A Welsh Language Scheme prepared in accordance with the Welsh Language Act 1993
Author: Jo Williams, Welsh Language Officer
Date: 27 April 2010 / Version: 3
Publication/ Distribution:
- Communications Team Document Database
- Accessible to the public
Review Date: 1 April 2013
Purpose and Summary of Document:
Public Health Wales has published a Welsh Language Scheme, approved by the Welsh Language Board, following consultation with the public.
The scheme demonstrates Public Health Wales’ commitment to offering a bilingual service to the public of Wales.
Alternative formats can be made available upon request.
Date: / Version: / Page: 1 of 34
Public Health Wales / Welsh Language Scheme
CONTENTS
Preface ------3
Statement of Principle and Commitment ------4
Introduction------5
1.Service Planning and Delivery------6
1.1 Mainstreaming------6
1.2 New and Revised Policies and Initiatives------6
1.3 Service Provision------7
1.4 Services Provided by Others------8
1.5 Grants and Funding------9
1.6 Partnership Working------9
1.7 Quality Standards / Healthcare Standards------10
1.8 Twf------10
2.Dealing with the Welsh Speaking Public------11
2.1Written and Electronic Communication------11
2.2Communications over the Phone------11
2.3Public Meetings------12
2.4Other Meetings – Face to Face Service------13
2.5Other Means of Dealing with the Public------13
2.6Information Technology------14
3.The Public Face of the Organisation------15
3.1Corporate Identity------15
3.2Signs------16
3.3Publishing and Printing Materials------16
3.4Forms and explanatory material------17
3.5 Media Releases------17
3.6Advertising and Publicity------17
3.7Recruitment Advertising------18
4.Implementation and Monitoring of the Scheme------18
4.1Staff and Recruitment------18
4.2Welsh Language and Vocational Training------20
4.3Administrative Arrangements------22
4.4Third Parties------22
4.5Monitoring the Scheme’s Implementation------23
4.6Complaints------23
4.7Investigations under Section 17 of the Welsh Language Act 24
4.8Publishing Information------24
5.Publicity------24
6.Feedback------25
7.Action Plan------26
Preface
To protect and improve the heath and wellbeing of people in Wales, Public Health Wales engages and communicates with the population.
This Welsh Language Scheme shows how we are committed to such engagement and communication through the languages of Welsh and English.
The scheme demonstrates our commitment to the Welsh language for our service users and the public. Through the action plan appended to it, it is rooted in practical steps, steps which lead to improvement over three years.
Much of our engagement as an organisation is not directly with the public. We work closely with health boards, local authorities, the Welsh Assembly Government and other organisations across Wales. Although, this scheme does not apply to this work directly, it does commit us to help our stakeholders and partners to communicate with the public.
It is in this spirit of partnership that I commend this scheme. Whether English speakers or Welsh speakers, our staff will work with our stakeholders to deliver services on the basis of equality to the public in Wales. We will play our part in the development of a bilingual Wales.
Bob Hudson
Chief Executive, Public Health Wales
Statement of Principle and Commitment
Public Health Wales has adopted the principle that, in the conduct of public business in Wales, we will treat the English and Welsh languages on the basis of equality.
This scheme sets out how Public Health Wales will give effect to this principle when providing services to the public in Wales.
- We will offer the public in Wales the right to choose which language to use in their dealings with us.
- We recognise that members of the public can express their views and needs and absorb information better in their preferred language.
- We recognise that, in order to achieve this principle of equality, we need to ensure that the Welsh language is a natural, integral part of planning and delivery of all our services.
This scheme received the approval of the Welsh Language Board under section 14 (1) of the Welsh Language Act 1993 on 27 April 2010.
Introduction
Public Health Wales was established in 2009 as an NHS organisation providing professionally independent public health advice and services to protect and improve the health and wellbeing of the population of Wales.
Public Health Wales has four statutory functions:
- To provide and manage a range of public health, health protection, healthcare improvement, health advisory, child protection and microbiological laboratory services and services relating to the surveillance, prevention and control of communicable diseases;
- To develop and maintain arrangements for making information about matters related to the protection and improvement of health in Wales available to the public; to undertake and commission research into such matters and to contribute to the provision and development of training in such matters;
- To undertake the systematic collection, analysis and dissemination of information about the health of the people of Wales in particular including cancer incidence, mortality and survival; and prevalence of congenital anomalies; and
- To provide, manage, monitor, evaluate and conduct research into screening of health conditions and screening of health related matters.
This scheme was developed for the newly established NHS Trust, Public Health Wales. It sets out how Public Health Wales will take into account bilingualism as part of its equality agenda whilst delivering an all Wales service to the public. The timetable and action plan details how the organisation will provide this service to the public in Wales.
This scheme has full support from the Public Health Wales Board and it has been consulted upon internally and externally providing staff and members of the public with the opportunity to feed into its development.
Delivering the Welsh Language Scheme is the responsibility of all staff. The Board and the Chief Executive have the overall responsibility for the organisation’s compliance, but all staff are charged with ensuring Public Health Wales works bilingually in the interest of its service users. The Welsh Language Officer will co-ordinate the work of the organisation working alongside the organisation’s nominated Welsh Language leads.
1.Service Planning and Delivery
1.1Mainstreaming
Public Health Wales is committed to including the Welsh language in all aspects of its work with the aim of ensuring that every opportunity is taken to promote and support the Welsh language, to contribute to the Welsh Assembly Government’s vision of a truly bilingual Wales as outlined in Iaith Pawb, and to plan, provide and evaluate services in Welsh and English.
In order to move closer towards the principle of full equality for Welsh and English and to mainstreaming the Welsh language, it is essential to incorporate linguistic planning in all programmes of work.
1.2New and Revised Policies and Initiatives
In formulating new and revised policies and initiatives Public Health Wales will:
- Assess their linguistic impact and ensure that they are consistent with this Welsh Language Scheme;
- Ensure that they facilitate and promote the use of Welsh wherever possible;
- Ensure that they do not undermine this Welsh Language Scheme;
- Consult with the Welsh Language Board if they affect this scheme;
- Take every opportunity to implement the principles of equality;
- Ensure that the measures contained in the scheme are applied to them when they are introduced;
- Ensure that all staff - permanent, contracted and seconded - comply with the requirements of the Welsh Language Act and this Welsh Language Scheme;
- Ensure that it does not alter this Welsh Language Scheme without the agreement of the Welsh Language Board.
Target:
Public Health Wales will ensure that all its new and revised policies comply with the recommendations of the Welsh Language Scheme. This will include monitoring any changes made to existing/new policies by undertaking an equality impact assessment.
Welsh Language Indicator 1: New Policies and Initiatives
Number and % of new policies and initiatives subject to language impact assessment
1.3Service Provision
Public Health Wales will ensure that all aspects of services provided to the public in Wales, in accordance with its statutory responsibilities, give effect to the principle of equality for the Welsh and English languages.
Public Health Wales will:
- Adopt procedures which facilitate service provision in either Welsh or English without a service user having to make a specific request for it;
- Provide training and guidance for staff to facilitate implementation of this Scheme;
- Identify, record, follow and monitor service users’ language;
- Promote a bilingual workplace and identify effective and high quality translation services, making arrangements for suitable and reliable translations of all relevant material.
Public Health Wales will achieve this by:
- Setting standards for providing services and dealing with the Welsh public in the Welsh Language;
- Highlighting specific service needs, e.g. Promotion of screening programmes and Stop Smoking Wales;
- Using the bilingual skills of its many Welsh speaking members of staff and offering opportunities for Welsh language training.
Public Health Wales recruitment and training strategies will promote and enhance the organisation’s existing Welsh language provision. It will provide relevant and informative training for its employees.
- Committing its resources over the period of this scheme, and beyond, to assess the effectiveness of its current recruitment initiatives in developing a bilingual workforce;
- Ensuring the highest standards of translation are set and professional accredited translators are used to ensure consistency across the organisation;
- Ensuring compliance against the Healthcare Standards of Wales and reflecting the organisation’s compliance with this scheme in the annual self assessment of the Standards;
- Ensuring the implementation of this Welsh Language Scheme is monitored;
- Reviewing the implementation of this scheme and the standards of service and including details in its annual report;
- Establishing a Welsh Language Committee or equivalent forum, with appropriate membership to monitor compliance with the Welsh Language Scheme. Before this committee is established, Public Health Wales will use the Velindre NHS Trust committee for the purpose.
- Identifying an individual to act as the organisation’s Welsh Language Champion. This individual will need to be part of the Executive in order to give full commitment to the scheme.
1.4Services Provided by Others
Where services are not provided directly by Public Health Wales, they will be delivered in accordance with this Welsh Language Scheme.
Public Health Wales will communicate the priorities of its Welsh Language Scheme internally and externally. If it employs or commissions an organisation/individual to provide a service on its behalf then it will ensure that the organisation/individual understands and adheres to the scheme.
External contractors/partners are required to adhere to the Welsh Language Scheme. Relevant aspects of the scheme will be incorporated into appropriate contracts.
This will ensure that delivery of service as far as the Welsh language is concerned is consistent, irrespective of who is actually delivering it.
To this end all contracts entered into shall contain the following wording, adapted to the requirements of individual contracts as necessary:
“Throughout the duration of this agreement the contractor shall, and in addition shall ensure that its sub contractors shall, discharge their obligations under this agreement and supply the works and perform services in accordance with their responsibilities under the provisions of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, Race Relations Act 1976 (Amended 2000), Disability Discrimination Act 2005, Welsh Language Act 1993, Human Rights Act 1998, Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006, The Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2006, The Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 and Codes of Practice issued by the Equality and Human Rights Commission and shall in addition discharge its obligation under this agreement and provide the services in a manner consistent with the contracting organisation’s policy on equal opportunities”.
Target:Public Health Wales will communicate the requirements of the Welsh Language Scheme clearly so that language forms an intrinsic part of the delivery of services by others.
Welsh Language Indicator 2: Services Provided by Others
Number and % of contracts and agreements monitored complying with the requirements of the Welsh Language Scheme.
1.5Grants and Funding
When awarding grants for activities to be undertaken in Wales, Public Health Wales will include conditions with regard to the use of this Welsh Language Scheme. In doing this it will have regard to the Welsh Language Board’s guidelines on awarding grants.
1.6Partnership Working
Public Health Wales works in partnership with many other organisations and agencies in the public, private and voluntary sectors.
Where Public Health Wales is the strategic or financial leader within a partnership, it will ensure that the public service provision is compliant with this Welsh Language Scheme.
Where Public Health Wales joins a partnership led by another body, its input to the partnership will comply with this Welsh Language Scheme and it will encourage the other parties to comply with the spirit of this scheme.
Where Public Health Wales forms or joins a partnership, it will ask the potential partners for a copy of their Welsh Language Scheme(s), policy (ices) or a description of how they intend to work bilingually.
Within any partnership Public Health Wales will encourage, facilitate and support the use of Welsh by publicising this scheme and offering advice and assistance to the partner organisation(s) on Welsh language issues.
1.7Quality Standards / Healthcare Standards
To ensure a quality service Public Health Wales will, as part of its continued commitment:
- Provide the same standard of service in Welsh and English across its statutory functions;
- Ensure consistency in the standard of Welsh language services provided by the Public Health in different localities;
- Monitor and review the standards of service.
The new Healthcare Standards for NHS Wales recognise the importance of providing a bilingual service. Point 19 of the new Healthcare Standards states that the Public Health Trust will address the legal status and use the Welsh language when communicating to patients and the public in Wales.
1.8Twf
(Supporting Employees who are parents)
Public Health Wales will work with TWF in order to offer information and guidance, through its Welsh Language awareness training, to prospective parents amongst its employees.
Twf gives advice to parents on the advantages of introducing Welsh at home and on raising their children bilingually. Twf also gives parents support by providing sessions for parents and their babies and giving advice on useful products such as books and CDs.
Public Health Wales recognises the valuable work that Twf offers in relation to raising a child bilingually.
2.Dealing with the Welsh Speaking Public
Public Health Wales is committed to offering services to the public in the language of their choice, be that Welsh or English.
2.1Written and Electronic Communication
Public Health Wales welcomes correspondence from the public in both Welsh and English. This will be stated on all new stationery, publications and on its websites. Written communication includes standard letters, general correspondence, faxes, invitations and newsletters. Electronic communication includes e-mails, auto-replies and correspondence received via websites.
The following standards will apply:
- Correspondence in Welsh will be answered in Welsh within the same timescales as for correspondence in English.
- Standard letters, general correspondence, invitations and newsletters intended for public distribution will be bilingual, unless an emergency situation arises and a Welsh speaker is unobtainable. Correspondence will be translated within 24 under these circumstances.
- After a meeting, or telephone conversation, in Welsh, correspondence will be sent in Welsh unless otherwise indicated.
- Where a Wales based individual/organisation’s language of choice is not known all initial correspondence instigated by Public Health Wales will be bilingual.
- Where Public Health Wales is already aware that the chosen language of correspondence for an individual/organisation is Welsh it will correspond in Welsh automatically.
- Public Health Wales will create a database of individuals/organisations whose language preference is known to be Welsh, and who give written permission for the organisation to do so.
- Where members of staff are named as contact points on literature it will always be specified which staff are able to speak Welsh.
2.2Communicating over the Phone
Public Health Wales welcomes telephone calls in Welsh or English. In order for it to work efficiently and provide a meaningful service on the telephone, it is committed to investing in the training of its staff to meet this commitment.
Public Health Wales will ensure that:
- All telephone calls are answered with a bilingual greeting;
- If the caller responds / wishes to continue the call in Welsh and a Welsh speaker is not available the caller will be given the choice of having the call returned by a Welsh speaker (within an hour) or continuing the call in English; unless there is no member of staff with the expertise to provide the necessary information in Welsh.
- Welsh speaking staff willing to supply this service are identified and notified to all staff via the organisation’s intranet site;
- Guidance and training is provided to relevant staff on handling calls in Welsh;
- The messages on all answer phones and voicemails, including mobile phones, are bilingual.
- Upon appointing new switchboard staff or relocating current staff, the ability to speak Welsh will be included in the selection criteria.
2.3Public Meetings
When engaging with people at public meetings/public events Public Health Wales will provide a bilingual service.
Public Health Wales will:
- Advertise public meetings in Welsh and English and promote the bilingual accessibility of the meeting i.e. the opportunity to converse in English and Welsh;
- Provide simultaneous translation at all its public meetings;
- Promote Welsh speaking members of staff by asking them to wear the ‘Working Welsh’’ badges provided by the Welsh Language Board;
- Ensure that people can access bilingual information and written materials such as leaflets or PowerPoint presentations;
- Make every effort to facilitate the use of Welsh by emphasising at the outset that both languages may be spoken, by providing a Welsh speaking member of staff to open the meeting bilingually, by introducing particular items in Welsh, by encouraging those making presentations to do so in Welsh and by facilitating contributions in Welsh.
Where Public Health Wales jointly organises an event/conference, the same principles outlined in the partnership working section (1.6 above) will apply.