CWM TAF HEALTH BOARD WELSH LANGUAGE SCHEME. A Welsh Language Scheme prepared in accordance with the Welsh Language Act 1993

Transcription

1 CWM TAF HEALTH BOARD WELSH LANGUAGE SCHEME A Welsh Language Scheme prepared in accordance with the Welsh Language Act 1993 This Scheme was approved by the Welsh Language Board in accordance with section 14(1) of the Welsh Language Act on 8 th July

2 CONTENTS PAGE NO Preface Statement of Intent 3 4 Introduction 4 SECTION 1 Service Planning and Delivery Mainstreaming New or Updated Policies and Initiatives Delivering our Services in Welsh Services provided by others Grants and Funding Partnership working Quality Standards TWF 12 SECTION 2 Dealing with the Welsh Speaking Public Written Communication Telephone Communication Public Meetings Non Public Meetings Face to Face Services to our Patients Other Dealings with the Public 2.6 Information Technology Standards SECTION 3 The Public Face of the Organisation Corporate Identity Signs Publishing and Printing Materials Forms and Associated Explanatory Material Media Releases and Notices Advertising and Publicity Recruitment Advertisements SECTION 4 Implementing and Monitoring the Scheme Staffing and Recruitment Welsh Language and Vocational Training Administrative Arrangements Services Provided by Third Parties Monitoring the Scheme Complaints Investigations under Section 17 of the Welsh Language Act Publishing Information Publicising the Bilingual Service Targets and Timetable 29 2

3 PREFACE Welcome to Cwm Taf Local Health Board s first Welsh Language Scheme. We recognise the efforts made by the former NHS Trust and Local Health Boards to improve Welsh language services for the residents of Cwm Taf in line with the Welsh Language Act We shall build upon the good work of our predecessors and encourage the use of best practice by continuing to improve and strenghten our Welsh language services within the new organisation. This Scheme sets out how we intend to implement our strategies and procedures when providing Welsh language services to the public. We recognise that people have the right to receive their public health services through the medium of Welsh, in order that they may express their needs and views in their first language. Failure to ensure this could place individuals at a disadvantage, especially those who are most vulnerable in our society. We shall therefore be proactive in ensuring that bilingual services are available to service users. We fully support our Welsh Language Scheme and are committed to ensuring that the Welsh language is mainstreamed into all relevant aspects of Health Board business. The Scheme is a working document to enable the Welsh language to become fully integrated within the Health Board and gives a strategic direction and vision for the future. The Welsh Language Scheme will be reviewed on a regular basis, a progress report will be published annually and the Scheme will undergo a formal review at the end of its 3 year cycle. Dr CDV Jones Chairman Mrs MS Foster Chief Executive 3

4 STATEMENT OF INTENT This Scheme received the approval of the Welsh Language Board under Section 14(1) of the Welsh Language Act Cwm Taf Health Board has adopted the principle that in the conduct of public business in Wales it will treat the Welsh and English languages on the basis of equality. The Scheme sets out how Cwm Taf Health Board will give effect to that principle when providing services to the public in Wales. Further copies of the Scheme may be obtained from: INTRODUCTION Mr S M Harrhy Cwm Taf Health Board Chief Executive s Office Dewi Sant Hospital Albert Road PONTYPRIDD CF37 1LB Telephone: (01443) Cwm Taf Health Board provides primary and secondary healthcare services primarily to the population of Rhondda Cynon Taf and Merthyr Tydfil. We employ more than 9,000 staff and our general health care services are provided to a population of more than 330,000 from hospitals, health centres and clinics, various multi-agency centres and patients homes. The healthcare services provided are: Acute, District General Hospital Services; Primary Care, including Medical, Dental, Opthalmic and Pharmacy Services; Community Medical, Nursing and School Health Services; Inpatient, Day Care and Community Mental Health for Adults, Adolescents and Children; Inpatient, Day Care and Medical and Surgical Rehabilitation, Rheumatology and Palliative Care; Comprehensive Out Patient Services, Day Case Treatments and Accident & Emergency; Comprehensive Hospital and Community Therapy Services including Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech & Language Therapy, Podiatry/Chiropody and Dietetics; 4

5 Diagnostic and Clinical Support Services. The 2001 census showed that overall, 16.82% of the Rhondda Cynon Taf population was able to either speak, read or write in Welsh and 13.71% in the Merthyr Tydfil area. The implementation of Cwm Taf Health Board s Welsh Language Scheme is crucial to the health and well-being of current Welsh speakers within this area in order to offer bilingual services to patients with clinical needs and within primary care services. This will also ensure that the linguistic needs of a growing Welsh-speaking population will receive the best possible healthcare services in the language of their choice. More Welsh medium education schools have opened in the area and this is felt to be an indication of a potential future increase in demand for the Welsh language. It is anticipated that the 2011 Census will show a marked increase in the overall percentage of Welsh speakers within the Cwm Taf area. This Scheme seeks to advance the current level of service so that the principle of language equality is spread throughout the organisation. Each person communicating with the Health Board will be afforded the opportunity to use their language of choice according to the requirements of the Welsh Language Act Following a public consultation and following guidelines issued by the Welsh Language Board, this Scheme has been prepared to outline how the Health Board proposes to organise the provision of health services through the medium of Welsh. The Health Board will follow the guidelines and advice issued by the Welsh Language Board with the objective that the Welsh language becomes an integral part of the planning and delivery of services. The Chief Executive will be responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Scheme. The will act as the liaison officer on bilingualism but the Welsh Language Officer and each Director will have a responsibility to maintain and implement bilingual activities in accordance with written instructions and guidance provided under the Scheme. A Welsh Language Group has been established to co-ordinate and monitor the implementation and development of the Scheme. Language equality is becoming more and more important at Welsh, UK and European levels. The Health Board will ensure that the implementation of the Welsh Language Scheme cross-references other national and international legislation, regulations and guidelines in terms of language, including but not limited to the following:- Iaith Pawb; Designed for Life; The European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages; The Welsh Assembly Government s Welsh Language Scheme. 5

6 SECTION 1 SERVICE PLANNING AND DELIVERY 1.1 Mainstreaming The Health Board will ensure that the Welsh language is mainstreamed into all its activities. The Health Board will ensure that the Welsh language will be mainstreamed when formulating new policies or initiatives, or revising existing policies through Equality Impact Assessment which form part of the Health Board s Single Equality Scheme. 1.2 New and Revised Policies and Initiatives When Cwm Taf Health Board plans and formulates new policies or initiatives, or revises existing policies, it will assess the linguistic consequences to make sure that they meet the commitments given in this Scheme. The Health Board new or revised policies and initiatives will promote and facilitate the use of Welsh, wherever possible, and will move closer towards implementing the principle of equality. It will adopt the following principles when formulating new or revised policies and initiatives: Assess the linguistic implications of all new or revised policies and initiatives and take every opportunity to implement the principles of equality whenever the opportunity presents itself; Ensure that new and revised policies and initiatives receive the appropriate equality impact assessment to ensure that the contents are consistent with, and do not undermine, the Welsh Language Scheme; The Welsh Language Board will, in accordance with Section 16 of the Welsh Language Act 1993, be consulted in advance on any proposals which will affect this Scheme, or other organisations schemes; The Scheme will not be altered without the Welsh Language Board s agreement; Ensure that the measures within the Scheme are applied to new or revised policies and initiatives when implemented. 6

7 All staff, advisors and consultants involved in the formation of policies will be made aware of the Scheme and the Health Board s responsibilities under the Welsh Language Act Target New Policies and Initiatives 100% of new or updated policies and initiatives will be subject to language assessment through the Equality Impact Assessment Tool for all new and updated Health Board policies and procedures. WLI 1 Cwm Taf will report to the Welsh Language Board on the number and percentage of new policies and initiatives subject to language impact assessment 1.3 Delivering our Services in Welsh The Health Board is committed to offering a service in either Welsh or English, to patients and others, across the whole range of services provided without the need for individuals to have to make specific or exceptional requests for it. To achieve this, the Health Board will strive to have sufficient Welsh speaking staff available in each Division, Directorate and Department. In some areas there will be a shortage of Welsh speakers, and all efforts will be made to overcome these shortages. We will therefore identify those posts where the ability to speak Welsh is essential or desirable, and plan recruitment accordingly. We will also work with educational and professional bodies in order to try to alleviate longer term problems with regard to the recruitment of Welsh speakers by training an appropriate number of nurses, and other staff, who are able to converse with their patients / service users in either Welsh or English. The procedures used to provide a Welsh language service will vary dependent upon the nature of the work, the service being offered, and the percentage of bilingual staff in each Directorate. The Health Board will create a register of Welsh-speaking staff and their levels of fluency. This will be used to identify deficiencies, and the measures to be taken will include recruitment and Welsh language training. It will also help us in determining how to best develop the linguistic abilities of our staff. Cwm Taf Health Board will apply the following principles when recruiting staff in order to create better service delivery: We will ensure that Welsh speakers are available during normal office hours, in those departments and teams where there is regular contact with the public. 7

8 When making appointments to vacancies such as switchboard operators, receptionists and secretaries, we will seek to appoint suitable staff who are able to communicate in both Welsh and English; When appointing to clinical posts, subject to the needs of that particular service we will, after satisfying professional qualification and experience criteria, appoint staff who can communicate in both Welsh and English; Posts will be prioritized, and vocational and in-service training in the Welsh language will be made available to those staff who work in priority areas Cwm Taf Health Board will also include the following arrangements to ensure better service delivery: Establish the individual s language of choice at the earliest opportunity, which may require liaison with other departments and agencies and ensure that the language of choice is fully reflected in the service; Ensure that other departments are informed of language choice on referral, to avoid the individual having to request a Welsh language service; and Support Welsh language initiatives such as Twf and the Healthy Schools Scheme in helping to raise children bilingually within the local community. All staff within the Health Board will be made aware of their responsibilities to achieve the objective of making sure that Welsh becomes an integral part of the planning and delivery of services through a number of measures, to include briefings, Welsh language awareness sessions, and special articles within the staff newsletter. Staff will be provided with guidance and training to facilitate the implementation of the scheme. Information about the Welsh Language Scheme and the Health Board s objectives and targets will be made available to all staff via the SharePoint intranet site and other channels of communication. The Health Board will promote a bilingual workplace and identify effective and high quality translation services, and making suitable arrangements for fast and reliable translations of all relevant material. The Health Board will closely monitor each Division, Directorate and Department to ensure that these procedures are being implemented, and a suitable Welsh language service is provided. The Welsh Language Officer and the Welsh Language Assistant will also support all service users and staff across Cwm Taf Health Board. They will ensure that Welsh language 8

9 strategies are implemented across all Directorates and Units and their roles include: Offering advice and information about the Welsh Language Promoting and encouraging the use of Welsh within the workplace Encouraging the use of bilingual aids within the workplace such as signage, stationery etc Providing Welsh Language taster lessons for staff Giving bilingual front-line training including telephone training Liaising with external bodies for staff training and Welsh Language courses Helping to maintain, update, monitor and review Welsh Language Schemes, Reports and Action Plans Translating small in-house, day-to-day, translations and helping to coordinate the translation of larger documents Attending public meetings to provide a Welsh Language service for Welsh speakers. Collating and analysing data concerning current and future serviceusers Welsh language needs and working closely with departments such as HR, to implement Welsh language strategies. The Health Board will also support and facilitate other organisations in their delivery of services in Welsh. In this connection we will introduce systems to pass on information about language choice, to others who are involved in the provision of care. These will include other Health Boards, General Practitioners, Local Authorities and Social Services and also voluntary sector partners. 1.4 Services provided by others When commissioning support services from others, the health Board will specify in the service arrangements that these support services are to be delivered in such a way as: - to comply with the Health Board s Scheme or to comply with the schemes of other NHS Trusts and health Boards and other NHS organisations to whom the arrangements apply, or to enable other NHS organisations to comply with their Schemes, whichever applies to the services in question. The Health Board will ensure that the Primary Care services such as General Practitioners, Dentists, Pharmacies, Optometrists and Nursing Homes will comply with the scheme through the Service Level Agreements and Contract. The standard wording within Cwm Taf contracts is as follows: 9

10 16. Welsh Language Scheme 16.1 In accordance with the Welsh Language Act 1993, the Cwm Taf NHS Trust operates a Welsh Language Scheme. This Scheme recognizes that the principle of linguistic equality is crucial to the Trust delivering a quality service. To that end, the Trust has adopted the principle that, in the conduct of public business in Wales, it will treat the Welsh and English languages on the basis of equality This principle can and will place obligations on the Trust s contractors for goods and services, and any tenderer being awarded a contract by the Trust must comply with the Scheme A copy of the Trust s Welsh Language Scheme is available upon request. The Health Board will provide guidance to all contractors, voluntary and private organisations for this purpose. The Health Board will ensure that linguistic dimension is considered in the following areas of its service: in care standards in improvement programmes in new practice models in workforce development When service level agreements and contracts are reviewed next the Health Board will include Welsh language requirements. The Health Board will encourage the use of Welsh by the private sector who provide information for patients and carers and it will encourage voluntary organisations, e.g. WRVS to provide bilingual services and goods. Target Services provided by others Cwm Taf Health Board will ensure adherence of staff working in partnership or third party services to the Health Board s Welsh Language Scheme and communicate requirements of the Welsh Language Scheme clearly to any third party contractor or service commissioned. WLI 2 Cwm Taf will report to the Welsh Language Board the number and percentage of agreements monitored complying with the requirements of the language scheme. 10

11 1.5 Grants and Funding When Cwm Taf Health Board award grants for activities to be undertaken in Wales, we will include conditions with regard to the use of Welsh. In doing this, we will have regard to the Welsh Language Board s guidelines on awarding grants. 1.6 Partnership Working The Health Board works in partnership with the public, private and third sector. The Health Board works on many levels when working with others: When the Health Board is the strategic and financial leader within a partnership, it will ensure that the public service provision is compliant with this Welsh Language Scheme. When the Health Board joins a partnership in which another body is leading, the Health Board input into the partnership will comply with this Welsh Language Scheme and the Health Board will press the other parties to comply. When the Health Board is a partner in a consortium, it will encourage the consortium to adopt a bilingual policy. When acting publicly in the name of the consortium, the Health Board will act in accordance with its Welsh Language Scheme and press other partners to do the same. When the Health Board joins or forms a partnership, it will ask prospective partners about their Welsh language schemes or policies or the means by which they will operate bilingually. Within any partnership, the Health Board will offer advice to the other organisations as necessary. 1.7 A Quality Service in Welsh The Health Board is committed to provide quality health services to an equal standard of Welsh and English, with special regard to the needs of its patients and their families and the staff of the Health Board. The new Healthcare Standards for NHS Wales reflects this, recognising the importance of providing a bilingual service. Point 19 of the new Healthcare Standards states that the Health Board will address the legal status and use the Welsh language when communicating to patients and the public in the area. This quality of service will be achieved through the following principles: Equal standard of written Welsh and English in key documents; 11

12 Specific standards set in the provision of service; Ensure consistency in the standard of Welsh language services provided in different localities; Standards and implementation of Welsh language service to be regularly monitored and evaluated. This commitment will be publicly stated in the Health Board s Annual Report which will be presented at its annual public meeting. 1.8 TWF In recognition of the excellent ongoing progress and value of the TWF Initiative, a project that aims to encourage families to explore the benefits of raising their children bilingually from birth, Cwm Taf Health Board will support this project with the aim to increase the success of this initiative. The Health Board will work closely with midwives, health visitors and the Workforce and Organisational Development Unit to communicate TWF s message to the target population. The Health Board will:- Distribute the TWF information packs to all expectant parents within Cwm Taf Health Board Distribute the TWF folders to record maternity notes to expectant parents Liaise with the local TWF officer to ensure that updated information and TWF resources are available for use by all who require it within Cwm Taf Health Board A designated officer will take responsibility for promoting TWF s work and campaigns within the Health Board SECTION 2 - DEALING WITH THE WELSH SPEAKING PUBLIC 2.1 Written Communication The public are welcome to correspond with the Health Board in either Welsh or English, this includes letters, s, faxes and text messages. A signed reply, in Welsh, will be sent to letters written in the Welsh language, without this resulting in delay, together with any forms or leaflets requested; 12

13 If we are made aware that an individual or organisation prefers to receive letters in Welsh, then the language of letters initiated by the Health Board shall be Welsh; When the initial face to face, or telephone communication has been in the Welsh language, any follow up written communication will also be in the Welsh language; If the language of the recipient is not known the initial correspondence will be bilingual; Occasions will sometimes arise when a clinical or technical response, written by a non-welsh speaker, which would otherwise be in Welsh only, will be bilingual. Both the Welsh and English versions will be signed, and a bilingual footnote will be added to both copies to read this communication, together with its translation is to be regarded as a single entity ; Public notices, public circulars and standard letters issued by the Health Board will be bilingual. All staff signatures and out of office messages will be bilingual In order to facilitate commitment, all managers and staff will be issued with written guidance on the measures to be taken to deal with Welsh correspondence. A system will be established both corporately and within each Division and Directorate to be able to identify those individuals, and organisations who would wish to deal with the Health Board through the medium of the Welsh language. 2.2 Telephone Communication When dealing with the Health Board, by telephone, the public are welcome to speak in either Welsh or English. The initial switchboard greeting will be bilingual, with the Welsh greeting being given first; All staff will answer telephone calls with a bilingual greeting; If the caller wishes to continue the conversation in Welsh and the receptionist/telephonist is unable to do so, the call will be transferred to a bilingual person who can deal with the call. 13

14 Switchboard operators will have a list of Welsh speaking staff who have agreed to respond to telephone calls made in Welsh; On occasions when a Welsh speaker is not immediately available, arrangements will be made to return the call within an hour or the caller will be given the option of continuing the call in English, or putting their enquiry in writing; Some complex and specialized enquiries, whether they be in either Welsh or English cannot be answered by telephone. In such cases, callers will be invited to put their queries in writing, and Welsh speakers will be provided with a written reply in Welsh. All of the Health Board s answerphone greetings and messages and any staff voic messages will be bilingual. Switchboard staff will receive training to enable them to respond with a bilingual greeting and the procedures for handling telephone calls in Welsh. Upon appointing new switchboard staff, or relocating current staff the ability to speak Welsh will be included in the selection criteria. Training and standard messages will be introduced to enable all direct line numbers and answerphone messages/voic s to be bilingual. 2.3 Public Meetings The Health Board welcomes the use of Welsh and English at its public meetings. Public notices and invitations which set out the arrangements for meetings will be bilingual and will state that contributions by the public are welcomed in Welsh and English; Translation services will be provided at public meetings if 7 days notice is received of the language of choice of those proposing to attend. Advertisements and invitations for such public meetings will invite those attending to notify the Health Board of their language of choice so that appropriate translation arrangements can be made. The Health Board will provide Welsh speaking staff to welcome and assist those who attend our public meetings and to 14

15 answer any questions put forward in Welsh. They will wear a Working Welsh badge or lanyard. The Health Board will ensure that any public exhibitions/information stands will be displayed bilingually. The Health Board will ensure that any written materials such as leaflets or PowerPoint presentation used are bilingual. 2.4 Non Public Meetings Face to Face Services to our Patients The Health Board is committed to respond in Welsh or English to members of the public, and patients, in their day to day dealings with the Health Board. To achieve this, ongoing efforts are being made in appointing and increasing the number of bilingual members of staff. The Health Board will work towards having a Welsh speaking receptionist on duty at them main entrance to all hospitals and at all other reception points in the Health Board. A Welsh speaker sign will be placed on reception desks. Service users and patients language choice will be recorded and a system will be devised to ensure that this information is transferred to other Departments / Directorates, as required, in order to ensure that servicer users and patients receive all NHS services in the language of their choice where possible; Wherever possible, service teams will be organised so that bilingual staff are available to deal with Welsh speaking service users and patients. In addition to a central Health Board register, each Unit, Ward, Team and Department will maintain a record of all staff who are Welsh speakers including their level of competence, this will be regularly updated; Iaith Gwaith Welsh speaker logo will be incorporated into the Health Board identification badges and will be worn by those staff who are able and prepared to converse in Welsh, and as Welsh speaking services are able to be provided, appropriate notices will be displayed in these areas; Staff groups who are to receive training in the Welsh language will be prioritized to meet the needs of priority departments, eg. Outpatients, Mental Health, Care of the Elderly, and Children; 15

16 Cwm Taf will make every effort to recruit and utilise Welsh-speaking staff in Reception areas and Main entrances which are considered key first contact areas for the public. Staff will be provided with the appropriate training and resources to provide bilingual greetings and initial services for patients and the public until such time when there is an increase in the number of bilingual staff appointed to the Health Board, who can be utilised in order to improve initial front line contact with service users and patients. To improve access to Welsh speakers in every part of the Health Board, we will review the position in every department, and assess the need for Welsh language recruitment and training. Target Face-to-face Service Cwm Taf Health Board will work to ensure that, where possible, Welshspeaking staff are recruited or deployed to main entrances and outpatient clinics. WLI 3 Cwm Taf Health Board will report to the Welsh Language Board the number and percentage of posts in outpatient clinics and at main receptions where the Welsh language is specified as an essential skill and the percentage of those filled by Welsh speakers. 2.5 Other Means of Dealings with the Public The Health Board will develop mechanisms to enable people to deal with us in Welsh via other media, including relaying information on outpatient waiting times, in both Welsh and English on monitors / screens. When television and radio facilities are provided for inpatients the Health Board will ensure that Welsh language channels are accessible to patients. As new communication systems are introduced, the Health Board will develop methods of enabling the public to deal with the organisation bilingually, by means of these systems. 2.6 Information Technology The Health Board s Internet site will be bilingual. The site will have a bilingual homepage along with any interactive pages. The website will include all documents which are of interest to the public in Wales in Welsh and English, when a public document is placed on the website both languages will be placed at the same time. Documents which are of a technical nature, or are substantial, and intended for a limited audience might be included in 16

17 English only, though in some cases it might be appropriate to include a bilingual summary. The Health Board provides services for the public by using computer systems. The Health Board recognises that information technology also plays a key roles in services which are not provided on-line. The Health Board will ensure that both languages are treated on the basis of equality within its information technology systems. Cwm Taf Health Board will ensure that Information Technology services for patients and service users meet the standards set by the Welsh Language Board. The Health Board will: Ensure that services provided electronically to the public will be available in a bilingual format where possible. Issue guidelines and implement improvement plans to staff to ensure that Information Technology Standards are met. Use existing bilingual software packages and programmes, such as the Myrddin Letters software package. Target Information Technology The Health Board will ensure that its website development is bilingual and all bilingual documents are available to the public. It will also ensure improvement plans relating to bilingual software packages and the Welsh Language Board s Information Technology Standards are implemented throughout the organisation, e.g. ensure that all standard letters to the public produced by the Patient Administration Systems such as Myrddin are in a bilingual format., WLI 4 Cwm Taf Health Board will report to the Welsh Lanugage Board on the number of improvement plans that have been prepared and fully implemented following assessment using the Welsh Language Board s bilingual software assessment scheme. SECTION 3 THE PUBLIC FACE OF THE ORGANISATION 3.1 Corporate Identity The name of the Board is Bwrdd Iechyd Cwm Taf Health Board The Health Board is committed to a fully bilingual corporate identity, treating both languages on the basis of equality; the Health Board s logo, name and address and any other standard information; 17

18 letterheads and all other corporate stationery; publications; signs on vehicles and buildings; directional signposting; staff identity badges (including Iaith Gwaith); and promotional goods and materials. Guidance will be issued to staff to emphasize the importance of preserving and promoting a bilingual corporate identity, and for Welsh and English versions to always be of equal format, size, quality, legibility and prominence. Written guidelines about the Health Board s corporate identity will be issued to staff, consultants, contractors and designers. 3.2 Signs All signposting both permanent and temporary, road signs, and road surface markings, on properties occupied by the Health Board, including those internal areas to which the public has access shall be bilingual. The Welsh and English languages shall be of equal size, format, quality, legibility and prominence with the Welsh appearing above or to the left of the English. When the Welsh and English names for the same location do not differ, the Welsh version only may be used. A database of standard bilingual signage is available to staff via the Welsh Language Unit and staff intranet. 3.3 Publishing and Printing All the Health Board s publications and printed material which it produces for its patients and the public shall be bilingual. These include, but not confined to: Annual Reports; Consultation Documents; Appointment Cards / Letters; Job Application Forms; 18

19 Patient Information Leaflets. Where possible the text will be produced in back to back format or in dual columns. When in dual columns, the Welsh version will occupy the left hand column, but where this is not possible the Welsh version will be displayed above the English. This guidance will be incorporated into a procedure which will ensure a Health Board-wide application of consistent practice. Publications will normally be in a single bilingual document, but where size makes them unwieldy, they may be produced in separate English and Welsh versions. Where this is so, each will incorporate a message stating that the other version is available. They will be produced simultaneously, and displayed and distributed together; and equally available by post or over the counter. Publications of a technical nature, or those substantially intended for a limited or specialist audience can be produced in English only, though consideration to be given to including a bilingual summary. Miscellaneous items such as appointment cards and inpatient menus produced by the Health Board will also be bilingual. Most of the publications produced by the Health Board are available free of charge. However, should an occasion arise when a charge is made, the price of a bilingual publication will not be greater than that in a single language. The charge for any separate Welsh and English publications will be the same. Guidance will be provided to those dealing with bilingual publications. When the Health Board distributes information on behalf of other bodies e.g. the Inland Revenue, Department for Work and Pensions etc, the bilingual version of this information will be provided if available. If such publications are produces separately in Welsh and English, the Health Board will ensure both versions are available to the public. 3.4 Forms and Associated Explanatory Material All the Health Board s forms for use by the public, its patients and staff will be bilingual. This includes associated explanatory material, and instructions. These will be published bilingually, on the same sheet, or in the same document. This will ensure that the individual may complete the form in the language of their choice. If Welsh and English versions are provided separately then they will be issued and distributed simultaneously, be equally available and carry a bilingual message that the other version is available. 19

20 Arrangements will be made to ensure that forms completed in the Welsh language are processed at the same speed as English language forms. When staff are called upon to fill in forms for patients, arrangements will be made to ensure the form is completed in the patient s language of choice. 3.5 Media Releases and Notices The Health Board will provide bilingual press releases to the media in Wales. A bilingual officer will be available to discuss with the press or media the matter contained in the notice. 3.6 Advertising and Publicity All advertising and publicity activities held by the Health Board in Wales will be bilingual and will treat Welsh and English with equal prominence. All materials produced by the Health Board will be bilingual with the Welsh version being above or to the left of the English. These include: Publicity Material; Advertising Campaigns; Information Bulletins; Display Board Presentations; Patient Satisfaction Questionnaires. Should Patient Satisfaction Surveys be conducted by face to face interview a choice of either the Welsh or English Language will be offered. 3.7 Official Public Notices and Recruitment Advertisements Official Public Notices will be bilingual in English language publications, and Welsh, in Welsh language publications. They will be English only in UK wide specialist publications. Staff recruitment is managed by the Business Support Partnership (BSP) on behalf of Cwm Taf Health Board. Job vacancies are publicised through the national NHS Jobs bilingual website All recruitment advertisements published by the Health Board will: 20

21 be fully bilingual with the exception of those posts where fluency in Welsh is essential, these will appear in Welsh only, and include a statement in English to explain the nature and title of the post: note whether the ability to speak Welsh is essential or desirable; advertise in publications outside Wales in English only, and include reference to the Health Board operating a bilingual policy; ascertain whether applicants wish to receive further correspondence in Welsh or English; ensure that advertisements in Welsh language publications will appear in Welsh only. SECTION 4 - IMPLEMENTING AND MONITORING THE SCHEME The Health Board will develop a Linguistic Skills Strategy as part of its Human Resources process. The aim of the strategy will be to enable the Health Board to provide a quality service to our bilingual population and visitors in line with commitments in the Language Scheme. 4.1 Staffing and Recruitment The Health Board offers a wide range of healthcare services, many of which are provided by staff who have specialized professional and technical skills. The aim is to have sufficient staff to provide the Welsh speaking public with an integrated bilingual service, however, this may not be possible for all aspects of all services. The number and distribution of Welsh speaking staff, do not, at the present time, allow us to provide a fully bilingual service across the range of our activities. The measures outlined below will however contribute towards extending the bilingual service, and with the support of staff, our aim will be met. Linguistic ability will be included as one of the many relevant skills to be assessed when appointing staff. Where linguistic ability is considered to be essential or desirable for a particular location, post or team then this will be specified when recruiting to that post. The Director of Workforce and Organisational Development will develop criteria to determine whether the ability to speak Welsh is essential or desirable, and the need for such ability will be incorporated into all person specifications. Welsh speaking will be considered essential for posts where the ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing, in both Welsh and English has been determined. On the other hand, the desirable designation will be given to those posts where the ability to communicate in Welsh would 21

22 be an added advantage, but not essential for successfully undertaking the duties. In specialist/areas where the strategy shows there are shortfalls in Welsh speakers, the Health Board will take a pro-active approach in recruitment and training, in order to attract Welsh speakers into the relevant profession/area. The Health Board will ensure an up-to-date register is maintained of the number of Welsh speakers in each location together with their level of proficiency. When new appointments are made, a summary of the Health Board s Welsh Language Scheme will be made available to each individual. Target Recruitment Cwm Taf Health Board will undertake positive action to attract Welsh speakers into the Health Board and, as vacancies arise, assess and advertise language requirements as part of the recruitment process. WLI 5 The Health Board will report to the Welsh Language Board the number of posts advertised for which Welsh was specified as an essential skill and the percentage filled by Welsh speakers. Target Language Skills Cwm Taf Health Board will develop a competence framework for recruitment of staff with appropriate language skills. WLI 6 The Health Board will report to the Welsh Language Board the number and percentage of staff with Welsh language skills by service department, according to the grade of the post; and according to workplace. 4.2 Welsh Language and Vocational Training The Health Board is committed to promoting an environment within which staff are encouraged to learn Welsh; and resources will be concentrated initially on those departments where there is regular contact with the public. The Health Board will, within available resources provide funding, and its Directors will select the most suitable training courses; maintain records of those who have attended courses; set standards and monitor progress; 22

23 provide access to educational materials. To facilitate the implementation of the scheme, the Health Board will assess the need for specific vocational training, through the medium of Welsh, for identified bilingual staff, and provide language awareness training generally. It is possible that the Welsh Language Unit will be able to meet this need inhouse, and the means by which the identified training is to be provided will be explored. All staff, including new starters, will be given access to the Iechyd Da Welsh Language Awareness material. Iechyd Da will be included in the induction programme for all new staff and this language awareness training will be provided from appropriate providers. A summary leaflet of the Welsh Language Schemes will also be given to all staff. Welsh Language Taster Sessions will be provided to staff in order to promote and encourage staff who wish to learn Welsh. Support and resources will be available to staff who wish to improve existing Welsh language skills. E.g. Cyrsiau Gloywi Iaith. Staff will be made aware of and have access to a variety of online learning resources and Welsh language learning sites. Existing Welsh-speaking staff will be given the opportunity to encourage and mentor colleagues in a Buddy Scheme within their specific Departments / Divisions. The Health Board will encourage and support staff to communicate bilingually internally. The Health Board will install a Welsh spellchecker into word processing systems upon request. The Health Board will install the Welsh Language interface pack for Office 2007 and Windows Vista, along with older versions, for all staff wishing to use their computer through the medium of Welsh. All staff who are learning Welsh will be encouraged to celebrate their success by participating in the Welsh Language in Healthcare Awards. The Health Board will learn from others and share our learning and experiences of developing bilingual healthcare across Wales. The Health Board will support attendance at the quarterly All Wales NHS Contact Points and Champions Meetings. 23

24 Target Language Training Cwm Taf Health Board will implement training for key posts where Welsh skills are most urgently needed in order to satisfy the requirements of delivering a quality service. WLI 7 The Health Board will report to the Welsh Language Board the number and percentage of staff who have received Welsh language training up to the level of a specific qualification. Target Awareness Training Cwm Taf Health Board will deliver language awareness training to all new starters as part of the corporate induction programme using the Iechyd Da awareness material within X months of taking up their post. Iechyd Da sessions will also be provided to X% of current staff. WLI 8 The Health Board will report to the Welsh Language Board the number and percentage of staff who have received language awareness training. 4.3 Administrative Arrangements The Scheme has been approved by and carries the full authority of the Health Board Board. The Chief Executive will be responsible for ensuring that the Scheme is implemented throughout the Health Board s service. The Board Secretary / Corporate Director, on behalf of the Chief Executive, will ensure that the necessary actions are coordinated across the Health Board. Directors have responsibility for implementing the Scheme within their Units, and will designate a representative with managerial responsibility for achieving the objectives of the Scheme. These representatives will present regular update reports to the Welsh Language Group, which will ensure that the implementation of the Scheme is co-ordinated, with consistency of practice, and kept under review. The Health Board will have a Welsh Language Group made up of representatives from all Directorates, Divisions and Departments across the Health Board and key external partners such as the Local Authorities, University of Glamorgan and Mentrau Iaith who will ensure Welsh is mainstreamed into the work of the Health Board and will also assist the implementation and monitoring of the Scheme. The Welsh Language Officer and the Welsh Language Assistant will also be members of the Welsh Language Group which will be chaired by the Welsh Language Champion, who will be a member of the Board. The Welsh Language Officer will facilitate and monitor the implementation of the Welsh Language Scheme. The Welsh Language Officer will assist and support the representatives within the Welsh Language Group in implementing the 24

25 requirements of the Welsh Language Scheme within their individual Departments, Divisions and Directorates. Managers will be given responsibility for implementation in those aspects of the scheme relevant to their departments. They will be required to report on this on a regular basis. The overall accountability for the Welsh Language Scheme lies with the Chief Executive. Cwm Taf Health Board will: ensure that the Welsh Language Scheme carries the full authority of the Board as the measures are implemented; ensure that everyone in the organisation is familiar with the scheme, the implementation process and what is expected. Awareness sessions will be arranged across the organisation and staff will be made aware of the relevance and importance of the practical elements of the Scheme. Leaflets will be available to provide guidance on various aspects of the Scheme. Awareness of the Scheme will be further raised for new staff at staff induction days. Cwm Taf Health Board will ensure that any equal opportunities training also covers the issue of language choice; develop a policy statement that will promote a positive environment within the organisation for employees to use the Welsh language formally or informally in the workplace The Welsh Language Group will: be responsible for integrating the Welsh language into the administrative process of the organisation; ensure that a high quality translation services will be provided by the Health Board s in-house and external translators; ensure specifications for new, replacement or adapted computer programmes enable Cwm Taf Health Board to implement its commitments to the Scheme. The Health Board will ensure that translators used will be suitably qualified and able to provide a high quality service. Details of the translation services to be used will be incorporated into the general guidance on the Scheme s requirements and operation which is to be prepared for staff. The need to generate bilingual material will be a consideration when planning and purchasing computer systems. Where existing computer systems cannot be adapted to meet the requirements of the Scheme, the needs will be incorporated into the procurement/replacement plan. In the third year of the Scheme s implementation the Health Board will prepare a comprehensive evaluation report that will assess and evaluate performance in implementing the Scheme since its inception. This report will be sent to the Welsh Language Board. The report will: 25

26 Provide an overview and thematic analysis of compliance and performance over the three years of the Scheme, from two perspectives service delivery and scheme management; Outline priorities for the following three years together with a revised timetable for implementing the measures in the Scheme. At this time the Health Board will revise and update the Welsh Language Scheme. 4.4 Services Provided by Third Parties The Health Board will ensure that third parties (e.g. building and engineering contractors and suppliers of goods and services) are made aware, in the acceptance of service level agreements and contracts, of the terms of the Scheme where it is relevant to the services they are providing on the Health Board s behalf. Any contract details will reflect this. The Health Board will monitor implementation of the provisions of the scheme by third parties, and will require regular compliance reports. Written guidelines will be prepared and issued to staff on dealing with agencies, contractors and providers in relation to the requirements of the Welsh Language Scheme. 4.5 Monitoring the Scheme The Health Board will report to the Welsh Language Board annually, in a format agreed by the Welsh Language Board. This will compare the performance achieved against the standards and targets set out in this Scheme and the Welsh Language Action Plan. It will also provide data and information about the 10 Welsh Language Indicator set by the Welsh Language Board. If the published standards and targets are not being achieved, an explanation of the reasons, and the steps planned to put things right, will be included. The annual report on the Welsh Language Scheme will also serve as the annual report for the Welsh Language Taskforce. A summary will be available for the public, and will be referred to in the Health Board s corporate Annual Report. The implementation of the Scheme will be monitored through the following means, and remedial actions will be instigated as necessary:- 26