I am pleased to enclose for your attention a copy of my new three year strategy for 2023-2026 ‘Making Life Better for Children in Wales’.
This strategy has been developed based on the conversations, meetings and engagements my team and I’ve had with over 17,000 children, young people and other key stakeholders during my first year in office. It is also informed by the findings of my national survey ‘Ambitions for Wales’ which ran during the Autumn of 2022, and which received over 10,000 responses, including over 8000 from children.
The strategy identifies four key purposes which will drive the work of my team, and enable us to deliver our formal remit. These are being: ‘Here for All Children’, ‘A Rights Realiser’, ‘A Truth Teller’ and ‘A Challenger’. These purposes will be delivered by my experienced team, through their distinct functions, including:
· my Participation team who enable reach and engagement with diverse children from across Wales;
· my Communication team who help to ensure that those in power hear children’s experiences and make changes as a result;
· my Policy team who influence decision makers, including Welsh Government, to consider and uphold children’s human rights in all its decision-making; and
· my Investigations and Advice team who provide free and independent investigations and advice for children, their families and professionals who think their children’s rights have been breached.
Over the next three years, as well as being led by the voices, needs and experiences of children and young people, everything we do as a team will continue to be underpinned by our values, by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and by our Right Way principles of Embedding, Equality and Non-Discrimination, Empowerment, Participation and Accountability.
Increasing the visibility, diversity and accessibility of our organisation will also be key drivers, as well as ensuring that our work is focused, that staff remain connected to our purpose, and that we are making the best use of the evidence that we collect to inform our influencing work.
This is a critical and challenging time for children in Wales, and I look forward to working with you constructively during the coming year to make children’s lives better.
I welcome any feedback or if you would like to meet to discuss any aspect of the strategy, please do get in touch with my team.
Warmest wishes,
Rocio Cifuentes
Fersiwn CYM:
Mae’n bleser gen i amgáu at eich sylw gopi o’m strategaeth tair blynedd newydd ar gyfer 2023-2026 ‘Gwella Bywyd i Blant yng Nghymru’.
Mae’r strategaeth hon wedi cael ei datblygu ar sail y sgyrsiau, y cyfarfodydd a’r ymgysylltu mae fy nhîm a minnau wedi’u cael gyda mwy nag 17,000 o blant, pobl ifanc a rhanddeiliaid allweddol eraill yn ystod fy mlwyddyn gyntaf yn y swydd. Mae hefyd yn cael ei llywio gan ganfyddiadau fy arolwg cenedlaethol ‘Gobeithion i Gymru’, a gynhaliwyd yn ystod hydref 2022, lle cafwyd dros 10,000 o ymatebion, gan gynnwys mwy nag 8,000 gan blant.
Mae’r strategaeth yn nodi pedwar diben allweddol a fydd yn gyrru gwaith fy nhîm, ac yn ein galluogi i gyflawni ein cylch gorchwyl ffurfiol, sef: ‘Yma i Bob Plentyn’, ‘Arwr Hawliau’, ‘Goleuo’r Gwir’ a ‘Heriwr’. Cyflawnir y dibenion hyn gan fy nhîm profiadol, trwy eu swyddogaethau penodol, gan gynnwys:
· fy nhîm Cyfranogiad sy’n galluogi cyrraedd ac ymgysylltu â phlant amrywiol o bob rhan o Gymru;
· fy nhîm Cyfathrebu sy’n helpu i sicrhau bod y rhai sydd mewn pŵer yn clywed profiadau plant ac yn gwneud newidiadau o ganlyniad;
· fy nhîm Polisi sy’n dylanwadu ar lunwyr penderfyniadau, gan gynnwys Llywodraeth Cymru, i ystyried a chynnal hawliau dynol plant yn eu holl benderfyniadau; a hefyd
· fy nhîm Ymchwiliadau a Chyngor, sy’n darparu ymchwiliadau a chyngor annibynnol, di-dâl i blant, eu teuluoedd a gweithwyr proffesiynol sy’n teimlo nad yw hawliau plant wedi cael eu gwireddu.
Yn ystod y tair blynedd nesaf, yn ogystal â chael ein harwain gan leisiau, anghenion a phrofiadau plant a phobl ifanc, bydd popeth rydyn ni’n ei wneud fel tîm yn parhau i gael ei seilio ar ein gwerthoedd, ar Gonfensiwn y CU ar Hawliau’r Plentyn, ac ar ein hegwyddorion fel rhan o’r Ffordd Gywir, sef Gwreiddio, Cydraddoldeb a Pheidio â Chamwahaniaethu, Grymuso, Cyfranogiad ac Atebolrwydd.
Bydd cynyddu gwelededd, amrywiaeth a hygyrchedd ein sefydliad hefyd yn sbardunau allweddol, yn ogystal â sicrhau bod ffocws i’n gwaith, bod y staff yn dal mewn cysylltiad â’n pwrpas, a’n bod ni’n gwneud y defnydd gorau o’r dystiolaeth rydyn ni’n ei chasglu er mwyn llywio ein gwaith dylanwadu.
Mae hwn yn gyfnod heriol a hanfodol i blant yng Nghymru, ac rwy’n edrych ymlaen at weithio’n adeiladol gyda chi yn ystod y flwyddyn sy’n dod, i wella bywydau plant.
Rwy’n croesawu unrhyw adborth, neu os hoffech chi gwrdd i drafod unrhyw agwedd ar y strategaeth, mae croeso i chi gysylltu â’m tîm.
Cofion cynhesaf,
Rocio Cifuentes