16 July 2024

The Senedd Children, Young People and Education Committee has published two important reports on the implementation of the Additional Learning Needs legislation and curriculum reform and access for disabled children in Wales to education and childcare.

On 16 July 2024, the Senedd Children, Young People and Education Committee published two important reports on the implementation of the Additional Learning Needs legislation and curriculum reform and access for disabled children in Wales to education and childcare.  The reports were stark and concerning concluding that ‘a significant number of children and young peoples’ right to an education is being denied throughout Wales’. 

RCSLT Wales provided written evidence to both inquiries and Head of Wales Office, Pippa Cotterill, gave oral evidence before the committee last November as part of the inquiry on access to disabled children. RCSLT evidence is quoted extensively within the reports. You can read more about our key messages in this article 

Both committee reports highlight that there is a need to improve co-ordination between health and education services to improve outcomes for children and young people.  We are pleased that several report recommendations align with our key calls around the speech and language therapy workforce, initial teaching training and continuous professional development and availability of the school support workforce. 

Senedd Children, Young People and Education Committee report on access for disabled children to childcare and education  

Recommendation 12. The Welsh Government should undertake a comprehensive review into how non-teaching staff both within schools and local authorities can best support inclusive provision across Wales.  

Recommendation 15. The Welsh Government identifies the most common conditions, which would benefit from universal provision and support being developed and provided to all schools.  

Recommendation 17. The Welsh Government should revise the criteria for ITE to strengthen the requirements around disability and additional learning needs.  

Recommendation 24. The Welsh Government undertakes further work to ensure a streamlining of services to deliver fully on a no wrong door approach across all public services, but with particular reference to the interaction between health and education services.  

Recommendation 26: The Welsh Government reviews the current numbers of key allied health professionals, identifies where there are current gaps, how these gaps will be addressed and the numbers needed to support future likely level of need, including the number of training places needed. This should then be supported by a clear delivery plan.  

Senedd Children, Young People and Education Committee interim report on implementation of education reforms 

Recommendation 1. As part of its review into the ALN Act and Code, the Welsh Government should review the clarity and accessibility of the legislation and statutory guidance. A focus of that work should be what constitutes, or at least is commonly understood as, so-called ‘universal provision’ by exploring the extent to which routine teaching across mainstream schools should meet the learning needs of children with low to moderate additional needs, and the point at which routine differentiation should tip into Additional Learning Provision.  

Recommendation 4. As part of its review into the ALN Act and Code, the Welsh Government should explore the impact of the Act and Code specifically on collaboration between health and education.  

Given the breadth and size of these reports, RCSLT Wales Office will prepare a detailed summary of recommendations with relevance for the profession over the summer months.  

Pippa Cotterill, Head of Wales Office said; “We welcome the Senedd Children, Young People and Education Committee scrutiny of Additional Learning Needs legislation and the committee’s detailed report on access of disabled children to education and childcare.  33% of learners with additional learning needs in Wales have speech, language and communication needs and it is imperative that children and young people receive the right support at the right time to thrive socially and educationally.  This requires effective joint working between health, education, local authorities and families.  

We are particularly pleased that the reports recommend a review of initial teaching education (ITE) to inform universal practice.  We are concerned that there is currently insufficient focus on speech, language and communication development within the ITE curriculum and believe there should be mandatory training for teachers on how to support speech, language and communication skills, and how to identify and support needs in this area.  We also welcome acknowledgement of the impact of increasing staffing pressures on schools and key points made within the report about workforce planning for allied health professionals including speech and language therapists. 

We look forward to continuing to work with the committee and all stakeholders to drive improvements to ensure all children and young people with speech, language and communication needs are given the best chance in life.” 

Ymateb RCSLT i adroddiadau pwerus Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg y Senedd ar weithredu deddfwriaeth anghenion dysgu ychwanegol a mynediad plant anabl i addysg a gofal plant

Ar 16 Gorffennaf 2024, mi gyhoeddodd Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg y Senedd ddau adroddiad sylweddol ar a yw plant a phobl ifanc anabl yn cael mynediad cyfartal at addysg a gofal plant a gweithredu diwygiadau addysg.  Roedd yr adroddiadau yn peri gofid gan gasglu bod ‘mae nifer sylweddol o blant a phobl ifanc yn cael eu hamddifadu o’u hawl i addysg ledled Cymru’.

Darparodd RCSLT Cymru dystiolaeth ysgrifenedig i’r ddau ymchwiliad a rhoddodd Pippa Cotterill, Pennaeth Swyddfa Cymru, dystiolaeth lafar o flaen y Pwyllgor fis Tachwedd fel rhan o’r ymchwiliad ar a yw plant a phobl ifanc anabl yn cael mynediad cyfartal at addysg a gofal plant. Dyfynnir tystiolaeth RCSLT yn helaeth yn yr adroddiadau.  Cewch ddarllen mwy am ein prif negeseuon yn yr erthygl hwn.

Mae’r ddau adroddiad yn pwysleisio bod angen gwella cydweithio rhwng gwasanaethau iechyd ac addysg er mwyn gwella deilliannau ar gyfer plant a phobl Ifanc.  Rydym yn falch bod nifer o’r argymhellion yn cydfynd ag ein prif alwadau am y gweithlu therapi lleferydd ac iaith, addysg gychwynnol i athrawon a datblygu proffesiynol parhaus ac argaeledd gweithlu cymorth ysgolion.

Argymhellion Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg y Senedd ar a yw plant a phobl ifanc anabl yn cael mynediad cyfartal at addysg a gofal plant

Argymhelliad 12. Dylai Llywodraeth Cymru gynnal adolygiad cynhwysfawr o’r ffordd orau y gall staff nad ydynt yn staff addysgu mewn ysgolion ac awdurdodau lleol gefnogi darpariaeth gynhwysol ledled Cymru.

Argymhelliad 15. Dylai Llywodraeth Cymru nodi’r cyflyrau mwyaf cyffredin, a fyddai’n elwa o ddatblygu darpariaeth gyffredinol a chymorth a’u darparu i bob ysgol.

Argymhelliad 17. Dylai Llywodraeth Cymru adolygu’r meini prawf ar gyfer AGA i gryfhau’r gofynion ynghylch anabledd ac anghenion dysgu ychwanegol.

Argymhelliad 24. Dylai Llywodraeth Cymru wneud rhagor o waith i sicrhau bod gwasanaethau’n cael eu symleiddio er mwyn mabwysiadu dull dim drws anghywir yn llawn ar draws yr holl wasanaethau cyhoeddus, ond gan ganolbwyntio’n benodol ar y rhyngweithio rhwng gwasanaethau iechyd ac addysg.

Argymhelliad 26. Dylai Llywodraeth Cymru adolygu’r niferoedd presennol o weithwyr proffesiynol perthynol i iechyd allweddol, nodi ble mae’r bylchau ar hyn o bryd, sut y bwriedir llenwi’r bylchau hyn a’r niferoedd sydd eu hangen i gefnogi lefel debygol yr angen yn y dyfodol, gan gynnwys nifer y lleoedd hyfforddi sydd eu hangen. Dylai hyn wedyn gael ei ategu gan gynllun cyflawni clir.

Adroddiad y Senedd Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg y Senedd ar weithredu diwygiadau addysg

Argymhelliad 1. Fel rhan o’i hadolygiad o’r Cod a’r Ddeddf ADY, dylai Llywodraeth Cymru adolygu eglurder a hygyrchedd y ddeddfwriaeth a’r canllawiau statudol. Dylai ffocws y gwaith hwnnw fod ar yr hyn a olygir, neu o leiaf a ddëellir yn gyffredin, fel ‘darpariaeth gyffredinol’ drwy archwilio i ba raddau y dylai addysgu arferol ar draws ysgolion prif ffrwd ddiwallu anghenion dysgu plant sydd ag anghenion ychwanegol isel i gymedrol, ac ar ba bwynt y dylai gwahaniaethu arferol fod yn rhan o’r Ddarpariaeth Ddysgu Ychwanegol.

Argymhelliad 4. Fel rhan o’i hadolygiad o’r Cod a’r Ddeddf ADY, dylai Llywodraeth Cymru archwilio effaith y Cod a’r Ddeddf yn benodol ar gydweithredu rhwng y sectorau iechyd ac addysg.

Wrth ystyried ehangder a maint yr adroddiadau hyn, mi fydd Swyddfa Cymru RCSLT yn paratoi crynodeb manwl o’r argymhellion sydd yn berthnasol at y proffesiwn dros yr haf.

Dywedodd Pippa Cotterill, Pennaeth Swyddfa Cymru: “Croesawn graffu Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg y Senedd ar ddeddfwriaeth Anghenion Dysgu Ychwanegol ac adroddiad manwl y Pwyllgor ar fynediad plant a phobl ifanc anabl at addysg a gofal plant.  Mae gan 33% o ddysgwyr gydag anghenion dysgu ychwanegol angenion lleferydd, iaith a chyfathrebu ac mae hi’n hollbwysig bod plant a phobl ifanc yn derbyn y gefnogaeth iawn ar yr amser iawn er mwyn ffynnu ar lefel cymdeithasol ac addysgol.  Wrth wraidd hyn ydy cydweithio effeithiol rhwng iechyd, addysg, awdurdodau lleol a theuluoedd.

Rydym yn hynod falch bod yr adroddiadau yn argymell adolygiad addysg gychwynnol i athrawon er mwyn gwella ymarfer cyffredinol.  Mae’n peri pryder i ni bod ar hyn o bryd yna ddiffyg ffocws ar ddatblygu lleferydd, iaith a chyfathrebu o fewn y cwricwlwm AGA.  Credwn y dylai fod hyfforddiant gorfodol ar gyfer athrawon ar sut i gefnogi sgiliau lleferydd iaith a cyfathrebu ac adnabod angenion yn y maes hwn. Rydym hefyd yn croesawu cydnabyddiaeth o effaith pwysau staffio ar ysgolion a’r pwyntiau allweddol a wneir yn yr adroddiadau am gynllunio gweithlu ar gyfer gweithwyr proffesiynol perthynol i iechyd gan gynnwys therapyddion lleferydd ac iaith.

Edrychwn ymlaen at barhau i weithio gyda’r pwyllgor a rhanddeilliad eraill i yrru gwelliannau er mwyn sicrhau y caiff pob plentyn a person Ifanc gydag anghenion lleferydd, iaith a cyfathrebu y cyfleoedd gorau posib.”