Confidence in Care will transform outcomes for looked after children in Wales over the next five years and influence the way children’s social care is delivered across the country for many more years to come. This will primarily be achieved through the training of 1,500 foster, kinship and residential carers using the Fostering Changes Programme.

Fostering Changes, developed by a team at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, is an evidence based training course for carers, empowering them to better manage the children and young people they are looking after. The course is behaviourally based and derives from research into parenting skills, attachment, educational attainment and the academic progression of looked after children in care.

Led by The Fostering Network Wales, the programme will be delivered in partnership with Action for Children, Barnardo’s, The British Association for Adoption and Fostering Cymru and The Adolescent and Children’s Trust. The programme will be independently evaluated by The Children’s Social Research and Development Centre at Cardiff University (CASCADE), and will be working closely with Association of Directors of Social Services Cymru and Children in Wales.

Speaking on behalf of the consortium, Dr Emily Warren, director of The Fostering Network Wales, said: “This is the biggest project of its kind ever to have been undertaken in Wales. As a group of organisations delivering this work, we will be working towards developing a more positive outlook in young people towards their education and future career goals, increasing their resilience and life skills, and then using robust learning and evaluation evidence to influence future policy development in Wales.

“The scale of this programme of work really reflects the ambition of the sector as a whole to improve the lives of the children and young people in care in Wales. Our aim is that Confidence in Care will transform outcomes for looked after children in Wales over the next five years and influence the way children’s social care is delivered in most settings across the country for many more years to come.”

Big Lottery Fund Wales Chair Sir Adrian Webb said: “Children and young people in care are especially vulnerable group as they often experience multiple and complex transitions. For example, they may change foster carers or care homes frequently, particularly if they have complex emotional and psychological needs that are not being addressed properly.

“This funding is a golden opportunity to make a positive difference to lives of children and young people in care in Wales.”

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For media enquiries contact 020 7620 6425 or media@fostering.net

Follow us on Twitter @fosteringnet; @tfn_Emily; @biglotterywales

Notes to editors

1. Over 63,000 children live with over 52,500 foster families across the UK each day. The Fostering Network estimates that at least 8,370 new foster families are needed across the UK in 2015 alone. In particular there’s a real need to find foster carers for teenagers, disabled children and sibling groups.

2. The Fostering Network is the UK’s leading fostering charity. By working with foster families, and the services that support them, we help all children and young people who are fostered to achieve the very best they can.

Hyder mewn Gofal (Confidence in Care) i weddnewid deilliannau yng Nghymru

Mae Hyder mewn Gofal (Confidence in Care), consortiwm o chwech o elusennau a chyrff academaidd, wrth eu bodd o fod wedi derbyn £4.75 miliwn gan Y Gronfa Loteri Fawr i gyflenwi rhaglen bum mlynedd sydd â’r nod o wella cyfleoedd bywyd plant sy’n derbyn gofal ledled Cymru.

Bydd Hyder mewn Gofal (Confidence in Care) yn gweddnewid deilliannau i blant sy’n derbyn gofal yng Nghymru dros y pum mlynedd nesaf ac yn dylanwadu ar y ffordd y caiff gofal cymdeithasol plant ei gyflenwi ledled y wlad am flynyddoedd lawer i ddod. Caiff hyn ei gyflawni’n bennaf trwy hyfforddi 1,500 o ofalwyr maeth, gofalwyr sy’n berthnasau a gofalwyr preswyl gan ddefnyddio’r Rhaglen Maethu Newidiadau (Fostering Changes).

Mae Maethu Newidiadau (Fostering Changes), a ddatblygwyd gan dîm yn Ymddiriedolaeth Sefydledig GIG De Llundain a Maudsley, yn gwrs hyfforddi sy’n seiliedig ar dystiolaeth ar gyfer gofalwyr, sydd yn eu grymuso i reoli’r plant a’r bobl ifanc y maent yn gofalu amdanynt yn well. Mae’r cwrs wedi’i seilio ar ymddygiad ac mae’n deillio o ymchwil i sgiliau rhianta, ymlyniad, cyrhaeddiad addysgol a chynnydd academaidd plant sy’n derbyn gofal sydd mewn gofal.

Bydd y rhaglen, dan arweiniad Rhwydwaith Maethu Cymru, yn cael ei chyflenwi mewn partneriaeth â Gweithredu dros Blant, Barnardo’s, British Association for Adoption and Fostering Cymru, ac Ymddiriedolaeth y Glasoed a Phlant (The Adolescent and Children’s Trust). Caiff y rhaglen ei gwerthuso’n annibynnol gan y Ganolfan Ymchwil a Datblygu Gofal Cymdeithasol Plant ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd (CASCADE), a bydd yn gweithio’n agos â Chymdeithas Cyfarwyddwyr Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol Cymru a Plant yng Nghymru.

Gan siarad ar ran y consortiwm, dywedodd y Dr Emily Warren, cyfarwyddwr Rhwydwaith Maethu Cymru: “Dyma’r prosiect mwyaf o’i fath a gynhaliwyd erioed yng Nghymru. Fel grŵp o sefydliadau sy’n cyflenwi’r gwaith hwn, byddwn yn gweithio i ddatblygu golygwedd fwy positif ymysg pobl ifanc tuag at eu haddysg a’u hamcanion ar gyfer eu gyrfa yn y dyfodol, gan gynyddu’u gwytnwch a’u sgiliau bywyd, ac wedyn yn defnyddio dull dysgu cadarn a thystiolaeth o werthuso i ddylanwadu ar ddatblygiad polisi yn y dyfodol yng Nghymru.

“Mae graddfa’r rhaglen waith hon yn gwirioneddol adlewyrchu uchelgais y sector fel cyfanrwydd i wella bywydau’r plant a’r bobl ifanc mewn gofal yng Nghymru. Ein nod yw y bydd Hyder mewn Gofal (Confidence in Care) yn gweddnewid deilliannau i blant sy’n derbyn gofal yng Nghymru dros y pum mlynedd nesaf ac yn dylanwadu ar y ffordd y mae gofal cymdeithasol plant yn cael ei gyflenwi yn y rhan fwyaf o sefyllfaoedd ledled y wlad am flynyddoedd lawer i ddod.”

Dywedodd Cadeirydd Cronfa Loteri Fawr Cymru, Syr Adrian Webb: “Mae plant a phobl ifanc mewn gofal yn grŵp sy’n neilltuol o agored i niwed gan eu bod yn aml yn profi trawsnewidiadau lluosog a chymhleth. Er enghraifft, efallai y byddant yn newid gofalwyr maeth neu gartrefi gofal yn aml, yn enwedig os oes arnynt anghenion emosiynol a seicolegol cymhleth na roddir y sylw iawn iddynt.

“Mae’r cyllid hwn yn gyfle euraidd i wneud gwahaniaeth positif i fywydau plant a phobl ifanc mewn gofal yng Nghymru.”