Young people have their say on safeguarding issues/

A group of young people from Neath Port Talbot schools have passed on their feedback to senior decision makers as part of Safeguarding Week 2019.

The group met as part of a series of workshops to discuss what issues they felt needed to be addressed in order to improve the safeguarding of children and young people throughout the county borough. The two main issues they identified were safeguarding in sport, and equality and discrimination. The participants in the workshop felt it was important that parents, coaches and team mates have a positive and encouraging attitude when children and young people take part in sport. They also want to champion equality and discrimination issues by raising awareness on key issues such as religious beliefs, gender identity, race and sexual orientation.

The feedback is to be passed on to the West Glamorgan Safeguarding Children Board, whose role it is to protect and promote the welfare of children and young people living in Swansea and Neath Port Talbot. The board is made up of representatives from organisations including the local authorities, Swansea Bay University Health Board and South Wales Police.

Neath Port Talbot Council’s Engagement and Participation Officer and the Neath Port Talbot Children’s Rights Unit facilitated the workshops. As part of their role, they will continue to support pupils from various schools to continue the conversation and represent the views of their fellow pupils. In addition to this, they will be collaborating closely with their counterparts in Swansea Council to capture the voice of children and young people on safeguarding issues.

Keri Warren, Head of Children and Young People Services, said:

“The safeguarding of children and young people is a top priority for Neath Port Talbot Council.

“It is important that children and young people are given the opportunity to have their say on issues that affect them and are listened to by those who are in charge of making key decisions.”

Elsewhere in the county borough, a series of training events have been arranged for staff on topics such as domestic abuse, exploitation and hate crime. There will also be public information stands at various locations to inform parents and carers of safeguarding issues in the community.

Safeguarding Week is a national campaign that is taking place between the 11^th and 15^th November to raise awareness about keeping people safe and to reinforce the message that ‘safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility’.

Pobl ifanc yn mynegi eu barn am faterion diogelu

Mae grŵp o bobl ifanc o ysgolion Castell-nedd Port Talbot wedi bod yn rhannu eu hadborth ag uwch benderfynwyr fel rhan o Wythnos Ddiogelu 2019.

Cyfarfu’r grŵp fel rhan o gyfres o weithdai i drafod pa faterion y teimlir y mae angen mynd i’r afael â hwy er mwyn gwella diogelu plant a phobl ifanc ar draws y fwrdeistref sirol. Y ddau brif broblem a nodwyd oedd diogelu mewn chwaraeon, cydraddoldeb a gwahaniaethu. Roedd y cyfranogwyr yn y gweithdy’n teimlo ei fod yn bwysig bod gan rieni, hyfforddwyr a chyd-chwaraewyr agwedd gadarnhaol a chalonogol pan fo plant a phobl ifanc yn cymryd rhan mewn chwaraeon. Maent hefyd am hyrwyddo materion cydraddoldeb a gwahaniaethu drwy gynyddu ymwybyddiaeth o faterion allweddol megis credoau crefyddol, hunaniaeth rhywedd, hil a thueddfryd rhywiol.

Bydd yr adborth yn cael ei basio ymlaen at Fwrdd Diogelu Plant Gorllewin Morgannwg, y mae ei rôl yn cynnwys diogelu a hyrwyddo lles plant a phobl ifanc sy’n byw yn Abertawe a Chastell-nedd Port Talbot. Mae’r bwrdd yn cynnwys cynrychiolwyr o sefydliadau gan gynnwys yr awdurdodau lleol, Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Abertawe Bro Morgannwg a Heddlu De Cymru.

Y cyngor ac Uned Hawliau Plant Castell-nedd Port Talbot fu’n hwyluso’r gweithdai a byddant yn parhau i gefnogi disgyblion o wahanol ysgolion i barhau â’r drafodaeth ac i gynrychioli barn eu cyd-ddisgyblion. Wrth symud ymlaen, bydd y cyngor yn cydweithio’n agos â’i gymheiriaid yng Nghyngor Abertawe i glywed barn plant a phobl ifanc am faterion diogelu.

Meddai Keri Warren, Pennaeth Gwasanaethau Plant a Phobl Ifanc,

“Mae diogelu plant a phobl ifanc yn brif flaenoriaeth i Gyngor Castell-nedd Port Talbot.

“Mae’n bwysig bod plant a phobl ifanc yn cael y cyfle i ddweud eu dweud am faterion sy’n effeithio arnynt a bod y rheini sy’n gyfrifol am wneud y penderfyniadau allweddol yn gwrando arnynt.”

Mewn mannau eraill yn y fwrdeistref sirol, trefnir cyfres o ddigwyddiadau hyfforddi ar gyfer staff ar bynciau megis cam-drin domestig, ecsbloetio a throseddau casineb. Bydd hefyd stondinau gwybodaeth cyhoeddus mewn amryw leoliadau i roi gwybod i rieni a gofalwyr am faterion diogelu yn y gymuned.

Ymgyrch genedlaethol yw Wythnos Ddiogelu a gynhelir rhwng 11 a 15 Tachwedd i gynyddu ymwybyddiaeth o gadw pobl yn ddiogel ac i atgyfnerthu’r neges bod ‘pawb yn gyfrifol am ddiogelu”.