Children and young individuals who are looked after are those who are minded by the state under UK and Wales national legislation.

Plant ac unigolion ifanc sy'n derbyn gofal yw'r rheini sy'n derbyn gofal gan y wladwriaeth o dan ddeddfwriaeth genedlaethol y Deyrnas Unedig a Chymru.

Looked after children

These children are one of the most vulnerable groups in society. Wales has seen a rise in children being taken into care with the majority being removed from their families due to abuse or neglect.

Compared with other children of the same age, looked after children generally have poorer outcomes in relation to their education and mental health. Many young individuals go on to have further problems when leaving care in relation to poverty, housing and employment.

In general, children and young individuals who are looked after are:

  • living with foster parents
  • living in a residential children's home
  • living in residential settings like schools or secure units.

Organisations that may need to provide services for children who are looked after include:

  • social workers
  • health professionals (for example GPs, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services)
  • police
  • youth offending teams
  • probationary services
  • the voluntary sector
  • early year providers
  • schools.

It is important that these groups work together as a team around the child to meet their needs and that, critically, assessment and service provision is centred on the child, taking their views into account.

Y plant hyn yw un o'r grwpiau mwyaf agored i niwed mewn cymdeithas. Mae Cymru wedi gweld cynnydd yn nifer y plant sy'n derbyn gofal ac mae'r mwyafrif yn cael eu cymryd o'u teuluoedd oherwydd camdriniaeth neu esgeulustod.

O'u cymharu â phlant eraill o'r un oedran, yn gyffredinol dydy canlyniadau plant sy'n derbyn gofal ddim cystal o ran eu haddysg a'u hiechyd meddwl. Mae llawer o unigolion ifanc yn mynd ymlaen i gael rhagor o broblemau ar ôl gadael gofal o ran tlodi, tai a chyflogaeth.

Yn gyffredinol, mae plant ac unigolion ifanc sy'n derbyn gofal:

  • yn byw gyda rhieni maeth
  • yn byw mewn cartref preswyl i blant
  • yn byw mewn lleoliadau preswyl fel ysgolion neu unedau diogel.

Mae'r sefydliadau y gall fod angen iddyn nhw ddarparu gwasanaethau ar gyfer plant sy'n derbyn gofal yn cynnwys:

  • gweithwyr cymdeithasol
  • gweithwyr iechyd proffesiynol (er enghraifft, meddygon teulu, Gwasanaethau Iechyd Meddwl Plant a'r Glasoed: CAMHS)
  • heddlu
  • timau troseddwyr ifanc
  • gwasanaethau prawf
  • y sector gwirfoddol
  • darparwyr y blynyddoedd cynnar
  • ysgolion.

Mae'n bwysig bod y grwpiau hyn yn gweithio gyda'i gilydd fel tîm o amgylch y plentyn i fodloni ei anghenion ac mae'n hanfodol bod asesiadau a'r ddarpariaeth gwasanaeth yn canolbwyntio ar y plentyn, gan ystyried ei safbwyntiau.

Study the data and answer the questions.

Astudiwch y data ac atebwch y cwestiynau.

Question 1

Cwestiwn 1

Which age group has the highest number of children in care?

Ym mha grŵp oedran mae'r nifer mwyaf o blant mewn gofal?

Chart showing children looked after by local authority gender and age Chart showing children looked after by local authority gender and age
Source: Stats Wales.
All data taken from here:
Ffynhonnell: StatsCymru
https://statswales.gov.wales/Catalogue/Health-and-Social-Care/Social-Services/Childrens-Services/Children-Looked-After/childrenlookedafterat31march-by-localauthority-gender-age

Suggested response: The highest number of children in care are between ten and fifteen.

Ymateb awgrymedig: Mae'r nifer mwyaf o blant mewn gofal rhwng deg a phymtheg oed.

Question 2

Cwestiwn 2

Which local authority has the highest number of children who are looked after? Why do you think this local authority has more than anyone else?

Ym mha awdurdod lleol mae'r nifer mwyaf o blant sy'n derbyn gofal? Yn eich barn chi, pam mae'r nifer yn fwy yn yr awdurdod lleol hwn nag yn unrhyw awdurdod arall?

Chart showing children looked after by local authority gender and age Chart showing children looked after by local authority gender and age
Source: Stats Wales.
All data taken from here
Ffynhonnell: StatsCymru
https://statswales.gov.wales/Catalogue/Health-and-Social-Care/Social-Services/Childrens-Services/Children-Looked-After/childrenlookedafterat31march-by-localauthority-gender-age

Suggested response: Cardiff has the highest number of children who are looked after in Wales. This is probably because the population here is larger than anywhere else in Wales.

Ymateb awgrymedig: Yng Nghaerdydd mae'r nifer mwyaf o blant sy'n derbyn gofal yng Nghymru. Mae'n debyg bod hyn oherwydd bod y boblogaeth yma yn fwy nag yn unrhyw ran arall o Gymru.

Question 3

Cwestiwn 3

Focusing on the data from Ceredigion over the last ten years, what information can you draw from this?

Gan ganolbwyntio ar y data o Geredigion dros y ddeg mlynedd diwethaf, pa wybodaeth gallwch chi ei chasglu o hyn?

Chart showing children looked after by local authority by age from Ceredigion Chart showing children looked after by local authority by age from Ceredigion
Source: Stats Wales. Ffynhonnell: StatsCymru.

Suggested response:

  • Very few children are taken into care at birth.
  • The highest number of children in care are between the ages of 10 and 15.
  • The number of looked after children between the ages of 1 and 4 has been fairly consistent over the last ten years.
  • All children leave care by the time they are eighteen.

Ymateb awgrymedig:

  • Ychydig iawn o blant sy'n cael eu rhoi mewn gofal pan maen nhw'n cael eu geni.
  • Mae'r nifer mwyaf o blant mewn gofal rhwng 10 ac 15 oed.
  • Mae nifer y plant sy'n derbyn gofal rhwng 1 a 4 oed wedi bod yn eithaf cyson dros y ddeg mlynedd diwethaf.
  • Mae pob plentyn yn gadael gofal erbyn ei fod yn ddeunaw oed.

Question 4

Cwestiwn 4

How many children were taken into care because of physical abuse in Wales in 2018?

Faint o blant gafodd eu rhoi mewn gofal oherwydd camdriniaeth gorfforol yng Nghymru yn 2018?

Chart showing percentage of children on protection registers Chart showing percentage of children on protection registers
Taken from Data o https://gov.wales/docs/statistics/2018/181030-children-receiving-care-support-2017-18-en.pdf

Suggested response: 1095 children were taken into care because of physical abuse.

Ymateb awgrymedig: Cafodd 1095 o blant eu rhoi mewn gofal oherwydd camdriniaeth gorfforol.

Question 5

Cwestiwn 5

In what year did adoptions peak in Wales?

Ym mha flwyddyn cafodd y nifer mwyaf o blant eu mabwysiadu yng Nghymru?

Graph showing percentage of adoptions of children looked after Graph showing percentage of adoptions of children looked after
Taken from ‘Experimental Statistics: Children looked after by local authorities, 2016-17’ Data o ‘Ystadegau Arbrofol: Plant sy'n derbyn gofal gan awdurdodau lleol, 2016-17’

Suggested response: Adoption peaked in Wales between 2014 and 2015.

Ymateb awgrymedig: Cafodd y nifer mwyaf o blant eu mabwysiadu yng Nghymru rhwng 2014 a 2015.