Ymweliad Gofal Cymru visit

Fe wnes i ymweld a gwasanaeth Gofal Cymru yn Jersey Marine heddiw er mwyn gweld ei gwasanaethau yn y gymuned, ac er mwyn siarad am eu profiadau yn gweithio gyda pobl sydd a iechyd meddwl yn yr ardal. Mae'n bwysig mod i'n cwrdd a phobl yn y sector hwn, yn enwedig nawr fy mod i ar y pwyllgor sydd yn scriwtineiddio LCO Jonathan Morgan ar wasanaethau iechyd meddwl yng Nghymru. Roedd y gweithwyr a'r rheiny sy'n byddio o'r wasanaeth yn gyfeillgar iawn, ac llawn pasiwn am ei waith yn helpu pobl a iechyd meddwl i ffeindio tai fforddiadwy, a thrwy helpu nhw i geisio am fudd-daliadau. Rwyf yn gobeithio gallu cymryd rhan mewn mwy o'i ddigwyddiadau, ac yn bwriadu ymuno a rhai o'r gweithwyr wrth ei waith pob dydd.

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Today I visited Gofal Cymru's Jersey Marine service to discuss their work with people with mental health in the area, and to discuss their experiences in this field. It is important for me to visit those who help people who suffer from mental health in Wales, especially now that I am sitting on Jonathan Morgan's LCO committee which will look at provision for mental health in Wales. The workers at Gofal Cymru, and service users were passionate about the role that Gofal Cymru plays in helping people with mental illnessess to access services- specifically with regards to tenancy support, and benefits. I hope to continue to support Gofal Cymru in the area, and will hopefully take up the chance to shadow one of the workers in the near future.

Julie Morgan- 'slave labour'?

This may be the one time that I agree with a Labour politician...When I saw the article in the Western Mail today regarding Julie Morgan's advert for an intern in her office, and Tory AM Jonathan Morgan's opportunistic comments, I found that I identified with Julie Morgan's argument.

Jonathan Morgan effectively compared hiring a student as an intern to slavery, which is bizarre, and a cheap shot at criticising the Labour Party of Cardiff North in this hotly contested Assembly election seat. The advert says quite plainly that Julie Morgan is looking for a 'volunteer intern', and not a constituency case worker, therefore I see no problem with this at all. Expenses and meals are included, and would attract students studying politics. ( if they wanted to work with Labour, that is!)

It's got to be a positive thing for an MP or an AM to offer the chance for students to work with them on a voluntary basis while studying, so that they get to grips with the workings of Parliament or the Assembly. It will also enhance a student's CV, and provide an opportunity for a student that others would very much appreciate. Many schemes from various different companies and organisations are offered to students on a voluntary basis. Such a scheme was provided by Aberystwyth University's Politics department, encouraging students to work for a period of time at the National Assembly. Those student were not paid, but they benefited from the scheme, and took part in seminars the following year to talk about their experiences and it's benefits.

Jonathan Morgan's comment was uncalled for. Naturally, students shouldn't be taken for granted or treated as slaves. If they do take on intern roles, they shouldn't merely be doing small or menial tasks. They should be pushed so that they return to academia more experienced, and much more aware of the challenges of the world of work.

Tory health U-turn

Interesting blog from Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM about the Tories' u -turn on their health policy in Wales. In short, when Plaid opened a discussion at the Assembly about retaining the Neurosurgery Unit in Swansea, Cardiff based Tory AM Jonathan Morgan noted that it was for the professionals to decide on such issues, that it was unwise for politicians to interfere in such matters, and that this was their party policy. The Lib dems, Tories and Labour AM's went on to vote along regional lines with regards saving Swansea's Neurosurgery Unit, while Plaid maintained a clear and united consensus against the proposed move to Cardiff- alongside support from thousands of Evening Post readers, who Brian Gibbons famously refused to meet when they visited the Assembly last month.

Recently, it seems the Tories have announced that they are now against the health reconfiguration plans in Wales. Does this mean that they have consulted Health professionals with regards the change in policy, or is this more to do with the imminent election, and the fact that the reconfiguration will no doubt factor quite significantly in people's voting patterns? What does this mean for the Tory AM's who voted in favour of the Neurosurgery move to Cardiff?

Rhodri Glyn Thomas notes that the press have taken little interest in this U turn. Perhaps this could be a new news story for them, as opposed to the tired coalition stories that are being reeled out.