Our Welsh language scheme

We will prepare press releases in Welsh and English for the media.

Whenever possible and practical a Welsh-speaking spokesperson will be included in a press release.

All new publications that we prepare will be issued in Welsh and English.

The Welsh and English versions will normally be together in a single bilingual publication.

Sometimes, for practical reasons, separate Welsh and English versions will be issued. When separate Welsh and English publications are published separately we will ensure that both versions will be equally accessible to the public.

When using RCPsych’ brand names, these will be translated into Welsh within the text of all Welsh-language literature.

Wherever possible when issuing joint publications we will publish the Welsh language version at the same time as the English version, either as a single bilingual document (first preference) or in separate versions.

Information will be bilingual on publications, covers and other forms of public display.

Printed information on RCPsych Wales’ letter headings, compliment slips, staff business cards and similar items will be bilingual.

All publicity campaigns will communicate messages in both Welsh and English. The extent of usage of one or another language in individual campaigns will depend on considerations of advertising effectiveness and value for money.

Our exhibitions and displays for the public will be bilingual with both languages equal in terms of size, font, quality and legibility. Any new signage or displays will display Welsh in a way where it is likely to be read first.

When someone contacts us in Welsh we will reply in Welsh with a target time that does not differ from our response time to English language correspondence.

Welsh speakers are encouraged to use their individual social media accounts in Welsh and are also encouraged to contribute to RCPsych Wales’ general social media accounts.

Attendees are encouraged to speak Welsh in meetings and conferences organised by RCPsych Wales.

Publicity for public meetings and conferences will make clear that contributions from attendees will be welcomed in both Welsh and English.

When we send Welsh-speaking representatives to public meetings, conferences, exhibitions, etc. they will show that they can speak Welsh by wearing the ‘Working Welsh’ badge or via other means.

Forms for use by other organisations and any explanations that accompany them will be available in both Welsh and English.

We aim to produce all forms bilingually. When a single document would be too lengthy or difficult to process then separate Welsh and English versions of the form will be issued at the same time and be made equally accessible.

RCPsych Wales welcomes letters and emails in Welsh. The following are the provisions that RCPsych Wales have in place for receiving and responding to letters and emails through the medium of Welsh:

• When someone writes to us in Welsh we will reply with a signed letter in Welsh. Emails in Welsh will also be responded to in Welsh.
• Our target times for replying to letters and emails in Welsh will be exactly the same as for replying to letters in English.
• When sending standard letters or emails to several individuals or organisations, the correspondence will be bilingual unless we know that all recipients would prefer to receive it in English or Welsh only.
• When sending letters or emails to an individual, a group or organisation which we know works mainly in Welsh or prefers correspondence in Welsh, we will use Welsh as the contact language.
• All email signatures across RCPsych Wales will be fully bilingual. Welsh speakers will prioritise the Welsh language in all email signatures so that it is likely to be read first. Welsh speakers must also include the 'Working Welsh' banner in their signature. Welsh speakers will also use bilingual automatic-out-of-office replies.

RCPsych Wales holds many small meetings with groups and individuals. Invitees are encouraged to speak Welsh at these meetings.

In advance of holding a meeting with an individual or a group whose language preference is Welsh, we will offer to provide interpretation or to hold the meeting in Welsh.

We will answer all calls to RCPsych Wales’ general telephone numbers with a bilingual greeting:

“Bore da, Good morning (organisation)”

or

“Prynhawn da, Good afternoon (organisation)”

Guidelines will be issued to staff on the steps to take when answering the telephone.

If the caller wishes to speak Welsh, we will try to connect the call to a Welsh speaker to deal with the enquiry. If no Welsh speaker is available and able to deal with the enquiry, the caller will be given the choice of a Welsh speaker phoning back or continuing the call in English.

Welsh-speaking staff with a direct dial telephone number and company mobile phones will leave bilingual automatic answering messages on both.

Answer machine messages to RCPsych Wales’ general telephone numbers will be bilingual.

We will annually establish if there is enough interest by Welsh speakers to run courses in Welsh.

Language training will play an important part in increasing the number of staff able to work confidently in Welsh, and RCPsych Wales will encourage staff to attend appropriate courses. A strategy will be prepared to meet future Welsh language training needs.

The following priorities for training have been identified:

• encouraging all staff who wish to do so to learn Welsh to enable them to handle straightforward enquiries from members of the public, and membership
• assisting and supporting staff who have the necessary level of commitment to undertake language training to learn Welsh or to improve their Welsh.

We will ensure that any new computing software purchases by RCPsych Wales will be compatible with delivering the commitments in this scheme.

In order for this Scheme to be successful, RCPsych Wales must have enough appropriately skilled staff able to speak Welsh. It is the responsibility of each person in a managerial role to keep under review posts where a Welsh speaker is essential or beneficial in order to provide services in line with this Scheme.

RCPsych Wales’ website will be bilingual.

We will ensure that the text of each page of our website is available in Welsh, that Welsh language content is fully functional and ensure that the Welsh language is treated no less favourably than the English language.

When redeveloping websites or any other Information technology services we will consider the Welsh Language Commissioner’s bilingual guidelines and software standards.

We will encourage Welsh speakers onto RCPsych Wales’ governance bodies by including language in any audit of Members’ skills and in promotion of vacancies.

RCPsych Wales’ governance bodies may decide to prioritise Welsh speakers within the recruitment and co-option of new Members.

Any committee papers available to the public are provided bilingually.

We encourage applications from Welsh speakers for all advertised staffing vacancies. In order to encourage Welsh speakers to apply for advertised posts, recruitment advertising in Wales based media will be bilingual unless this is clearly not appropriate. For posts where Welsh speaking is essential, we will advertise in Welsh only with a brief explanation in English.

Where practical we will place additional job recruitment advertising in Welsh language media, even when the job is not one where the ability to speak Welsh is essential.

Advertisements in major UK newspapers will normally be in English only.

All external and internal signs in view of the public. membership and visitors will be bilingual with both languages equal in terms of size, font, quality and legibility. Any new signage will display Welsh in a way where it is likely to be read first.

RCPsych Wales will be monitoring closely how well it is meeting the commitments in this Scheme. If it falls short of these commitments, we hope that members of the public will tell us. Any complaint about RCPsych Wales’ services in Welsh should be addressed to oliver.john@rcpsych.ac.uk.

We also encourage suggestions for improvements to the services we provide through the medium of Welsh. Any such suggestions should be made to the above address where they will be considered as part of our continuing review of the way we deliver our services through the medium of Welsh.

RCPsych Wales will monitor the performance and the commitments made in this Scheme. Each year a report will be submitted to RCPsych Wales’ governing bodies and the reports will be submitted to the Welsh Language Commissioner. Should any Scheme commitments not be met the report will explain why and will outline the proposed action. A summary of the report will be published in RCPsych Wales’ published Annual Report.

Complaints, both written and oral, from members of the public, or membership resulting from a failure to comply with the Scheme will be included in the monitoring process.

Other elements in the monitoring system will include:

• the extent to which new administrative systems and supporting documentation have been made available bilingually
• the proportions of English language and Welsh language correspondence answered within the target deadline
• the use of interpretation at public and other meetings
• the proportion of publications and forms produced bilingually and the reasons for others not being bilingual
• the reasons for any delay in producing Welsh language versions of RCPsych Wales’ publications
• the proportion of press notices issued bilingually
• the number and distribution of Welsh speakers in RCPsych Wales
• the number of members of staff taking Welsh language courses
• the extent to which RCPsych Wales’ face is fully bilingual e.g. signs, letterheads
• the monitoring report will measure the implementation of the scheme against a set of agreed targets.