Welsh Language Standards: information for all SFW DSA service providers (SFWIN 05/2021)
This notice describes Welsh language standards for all SFW DSA service providers.
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The Welsh Government is committed to the principle of treating the Welsh and English languages on a basis of equality.
The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 (the “Measure”) makes provision for the specification of standards of conduct in relation to the Welsh language. The current standards for the Welsh Ministers are specified in the Welsh Language Standards (No. 1) Regulations 2015. The Measure provides that the Welsh Language Commissioner may, by notice, require certain public bodies to comply with some or all of the standards specified.
The Welsh Language Commissioner has issued a compliance notice to the Welsh Ministers specifying which of the standards currently apply to any activity or service provided by or on behalf of the Welsh Ministers. These activities or services can exist as part of formal or informal arrangements and agreements. A copy of the latest version of the compliance notice is available at Welsh Language Commissioner's compliance notice.
It is important that service providers familiarise themselves with these standards. The table below highlights those most pertinent to the DSA service providers, please cross reference these with the full compliance notice.
| Service Provided | Relevant Standards |
|---|---|
| Correspondence | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
| Telephone helplines or call centres | 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 21 |
| Meetings with members of the public | 26, 26A, 29 |
| Publicity and Advertising | 37
|
| Displaying material in public | 38 |
| Publishing Documents | 40, 47, 48, 49 |
| Publishing Forms | 50, 50A, 50B, 51 |
| Websites and online services | 52, 55, 56, 57 |
| Social media | 58, 59 |
| Signage | 61, 62, 63 |
| Raising awareness of Welsh language services | 81, 82 |
For the purpose of this SFWIN and compliance with the Welsh Language Standards, those providing a service on behalf of Welsh Ministers and who must comply with the standards identified in the table are:
- Needs Assessment Centres, including outreach centres, providing their services to SFW students who live in Wales.
While not legally defined as providing their services on behalf of Welsh Ministers, it is considered best practice for the following service providers to meet the standards where possible:
- Assistive Technology Service Providers (ATSPs) providing services and supplies to SFW funded students who live in Wales.
- Non-medical helpers (NMH) providing services, AT training and support to SFW funded students who live in Wales.
Examples of how a service can meet these standards include (Not an exhaustive list, please refer to the full standards in the table provided):
- bilingual websites and information and guidance documents raising awareness and promoting the service offered
- bilingual helplines and booking systems
Examples of how a service engages directly with a student who has a preferred language of Welsh include (Not an exhaustive list, please refer to the full standards in the table provided):
- communicating with the student through the medium of Welsh, written or oral
- providing documentation and training materials in the medium of Welsh
- providing an assessment or programme of support through the medium of Welsh
We will shortly be emailing out to service providers with a survey to help us build a picture of how the Welsh Language Standards are currently being met by DSA service providers.
Please note, this is not an audit of the DSA services you provide. The information collected as part of this survey will be used to help us identify if there are any gaps in how we meet the needs of our students, in Wales, through the medium of Welsh.