WELSH LANGUAGE SCHEME ACTION PLAN MONITORING REPORT – NOVEMBER 2016 Scheme Commitment Action Taken Future Action Required Deadline 3.1 Policies and Initiatives 3.1.1 In formulating new policies and initiatives, or in amending policies, the Association will assess their linguistic impact and make sure they are consistent with this Language Scheme and will ensure that the measures in the Scheme are implemented when new policies and initiatives are implemented. 3.1.2 The Association will consult the Welsh Language Commissioner beforehand regarding any proposal which would directly affect this Language Scheme. This Scheme will not be amended without the prior agreement of the Welsh Language Commissioner. 3.1.3 We will ensure that whoever is involved in the formulation of policies is aware of the Scheme and of the Association’s responsibilities All policies include a section regarding compliance with the Welsh Language Scheme. All staff responsible for reviewing policies have been made aware of the Scheme’s requirements. In 2009 all policies were subject to an Equality Impact Assessment and this included language. Impact assessments are now built into all policy reviews. Policies relating to staff diciplinaries should ensure that it states that staff can use the Welsh language at any stage of the disciplinary process. October 2017
4.2.2 In order to achieve the aim of treating the Welsh and English languages on an equal basis, we will take the following steps to enable Welsh speakers to deal with the Association in Welsh over the telephone: ensure that we have available bilingual front line/reception officers, by means of training/recruitment provide an internal directory of Welsh speakers to whom calls can be transferred provide staff with guidelines on how to deal with telephone calls from Welsh speakers and ensure that they are familiar with the arrangements and place it on our website. Our intranet contains a page that gives guidance on how to deal with Welsh speaking customers and guidance for those wanting to learn Welsh language skills. Key posts are identified as requiring Welsh language skills as an essential or desirable criteria in the person specification. October 2017 4.3 Public Meetings 4.3.1 When public meetings are held by the Association, including conferences and other similar events, those present will be welcome to contribute through the medium of Welsh or English. There will be We ask for language preferences when we invite people to public meetings (e.g. our AGM). We
circumstances in which it will be appropriate on the basis of information, to hold all the activities bilingually, in Welsh only or in English only. 4.3.2 We will invite attendees to inform the organisers whether they wish to use Welsh or English. 4.3.3 The organiser will assess whether translation facilities are needed. As well as considering whether the Association has been informed of the chosen language of the attendees, he/she will consider the location of the event, who is likely to be present, and the subject in question. 4.3.4 When there are Welsh speakers among those invited to attend, or if it is known that Welsh speakers intend to be present, translation facilities should be arranged. 4.3.5 Based on the requirements of attendees, written materials such as leaflets or other documents used at public meetings, may be provided in bilingual form. . ensure that Welsh speaking staff are available and they wear “Iaith Gwaith” badges. Posters are displayed prominently at public events ensure people know they are welcome to communicate in Welsh.
4.5 Communicating with the public in other ways 4.5.1 We will consider the best ways of meeting the needs of Welsh speakers in whichever way we deal with the public. 4.5.2 The Association is committed to enabling the public to deal with us in Welsh through electronic communication, on line or other media. Key public documents are produced bilingually for identified Welsh speakers and made available on line. Our Welsh language service is promoted on Social Media. 5.1 Corporate Identity 5.1.1 The Association has adopted and introduced a totally bilingual identity. Our identity is bilingual. 5.2 Signs 5.2.1 When we renew or re-erect any signs we will ensure that the new versions are totally bilingual. Signs erected for the first time will be totally bilingual 5.2.2 The size, standard of clarity and prominence of the words on the All signs are bilingual or equal in terms of form, size, quality, clarity and prominence. We will continue to review our compliance with this commitment Action taken: We have commenced a programme of sign replacement where they are not bilingual and ensure that the Welsh is positioned so that is likely to be read first. Action Required: repeat action October 2017
signs will respect the principle of language equality. 5.2.3 It will be the Association’s standard practice to provide bilingual signs, but on occasions when Welsh and English signs are provided separately, they will be equal in terms of form, size, quality, clarity and prominence. 5.3 Publishing and Printing Materials 5.3.1 We will produce documents aimed at the public in general in a bilingual form. 5.3.2 When a document is published which has a price, the price of a Welsh version of the document will be no higher that the price of the English version. 5.3.3 We will ensure that staff and those with responsibility for printing are aware of the policy and procedures for publication. 5.3.4 Our website will be in English but bilingual documents published on our website will be available in a We provide published documents in Welsh to those who have requested information in Welsh and make no extra charge. All Welsh documents are published on our website including the Welsh Language Scheme in Welsh. We will monitor our website to ensure bilingual information is consistent Currently the recruitment section of our website utilises a third party service which does not provide a Welsh service. Applicants wishing to apply in Welsh have to contact our HR team. We will continue to review the availability of Welsh language solutions.
dictionaries, Welsh terminology software and other Welsh medium software for staff. The Board has approved the Welsh Language Scheme and receives an annual monitoring report on compliance with the commitments and further action required. 6.6 Reviewing the Implementation of the Scheme 6.6.1 The following senior officer has responsibility for monitoring and reviewing this Scheme: Chief Executive, The Cadarn Housing Group, Ty Cadarn, 5 Village Way, Tongwynlais, Cardiff CF15 7NE, telephone 0870 242 0673 or e-mail 6.6.2 Monitoring this Scheme will be a continuous and structured activity. This will include monitoring the following fields: compliance with the Scheme The Board has approved the Welsh Language Scheme and receives an annual monitoring report from the Chief Executive on compliance with the commitments and further action required.
Commissioner if requested. 6.7 Publication of Information 6.7.1 We will include a statement in our annual report noting where members of the public can obtain a copy of our annual monitoring report to the Welsh Language Board. We are now compliant with this requirement. We publish this annual monitoring report on our website in Welsh and English when it has been approved by the Welsh Language Commissioner. To continue to comply with this requirement in the next Annual Review. Action Required: repeat action October 2017 6.8 Publicity 6.8.1 We will ensure that members of the public who deal with the Association know about this Scheme and its contents, and how they can conduct their dealings with the Association in Welsh. 6.8.2 Our methods of publicising the Scheme and its contents will follow our usual corporate publicity arrangements, and will include We have published the Welsh Language Scheme on our website and have featured it in our tenants magazine, In View.