4. Statement by the Deputy Minister for Social Services: The Children and Young People’s Plan

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:42 pm on 1 March 2022.

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Photo of Julie Morgan Julie Morgan Labour 3:42, 1 March 2022

I thank Gareth Davies for those comments. I'm glad that he agrees with me that Wales is a wonderful place to live, to grow up. I belive that this plan is ambitious. I do belive that if we're able to succeed in doing the things we are putting in this plan, then Wales will be an even better place for young people and children to grow up. It's certainly not just warm words. What is in this plan is an attempt to make a coherence of all the things that we are doing, so that we have put down some of things that we have done and what we plan to do. We want to have it there in one document so that we can be accountable. We want to be accountable to children and young people.

That's why, last week, I went with the First Minister to discuss this with children and young people—what they thought about this plan. They were absolutely thrilled that we had taken the time and effort to prepare a plan and to discuss this plan with them. They were most enthusiastic about it and brought up to us all the things that are happening in their lives that are causing them anxiety. They were really pleased that there was now something that they could look at and that each year could be measured. Because what we plan to do is meet with children each year to try to gauge what's happened to them in that year and what are the issues that they want us to improve. 

You say there's nothing new in the plan, but it's new that we're having a children's plan, it's new that as a Government we're going to be accountable to children, and it's new that we are going to go back to children every year. I think it is an ambitious plan. Certainly, all the issues that we address here are addressing the issues that are caused by adverse childhood experiences. You mention that there's nothing in this that is going to try and support children. If you look at what we've already done in terms of having—. Well, just look at the Summer of Fun we had, which was a huge effort to reach children, and the Winter of Wellbeing, and the plans we have for this summer that's coming up, and the plans we have to improve the opportunity for youth work, the youth provision for children, where we're putting in over £11 million to try to improve the opportunities for children to have safe places to go. So, I think, on St David's Day, that's a very dispiriting response.