Improvements Needed in Well Being Services for Young People in Wales

Responsible Business News , 10th October 2019

Opportunities for improvement in public service support of the well-being of young people have been highlighted in a series of reports issued today by the Auditor General for Wales. The work focusses on five topics: youth homelessness, young adult carers, young parents, mental health, and skills and employability. The reports highlight a lack of support in some key areas which public services in Wales need to address.

The complex problems faced by some young people often result in them being sent between different agencies. Research shows that young people living in temporary accommodation are more likely to have a psychiatric disorder than the general population. Similarly, young adult carers are more likely to have a mental health problem, and young parents are more likely to have depression. Many young people cannot get help from specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) because they do not have a diagnosable mental illness and the Welsh Government doesn’t know whether these people get help elsewhere or what other services there are to help meet their needs. Sometimes vulnerable young people find that they have to join-up services for themselves.

After a decade of budget cuts, the reports find that many services are feeling the pressure, with concerns that young people are being particularly hard hit. More can be done to join-up services and ensure they are meeting the needs of young people. While the focus of the reports is the Welsh Government, public services across Wales have a key role to play in tackling these deep-seated problems.

Overall, three broad areas where there are opportunities for improvement in the Welsh Government’s approach have been identified:

Being curious: Finding out what matters, what support is available and what difference it makes;
Being purposeful: Communicating a clear purpose that inspires and empowers public services;
Being brave: Creating the conditions that encourage experimentation and celebrate success.

Auditor General for Wales, Adrian Crompton said today:

“Public bodies need to listen more to young people and better understand what matters to them if they are to provide services that fully meet their needs at a crucial stage in their lives. The Welsh Government has a pivotal role to play in providing leadership to the public sector in Wales. My reports clearly identify opportunities for improvement in its approach and I hope that the information brought together in our data tool provides a helpful resource for all those with an interest in the well-being of young people.”

Mae cyfleoedd i wella’r modd y mae gwasanaethau cyhoeddus yn cefnogi llesiant pobl ifanc wedi’u hamlygu mewn cyfres o adroddiadau a gyhoeddwyd heddiw gan Archwilydd Cyffredinol Cymru. Mae’r gwaith yn canolbwyntio ar bum pwnc: digartrefedd ieuenctid, oedolion ifanc sy’n ofalwyr, rhieni ifanc, iechyd meddwl, a sgiliau a chyflogadwyedd. Mae’r adroddiadau’n amlygu diffyg cymorth mewn rhai meysydd allweddol y mae angen i wasanaethau cyhoeddus yng Nghymru fynd i’r afael ag ef.

Mae’r problemau cymhleth a wynebir gan rai pobl ifanc yn aml yn golygu eu bod yn cael eu hanfon rhwng gwahanol asiantaethau. Dengys ymchwil fod pobl ifanc sy’n byw mewn llety dros dro yn fwy tebygol o fod ag anhwylder seiciatrig na’r boblogaeth gyffredinol. Yn yr un modd, mae oedolion ifanc sy’n ofalwyr yn fwy tebygol o fod â phroblem iechyd meddwl, ac mae rhieni ifanc yn fwy tebygol o fod ag iselder. Mae llawer o bobl ifanc yn methu â chael cymorth gan Wasanaethau Iechyd Meddwl Plant a’r Glasoed (CAMHS) am nad oes ganddynt afiechyd meddwl y gellir ei ddiagnosio ac nid yw Llywodraeth Cymru yn gwybod a yw’r bobl ifanc hyn yn cael help o rywle arall na pha wasanaethau sydd ar gael i helpu i ddiwallu eu hanghenion. Weithiau mae pobl ifanc agored i niwed yn cael bod rhaid iddynt gydgysylltu gwasanaethau drostynt eu hunain.

Ar ôl degawd o doriadau mewn cyllidebau, mae’r adroddiadau’n nodi’r canfyddiad bod llawer o wasanaethau’n teimlo’r pwysau, gyda phryderon bod pobl ifanc yn arbennig yn cael eu taro’n galed. Gellir gwneud mwy i gydgysylltu gwasanaethau a sicrhau eu bod yn diwallu anghenion pobl ifanc. Er mai Llywodraeth Cymru yw ffocws yr adroddiadau, mae gan wasanaethau cyhoeddus ledled Cymru rôl allweddol o ran mynd i’r afael â’r problemau hyn sydd wedi gwreiddio’n ddwfn.

Ar y cyfan, adnabuwyd tri maes eang yn null Llywodraeth Cymru lle ceir cyfleoedd ar gyfer gwella:

Bod yn chwilfrydig: Darganfod beth sydd o bwys, pa gymorth sydd ar gael a pha wahaniaeth y mae’n ei wneud;
Bod yn bwrpasol: Cyfleu diben eglur sy’n ysbrydoli ac yn grymuso gwasanaethau cyhoeddus;
Bod yn ddewr: Creu’r amodau sy’n rhoi anogaeth i arbrofi a dathlu llwyddiant.

Meddai Archwilydd Cyffredinol Cymru, Adrian Crompton, heddiw:

“Mae angen i gyrff cyhoeddus wrando’n fwy ar bobl ifanc a deall yn well beth sydd o bwys iddynt hwy er mwyn gallu darparu gwasanaethau sy’n diwallu eu hanghenion yn llawn ar adeg hollbwysig yn eu bywydau. Mae gan Lywodraeth Cymru rôl allweddol o ran darparu arweinyddiaeth ar gyfer y sector cyhoeddus yng Nghymru. Mae fy adroddiadau’n nodi’n glir y cyfleoedd i wella’i dull ac rwy’n gobeithio bod yr wybodaeth a ddygwyd ynghyd yn ein hofferyn data’n darparu adnodd defnyddiol ar gyfer yr holl rai sydd â buddiant yn llesiant pobl ifanc.”