PACEY Cymru share their recent response to the Professional Registration of the childcare and playwork workforce in Wales consultation.

The recent consultation on Professional Registration of the childcare and playwork workforce in Wales closed on the 7th March.

We shared the opportunities for engagement with members in our previous news story.  We highlighted that this was a key consultation for the sector to be aware of and share their views.

We had a significant number of members share their views with us through engagement events and the survey that we ran. It is clear from this that this was a divisive topic with mixed views from members on how they felt this should be taken forward.

This was a challenging consultation response for us to collate as PACEY Cymru to not only represent the wide views of members but also share our views in line with our sector wide knowledge and experience.

We hope members can see we have provided a balanced and professional response drawing on sector views and evidence as needed.

Summary of PACEY Cymru’s response;

• PACEY Cymru are unsure whether a childcare and playwork register should be established in Wales and feel a refresh of proposals and more detail is needed in order to provide a definitive view. These views were echoed by members and the wider sector in relation to needing to know more about processes, criteria, requirements and cost.
• This comes at a challenging time for the sector. There is a cost-of-living crisis ongoing with many settings facing financial sustainability issues. There have been many changes to policy and requirements that are having an impact on settings including ALN changes, a new curriculum and changes to the NMS. This also comes at a financially challenging time for Government and the public sector. With funds being limited we are not sure if this is the right time to move forward on this given other areas of focus and priority.
• The Independent Review of Childminding notes the challenges faced by childminders specifically and there is an ongoing decline in numbers.  We need to ensure that any changes made do not destabilise the sector further or place additional cost and resource burden on providers. PACEY Cymru strongly feel that childminder inclusion needs to be carefully considered in line and could not make a decision on inclusion at this point with some many unknown factors.

We are aware that Welsh Government have had a large number of responses to this consultation but will share the outcome of this once it is shared with us.

PACEY Cymru sy’n rhannu eu hymateb diweddar i’r ymgynghoriad Cofrestru’n broffesiynol y gweithlu Gofal Plant a Gwaith Chwarae yng Nghymru.

Caeodd yr ymgynghoriad diweddar ar Gofrestru’n broffesiynol y gweithlu Gofal Plant a Gwaith Chwarae yng Nghymru ar 20 Chwefror.

Gwnaethom rannu’r cyfleoedd ymgysylltu gyda’n haelodau yn ein stori newyddion blaenorol.  Gwnaethom amlygu fod hwn yn ymgynghoriad allweddol i’r sector fod yn ymwybodol ohono a rhannu eu barn.

Gwnaeth nifer sylweddol o aelodau rhannu eu barn â ni drwy ddigwyddiadau ymgysylltu a’n harolwg. Mae’n amlwg o hyn bod hwn yn bwnc dadleuol gyda barnau cymysg gan aelodau ar sut yr oeddent yn teimlo y dylid bwrw ymlaen â hyn.

Roedd hwn yn ymateb i’r ymgynghoriad a oedd yn heriol i ni fel PACEY Cymru ei goladu i gynrychioli barnau eang aelodau ond hefyd rhannu ein safbwynt ni yn unol â’n gwybodaeth a phrofiad o’r sector gyfan.

Gobeithiwn y bydd aelodau yn gallu gweld ein bod wedi darparu ymateb cytbwys a phroffesiynol sy’n tynnu ar farnau’r sector a thystiolaeth yn ôl yr angen.

Crynodeb o ymateb PACEY Cymru:

• Nid yw PACEY Cymru yn siŵr a ddylid sefydlu cofrestr gofal plant a gwaith chwarae yng Nghymru ac mae’n teimlo bod angen adnewyddu’r cynigion a rhagor o fanylion er mwyn darparu barn bendant. Mae aelodau a’r sector ehangach yn adleisio’r farn hon o ran angen gwybod rhagor am brosesau, meini prawf, gofynion a chost.
• Daw hyn ar adeg heriol i’r sector. Mae argyfwng costau byw yn mynd rhagddo, ac mae llawer o leoliadau yn wynebu problemau cynaliadwyedd ariannol. Mae llawer o newidiadau i bolisi a gofynion wedi bod sy’n effeithio ar leoliadau, gan gynnwys newidiadau ADY, cwricwlwm newydd a newidiadau i’r Safonau Gofynnol Cenedlaethol. Daw hyn hefyd ar adeg sy’n heriol yn ariannol i’r Llywodraeth ac i’r sector gyhoeddus. Gyda chyllid yn cael ei gyfyngu, nid ydym yn siŵr mai dyma’r amser cywir i symud ymlaen â hyn, o ystyried meysydd canolbwyntio a blaenoriaeth eraill.
• Mae’r Adolygiad Annibynnol o Warchod Plant yn nodi’r heriau y mae gwarchodwyr plant yn benodol yn eu hwynebu ac mae gostyngiad parhaus mewn niferoedd.  Rhaid i ni sicrhau nad yw unrhyw newidiadau yn ansefydlogi’r sector ymhellach nac yn gosod baich cost ac adnoddau ychwanegol ar ddarparwyr. Mae PACEY Cymru yn teimlo’n gryf bod angen ystyried cynnwys gwarchodwyr plant yn ofalus yn unol â hynny, ac ni allai wneud penderfyniad ar gynhwysiant ar hyn o bryd gyda chymaint o ffactorau anhysbys.

Rydym yn ymwybodol bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cael nifer fawr o ymatebion i’r ymgynghoriad hwn, ond byddwn yn rhannu’r canlyniad unwaith y caiff ei rannu â ni.