caled a’u dyfalbarhad.

Y diweddaraf am y Pwyllgor

Mae’n bleser cyhoeddi bod Delyth Lloyd-Griffiths wedi ymuno â’r pwyllgor. Mae Delyth yn byw yng Nghanolbarth Cymru, a’i hiaith gyntaf yw’r Gymraeg. Mae ganddi brofiadau helaeth iawn, yn cynnwys gofal am blant ag archwilio. Croeso Delyth.

Ac yn olaf ……….

Cynhaliwyd sesiynau hyfforddi ar ddiogelwch ar-lein yng Ngogledd a De Cymru yn ddiweddar. Er i’r nifer a fynychodd y digwyddiadau fod yn isel, cawsom adborth rhagorol o’r ddau. Chwiliwch allan am  ddyddiadau eraill yn y dyfodol ledled Cymru - a gwnewch yn siŵr eich bod yn llogi lle ar un  ohonynt. Efallai yr hoffai rheolwyr ag adrannau hyfforddi cysylltu â ni ar wahân i gytuno ar raddfa disgownt i grwpiau. Peidiwch â bod mewn sefyllfa yn y gwaith a gofidio i chi golli allan - a chofiwch nid yw’r mwyafrif o faterion ar-lein yn ymwneud â bod yn ‘ystrywgar’!

Cyfarchion y tymor.

As we look forward to the festive period, many people in Wales are still languishing in poverty. Whilst we can argue that ‘wholesale’ improvement will only be effective with a change in economic and social policy from the Westminster Government, we can all play our part on an individual basis by ensuring that the people we work with are able to achieve their maximum income. For some this will mean finding work opportunities, for others it will mean ensuring that we enable them to claim their full benefit entitlement – or sometimes both!

One worrying trend in Wales is that we have heard some social workers do not think it is their job to advise service users and their carers of benefit entitlements. Instead, they pass this onto other agencies – or hope that people take their own initiative.  Appropriate referral is one thing but passing the buck is another. Promoting rights, independence and the distribution of resources is embodied in both the Code of Ethics and the Code of Practice for Social Care Workers – so let’s not keep playing pass the parcel and start (or continue) being personally accountable for making a real difference on poverty.

White Paper on Regulation & Inspection

The consultation period for this key paper, ends on 6 January 2014. It is another crucial piece of proposed legislation in the making. It also affects all social workers in Wales. Please make sure that you make your views known by responding directly to the Welsh Government Office or by sending your views and comments through to us before Christmas, so we can include them in our response from the professional body – BASW Cymru. Thank you.

Social Services and Well Being (Wales) Bill

Following tabled amendments at Stage 2 of this Bill, further changes have been made. We are particularly pleased that the Welsh Government has accepted the need to specify the change to “care and support” to “care and/or support” throughout the Bill. This will mean that people will be able to access support and preventative measures without having to have an identified care need as well. It emphasises the ambition of the Bill to address peoples’ wellbeing. A special word of thanks goes to all my colleagues in the Advisory Group – especially Mary, Nick and Amy – for their hard work and persistence.

Committee update

We are delighted to announce that we have been joined by a new committee member – Delyth Lloyd-Griffiths. Delyth lives in mid Wales, her first language is Welsh and she has a very wide range of experiences, including childcare and inspection. Croeso Delyth.

And finally……….

We have recently held online safety training sessions in both North and South Wales. While the numbers attending these events was relatively small, the feedback for both was excellent. Please look out for future dates across Wales – and ensure that you are booked onto one of them. Managers and training departments may wish to contact us separately to agree a block booking rate. Don’t be left in a situation at work saying I wish I have attended – and remember most online issues are not about ‘grooming’!

Seasons greetings.