CCDG. Welsh Language Scheme Monitoring Report. Reporting Period: April March 2016

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1 CCDG Welsh Language Scheme Monitoring Report Reporting Period: April March

2 Contents Page 1. Executive Summary 3 2. Compliance with the Welsh Language Scheme 4 3. Front line services 7 4. Management and administration of the scheme 8 5. Welsh language skills 9 6. Performance analysis 10 Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Progress on Action Plan for Implementation Table 1 Number of Welsh Speakers by Directorate and Region Table 2 Number of Welsh Speakers by Role/Post 2

3 1 Executive Summary Careers Wales is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Welsh Government. Since the approval of the Welsh Language Scheme in August 2014, the company has been subject to a year on year significant budget reduction, resulting in a re-structure and decrease in the number of staff across Wales. The reduction in staffing and resources has provided challenges in both the delivery and development of services to the public again this year. Despite this uncertainty, Careers Wales has continued to make inroads with the implementation of its Welsh Language Scheme, making progress in a number of key areas including HR, Finance and resources for the public. Progress has included the implementation of a system for ensuring third party contractors comply with requirements of the Welsh Language Scheme, availability of proformas linked to finance in both languages or bilingually, rebranding of Careers Centres, implementation of additional HR processes in the language choice of the employee and a range of resources in different formats promoting Careers Wales and providing advice and information to the public. Following confirmation from the Welsh Language Commissioner that the Welsh Language Standards (No 3) Regulations 2016 relevant to CCDG were not approved by the National Assembly for Wales, CCDG is currently fulfilling the requirements placed on the organisation by the Welsh Language Commissioner through the implementation of our Welsh Language Scheme until further clarification is received regarding the regulations relevant to CCDG. During we will continue to develop and strengthen processes for monitoring levels and quality of Welsh language provision to the public and company employees as we approach the final year of the implementation phase. 3

4 2 Compliance with the Welsh Language Scheme Finance and Facilities Systems and processes developed to ensure third party contractors comply with the requirements of the Welsh Language Scheme. The process for ensuring that third party contractors comply with the requirements of the Welsh Language Scheme was implemented in April No new specialist developments of products were commissioned in All procurement over 5k is assessed against a number of criteria, one of which is whether the procurement for client or employee services meets the requirement of our Welsh Language Scheme. Prior to committing a purchase order we will ensure that we receive a letter from the suppliers of delivery services acknowledging that they will, as far as is practicably possible, comply with the relevant measures within our scheme. Suppliers are made aware of our Welsh Language Scheme and we work with our service delivery suppliers to ensure that the service provided meets our requirements. For example when CCDG subcontracts any form of survey on its behalf, the brief will include the need to provide bilingual questionnaires and response forms and to ensure that any interviews or focus groups are conducted in the chosen language of the participants. The fullest possible compliance under the circumstances will be sought for contracts or arrangements of short duration or specific tasks or activities where it is not practical to require full compliance with the scheme, for example there are occasions when specialist providers of training to staff in certain fields are not Welsh speakers and in these cases we will ensure where possible that relevant materials e.g. learning resources for company staff provided by the supplier, are made available in the Welsh language when employers are giving presentations in schools, every effort will be made to find a suitable Welsh speaker to do this. If a Welsh speaker is not available then we will use a suitable speaker who is not bilingual. All Directorates are aware of the requirements of the Welsh Language Scheme in this context and the implementation of this process is monitored within the finance department. The procurement department will ensure that all tenders which are advertised on Sell Wales will reference the need to comply with the scheme where the service provision is direct to members of the public. Bilingual Payslips and Proformas CCDG has a new externally purchased finance system which is currently being embedded. The finance department is investigating the technical potential for producing Welsh and English payslips for employees with a view to introducing these by the end of During more of the proformas linked to finance and facilities that are widely used by employees were made available in Welsh and English or bilingually. These include: Travel expenses form 4

5 Requisition form Translation request proforma Fault /maintenance reporting Stationery requisition Train/Hotel request form The process of extending the availability of proformas in both languages or bilingually will continue throughout the implementation phase of the scheme. Careers Wales Brand Rebranding of Career Centres A programme of branding prioritized career centres is currently being rolled out. This work is focused on those centres that are being refurbished and/or will be remaining as Careers Wales centres in line with our estates strategy. Overall 14 centres across Wales are being rebranded with updated visuals, including client testimonials and our Vision, Mission and Values. Replacing of external signage, where necessary, is being undertaken in line with our estates strategy. Replacement of internal signage, where necessary, is underway with priority being given to those premises which will remain as Careers Wales centres. Resources have been put in place to support staff in ensuring that all temporary signs in all our centres are in both languages. Human Resources Processes and Procedures During the HR department has continued to make good progress with the implementation of processes and procedures in both languages. For example: Probationary Period Policy Halogen (CCDG s Performance Management system) has been further developed to enable the assessment of the employee s progress during the probationary period in Welsh or English in line with the employee s language choice Sickness Absence a new policy has been launched for managing sickness absences. Processes and forms enable the policy to be implemented in the employee s language choice A section confirming achievements regarding the use of the Welsh language within HR processes has been included in the report to CCDG Board A new system has been introduced for HR enquiries to be received via one address s can be received in Welsh and English. Responses are sent in line with employee s language choice. 5

6 Publications Advertising and Marketing CCDG has continued to develop resources available to the public through a range of media in Welsh and English, presenting a fully bilingual image. Examples include: Video Resource 10 videos (5 x English, 5 x Welsh) were produced and launched focusing on five key topics to support career management and employability skills. These were promoted on Facebook. Booklet for parents issued to all pupils in Year 9 explaining how they can support their child with decisions about education, employment and training and how to connect with Careers Wales. Working with the North Wales Economic Ambition Board to develop Spotlight on North Wales. The aim of the LMI publication and online version is to provide localised labour market information in accessible formats. ar Ogledd Cymru on North Wales 6

7 3 Front line services has continued to present challenges for Careers Wales in that a year on year reduction in budget has resulted in a reduction in staffing levels and a freeze on external recruitment. There has been no external recruitment of front line delivery staff, for example careers assistants and careers advisers. This has had an impact on our ability as an organisation to increase the number of staff able to deliver services bilingually. CCDG has however continued, within these limitations, to provide services in Welsh and English in our centres, where current resources allow for this. As outlined in the scheme, where we are unable to provide immediate Welsh medium face to face services the individual will be offered the option of speaking over the phone with a staff member who is able to speak Welsh. Alternatively we will arrange for the individual to receive a service in Welsh at a different time. If this is not possible, they will be given an opportunity to discuss the matter in English or the enquiry will be noted and transferred to an appropriate member of staff who will contact the customer. 7

8 4 Management and administration of the scheme Explanation of any changes to the governance and internal security of the Welsh language scheme The company s Senior Management Team consists of the Chief Executive and four Directors, each with responsibility for key functions of the organisation and reporting to the Chief Executive. Responsibility for the Welsh Language Scheme and Bilingualism sits with the Director of Service Development. During a new Chair was appointed to the CCDG Board of Directors. The commitments set out in this scheme continue to have the full support of the company Board of Directors and the Senior Management Team. Progress made with the implementation of the scheme is included in the reports to the Board and on a quarterly basis to Welsh Government. Outline of efforts to monitor the quality of Welsh language services A review of policies and procedures linked to our Welsh Language Scheme covering the period was undertaken by our internal auditors. This will be followed up with a more detailed internal audit of activities in the autumn of 2016 with a view to preparing the organisation for any further developments needed to meet the requirements of the Welsh Language Standards when these are introduced. This audit will incorporate testing specific areas of delivery such as services delivered via a range of channels including social media and telephone services. During the facility to record the language preference of clients on our client database was improved. This will enable us to monitor more effectively services provided to clients through the medium of Welsh. Number of complaints received concerning the implementation of the language scheme CCDG has processes and procedures in place to deal with complaints and feedback from staff, customers and stakeholders. Complaints received about Welsh language services are dealt with in accordance with these processes. During the business year two complaints were received regarding the implementation of the Welsh Language Scheme. The first relates to a client caller at a careers centre who complained about having to travel to another office for an interview with a careers adviser via the medium of Welsh. The client subsequently decided to opt for an interview in English at their hometown office. The second complaint relates to a non-welsh speaking employer who complained that he had received a letter from Careers Wales, which was provided solely via the medium of Welsh. Careers Wales apologised to the employer and amended the information on the database accordingly. Percentage of complaints dealt with in accordance with the organisation s corporate standards These two complaints equate to 6.8% of the total number of complaints received. The complaints were dealt with in line with our complaints procedure and processes. 8

9 5 Welsh language skills Number and percentage of staff who have received training in the Welsh language to a specific level of competence During three members of staff were supported by the organisation to develop their Welsh language skills as follows: One employee is currently being funded for a 1 year, 2 hour a week Proficiency Level course at a cost of 150. Over the last 5 years this employee has developed proficiency and confidence to a point where he has become confident in using his language skills in the workplace and as a result has conducted career guidance interviews with clients through the medium of Welsh. This employee is also receiving company financial support for a 5 day intensive course over the summer. This is a Proficiency level course which focuses more on formal writing with the aim of supporting this employee with producing written outcomes for clients in Welsh. One employee is about to complete a Sylfaen 2 qualification with Coleg Gwent and another employee is undertaking Welsh for Adults funded by the company. Number and percentage of staff who have received language awareness training As outlined in the monitoring report for , due to budgetary cuts the organisation had no plans to deliver specific language awareness training in As indicated this was reviewed during and proposals will be made, in line with resources available, for facilitating Welsh language awareness training and for approaches to supporting employees to improve skills and confidence within the business year. Number and percentage of staff in the organisation s services who can speak Welsh During a more comprehensive survey of employees Welsh language skills was carried out. Employees were asked to rate their listening, reading, speaking and writing skills against specific levels - no understanding, entry level, foundation, intermediate, advanced and proficient. In March 2016 CCDG employed 634 individuals. Of these 14% (89 individuals) are Welsh speakers at Advanced and Proficient level. An additional 8% (49 individuals) have recorded their speaking skills at foundation and intermediate levels. See Appendix B Table 1 and Appendix C Table 2. 9

10 6 Performance Analysis Risks and priorities for CCDG will continue to work towards achievement of the action plan with a view to integrating and mainstreaming Welsh language services as far as is reasonably practical within current resources. The prolonged restriction on external recruitment will continue to pose a challenge as we endeavour to fulfil the commitments outlined in the Welsh Language Scheme. Priorities for will include: Welsh Language Awareness The Business Improvement Directorate are currently investigating the most appropriate method of facilitating Welsh language awareness training with a view to presenting a proposal for approaches to supporting employees to increase their understanding of the language and its use in Wales, working in bilingual workplaces and improving skills and confidence within the business year. Exploring the potential for benchmarking The Business Improvement Directorate will seek to develop links with a similar organisation in order to share good practice and suggested approaches to the implementation of the requirements of the Welsh Language Standards. Embedding processes and procedures The final year of the implementation phase of our Welsh Language Scheme will be a period of embedding, reinforcing and monitoring processes and procedures introduced since We will carry out an internal audit to test the implementation of specific aspects of the Scheme across the organisation and directorates. This will support the identification of any further actions/developments required to enable the organisation to meet the requirements of the Welsh Language Standards and Regulations when these are introduced. 10

11 Appendix A Progress on Action Plan for Implementing CCDG Welsh Language Scheme Action Required 3 Planning and Delivering Services 3.1 Ensure needs of Welsh speakers are considered in all aspects of policy decisions in line with WL scheme Ensure that all staff across all departments receive guidelines about delivery of bilingual services Agree protocols on a range of corporate services including internal communication matters and set out clearly what staff can expect. Target Date and and December Communicating with the Welsh-speaking public 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 Produce operational guides to ensure correspondence/communication with clients/customers is in line with WL and scheme. 4.5 Put protocols in place to ensure that the public are able to contribute in Welsh or English in events. 5 Corporate Image 5.1 Produce Style Guides to include fully bilingual corporate identity. 5.2 Audit signage across all regions and produce a timed plan for making signage bilingual replacing existing signage where appropriate. and and November 2014 and Progress All policy decisions along with the relevant impact assessment are considered by the Senior Management Team for a final decision. Series of guidelines produced and included on the intranet. Presentation resources provided on Welsh Language Scheme and implementing principles of bilingual workplace with accompanying notes. Internal protocols agreed and included on the Intranet. Guidelines produced and included on the intranet. Guidelines produced and included on the intranet. Guidelines and style guide produced and included on the intranet. Audit of outside of buildings completed in Sept 14. Refurbishment plan and replacement signage currently being implemented in line with estates strategy. 6 Publications/Advertising and Marketing 6.1, 6.2 Produce Style Guide to ensure publications and materials are produced in line with WL scheme. Guidelines and style guide produced and included on the intranet. 7 Press Releases Produce guidelines to ensure press releases are issued bilingually. 11 Guidelines produced and included on the intranet. 8 Websites and Information Technology 8.2 Assess the need from staff for installing December Process in place and guidelines

12 a Welsh Language interface for software used by staff and take appropriate action. 9 Implementing the Scheme 9.2 Raise staff awareness of their responsibility in implementing the Welsh Language Scheme. 9.2 Audit the language skills of staff to establish baseline. 9.2 Identify the language needs of every area and map this against the current capacity of workplaces and posts, setting a baseline for improvement based on the language skills audit, in line with the Bilingual Skills Strategy. 9.2, 9.3 Identify which posts require Welsh Language skills essential and desirable and use for recruitment and training purposes in line with the indicators included in the Bilingual Skills Strategy. 9.4 Put processes in place to ensure services by contractors adhere to the requirements of the WL Scheme 10 Monitoring 10.1, , 10.2 Record and report on compliance with measures outlined in the Scheme. Report on an annual basis to SMT, CCDG Board and WL Commissioner on progress against targets available on the intranet. June 2014 End of August 2014 End of November 2014 End of March 2015 January 2015 and March Publicising the Scheme and Raising Public Awareness Provide staff with information and guidelines relating to the Scheme s and aims and objectives. Publicise the WL Scheme to the public, staff members and partner organisations. Promote bilingual service available through Careers Wales. June 2014 and Completed. Presentation resources provided to raise staff awareness one on the Welsh Language Scheme, the other on principles and individual responsibility for implementing the principles of bilingualism in the workplace. Completed. See Tables 1 and 2. More detailed audit of skills carried out March 2016 Completed. The freeze on recruitment has had an impact on our ability as an organisation to increase the number of staff able to deliver services bilingually. Completed. Process established for identifying which posts require Welsh language skills. Completed and arrangements in place for full implementation in Arrangements in place in line with Scheme. This will be further enhanced with the introduction of Welsh Language Standards. Completed and Welsh Language Scheme included on our website careerswales.com. Staff have been made aware of requirements through presentations and guidelines on the intranet. Welsh Language Scheme placed on Careerswales.com Resources have been created for use in induction sessions for new staff. This is done on an basis via attendance at meetings etc.

13 Appendix B Table 1 - identifies the number and percentage of staff in each Directorate and by Region who have indicated that they are able to speak Welsh at Advanced and Proficient levels (based on March 2016 data) North South Central South East West Totals Directorate Welsh speakers Welsh speakers Welsh speakers Welsh speakers Staff in directorate No and % of Welsh speakers in directorate No. % No. % No. % No. % No. no % Business Improvement Delivery 37 7% 12 2% 4 0.8% 26 5% % Development 5 9% 1 2% % % Resources 2 7% % Corporate 1 (Chief Executive) Totals % Totals North South Central South East West Totals No of Welsh speakers % of total company employees No of Welsh speakers % of total company employees No of Welsh speakers % of total company employees No of Welsh speakers % of total company employees No of company employees No of Welsh speakers 44 7% 13 2% 4 0.6% 28 4% % % Welsh speakers 13

14 Appendix C Table 2- identifies the number of Welsh speakers at Advanced and Proficient level by role/post (based on March 2016 data) Delivery Directorate Total Development Directorate Total Resources Directorate Total Head of Service Delivery 2 Head of Service Development 1 HR Co-ordinator 1 Area Manager 3 Project Manager ICT 2 H&S/Estates Co-ordinator 1 Team Manager 8 Policy Manager 1 Careers and World of Work Co-ordinator 1 Network Administrator 2 Careers Adviser 42 ICT Technician 1 Business Engagement Adviser 5 Information Co-ordinator 1 Careers Assistant 10 Administrator 8 Business Improvement Directorate Totals Total 14

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