Welsh Language Standards - Self-regulation checklist

Royal Voluntary Service corresponds in Welsh when we receive correspondence in Welsh or we receive a specific request. To facilitate timely and robust responses we have identified Welsh speakers across services and central administration able to translate incoming and outgoing correspondence when the expert post holder is not a Welsh speaker.

Royal Voluntary Service email footer includes:

We welcome correspondence in Welsh or English / Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth yn y Gymraeg neu’r Saesneg.

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Mae’r e bost hwn yn gyfrinachol ac at sylw priodol yr unigolyn neu’r sefydliad a enwir uchod. Os nad chi yw’r derbynnydd priodol ond eich bod wedi derbyn y neges e-bost hwn trwy gamgymeriad, gwaherddir ei defnyddio, ei lledaenu, ei hanfon ymlaen, ei hargraffu a’i chopio neu ei defnyddio. Os ydych wedi derbyn y neges ar gam, rhowch gwybod i’r sawl sy wedi anfon yr e bost ar unwaith a dinistrio pob copi heb ei anfon at unrhyw drydydd parti. Bydd unrhyw farn neu sylwadau a fynegir yn yr ebost neu unrhyw ffeiliau atodedig yn perthyn i’r awdur yn unig ac ni chynrychiolant o anghenraid farn Royal Voluntary Service. Nid yw Royal Voluntary Service yn derbyn atebolrwydd am ddatganiadau sydd ddim ar ran Royal Voluntary Service. Os na ddylir Royal Voluntary Service e bostio chi, atebwch yr e bost hwn a rhowch wybod iddyn ni. Mae ein polisi preifatrwydd ar gael at www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk

All roles within Royal Voluntary Service across England, Scotland and Wales have been translated into Welsh and are used by all staff as part of their email signature.

However complying with standards 3, 4 and 5 in our view would not be reasonable
and proportionate on account of the cost of complying fully with the standards. The
expenditure would not promote the interests of the majority of the charity’s beneficiaries. 

Royal Voluntary Service offer a Welsh language option on their main contact line.
Records show 533 people opted for the Welsh language option in the most recent
12 month period (1% of all calls)

Staff members who are Welsh speakers are requested to include any contact message
on mobile phones in Welsh.

Main offices in Wales include telephone answer messages in Welsh. When a call is
answered and Welsh is requested if a Welsh speaker is not immediately available
the caller will be offered a return call as soon as possible with a Welsh speaker or to
converse in English.

In considering standards 8-11 and 15-22 Royal Voluntary Service need to ensure that
the charity’s assets are used primarily to promote its interests, it would therefore be
unreasonable and disproportionate to provide extra resources to deal with Welsh
language calls, together with recording callers’ language preference.

It should be noted that some calls are transferred to volunteers, and it would not be
possible to ensure that volunteers with Welsh language skills would be available on
every occasion.

Royal Voluntary Service does not carry out any meetings in Welsh routinely. The
relevant standards are not considered reasonable and proportionate to the strategic
and operational activity undertaken.

However an interpretation service at meetings sufficiently large to justify the
provision, e.g. if 50% or more of those attending had stated that they would like to
contribute in Welsh will be considered.

It should be noted that it would be more of a challenge to ascertain these numbers in
advance of meetings that are open to the public.

Notwithstanding this general statement, if meetings are requested in Welsh and staff/volunteers who are Welsh speaking can be available Royal Voluntary Service make every effort to support this request.

At this time approximately 50% of activities in North Wales are carried out in Welsh.
This is not reflected in Mid or South Wales where availability of Welsh speaking staff
and volunteers is considerably less.

Displaying written material at a meeting arranged by Royal Voluntary Service which
is open to the public is given a high priority. Marketing and information materials
including banners and leaflets for services in Wales is available in the Welsh language
e.g. Camau Cadarn/Positive Steps programme of activity. 

Royal Voluntary Service does not routinely deliver public events in Welsh. At this time
this is not reasonable or proportionate due to costs associated with providing an
interpretation service for all the organisation’s events.

Royal Voluntary Service has significantly increased availability of posters, leaflets,
general information available in Welsh over the last year. This includes all materials
relevant to services in Wales for volunteer, community and NHS activity. This also
includes staff and volunteer recruitment and promotional activity.

However making this standard specifically applicable would not be reasonable or
proportionate, due to the lack of resources and identified low demand for Welsh
versions of current resources.

As above Royal Voluntary Service has increased availability and variety of Welsh
leaflets and banners, but other resources such as pens, water bottles, heritage
materials are provided in English only in order to reduce production costs.

Making this standard specifically applicable would not be reasonable or proportionate due to the fact that some marketing resources were distributed throughout the UK.

Royal Voluntary Service retail sites across Wales include bilingual signage and
information.

Royal Voluntary Service often produces research but not routinely in Welsh.
Documentation relevant specifically to Wales will be produced in Welsh, but other
documents are not produced in Welsh.

The standards in question are not reasonable or proportionate; Royal Voluntary
Service must ensure funding is used in accordance with the interests of the charity.
At this time the cost of producing all the organisation’s documents would be
prohibitive and possibly wasteful.

Welsh versions of published documents are not treated less favourably than any
English versions.

Royal Voluntary Service does not routinely produce or publish forms in Welsh.

This standard is not considered reasonable or proportionate as the ongoing cost of
translation is prohibitive. 

Royal Voluntary Service includes both services but not through the medium of Welsh.

The cost of providing a Welsh language website has been pursued but the cost of
providing all pages on the website in Welsh, with an interface and menus in Welsh
for every page of the website is very costly and the conclusion is that making the
standards in question specifically applicable is not reasonable or proportionate.

The site includes a statement that Welsh versions of English pages are available
where relevant.

Royal Voluntary Service does not publish apps at this time.

Royal Voluntary Service display as many signs as possible in Welsh.

Bilingual signs are provided for support and retail services in hospitals in Wales.
Signage at the head office in Cardiff Gate is bilingual and at community services in
North Wales. Services in mid and south Wales will follow during the next 12 months.

However, not all related standards are considered reasonable or proportionate.
Standard 58 is not practical as an internal translator to translate signs at short notice
is not available. In relation to standard 59, a number of existing signs have already
been produced which do not show Welsh first. It would be prohibitive in terms of cost
to reproduce these signs in order to place Welsh first. 

Royal Voluntary Service receives visitors at the Head Office in Cardiff and regional
offices but not routinely in Welsh.

The reception area at the main office provides bilingual signage and bilingual visitor
passes, but a Welsh speaker cannot be available to receive visitors each day.

In North Wales staff are available to receive visitors when the office is open, although
this cannot be guaranteed in Mid and South Wales.

Although Royal Voluntary Service has made progress the standards in question are
not considered reasonable and proportionate, as a Welsh speaker cannot be available
to receive visitors on every occasion. It would be prohibitive in terms of cost to use an
interpreter to receive visitors in Welsh.

Staff and volunteers have been made aware that a badge and lanyard are available if
they wish to indicate they are able to speak Welsh. 

Royal Voluntary Service does not carry out the activity in question.

This standard is not considered reasonable or proportionate, because Royal
Voluntary Service does not carry out the activity. 

Royal Voluntary Service does not carry out the activity in question.

This standard is not considered reasonable or proportionate, because Royal
Voluntary Service does not carry out the activity.

Royal Voluntary Service does not carry out this activity in Welsh.

The majority of tendered for services are across the UK, and this cannot be carried
out in Welsh (including any translation requirements) for reasons of cost and lack of
staff resources.

The standard in question is not reasonable or proportionate.

Although section 12 (2)(b) of the Welsh Language Act 1993 notes that Welsh
language schemes must specify the ways in which organizations will ensure that the
scheme is publicised. The Commissioner has emphasised that this measure is not an
optional element within the legislation.

Royal Voluntary Service has Welsh services available and can state this when
applications are made for the relevant services. However the standards in question
are not reasonable and proportionate, because all the related documents and forms
would not be available in Welsh, including material on the website pages that is
relevant to the whole of the UK.

Within retail services a list of Welsh speaking staff and volunteers is held at the
till point in case a Welsh speaker is requested and the individual on duty is not
Welsh speaking.

Royal Voluntary Service does not operate a policy on the use of Welsh internally to
promote or facilitate the use of Welsh. Although the % of employees located in Wales
has risen from 12% to 16% across the last 18 months it is not considered reasonable
or proportionate to translate all documents for this proportion of staff.

Royal Voluntary Service identity is not translated into Welsh as it is a brand identity.

It would therefore not be possible to consider making this standard applicable;
it would not be reasonable or proportionate.

Royal Voluntary Service does not carry out this activity.

Royal Voluntary Service does not carry out this activity.

Royal Voluntary Service policies are internal documents used throughout the charity.
Welsh language taken into account where relevant (in marketing materials for
example), but decisions on any such provision would be dependent on availability of
funding rather than on policy.

In assessing new or revised policies, consideration of any impact on the Welsh
language is not considered in a formal manner.

Formal opinion is not sought generally concerning policies, although volunteers and
employees are given opportunities to make comments on proposed ways of working
and communicating.

Royal Voluntary Service does not consider the policy making standards reasonable
and proportionate.

Royal Voluntary Service does not operate a policy on the use of Welsh internally,
fewer than 19% of employees are currently located in Wales and that it would be
unreasonable and disproportionate to translate all documents in question for this
proportion of staff.

Royal Voluntary Service has a complaints and grievance policy and procedure, but this
is not offered in Welsh. Any resulting investigation or support process would need to be consistently applied across the Charity which would involve staff from across the UK. 

Royal Voluntary Service does not fully comply with the requirements of standards
114-117. Although staff can respond in Welsh to allegations made against them via
an internal disciplinary process, this is not publicised. A meeting can be conducted
in Welsh if requested by using an interpretation service, and that managers could in
some cases conduct meetings in Welsh themselves.

However the disciplinary process is time sensitive and any delay in the availability of a
suitable interpreter would mean the meeting being carried out in English.

Royal Voluntary Service provide staff with computer software for checking Welsh spelling and grammar, and a Welsh interface for software where an interface already existed. The intranet is not provided in Welsh, on account of cost and lack of staff resources. 

Royal Voluntary Service does not fully comply with the requirements of standards
125-133. Signs within the head office and North Wales as well as retail sites in Wales
are bilingual but not general sites in mid and south Wales.

Royal Voluntary Service does not make announcements using sound equipment in
the workplace. 

As a national charity Royal Voluntary Service cannot make the promotion standards
applicable due to cost.

See further below for more detail. 

In considering the record keeping standards, Royal Voluntary Service record the
number of volunteers who can speak Welsh, the details of complaints received in
Welsh, together with the responses to them.

With regard to the standards related to recruitment, a Welsh speaker would be present at interviews for any post where Welsh is an essential requirement in order to assess the applicants’ Welsh language skills. At this time no such post exists in the Charity.

Whilst every effort is being made to develop the record keeping standards recording
all the information in question would not be an effective use of resources and is
therefore not considered reasonable or proportionate.

Royal Voluntary Service does not consider the supplementary matters in relation
to the record keeping standards reasonable or proportionate. Relevant records
relating to Welsh language are not kept routinely and it would be a challenge to do so
considering the need to use the resources of the charity effectively.

The organisation:

• Keeps a record of the number of complaints it receives relating to its compliance with the standards; None received
• Keeps a copy of every written complaint that it receives relating to its compliance with the standards; None received
• Keeps a copy of every written complaint that it receives that relates to the
  Welsh Language:
  • 1 complaint re a volunteer meeting being held in N Wales that could not be
    offered in Welsh – measures now in place to rectify this
  • 1 complaint re a service offer poster that was not bilingual – now rectified.

Royal Voluntary Service ensures that any complaints are responded to thoroughly.
A process has been agreed to ensure that an identified Welsh speaker will translate
any correspondence received in Welsh and translate a response from any non
Welsh speaking respondent.

• Keeps a record of the number of employees who have Welsh language skills where it has that information;
  • In North Wales 46% of staff and 32% of volunteers speak Welsh
  • In South Wales 17% of staff and 6% of volunteers speak Welsh
  • 19% of all staff work in Wales
• Keeps a record of every assessment in respect of the Welsh language skills that
  are required for new and vacant posts;
  • All posts that are Wales specific are advertised in Welsh
  • RVS actively highlights Welsh language skills as ‘desirable’ for staff
    and volunteers across Wales 
• Keeps a record of the number of new and vacant posts which were categorised as posts where Welsh language skills are essential, desirable, not necessary, or need to be learnt.
  • All Wales specific roles are categorised with Welsh language skills as desirable. Please note as a national charity we are keen to ensure equality across our service offers. 

The organisation keeps a record of the steps that it has taken to ensure
compliance with the policy making standards:

• Royal Voluntary Service does not consider the specific policy making standards
  applicable to them reasonable and proportionate.
  
  Policies are internal documents that apply throughout the charity. Were relevant
  the Welsh language will be taken into account (in marketing materials for example or service delivery), but decisions must be dependent on the availability of funding rather than on policy.
• In assessing new or revised policies an impact on the Welsh language is not
  carried out formally. Royal Voluntary Service does not routinely seek broad
  opinions concerning policies, although volunteers and staff are able to comment
  on proposed ways of working and communicating.

Royal Voluntary Service welcomes Welsh speakers, but Welsh language skills are not
essential for any current posts within the charity. Employees are recruited on the
basis of their ability to perform specific roles. Welsh language skills checks are not
part of the current recruitment process.

The organisation keeps a record of the number (and percentage, if relevant) of
staff members who attended specific training that must be provided in Welsh if it is
available in English (namely training on recruitment and interviewing, performance
management, complaints and disciplinary procedures, induction, dealing with the
public and health and safety)

• Royal Voluntary Service training materials are largely produced for online
  support/activity for all staff and volunteers nationally. Although we have
  reviewed the materials for translation into the Welsh Language, at this
  time the cost is prohibitive.
• Some training materials can also be made available in hard copy. If a specific
  manager/support member of staff can speak Welsh it would be possible for
  them to conduct training and induction in Welsh, but the material would be
  available in English only.
• Royal Voluntary Service aims to develop and grow training materials in the
  Welsh language. Handbooks produced for all staff and volunteers entitled
  ‘Safe and Legal’ are summary guides related to health and safety for all
  services which are produced in Welsh.

The organisation has published a document on its website recording all the
standards with which it is under a duty to comply (e.g. by publishing a copy of its
compliance notice).

• A copy of compliance with identified standards and the self regulation
  checklist is available on the website.
• Royal Voluntary Service aims to support the Welsh language and the
  website states ‘any content on this website that relates to Welsh Language or
  to Wales will be available in both English and Welsh language. Bydd unrhyw
  beth ar y wefan hon sy’n ymwneud â’r Iaith Gymraeg neu Gymru ar gael yn
  Gymraeg a Saesneg.

The organisation has published a complaints procedure on its website.

• Royal Voluntary Service adheres to a complaints procedure that is relevant
  to all activity. No activity within the complaints procedure is specifically
  highlighted which includes Welsh Language compliance

The complaints procedure notes how the organisation will:

• Overseeing its compliance with the standards with which it is under a
  duty to comply.
• Promoting the Welsh language services that it offers in accordance
  with the standards.
• Facilitating the use of the Welsh language services that it offers in
  accordance with the standards.
• Royal Voluntary Service provides multiple services across communities
  and within the NHS. This includes volunteering, employment and research.
  The complaints procedure relates to all activity and is considered
  proportionate at this time.

The organisation has published a document on its website which explains how it
intends to comply with the standards with which it is under a duty to comply.

The organisation has published a Welsh language standards annual report on its
website either by 30 June (regulations no. 1) or no later than 6 months following the
end of the relevant financial year (other regulations).

The Welsh Language Standards and Self Regulation checklist 2017/18 and
supporting summary is available on Royal Voluntary Service website.

The organisation has published the annual report.

The annual report:

• Deals with the way in which the organisation has complied with the different
  classes of standards imposed upon it;
• Includes the number of employees who have Welsh language skills;
• Includes the number (and percentage, if relevant) of staff members who
  attended specific training that must be provided in Welsh if it is available
  in English (namely training on recruitment and interviewing, performance
  management, complaints and disciplinary procedures, induction, dealing with
  the public and health and safety);
• Includes the number of new and vacant post categorised as ones where Welsh
  language skills are essential, desirable, not necessary, or need to be learnt.
• Includes the number of complaints the organisation received about each class
  of standards.