The Expert Review Panel is tasked with considering how legal reform could end homelessness in Wales. Mae’r Panel Adolygu Arbenigol yn gyfrifol am ystyried sut y gallai diwygio cyfreithiol roi diwedd ar ddigartrefedd yng Nghymru.
I weld y dudalen hon yn Gymraeg, cliciwch yma.
The panel has published its report setting out its recommendations for legislative change to the Welsh Government.
The Welsh Government has also set out its own plans for bringing forward legislative change in this White Paper consultation.
In this section
As part of the Welsh Government’s action plan to end homelessness, Minister Julie James invited Crisis to convene an Expert Review Panel to consider how legislative change could help to end homelessness in Wales.
Chaired by Professor Suzanne Fitzpatrick of Heriot-Watt University, the panel included representatives from the third sector, academia, housing associations and local authorities and met for a year, starting in August 2022.
The panel’s report was shaped by wide engagement with experts by experience, as well as professionals from the housing sector and beyond.
The report presents Welsh Ministers with a package of proposed reforms which could play a significant role in ending homelessness across Wales.
The panel was chaired by Professor Suzanne Fitzpatrick. As Director of the Institute of Social Policy, Housing, Equalities Research (i-Sphere) at Heriot-Watt University, Professor Fitzpatrick has extensive experience in homelessness research across Great Britain.
Panel members represented a variety of voices from across the housing sector, including the third sector, local authorities, homelessness services, housing associations and academia. Panel members were as follows:
Chair: Professor Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Heriot-Watt University.
Panel members
Support and advice to the panel
Experts by Experience
It was important to the panel that this legislative review should be directly informed by people with lived experience of homelessness in Wales.
Over the course of the panel, Cymorth Cymru consulted with more than 300 experts by experience.
In addition, Tai Pawb consulted with people with protected characteristics with lived experience of homelessness and reported back to the panel.
We are immensely grateful to everyone who shared their experiences. Their feedback shaped each of the panel’s discussions and, ultimately the panel’s recommendations to the Welsh Government.
Stakeholders
It was also important to panel members that this work reached out widely to stakeholders to understand what barriers exist in current systems and how these might work better in practice. Stakeholder engagement included:
Thank you to all the stakeholders who gave their time and expertise to help inform the panel’s work.
Panel meetings
The panel met for a year, starting in August 2022, to discuss the following areas:
The panel’s discussions were rooted within the principles of early prevention, no one left out, and rapid rehousing (helping applicants to move into a settled home as swiftly as possible).
Meeting 1: Purpose and overview of the panel
Meeting 2: Prevention and relief duties for local authorities
Meeting 3: Priority need, intentionality and local connection to access housing, and evictions
Meeting 4: Access to housing
Meeting 4.1: Access to housing (with a focus on temporary accommodation and suitability)
Meeting 5: Review: Considering recommendations on homelessness legislation
Meeting 6: Children and Youth Homelessness and Violence Against Women Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (VAWDASV)
Meeting 7: The role of health and social care in preventing and ending homelessness
Meeting 8: Criminal justice systems and prevention of homelessness
Meeting 5.1: Temporary accommodation and suitability
Meeting 9: Review: Considering recommendations on wider legislation
Meeting 5.2: Allocations and evictions
Meeting 10: Regulation and enforcement
Meeting 11: Wrap-up and review
If you have any questions about the panel's work, please email erp@crisis.org.uk.
Mae’r panel wedi cyhoeddi ei adroddiad sy’n nodi ei argymhellion ar gyfer newid deddfwriaethol i Lywodraeth Cymru.
Mae Llywodraeth Cymru hefyd wedi nodi ei chynlluniau ei hun ar gyfer cyflwyno newid deddfwriaethol yn yr ymgynghoriad ar y Papur Gwyn hwn.
Yn yr adran hon
Fel rhan o gynllun gweithredu Llywodraeth Cymru i roi diwedd ar ddigartrefedd, fe wnaeth y Gweinidog Julie James wahodd Crisis i gynnull Panel Adolygu Arbenigol i ystyried sut gallai newid deddfwriaethol helpu i roi diwedd ar ddigartrefedd yng Nghymru.
Dan gadeiryddiaeth yr Athro Suzanne Fitzpatrick o Brifysgol Heriot-Watt, roedd y panel yn cynnwys cynrychiolwyr o’r trydydd sector, y byd academaidd, cymdeithasau tai ac awdurdodau lleol. Fe wnaethant gyfarfod am flwyddyn, gan ddechrau ym mis Awst 2022.
Lluniwyd adroddiad y panel drwy ymgysylltu’n eang ag arbenigwyr drwy brofiad, yn ogystal â gweithwyr proffesiynol o’r sector tai a’r tu hwnt.
Mae’r adroddiad yn cyflwyno pecyn o ddiwygiadau arfaethedig i Weinidogion Cymru a allai chwarae rhan bwysig yn yr ymgais i roi diwedd ar ddigartrefedd ledled Cymru.
Aelodau'r Panel
Cadeiriwyd y panel gan yr Athro Suzanne Fitzpatrick. Fel Cyfarwyddwr y Sefydliad Polisi Cymdeithasol, Tai, Ymchwil Cydraddoldeb (i-Sphere) ym Mhrifysgol Heriot-Watt, mae gan yr Athro Fitzpatrick brofiad helaeth mewn ymchwil i ddigartrefedd ledled Prydain.
Roedd aelodau’r panel yn cynrychioli amrywiaeth o leisiau o bob rhan o’r sector tai, gan gynnwys y trydydd sector, awdurdodau lleol, gwasanaethau digartrefedd, cymdeithasau tai a’r byd academaidd. Roedd aelodau’r panel fel a ganlyn:
Cadeirydd: Yr Athro Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Brifysgol Heriot-Watt.
Aelodau'r Panel
Cefnogaeth a chyngor i'r panel
Arbenigwyr drwy Brofiad
Roedd hi’n bwysig i’r panel y dylai’r adolygiad deddfwriaethol hwn gael ei lywio’n uniongyrchol gan bobl sydd â phrofiad uniongyrchol o ddigartrefedd yng Nghymru. Yn ystod cyfnod y panel, ymgynghorodd Cymorth Cymru â mwy na 300 o arbenigwyr drwy brofiad.
Ar ben hynny, bu Tai Pawb yn ymgynghori â phobl â nodweddion gwarchodedig sydd â phrofiad uniongyrchol o ddigartrefedd ac fe wnaethant adrodd yn ôl i’r panel.
Rydyn ni’n hynod ddiolchgar i bawb a rannodd eu profiadau. Roedd eu hadborth yn llywio pob un o drafodaethau’r panel ac, yn y pen draw, argymhellion y panel i Lywodraeth Cymru.
Rhanddeiliaid
Roedd hi hefyd yn bwysig i aelodau’r panel bod y gwaith hwn yn cysylltu’n eang â rhanddeiliaid i ddeall pa rwystrau sy’n bodoli yn y systemau presennol a sut gallai’r rhain weithio’n well yn ymarferol. Roedd ymgysylltu â rhanddeiliaid yn cynnwys:
Diolch i’r holl randdeiliaid a roddodd eu hamser a’u harbenigedd i helpu i lywio gwaith y panel.
Cyfarfodydd y panel
Fe wnaeth y panel gyfarfod am flwyddyn, gan ddechrau ym mis Awst 2022, i drafod y meysydd canlynol:
Roedd trafodaethau’r panel yn seiliedig ar egwyddorion atal cynnar, bod neb yn cael ei adael allan, ac ailgartrefu cyflym (sef helpu ceiswyr i symud i gartref sefydlog cyn gynted â phosibl).
Cyfarfod 1: Pwrpas a throsolwg o'r panel
Cyfarfod 2: Dyletswyddau atal a rhyddhad ar gyfer awdurdodau lleol
Cyfarfod 3: Angen blaenoriaethol, bwriadoldeb a chysylltiad lleol i gael mynediad i dai
Cyfarfod 4: Mynediad i dai
Cyfarfod 4.1: Mynediad i dai (gan ganolbwyntio ar lety dros dro ac addasrwydd)
Cyfarfod 5: Adolygiad: Ystyried argymhellion ar ddeddfwriaeth digartrefedd
Cyfarfod 6: Plant a Phobl Ifanc Digartrefedd a Thrais yn Erbyn Menywod Cam-drin Domestig a Thrais Rhywiol (VAWDASV)
Cyfarfod 7: Rôl iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol wrth atal a rhoi terfyn ar ddigartrefedd
Cyfarfod 8: Systemau cyfiawnder troseddol ac atal digartrefedd
Cyfarfod 5.1: Llety dros dro ac addasrwydd
Cyfarfod 9: Adolygiad: Ystyried argymhellion ar ddeddfwriaeth ehangach
Cyfarfod 5.2: Dyraniadau a throi allan
Cyfarfod 10: Rheoleiddio a gorfodi
Cyfarfod 11: Gorffen ac adolygu
Os oes gennych chi unrhyw gwestiynau am waith y panel, anfonwch e-bost at erp@crisis.org.uk.