Taxi drivers hail Council’s safeguarding training / Gyrwyr tacsi’n canmol hyfforddiant diogelu’r cyngor

English

Over two thirds of taxi drivers in Neath Port Talbot have now completed safeguarding training, with further sessions aiming to ensure that all licenced drivers have the knowledge to help identify and protect vulnerable passengers in the county borough.

Safeguarding is the term given to protecting vulnerable adults or children from abuse or neglect. The free training sessions run by Neath Port Talbot Council give taxi drivers an overview of how they can play an important role in identifying safeguarding issues, teaching them to understand what makes a person vulnerable and giving them the confidence to report any concerns.

The courses have been met with a positive response from the drivers, with 232 having taken up the offer of training, and further dates being arranged in August for the remaining 100 drivers licenced by Neath Port Talbot Council.

Cllr Des Davies, Cabinet Member for Community Safety & Public Protection said: “Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and I am therefore very pleased that taxi drivers in Neath Port Talbot have been so proactive on this important issue. They see and hear a great deal whilst driving around our communities on a daily basis and their intervention could make the critical difference to a victim of abuse, exploitation or trafficking.”

“The uptake and feedback for these voluntary, free sessions has been overwhelming and it is the Council’s intention to provide the training to all taxi drivers before the end of the summer.”

Local taxi driver and chairman of the Port Talbot Taxi Association, Mike Allen, welcomed the training. He said: “It’s great the Council are providing this training to the taxi drivers. It’s helped me identify things that I may not have noticed before and I’ve already used the contact card provided to report concerns about the welfare of an elderly gentleman.”

Cymraeg

Mae dros ddau draean o yrwyr tacsis yng Nghastell-nedd Port Talbot bellach wedi cwblhau hyfforddiant diogelu, ac mae sesiynau pellach yn ymdrechu i sicrhau bod pob gyrrwr trwyddedig â’r wybodaeth i helpu i nodi ac amddiffyn teithwyr diamddiffyn yn y fwrdeistref sirol.

‘Diogelu’ yw’r term a roddir i olygu amddiffyn oedolion neu blant diamddiffyn rhag camdriniaeth neu esgeulustod. Mae’r sesiynau hyfforddi am ddim a gynhelir gan Gyngor Castell-nedd Port Talbot yn rhoi trosolwg o sut y gallent chwarae rôl bwysig wrth nodi materion diogelu, gan eu dysgu i ddeall yr hyn sy’n gwneud person yn ddiamddiffyn a rhoi’r hyder iddynt adrodd am unrhyw bryderon.

Mae’r gyrwyr wedi ymateb i’r cyrsiau mewn ffordd gadarnhaol ac mae 232 ohonynt wedi derbyn y cynnig i hyfforddi. Trefnir dyddiadau pellach ym mis Awst ar gyfer y 100 o yrwyr eraill sydd wedi’u trwyddedu gan Gyngor Castell-nedd Port Talbot.

Meddai’r Cyng. Des Davies, Aelod y Cabinet dros Ddiogelwch Cymunedol ac Amddiffyn y Cyhoedd, “Mae diogelu yn gyfrifoldeb pawb ac rydw i felly yn falch iawn bod gyrwyr tacsis yng Nghastell-nedd Port Talbot wedi bod mor rhagweithiol yn y mater pwysig hwn. Maent yn gweld ac yn clywed llawer iawn wrth iddynt yrru o amgylch ein cymunedau yn ddyddiol a gallai eu hymyriad wneud gwahaniaeth allweddol i rywun sy’n destun camdriniaeth, ecsploetiaeth neu fasnachu pobl.”

“Mae nifer y bobl sydd wedi mynd i’r sesiynau gwirfoddol, am ddim hyn a’r adborth yr ydym wedi’i dderbyn wedi bod yn ysgubol ac mae’r cyngor yn ymdrechu i ddarparu’r hyfforddiant i bob gyrrwr tacsi cyn diwedd yr haf.”

Roedd gyrrwr tacsis lleol a chadeirydd Cymdeithas Tacsis Port Talbot, Mike Allen, wedi croesawu’r hyfforddiant. Meddai, “Mae’n wych bod y cyngor yn darparu’r hyfforddiant hwn i’r gyrwyr tacsis. Mae wedi fy helpu i nodi pethau efallai na fyddwn wedi sylweddoli cyn ac rydw i eisoes wedi defnyddio’r cerdyn cysylltu a ddarperir i adrodd am bryderon am les dyn hŷn.”