www.wao.gov.uk
Welsh Language Scheme
28 May 2009
This Scheme was approved by the Welsh Language Board under Section 14
of the Welsh Language Act 1993. It came into effect on 28 May 2009.
Rachel Moss
Head of Communications
28 May 2009
375% recycled paper75% o bapur a ailgylchwyd
The public face of the Wales Audit Office 9
Corporate Identity and imageSigns and directions in our officesWebsitePublishing and printing material for the general public in WalesForms and explanatory materialPress releasesAdvertising and publicityOfficial public notices and recruitment advertising
Implementing and monitoring the Scheme 11
StaffingRecruitmentLearning WelshVocational trainingAdministrative arrangementsServices delivered on behalf of the Wales Audit Officeby other partiesMonitoringReviewing and amending the Scheme
Main targets for Scheme delivery 14
Contents
Introduction 4
The SchemeThe Wales Audit Office
Aims and Objectives of the Scheme 5
Service planning and delivery 6
Policies, legislation and initiativesDelivering servicesOur regulatory functions – and services undertaken on our behalf by third partiesStandards of quality
Dealing with the Welsh-speaking public 7
Written communicationTelephone communicationsPublic meetingsAudit of public bodiesOther meetings with the public in WalesOther dealings with the public in Wales
The Scheme
1 The Wales Audit Office adopts the principle that in
the conduct of public business in Wales, it will treat
the English and Welsh languages on the basis of
equality. This Scheme sets out how the Wales Audit
Office will give effect to that principle when providing
services to the public in Wales.
2 This Welsh Language Scheme incorporates many of
the working practices of the Wales Audit Office in
serving the public in Wales and further formalises its
language policies as required by the Welsh
Language Board. The Scheme includes many new
initiatives and is accompanied by an action plan
setting out how we will operate in accordance with
the Scheme.
The Wales Audit Office
3 The Wales Audit Office is responsible annually for
the audit of over £20 billion of public expenditure at
all levels of administration in Wales, from Local
Health Boards to the Assembly Government.
4 The Wales Audit Office welcomes recognition of the
principle of equality between the English and Welsh
languages. When communicating with the public in
Wales in the exercise of its duties, it will do so
according to that principle as indicated in this
Scheme. Respect for both languages has been the
approach of the Audit Commission and the National
Audit Office before the creation of the Wales Audit
Office and both had regard for the Welsh language
and the needs of Welsh speakers in the provision of
services. This Scheme unites that respect into a
strategy for serving the Welsh speaking public.
5 The Wales Audit Office is headed by the Auditor
General and employs around 293 staff. The
headquarters is in Cardiff but there are other offices
across Wales and many field staff work from home
or from client offices. Staff of the Wales Audit Office
are not civil servants and are independent of
government. All staff undertake their duties strictly in
accordance with the Code of Audit and Inspection
Practice.
6 The Auditor General’s audit and inspection functions,
encompassing audits of financial statements and
work in relation to the performance of services,
contribute to providing:
assurance in relation to the annual financial
statements and that public funds have been
properly used for the intended purposes;
assurance that Welsh public bodies are providing
good value for money in the delivery of their
services to the public;
feedback to audited and inspected bodies to help
them to improve services; and
information to those responsible for the scrutiny
of policy, to policymakers themselves, and to
service users and taxpayers.
7 The Wales Audit Office undertakes to monitor the
effectiveness of implementation of the measures set
out in this Scheme and will not alter the Scheme
without the approval of the Welsh Language Board.
8 Further information about the Wales Audit Office can
be found at: http://www.wao.gov.uk
9 Contact details for this Scheme can be found at the
end of this document.
Introduction
Welsh Language Scheme4
Aims and objectives of the Scheme
Welsh Language Scheme 5
10 In its dealings with the public in Wales, the Wales
Audit Office will treat Welsh and English on the basis
of equality, with both languages enjoying the same
status and validity.
Policies, legislation and initiatives
11 Our policies, initiatives and services will be
consistent with this Scheme. They will support the
use of Welsh language and will, whenever possible,
help the public in Wales use Welsh as part of their
day-to-day lives.
12 When we contribute to the development or delivery
of policies, initiatives, services or new legislation led
by other organisations, we will do so in a way which
is consistent with this Scheme.
Delivering services
13 Wherever possible, we will ensure that our services
are available to the public in Welsh.
14 We will let the public know when services are
available in Welsh.
15 As part of this Scheme, the Wales Audit Office will
carry out a triennial survey of the language
preferences of all audited and inspected bodies.
The survey results will allow the Wales Audit Office
to review the demand for services in Welsh and the
targets which should apply to their provision.
Our regulatory functions – and services undertaken
on our behalf by third parties
16 Any agreements or arrangements which we make
with third parties will be consistent with the
relevant parts of this Scheme, when those
agreements or arrangements relate to the
provision of services to the public in Wales.
17 This will include services which are contracted
out, granting licences and granting other
permissions.
Standards of quality
18 Services provided in Welsh and English will be of
equal quality and will be provided within the same
timescale.
Service planning and delivery
Welsh Language Scheme6
Written communication
Our normal practice will be as follows:
19 When someone writes to us in Welsh we will issue a
reply in Welsh (if a reply is required). Our target time
for replying will be the same as for replying to letters
written in English.
20 When we initiate correspondence with an individual,
group or organisation, we will do so in Welsh when
we know that they would prefer to correspond in
Welsh.
21 When we send standard or circular correspondence
to multiple recipients in Wales, it will be bilingual
unless we know that all recipients would prefer to
receive it in Welsh or English only.
22 If the Welsh and English versions of any
correspondence have to be published separately,
our normal practice will be to ensure that both
versions are available at the same time.
23 Enclosures sent with bilingual letters will be bilingual,
when available.
24 Enclosures sent with Welsh letters will be Welsh or
bilingual, when available.
25 The above will apply to e-mail correspondence as
well as paper correspondence.
26 All hard-copy Welsh correspondence that we issue
will be signed (either by hand, or by electronic
signature for mass mailings).
27 We will use a scoring system agreed by the Welsh
Language Board to identify objectively any standard
or circular correspondence which need not be
published in Welsh, or bilingually (for instance, when
the correspondence is very technical or lengthy).
Telephone communication
28 Our normal practice is to ensure that the public can
speak in Welsh or English when dealing with us by
telephone.
20 Our switchboard staff will answer with a bilingual
greeting.
30 Our main switchboard will use a bilingual message
on its answerphone.
31 We will encourage the rest of our staff to answer the
telephone with a bilingual greeting and use bilingual
messages on their personal answerphones.
32 If the caller wishes to speak Welsh, our switchboard
will try to connect the call to a Welsh speaker
qualified to deal with the enquiry.
33 If a caller rings one of our direct lines and wishes to
speak Welsh, but the person taking the call cannot
do so, they will try to transfer the call to a
Welsh-speaking colleague qualified to deal with the
enquiry.
34 If a Welsh speaker qualified to deal with the enquiry
is not available, the caller will be given the choice, as
appropriate, of having a Welsh speaker phone back
as soon as possible, continuing the call in English or
submitting their query in Welsh, by letter or e-mail.
Public meetings
35 The Wales Audit Office and/or appointed auditors
rarely hold meetings with the general public. They
may come into contact with various
interest/professional groups (via conferences) or
individuals in audited bodies or services (for
research purposes and site visits).
36 However, if a public meeting should be held, we will
provide simultaneous translation from Welsh into
English at our public meetings unless we have
established that all participants are likely to use the
same language.
37 Invitations and advertisements for public meetings
will be bilingual and either note that translation
facilities will be available or invite the public to let us
know in advance in which language they wish to
speak.
38 We will let those attending public meetings know
when translation facilities are available – and
encourage contributions in Welsh.
Dealing with the Welsh-speaking public
Welsh Language Scheme 7
Welsh Language Scheme8
39 Our normal practice will be to provide papers and
other information for public meetings in Welsh and
English – and for reports or papers produced
following public meetings to be published in Welsh
and English.
40 When selecting staff to attend public meetings, our
normal practice will be to ensure that suitably
qualified Welsh speakers attend, as necessary.
Audit of public bodies
41 Wherever possible, we will include a Welsh speaker
as a key member of the audit team on assignments
where the records being examined are mostly
maintained in the medium of Welsh. Welsh-speaking
members of the teams may comprise permanent
members of the Wales Audit Office's staff or persons
working for the Wales Audit Office on contract.
42 Members of the public providing information relevant
to an audit (under Section 18 (4) of the Public Audit
(Wales) Act 2004) will be offered the opportunity to
communicate with the Wales Audit Office in their
language of choice.
43 Local electors have the legal right to ask the auditor
questions about the accounts of their local authority
or to object to those accounts under sections 29 and
30 of the Public Audit (Wales) Act 2004. An authority
advertises these rights each year, notifying electors
of the period within which the rights may be
exercised.
44 In exercising their rights, electors in Wales are
welcome to write to their local auditor in Welsh or
English. Questions which are submitted in writing in
Welsh will be answered in writing in Welsh. Where
an elector seeks a formal meeting, for the purpose of
making an objection, they will, wherever possible, be
offered the opportunity to communicate with the
auditor in their language of choice.
Other meetings with the public in Wales
45 When we arrange or attend face-to-face meetings
with the public, we will establish their language
preference at the earliest opportunity and, whenever
possible, ensure that a suitably qualified
Welsh-speaking member of staff deals with those
whose preferred language is Welsh.
46 If a suitably qualified Welsh speaker is not available,
we will offer the choice of continuing the meeting in
English, or dealing with the subject by corresponding
in Welsh.
47 The above will also apply to meetings held using
videoconferencing and similar equipment.
Other dealings with the public in Wales
48 When we undertake public surveys, we will ensure
that all aspects of communication with the public will
be bilingual.
49 Respondents will be asked if they wish to respond to
the survey in Welsh or English.
50 When we arrange seminars, training courses or
similar events for the public, we will assess the need
to provide them in Welsh.
51 Our normal practice will be to ensure that
announcements made over public address systems
are made in Welsh and English.
52 Any audio-visual displays or interactive media that
we prepare will be bilingual. When this is not
possible, we will provide a bilingual written transcript.
Corporate identity and image
53 The Wales Audit Office will adopt a fully bilingual
public image and corporate identity as reflected in
the corporate name, address, logo, corporate
slogan, and standard factual information on
stationery (eg, letter heading, fax papers, business
cards), identification badges and publications
intended for the Welsh public at large. Bilingual
stationery will be used for all correspondence in
Wales.
Signs and directions in our offices
54 The Wales Audit Office is committed to the provision
of bilingual information signs within the confines of
its own property, including internal and external
signage schemes.
55 Where bilingual or separate Welsh and English signs
are provided, they will be equal in terms of format,
size, quality, legibility and prominence. The Wales
Audit Office will encourage audited bodies which
provide office facilities for audit staff, to provide
signage which is bilingual and conforms to this
scheme.
56 The above will apply to all types of signs, including
electronic signs.
Website
57 The Wales Audit Office's website, www.wao.gov.uk,
will be fully bilingual. The host page will give the
visitor a language preference on their first visit to the
website. Following this, a cookie will remember their
language of choice. Visitors to the site are welcome
to post Welsh messages requesting further
information and to send Welsh language e-mails to
the Wales Audit Office.
58 Whenever we post English language publications on
our websites, the Welsh versions will also be posted,
if available.
Publishing and printing material for the general
public in Wales
59 The Wales Audit Office is committed to providing
printed material aimed at the general public in Wales
in both Welsh and English.
60 Printed material for bodies which are of a technical
nature will remain in English only – except where a
specific report has special interest for the Welsh
general public only.
61 Publications aimed at the public in Wales and
produced by the Auditor General, her appointed
auditors or the Wales Audit Office will be required to
comply with the policy. This applies to private firms
when they are exercising the functions of an
appointed auditor under the Public Audit (Wales) Act
2004.
62 Where the Wales Audit Office produces a bilingual
version of a priced document, its price will not be
greater than a single-language version of that
document. Where separate Welsh and English
versions of a document are produced, the price will
be the same.
63 We will use a scoring system, to be agreed with the
Welsh Language Board, to identify objectively when
material should be published as separate Welsh and
English versions or as bilingual documents.
64 Reports to individual bodies will be made available in
line with that audited body's language preference,
even though they are not specifically intended for the
general public.
Forms and explanatory material
65 Our normal practice will be to ensure that all forms
and associated explanatory material for use by the
public in Wales will be fully bilingual, with the Welsh
and English versions together in one document. This
will include interactive forms published on our
websites.
66 If the Welsh and English versions have to be
published separately (for instance, where a
single document would be too lengthy or bulky), both
versions will be of equal size and quality – and we
will ensure that both versions are available at the
same time and are equally accessible. Each version
will clearly note that the material is available in the
other language.
The public face of the Wales Audit Office
Welsh Language Scheme 9
67 We will use a scoring system, agreed with the Welsh
Language Board, to identify objectively when forms
should be published as separate Welsh and English
versions or as bilingual documents.
Press releases
68 Press releases to the press and broadcasting media
in Wales will be issued in Welsh and English where
deadlines permit – or according to the language
preference of the recipient media organisation or
publication.
69 Where possible, we will ensure that Welsh speakers
are available to undertake interviews with the Welsh
language press and broadcasting media.
Advertising and publicity
70 All of the publicity, public information, exhibition and
advertising material we use in Wales will be
produced bilingually, or as separate Welsh and
English versions. If the Welsh and English versions
have to be published separately, both versions will
be equal with regard to size, prominence and quality
– and both versions will be available simultaneously
and will be equally accessible.
71 Any advertisements placed in English language
newspapers (or similar material) distributed mainly
or wholly in Wales, will be bilingual, or will appear as
separate Welsh and English versions (with both
versions appearing simultaneously, and being equal
with regard to size, prominence and quality).
72 In Welsh language publications, advertisements will
be in Welsh only.
73 Television, cinema and radio advertising may be
conducted in Welsh and English. Television
campaigns which appear on S4C during Welsh
programming hours will be in Welsh. Radio
campaigns broadcast during Welsh language
programmes on commercial radio stations will be in
Welsh.
74 Our normal practice will be to avoid using Welsh
language subtitles, or dubbing adverts into Welsh.
75 Telephone response lines and other ways of
responding to campaigns in Wales will be bilingual
or will include a separate Welsh response service.
Official public notices and recruitment advertising
76 Official notices, public notices and staff recruitment
notices placed in English language newspapers (or
similar media) distributed mainly or wholly in Wales,
will be bilingual, or appear as separate Welsh and
English versions. Notices will be in Welsh in Welsh
language publications.
77 The Welsh and English versions will be equal in
terms of format, size, quality and prominence –
whether produced as a single bilingual version, or as
separate Welsh and English notices.
78 In the English language media, posts where the
ability to speak Welsh is essential may be advertised
in Welsh, with a brief description in English.
79 Recruitment notices placed in English language
journals (and other publications) with a UK-wide
distribution may be in English, unless the post is one
where the ability to speak Welsh is essential, in
which case the notice may be fully bilingual, or in
Welsh with a brief explanation in English.
80 Any official notices, public notices or staff
recruitment notices placed elsewhere in Wales will
be bilingual.
10 Welsh Language Scheme
11Welsh Language Scheme
Staffing
81 The Wales Audit Office will adopt a Linguistic Skills
Strategy to increase its ability to deliver services to
the public in Wales. The following measures will form
part of it.
82 The Wales Audit Office will hold information on
post-holders who speak Welsh. The number and
distribution of Welsh speakers does not enable the
Wales Audit Office to provide a fully bilingual service.
However, the measures set out below are intended
to increase the Wales Audit Office's ability to meet
that objective over the next few years with the
support of its staff.
83 The Wales Audit Office will examine its services and
their relationship with the public so as to identify
those workplaces, teams and jobs where the ability
to speak Welsh is essential or desirable and will
formulate job descriptions accordingly. This
requirement may be defined as a component of the
workplace or team rather than being attached to a
particular post. It must be stressed that no post-
holder unable to speak Welsh will have their
employment adversely affected by the language
policies in this scheme. The Wales Audit Office will
establish criteria by which the language
requirements of the scheme will be met, which will
include the nature of the post and the frequency of
contact with the Welsh-speaking public.
84 The Wales Audit Office will ensure that those
managers and others responsible for staff
recruitment, training and supervision will implement
the measures described above.
85 From time to time, the Wales Audit Office will carry
out a language audit to establish the number, ability
level and location of staff that can speak, read and
write Welsh (including staff that are learning Welsh).
Where workplaces are identified as having a shortfall
of bilingual staff, a strategy will be implemented to
rectify the situation.
Recruitment
86 Linguistic ability will be considered as one of the
many relevant skills when appointing staff. Where
linguistic ability in Welsh is considered to be
essential or desirable, this will be stated in relevant
job advertisements. In circumstances where it
proves difficult to appoint suitable bilingual staff to
posts where the ability to speak Welsh is considered
essential, we will temporarily rearrange the way we
provide services in order to deal with this gap in our
Welsh language provision.
Learning Welsh
87 The Wales Audit Office is fully committed to
encouraging and supporting those members of staff
who want to learn Welsh or improve their skills in
Welsh. Priority will be given to staff in those areas of
service delivery where there is regular contact with
the Welsh-speaking public or where there is an
identified shortfall of bilingual staff. Welsh-speaking
auditors will be encouraged to improve their grasp of
Welsh in relation to their vocation and function.
Vocational training
88 We will develop the ability of our Welsh-speaking
staff to operate in Welsh by providing vocational
training in Welsh, whenever practicable.
Administrative arrangements
89 The measures in this Scheme carry the full authority,
support and approval of our organisation.
90 Managers will have the responsibility of
implementing those aspects of the Scheme relevant
to their work.
91 We will appoint a senior member of staff to
co-ordinate the work required to deliver, monitor and
review this Scheme.
Implementing and monitoring the Scheme
Welsh Language Scheme12
92 We will continuously update a detailed action plan
setting out how we will ensure that we will operate in
accordance with this Scheme. The action plan will
come into effect on the date on which the Scheme
comes into effect. The plan will include targets,
deadlines and a report on progress against each
target.
93 The scheme will be publicised to our staff, and to the
public in Wales. It will be published on our website in
a prominent place.
94 We will produce desk instructions, or similar
guidance, for our staff to ensure that they know how
to implement the measures contained in this
Scheme.
95 Existing desk instructions, or similar guidance used
by our staff, will be amended to reflect the measures
contained in this Scheme.
96 We will arrange briefing and training sessions for our
staff to increase awareness of this scheme – and to
explain how it will affect their day-to-day work.
97 We will ensure that we use only qualified translators
or interpreters to help with the delivery of this
Scheme.
98 Any form of contact with the public in Wales, which is
not specifically dealt with by this Scheme, will be
undertaken in a manner which is consistent with the
general principles enshrined in this Scheme.
Other dealings with the public in Wales
99 The need to provide information and services in
Welsh, and operate in accordance with this
Scheme, will be catered for as we develop, design
and purchase information and communications
technology products and services.
100 Whenever possible, we will modify our existing
information and communications technology
systems to ensure that they enable us to provide
information and services in Welsh – and
operate in accordance with this Scheme.
Services delivered on behalf of the Wales Audit
Office by other parties
101 The Wales Audit Office will, when making any new
agreements, require any bodies, organisations or
companies or other parties carrying out services on
its behalf for the public in Wales to comply with
appropriate provisions of this Scheme. The Wales
Audit Office will ensure that the contractors or
agents with which it deals who provide services to
or communicate with the public in Wales implement
any and all relevant elements of this scheme when
dealing with the public in Wales on its behalf. Such
contractors and third parties will be required to
co-operate with the Wales Audit Office in the
effective monitoring of the scheme and regular
performance reports will be expected from them as
part of the standard monitoring arrangements.
102 The Wales Audit Office will provide guidance on
compliance with the scheme to relevant staff
dealing with third parties, agents and contractors
providing services to the public in Wales on behalf
of the Wales Audit Office. Such staff will observe
and act according to that guidance.
103 Relevant tendering documents and contracts
relating to third parties, agents and contractors
undertaking to provide services to the public in
Wales on behalf of the Wales Audit Office will
specify the requirements as to the use of the Welsh
language in accordance with this Scheme.
Monitoring
104 We will monitor our progress in delivering this
scheme against the targets set out in its
accompanying action plan.
105 Our existing monitoring and reporting procedures
will include reference to progress in
delivering this Scheme, as appropriate.
106 We will send monitoring reports to the Welsh
Language Board, when requested by them,
outlining progress in delivering this Scheme.
Welsh Language Scheme 13
Reviewing and amending the Scheme
107 We will review this Scheme within four years of its
coming into effect.
108 Also, from time to time, we may need to review this
Scheme, or propose amendments to this Scheme,
because of changes to our functions, or to the
circumstances in which we undertake those
functions, or for any other reason.
109 No changes will be made to this Scheme without
the Welsh Language Board’s approval.
Complaints and suggestions for improvement
110 Complaints related to this Scheme, or suggestions
for improvement, should be directed to the senior
member of staff with responsibility for the Scheme,
at the following address:
Head of Communications
Wales Audit Office
24 Cathedral Road
Cardiff
CF11 9LJ
Tel: 02920 320518
Or by e-mail to: [email protected]
14 Welsh Language Scheme
Main targets for scheme delivery
Target Date of completion
Staff awareness
Publicise the Scheme to our staff and put it in a prominent place on our intranet.
June 2009
Staff guidance
Provide/edit existing desk instructions for staff informing of the Scheme and the implications for their work.
June 2009/ongoing
Publicity for the Scheme
Publicise the Scheme on our website and in any relevant publicity material.
June 2009
Contracts
Ensure our standard contracts and contract templates are amended to include reference to the Welsh language
Scheme.
End of December 2009
Linguistic Skills Strategy
Prepare and adopt a Linguistic Skills Strategy to increase our ability to deliver services in Welsh to the public in
Wales.
End of March 2010
Increasing auditors with Welsh language skills
By implementing recruitment and training measures over time we will increase our pool of
Welsh-speaking auditors so that we are able to deal effectively with all organisations who keep Welsh-medium
records by the end of period of this Scheme.
Ongoing