Mae COVID-19 wedi effeithio’n sylweddol ar bob agwedd ar Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol. Ar ddechrau’r pandemig, gwnaeth Llywodraeth Cymru benderfyniad i atal y gwerthusiad dros dro er mwyn caniatáu i’r adnoddau angenrheidiol gael eu neilltuo ar gyfer y meysydd lle’r oedd yr angen mwyaf. Rwy’n cydnabod bod cryn ffordd i fynd o hyd o ran yr ymateb i’r pandemig, ond er gwaethaf hynny mae hefyd yn bwysig inni barhau i ddeall effeithiau ein deddfwriaeth er mwyn inni allu dysgu a gwella. Mae’n hanfodol bod yr holl unigolion y mae angen gofal a chymorth arnynt, ynghyd â’r holl ofalwyr sydd ag angen cefnogaeth, yn cael cyfle i elwa ar y ddarpariaeth orau bosibl er mwyn iddynt allu cyflawni’r hyn sydd fwyaf pwysig iddynt. Felly, heddiw, rwy’n cyhoeddi’r canlynol:Bod y gwerthusiad yn ailddechrau – gwnaeth Llywodraeth Cymru benderfyniad i atal y gwerthusiad dros dro ym mis Mawrth er mwyn neilltuo adnoddau ar gyfer yr ymateb i’r pandemig. Gan ein bod bellach yn symud ein ffocws i ganolbwyntio mwy ar sefydlogi ac ailadeiladu, rwyf am weld y gwerthusiad yn ailddechrau’n ffurfiol o fis Medi ymlaen. Mae hynny’n golygu y bydd angen i amrywiaeth eang o randdeiliaid gyfrannu at waith y tîm astudio er mwyn ein helpu i ddeall effeithiau’r ddeddfwriaeth ar y sector gofal cymdeithasol, ac ar unigolion yng Nghymru y mae angen gofal a chymorth arnynt. Dyma fydd ffocws cam nesaf gwaith y tîm.Bod ffrwd waith arall yn cael ei hychwanegu at y gwerthusiad i edrych ar sut y mae COVID-19 wedi effeithio ar y ddeddfwriaeth. Mae’r pandemig wedi cael effaith sylweddol ar ofal cymdeithasol, ac mae’n bwysig ein bod yn deall pa effaith y mae hynny wedi ei chael ar y gwaith o weithredu’r ddeddfwriaeth a’i chanlyniadau. Rwyf wedi gofyn i’r tîm gwerthuso ystyried hyn, a disgwylir i’w casgliadau cychwynnol gael eu cyflwyno imi erbyn mis Ionawr 2021.Bod cyfnod y gwerthusiad yn cael ei ymestyn – gan y bu’n rhaid atal y gwaith hwn dros dro, a hefyd ychwanegu ffrwd waith arall i’r tîm gwerthuso ei gwblhau, rwyf wedi cytuno i roi estyniad o flwyddyn i’r contract presennol. Bydd hyn yn caniatáu’r amser y mae ei angen i gwblhau’r gwaith, a hefyd bydd yn caniatáu ar gyfer paratoi asesiad o effeithiau mwy tymor hir a fydd yn ein helpu i ddeall effeithiau’r Ddeddf yn fwy trylwyr. Felly, bydd y gwerthusiad yn parhau tan fis Hydref 2022. Cyhoeddir yr adroddiad terfynol, gan gynnwys yr argymhellion, yn yr hydref 2022, a hefyd caiff nifer o adroddiadau interim allweddol eu cyhoeddi rhwng nawr a’r adeg hwnnw er mwyn inni gael gwybodaeth reolaidd am y casgliadau diweddaraf ynglŷn â gweithredu’r ddeddfwriaeth a’i heffeithiau.
Covid-19 has had a significant impact on all aspects of Health and Social Care. At the outbreak of the pandemic Welsh Government made a decision to pause the evaluation to allow necessary resources to continue to be allocated to areas most at need. I recognise that there is still some way to go in response to the pandemic however it is also important that we continue to understand the impact of our legislation so we can continue to learn and to improve. It is essential that all individuals in need of care and support and all carers in need of support are able to access the best possible provision to ensure that they are able to achieve what matters most to them. Today, therefore, I am announcing:Restarting of the evaluation – Welsh Government made a conscious decision to pause the evaluation in March to ensure resources could be allocated to the pandemic. As we are now moving towards a focus on stabilisation and reconstruction, I am proposing that from September the evaluation will formally restart. This will involve a wide range of stakeholders engaging with the study team to help us to understand the impact that the legislation is having on the social care sector and on the individuals in Wales who are in need of care and support, which will be studied in the next phase of the team’s work.An additional strand to the evaluation which will focus on the impacts of Covid-19 on the legislation – The pandemic has had a significant impact on social care and it is important that we understand what impact this has had on the implementation and impact of the legislation. I have asked the evaluation team to consider this, with early findings to be presented to me by January 2021.An extension to the evaluation – Given the necessary pause and the additional strand of work that I have asked the evaluation team to take forward, I have agreed a one-year extension to the existing contract. Not only will this allow the necessary time to complete the work, but it will also allow for a longer-term impact assessment which will give us a more robust understanding of the impact the Act is having. The evaluation will now continue until October 2022. The final report, including recommendations, will be published in autumn 2022, however, a number of key interim reports will also be published between now and then that will provide us with regular updates on the latest findings regarding the implementation and impact of the legislation.