Prepared in accordance with the Welsh Language Act 1993.
Approved by the Commission on 23 March 2010 and by the Welsh Language Board on 25 March 2010.
Contents
1. Preface
This is the Welsh Language Scheme for the Charity Commission, and has been prepared in accordance with section 21(3) of the Welsh Language Act 1993. We have produced a scheme to show our commitment to the Welsh language, and to provide our Welsh speaking customers with a clear indication of the service they can expect from us. By revising our scheme in 2010, we are demonstrating our continuing commitment to the Welsh language.
The previous scheme received the approval of the Welsh Language Board in January 2006. This scheme has been drawn up following a review in 2009 and was approved by the Welsh Language Board on 25 March 2010.
The Charity Commission has adopted the principle that in the conduct of public business in Wales it will treat the English and Welsh languages on a basis of equality. This scheme sets out how the Commission will give effect to that principle when providing services to the public in Wales.
The Commission's Board has fully endorsed this scheme, which sets out the plans for implementing this principle in the short, medium and long-term. These build on a solid base of achievement so far in our work with charities in Wales.
2. Introduction
This scheme sets out how the Charity Commission will give effect to the principle of treating English and Welsh on an equal basis when providing services to the public in Wales. Furthermore we undertake to cooperate closely with the National Assembly for Wales on Welsh Language Act matters. Both parties have agreed a concordat setting out how we will work together in future.
2.1 About us
The Charity Commission as a non-ministerial Government Department is constituted under the Charities Act 2006 as the organisation responsible for the regulation of charities in England and Wales. The Commission currently employs approximately 507 staff in 4 offices based in London, Liverpool, Taunton and Newport.
The Commission set up an office in Wales in April 2004, with 9 staff. This team works closely with the Commission's other 3 offices in regulating the 9,000 registered charities in Wales. The Wales Office is situated at Clarence House, Clarence Place, Newport NP19 7AA.
All Compliance work is handled in Liverpool and London and Registration work in Taunton, although this is done in liaison with colleagues in the Wales Office. For National Health Service charities in both England and Wales, all casework is dealt with by a specialist unit in Liverpool. Charity Commission Direct the Commission's initial contact point for most incoming telephone calls, emails and letters, will continue to be based in Liverpool, as will the annual return and accounts mailing and monitoring functions.
Vision
Charity working at the heart of society for public benefit
Mission
The Charity Commission is the independent regulator for charitable activity
- ensuring legal compliance;
- enhancing accountability;
- encouraging effectiveness and impact;
- promoting the public interest in charity;
to promote the public's trust and confidence.
Our mission:
- Recognises that we are the protector of charity integrity.
- Shows that we educate, enable and enforce with regard to charity law obligations. We clarify and explain the legal framework that charities must operate within and we take proportionate remedial action where necessary to get charities back on track.
- Positions us as a forward-looking, outward-facing and proactive organisation that adds value to charities, and the public, in an expert and customer-focused way.
- Highlights the role we have in promoting the accountability and transparency of charities, through the public register and publishing the information we uniquely gather on charities.
- Stresses the paramount importance of our independence from government.
- Confirms that all of the above will be undertaken to promote the public's trust and confidence in charitable activity.
Values
Our new values will underpin everything we do and will shape our behaviour, both as an organisation and as individuals working in the Commission.
The six values are as follows:
Effective
We deliver on our promises and get the basics right. We are focused on the outcome rather than the process. Our work is targeted and efficient and provides value for money. We do things well and are accountable to our stakeholders.
Expert
We have a unique perspective and reservoir of knowledge on the charity sector and charity law. We use this expertise to add value to the work of individual charities and the work of the charity sector as a whole.
Fair
We treat all stakeholders consistently and without bias. Any actions we take are proportionate, fair and reasonable. We behave in an open, honest and transparent way. We take account of, and value, diversity.
Independent
The Commission is, by law, independent from Ministerial influence or control over its day-to-day operations and decision-making. The Charities Act 1993 states: "In the exercise of its functions, the Commission shall not be subject to the direction or control of any Minister of the Crown or other Government Department."
Innovative
We are willing to adapt and change and try new ways of doing things. We are imaginative and flexible in the way we respond to the issues we face.
Responsive
We listen to the needs of trustees and their charities. We respond swiftly and in a way which is supportive and enabling. We work in partnership with other organisations and stakeholders, and build effective relationships.
In support of these values, our work with charities falls in four main operational areas, being:
- Registration of new charities and the maintenance of a public register. Applications for registration of Welsh charities, in accordance with section 3 of the Charities Act 1993 are registered through our Taunton Office. The legislation places obligations on charities to provide copies of their trusts and other information required by the Commission for the purpose of the application and the continuing maintenance of the public register.
- Providing legal consents and regulatory advice to charities to ensure that they are complying with the legal framework and to help them to modernise and deal with new challenges, such as mergers and the recession. We seek to maximise our reach and impact by working in partnership with umbrella groups to promote legal compliance and good governance. We do this through the provision of some training, targeted roadshows, exhibitions and local surgeries.
- Investigation of maladministration and abuse. Teams working on each of the sites evaluate all reports of abuse and maladministration. Where a cause for concern is established the case may be referred for formal investigation.
- Monitoring the return of Annual Returns and accounts, to maintain an accurate register. This function is carried out in our Liverpool office.
In support of our work we make available a wide range of guidance, ranging from a summary of trustee responsibilities to a detailed Registration Pack. Almost all of these are available in Welsh and are all free of charge.
The Commission's aim is to ensure that, in time, all of our guidance is available either bilingually or separately in Welsh and English. Staff and contractors concerned will be provided with written guidance on producing bilingual documents.
3. Service Planning and Delivery
The Commission is keen to adopt a progressive Welsh language scheme that will:
- Comply with our obligations under the Welsh Language Act 1993.
- Reflect support for the Welsh language by promoting our Welsh language services.
- Outline clear operational arrangements.
- Ensure progress in its service through the medium of Welsh.
We regard Welsh language issues as part of our Equalities agenda. To demonstrate our commitment to embedding the principles of equality and diversity into everything we do, everyone in the Commission is taking part in a programme of equality, diversity and cultural awareness training.
To ensure Welsh language issues are considered as a cross-cutting theme in our policy on equality and diversity, the Welsh language is included in our Single Equalities Scheme. Our commitment to this policy is monitored and reinforced by a Board Equality and Diversity Champion, Board Member John Wood and the Diversity Steering group guides and monitors our work on Diversity.
3.1 New Policies and Initiatives
The Commission is committed to assessing the linguistic consequences of any new policies and initiatives when formulating them, and that these new policies and initiatives:
1. will facilitate the use of the Welsh language for any customer who wishes to deal with us through the medium of Welsh;
2. will move the Commission closer to implementing the principle of equality at every opportunity; and
3. will take full account of the principles enshrined in the Scheme, and in particular, be consistent with the Scheme and not undermine it.
In addition, the Commission:
1. will consult with the Welsh Language Board in advance regarding any proposals that will affect the Scheme;
2. will not alter the scheme without the prior agreement of the Commission's Board;
3. will ensure that staff and advisers involved in policy formulation, planning and procurement are aware of the scheme and the organisation's responsibilities under the Welsh Language Act through;
- seminars and workshops to key staff;
- induction training for new staff;
- an article in our staff bulletin; and
- a copy of the scheme being available on the Intranet;
4. will ensure that the measures contained in the scheme are applied to new policies and initiatives when they are implemented.
3.2 Delivery of services through the medium of Welsh
We aim to provide an efficient and effective service for our customers. The same standard applies to the services we provide in English and Welsh in each of our four offices.
The 9 staff at the Wales Office of the Commission in Newport handle the majority of casework for Welsh charities.
Most of the Welsh language letters and emails received at Charity Commission Direct (CCD) are sent to the Wales Office. The Welsh-speaking members of staff respond directly in Welsh, limiting the need for external translation services. The Welsh-speaking staff in CCD can also translate incoming letters, emails and respond to telephone inquiries in Welsh.
We have contracted professional translators who are able to translate correspondence (both written and electronic) in a timescale that enables us to respond to customers in Welsh, within the same Service First targets as for all our other customers.
Casework is the core work of the Wales Office and this encompasses the full range and size of charities and complexity of cases which are dealt with by CCD, Specialist Casework and Large Charities Division in other offices.
In addition to casework, the Wales Office:
- Participates in partnership events with the aim of building strong links with stakeholders, partners and charities in Wales.
- Promotes the Welsh language services of the Commission by various different methods including delivering training in Welsh.
- Engages with the Welsh Assembly Government and Assembly Members/Members of Parliament representing Welsh constituencies (AMs/MPs).
- Encourages Welsh charities to file accounts and returns on time.
- Promotes the presence of the Commission in Wales and the Commission's role.
The Wales Office does not process registrations of Welsh charities or conduct Compliance cases. Where these cases are being handled in other offices, there are liaison points with the Wales Office who are consulted where there are issues requiring a knowledge of the sector in Wales or issues with wider implications to the sector in Wales, in order to ensure that this scheme's requirements are met.
3.2.1 Database enhancement
The Charity Database contains data published on the Web Register and unpublished data that is used for our regulatory work. As part of the current Charities Database, we are able to record which charities have expressed a Welsh language choice. This information will be available to all of our staff to ensure that charities receive all statutory information and forms in Welsh where that preference has been indicated.
The Charities Database allows us to enter information in English and Welsh, and this will continue to be the case with the updated version. This enables customers to search the register in both English and Welsh on our website.
We do not translate English-speaking charities' expressed objects and activities into Welsh. If data is entered in English it will displayed in English. Similarly, data entered in Welsh will not be translated into English. We also give charities the option to enter data bilingually.
A project to replace the current database is due to be completed in Spring/Summer 2010. The replacement database will allow us to maintain current standards, enabling the recording of key events in either English or Welsh, as denoted by the language choice of the charity. We will continue to look at enhancements to our database and general computer systems working towards implementing the Welsh Language Board's Information Technology guidelines and standards at every possibly opportunity.
3.2.2 The Charity Commission's Service First Standards
We aim to provide an efficient and effective service for our customers. The same standards of quality apply to the services we provide in Welsh and English.
Our targets on correspondence are as follows:
- We will endeavour to give a full and clear response within fifteen working days from receipt. We will ensure that our response is both accurate and appropriate. This service standard applies to all forms of correspondence including emails and faxes.
- If we cannot give a full response within fifteen days, we will contact the customer and let them know the reasons why this is not possible and indicate when we expect to be in a position to give a full response. We will also give the customer the name and contact number of the person dealing with the query.
Our targets regarding visitors include:
- We will see customers within ten minutes of their scheduled appointment time (or within ten minutes of their arrival if they are delayed) by the person with whom they have the appointment.
- If there is no appointment we will ensure the customer is able to speak to someone within ten minutes who is able to discuss their query. If that person cannot deal with the query fully, they will make arrangements to ensure that the query is followed up within the published standard for customer correspondence
We will monitor our performance against this service standard and publish the results.
3.2.3 Targets for translation of documents
The same standards and targets apply to our service, regardless of the language used by our customers. Where lengthy or complex correspondence requiring a response needs to be translated we will aim to meet our customer service targets of:
- translating completed applications to register charities within 15 working days;
- replying to general correspondence within 15 working days, but this may not always be possible, whatever the language involved. In any case where we are not going to be able to meet these targets, an interim reply will be sent explaining the position and stating when a full response can be expected.
3.3 Legislation
We will fully consider the needs of Welsh language users in any future legislation on which the Commission might be consulted or which we might promote.
The Charities Act 2006 was enacted in November 2006. In accordance with the Commission's commitment under the Welsh Language Scheme, the needs of Welsh language users were fully considered in this Act, which inserts various new provisions into the 1993 Act.
4. Communicating in Welsh
4.1 Written correspondence
4.1.1 General
We will continue to welcome correspondence (including emails) from the public in Wales in either Welsh or English. The 'out of office' auto-reply from Wales Office staff will be bilingual. Any letter headed paper, emails, compliments slips and so on, used in correspondence with Welsh addressees, will contain a statement that correspondence is welcomed in Welsh and English. Where correspondence received in Welsh requires a reply or acknowledgement it will be sent in Welsh, and where there has been face to face or telephone communication in Welsh, we will correspond in Welsh. Where we know that customers prefer to correspond through Welsh, we will initiate correspondence with them in Welsh.
We will establish with charities and their representatives operating in Wales their preferred language at the very beginning of our relationship with them, through the registration application pack, but if they have not indicated a language preference we will correspond with them in either language as agreed with the charity.
Charities have been asked to state their language preference for a number of years through the registration application pack. An option of updating language choice at a later stage will be provided to charities already registered.
Once a language choice has been expressed and recorded on our database by a charity operating in Wales, this will be used by our monitoring and mailing sections. This will ensure that, where a preference has been expressed, all mailings of annual return questionnaires, leaflets etc are in the appropriate language(s). We will not automatically mail all charities operating in Wales with bilingual communications, but rather use the language of their choice as stated initially.
If a charity, or other organisation, or an individual corresponds with us, other than in respect of an application for charitable registration, we will assume their language preference from the language in which they approach us, unless there is some indication to the contrary in what they say.
4.1.2 Applications for Registration
The Commission has a statutory duty to make the Register of Charities accessible to the public of England and Wales. We therefore welcome applications for registration in English, Welsh, or bilingually.
The Commission has developed online registration systems and is moving away from the use of paper forms. Both English and Welsh speaking charities will be able to register their charities electronically. Once an application to register is received, Welsh speaking staff at the Wales Office can guide applicants through the registration process in Welsh.
The full needs of Welsh language customers will be considered as and when new technologies become available. As new technology develops we will thoroughly assess the practicality and reasonableness of providing new services both in Welsh and English in accordance with Welsh Language Board IT guidelines and standards.
We will promote use of the Welsh language Application to Register available online and make Welsh speaking customers aware that Welsh-speaking staff can guide them through registration matters on the phone, through:
- our contacts with Welsh speaking charities as part of our casework;
- issuing bilingual press releases on our Welsh language services;
- distributing bilingual leaflets on Welsh language services to the public in Wales; and
- Welsh-medium training sessions to charities.
We aim to complete registration within our published public service targets. To support this, we have produced a Welsh language version of our model governing documents, and we have also agreed standard governing documents in both languages with a number of umbrella bodies, eg Cylch Meithrin.
If no bilingual or English version of the governing document exists, the Commission can arrange for an English translation. We will send the translated version to the applicant and invite them to check it for accuracy and let us know if any changes are needed.
If the application for registration is successful, the Register will include both the Welsh governing document and the English translation. While we will use the English translation for general advice, in the case of any legal proceedings, it will be the Welsh governing document that has primacy.
More detailed guidance on this process is provided to applicants as part of the registration pack, both online and in paper format.
Where there are any registered particulars in Welsh (for example contact details, objects and annual income) they are available for public inspection, and may be obtained by contacting our Contact Centre. The Online Register enables customers to search the register in both English, Welsh and bilingually on our website. Data may be entered in English, Welsh or bilingually on the Online Register. Members of the public may also make an appointment to examine Welsh documents on our Central Register files.
4.2 Telephone communication
Our office is established in Wales and most business associated with Welsh charities will be carried out through it. There are two fluent Welsh speaking staff in the Wales Office. Customers who contact us can choose to communicate directly by telephone with our staff in Welsh.
There are also two fluent Welsh speaking staff at the Commission's Contact Centre in Liverpool. We will endeavour to maintain at least 2 Welsh speaking staff in the Wales Office and 2 in CCD.
All the Commission's staff in the Wales Office give a bilingual greeting, and we have an internal directory of all Welsh speaking staff to whom calls can be transferred. Guidance will be provided to staff on dealing with Welsh language calls.
If a member of the public wishes to speak Welsh and relevant Welsh speaking staff are unavailable, an offer to return the call within a specified period will be made. But if the query is of a specialised nature, and there are no appropriate Welsh-speaking officers available, the situation will be explained, and the caller invited either to:
- submit their enquiry in written form in Welsh so that they can receive a written response in Welsh; or
- explain their enquiry fully in English so that they may receive a written reply in Welsh; or
- continue the call in English.
4.3 Public meetings
We are involved in a number of public meetings throughout Wales each year and welcome contributions to these in Welsh. They vary from joint ventures with other agencies in presenting conferences or exhibitions, to smaller scale public meetings in village halls etc. Our approach to providing a Welsh language service will vary according to the nature, size and location of any public meeting held in Wales. As a minimum, in all cases, we will enquire about the need for a bilingual service. We will invite those coming to public meetings and events in Wales to say whether they wish to communicate in Welsh, English or a combination of the two.
When collaborating in the presentation of conferences, exhibitions etc we will request that:
- simultaneous translation services need to be made available if required;
- all publicity material is produced bilingually.
4.4 Private meetings with the public in Wales
We often meet with an individual charity's trustees to discuss issues of mutual concern. These are not public meetings. Any person who wishes to conduct private or one-to-one meetings with the Commission is welcome to do so in either Welsh or English. A language choice will be offered when arranging meetings, and if Welsh is the requested medium, all efforts will be made to have a Welsh-speaking member of staff in attendance.
But if there are no appropriate Welsh-speaking officers available, given the nature of the query, the attendee will be invited to either:
- send in their query in written form in Welsh in order that they can receive a written response in Welsh; or
- to discuss the matter in English.
Our service targets will be applied equally regardless of language choice.
4.5 Communication via the Internet
The Internet is increasingly the foremost way we communicate with our customers. Our Internet address is www.charitycommission.gov.uk. and the website includes items such as CC publications and guidance, general information and consultation documents. See 5.2 below for details of the information on our website which is available in Welsh.
As Information Technology plays a key role in the services and information we provide to our customers we will work towards implementing the Welsh Language Board's IT guidelines and standards.
5. The public face of the Commission
5.1. Corporate identity in Wales
The Commission will continue to present a fully bilingual corporate identity in Wales. Our Welsh logo has equal prominence with the English variants when featured on the bilingual signage in our Wales Offices, our bilingual stationery and is used in our Welsh publications. We will continue to promote our own information in Welsh at exhibitions, conferences and other meetings in Wales.
5.2. The Commission's website (www.charitycommission.gov.uk)
The internet is now the primary way our audiences choose to access the guidance and other material we publish. Our website's home and body pages will continue to be bilingual, offering users the option to switch between English and Welsh versions from any point.
We will continue to publish Welsh language versions of our core guidance and other material which has a broad general appeal. Internal reports and certain technical or specialist publications aimed at a limited audience will only be published in English, unless there is a particular Welsh impact. A decision will be made in these instances only after carefully considering the nature of the publication and its target audience.
New or amended Welsh language versions of core guidance and other material will be planned and published concurrently with the English version.
5.3 Printed copies of Commission material
We adopted a policy in 1996 to provide hard-copies of all Welsh language publications. However, over the last three years, the Commission has seen a significant and ongoing decline in demand for printed material. We have changed our publishing processes so we no longer print and store copies of new guidance which is not expected to receive more than a few hundred requests per year. Instead we use Print on Demand technology to print copies in response to actual orders received. The Commission has adopted a strategy of producing all our publications online and minimising production of printed publications.
Where we produce publications in co-operation with other bodies or government departments we will apply the terms of this scheme to ensure that where possible both English and Welsh language texts are available.
5.4 CC News - the Commission's newsletter
Our twice-yearly newsletter Charity Commission News is published in English and Welsh on our website and in print. Each version makes it clear that the other language is available.
Both versions will continue to be sent to those charities that have indicated to us a Welsh language requirement for their Annual Return, or to those Welsh charities that have not yet indicated a language preference. We will continue to publish and distribute the Welsh version at the same time as the English.
5.5 Forms and other explanatory material
All mandatory forms with their explanatory notes are available in separate English and Welsh versions and are equally accessible. These include Registration Application Forms, Annual Returns, as well as application packs for legal authority. The size and nature of these forms mean that it is not practicable to produce bilingual versions, but we will send both the English and Welsh versions on request.
All charities that have selected to correspond with us in Welsh are sent an invitation notice in Welsh to inform them of the various options for sending us the required information.
The online services we provide for charities to submit the information required annually in the Annual Return forms are under review. The Commission aims to provide the same functionality for both English and Welsh speaking customers. We will continue to improve and develop online services. As new technologies become available, working towards the Welsh Language Board's IT guidelines and standards, we will assess the affordability of systems according to what is reasonable and practicable in the circumstances.
We will continue to improve our frequently used forms with the aim of ensuring each form is available in Welsh on our website. The Commission is also exploring ways of making other online forms available, both in English and Welsh. For example, to enable charities who wish to amend their governing documents to do so online.
5.6 Press notices and releases
The position of Communications Manager in the Wales Office was created to raise the profile of the Wales Office with the public in Wales.
Press notices providing details of events in Wales or promoting Wales-specific activities and published material will be issued to the media in Wales bilingually. All promotional press releases issued by the Wales Office of the Commission will be bilingual. It will be a matter of choice by the publishers or broadcasters involved which language they choose to report in. Press releases which deal with breaking news stories to UK wide newspapers and broadcasters will be in English only.
5.7 Schemes, Orders and public notices
Where formal public notice is required for any Schemes and Orders that we make for charities (using our powers under the Charities Act 1993), this is done at the expense of the charity. It is for the trustees to determine whether such notices should be in Welsh as well as English. This will be made clear in the guidance provided to them.
Although the original Schemes and Orders are produced in English for legal reasons, where customers request copies of Schemes and Orders concerning Welsh charities, they will be offered a choice of an English or Welsh version, or both.
5.8 Staff recruitment advertising in Wales
Where we place adverts for recruitment of staff in the Welsh media, we will either do so bilingually with the Welsh and English texts receiving equal prominence, or, where we are seeking to fill a Welsh-essential post, in Welsh only with an explanatory note in English. Welsh-speaking applicants will be welcomed and this message will appear in recruitment adverts.
We will continue to use a specialist Welsh language recruitment agency where we are seeking to fill Welsh-desirable or Welsh-essential posts.
5.9 Advertising and publicity
Any advertising or publicity campaigns directed specifically at the public in Wales will be produced in both Welsh and English. These will include:
- any literature, videos, audio visual materials and so on designed to promote or publicise legislation or the Commission's activities and services;
- any display materials produced for exhibitions, seminars etc;
- advertising materials;
- direct mailing material;
- market research materials such as customer surveys.
6. Implementing and monitoring the scheme
6.1 Staffing
The Commission recruits all staff under fair and open competition and always appoints the best person for the job.
We will manage and structure our workforce to make the best use of the language skills we have, develop those skills, and recruit for additional skills as required.
We have successfully recruited 4 fluent Welsh speaking staff, 2 of whom are based in Liverpool (Charity Commission Direct), and 2 in Newport. Our recruitment targets will be to maintain at least 2 Welsh speaking staff in the Wales Office and 2 in CCD.
In order to ensure that the Commission is able to deliver its services in Welsh to a high quality, it has adopted adopt a Linguistic Skills Strategy as part of its human resources planning process. This strategy enables the Commission to maintain an overview of its linguistic skill needs and resources and to co-ordinate training and recruitment activities to facilitate the Scheme's objectives.
The measures that follow will form part of that Strategy.
In order to realise the above commitment, the Commission will undertake an audit of its services, provisions and staff in order to identify objectively:
- those scenarios where there is contact with the public in Wales and the nature of that contact;
- the bilingual skills of existing staff and to what extent staff would be interested in learning or upgrading their skills.
Having conducted and analysed the above survey, the Commission will identify those posts for which the ability to communicate in Welsh is essential, desirable, or is not deemed required as a skill. Job descriptions will then be formulated accordingly.
All new posts and all existing posts that fall vacant will be considered in light of the Linguistic Skills Strategy of this Scheme. In doing so, the Commission will be conscious of the need to take every opportunity to rectify any deficiencies in Welsh language skills that will affect the delivery of Charity Commission Welsh language provision.
Where we need to fill a post where the ability to speak Welsh is essential, the recruitment advertisement will be exclusively in Welsh, with an explanatory note in English. Otherwise, recruitment advertisements for the Wales Office will be placed in both English and Welsh.
We will keep under review all posts to be filled by candidates with Welsh-essential or Welsh-desirable skills within the Commission in light of the Welsh Language Board's guidance. 'Recruitment and the Welsh Language'.
6.2. Training existing staff
Existing staff in the Wales Office who do not speak Welsh will be encouraged to learn it, and staff who speak some Welsh but are not fluent should be offered further training, with the support of the Commission. Training in Welsh will be focused on staff in posts that mean they come into direct contact with the Welsh-speaking public.
6.3. Administrative arrangements for implementing this scheme
The Commission's Board has endorsed this scheme and the timetable for its implementation. Monitoring of this scheme will be measured as part of our usual monitoring processes. Our Publications Unit is currently responsible for monitoring our contracts for written translation services.
Key staff will be briefed on their responsibilities under the scheme through a number of awareness sessions. These staff will also be issued with a copy of the final scheme. All Heads of Divisions will be made aware that new staff should be trained in the policy and scheme.
All staff will be kept informed of the contents of the scheme and their responsibilities in contributing to its implementation in respect of the Welsh Language Act. This will be done by suitable training for those who will need to implement Welsh language measures and this will be backed up by general information and guidance on linguistic sensitivity for all staff in the departmental journal and on the Intranet site.
The Commission has developed a Commission-wide Welsh language action plan to continue to develop our Welsh-language services and ensure we are acting according to the scheme in all areas of the Commission's work. It is led and monitored by the Wales Office.
We will continue to send a report to the Welsh Language Board each year (in an agreed format) detailing our progress against our plan for implementation. It will also record the feedback we have had, both positive and negative.
Details of our performance against targets set will be recorded in our Annual Report to Parliament, and included in our Report to the Welsh Language Board.
6.4. Monitoring
We will monitor progress with this scheme regularly and will prepare an annual report which assesses our performance in implementing the scheme. If we have failed to meet any of our commitments, we will explain why and outline the action we have taken to put things right. Our current monitoring of Customer Service targets will encompass compliance with the scheme and delivery of services through the medium of Welsh. Internal monitoring of the Commission's compliance with, and progress against, the scheme will, in the main, be the responsibility of the Head of the Wales Office. The following aspects of the scheme will be monitored:
- Forward planning and procurement: awareness of the implications for services to Welsh-speaking customers will form an integral part of the Commission's forward planning. We will ensure that new policies, procedures and publications will be compatible with the delivery of bilingual services on a basis of equality.
- Organising and delivering services: we will monitor the arrangements made to deliver our services in Welsh, and their effectiveness, and also how well we encourage and facilitate the use of Welsh by other parties.
- Dealing with the Welsh speaking public: target times for Welsh correspondence will continue to be the same as those for English correspondence; the quality of translation and interpretation services, and the effectiveness of bilingual facilities at meetings will be monitored where used.
- The organisation's public face: the Commission's corporate image will be monitored, including the use of bilingual publications, forms, signs, notices and other published material.
- Staffing: the implementation of the staffing and training measures set out in the scheme will be monitored.
- Agents and contractors: the provision and administration of services by our agents and contractors will be monitored to ensure compliance with the Welsh language requirements of their agreements or arrangements.
- Timetable: we will monitor achievement against the timetable set out in Section 7 of this scheme.
- Grievances: the number and nature of complaints about the Commission's Welsh language service will be monitored.
Responsibility for implementing and monitoring the scheme will rest with the Head of our Wales Office, reporting to our Director of Charity Services and to our Director of Policy and Effectiveness. The main contact for the scheme will be the Head of the Wales Office, 8th Floor, Clarence House, Clarence Place, Newport, South Wales NP19 7AA.
Monitoring of the scheme will be a structured and continuing activity, which will also extend to those who provide or administer services on our behalf. We will:
- periodically conduct opinion surveys to test the views of Welsh-speaking service users about the range and quality of our Welsh language services;
- deal with grievances regarding the scheme as part of our general complaints procedure;
- welcome and record suggestions for improvements, and advise the public how they should make their views known and how they will be dealt with;
- provide the Welsh Language Board with an annual report in a form approved by them, which describes progress in implementing the measures in the scheme against the approved timetable and standards, and which analyses the number and nature of any complaints and suggestions received from the public.
In the third year of scheme implementation, the Commission will prepare a comprehensive evaluation report that will look at performance in implementing the scheme over the 3 year period. In order to review and update its Welsh Language Scheme and thus receive approval for the subsequent period of implementation, this report will:
- provide an overview and thematic analysis of performance and compliance with the scheme over the 3 years, both in terms of service delivery and scheme management; and
- outline the Commission's main priorities for the following 3 years, along with a revised timetable for the implementation of the measures in the scheme.
Many of these measures (for instance a suitable complaints procedure) are already in place. Steps will be put in place to task individuals with overall responsibility for ensuring that the remaining monitoring measures are implemented. Additionally, data will be kept by the appropriate functional areas of the Commission on the level of demand for Welsh language services, the amount spent on translation, and complaints received about services to Welsh-speaking customers, and this will form the basis of regular reports to the Wales Office.
6.5. Services delivered on behalf of the Commission by other parties
Where we contract with other people to provide services to the public in Wales, we will require them to comply with this scheme. Copies of the scheme and details of monitoring the terms of the contract will be supplied to each service provider.
6.6. Complaints
The Commission is committed to reflecting diversity in all of our work with our customers. We wish to ensure that the full range of our services is accessible and relevant to all our customers regardless of their background or individual experiences. All of our customers are entitled to a fair and consistent standard of service.
The Commission's definition of a complaint is "an expression of dissatisfaction about the standards of service, action or lack of action, by the Commission or its staff, which an individual customer or group of customers claim has affected him, her, or them".
Complaints relating to the Welsh language service and failures to implement the scheme form part of the Commission's Complaints procedure.
Sensitivity to the specific needs of our customers has been built into the new Complaints and Customer Feedback procedure:
- we will tailor our approaches to customers and, wherever possible, will respond in ways that reflects their diversity and culture and takes into account any special needs they may have;
- we will offer our customers a range of channels through which to communicate with us, including written correspondence, email, telephone and Typetalk / Texbox;
- we can provide the procedures in a number of formats including Braille, large print or in audio format;
- we provide a Welsh language version; and
- we will seek specialist advice to support our responses if needed.
There are three stages to our Complaints procedure which seeks to resolve complaints at the earliest possible stage:
- Stage One - Local Resolution where an officer from the original business teams - one who is senior to the original case worker, and who has no previous involvement in the case - investigates the complaints.
- Stage Two - Customer Service Manager where a member of the Commission's arm's length complaint handling team investigate the complaint.
- External - Independent Complaints Reviewer where an external complaint investigator reviews the Commission's standard of administration.
As the majority of Welsh language queries are allocated to the Wales Office, complaints relating to the Welsh language service and failures to implement the scheme are generally dealt with by the Wales Office. Such complaints are logged and recorded separately and any significant issues on Welsh language matters are shared with the Welsh Language Board.
If the complainant remains dissatisfied, then Customer Service will decide whether the complaint is about the standard of service received or about the outcome of the Commission's case work. Complaints in each of these categories are dealt with through different procedures.
Standardised information about complaints will be reported to each relevant business team at the end of each quarter with a more in-depth report issued at the end of each financial year.
Complaints should be addressed to our central reception address: Charity Commission Direct, PO Box 1227, Liverpool, L69 3UG.
6.7. Publicising the scheme
As well as publicising it among our own employees, the Commission will raise public awareness of the scheme initially through our website, and through a press release targeted at Welsh language media. Copies will also be sent by email to our main stakeholders in Wales. Once it has been published, our website and all our publications will carry a message notifying readers of the existence of the scheme, briefly what it covers, where they can see a copy and who to contact about it.
7. Welsh Language Indicators and timetable for implementation
The timetable of this scheme will formally take effect within 3 months of receiving the endorsement of the Welsh Language Board. This period will allow internal instructions and information on the scheme to be prepared and disseminated to staff.
To measure performance under the scheme, we will report on the following Welsh Language Indicators as part of our annual report to the Welsh Language Board (Table 1).
Table 2 sets out the particular elements of the scheme to be achieved by a specific target date. We will report on performance against these targets each year as part of our annual report to the Welsh Language Board.
7.1 Table 1: Welsh language indicators
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Welsh Language Indicator
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Monitoring
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Responsibility
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Number of posts advertised for which Welsh was specified as a desirable or essential skills and the number filled by Welsh speakers.
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Commission wide
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Operational divisions
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Number of complaints received regarding the implementation of the language scheme and % of these dealt with according to organisation's standards.
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Commission wide
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Wales Office
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Number and % of Welsh language telephone calls received
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Commission wide
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Commission wide
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Number and % of Welsh language emails received
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Commission wide
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Charity Commission Direct and Wales Office
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Number and % of Welsh language letters received
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Commission wide
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Charity Commission Direct and Wales Office
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Number of online Welsh language PDFs received
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Registration and Charity Information
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Registration and Charity Information
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Number and % of cases dealt with in Welsh or bilingually
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Commission wide
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Wales Office
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Number and % of page views of Welsh language website
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Publications
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Publications
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Number and % of Welsh language Applications to Register received
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Registration
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Registration
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7.2 Table 2: Timetable for implementation of objectives
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Objective
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Responsibility
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Target date for implementation
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Charity database replacement
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IS Division
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Spring/Sumer 2010
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Language awareness training
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Wales Office
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Within 6 months of approval
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Distribution of scheme and guidance to staff and availability to Public
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Publications Unit
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Within 3 months of approval
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Monitor level of staff language skills
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Commission wide
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Ongoing
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Simultaneous release of core guidance in English and Welsh
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Publications Unit
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Ongoing
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Maintain bilingual facility on core pages of website and ensure that any new developments include bilingual provision as part of the considerations in the specifications
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External Communications
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Ongoing
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Press releases and articles in Welsh to Welsh media
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Wales Office and Press Office / External Communications
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Ongoing
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Publicising Welsh language scheme and Welsh language services
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Wales Office
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Ongoing
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Provide an option for registered charities to update their language preference
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Information Compliance / Wales Office
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Within 1 year of approval
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Bilingual out of office auto-reply from Wales Office staff
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Wales Office
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Within 3 months of approval
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Guidance to staff on dealing with Welsh language calls
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Commission wide
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Within 6 months of approval
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Improve Welsh-language online Annual Return PDF
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Information Compliance and Wales Office
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Within 1 year of approval
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Survey the opinion of Welsh speakers on Welsh language services
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Wales Office
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Within 1 year of approval
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Provide guidelines for contractors on the requirements of the Language Scheme where we contract with other people to provide services to the public in Wales and include specific references within 3rd party contracts and agreements to require full compliance with the relevant parts of the Scheme
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Procurement
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Ongoing
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Monitor the implementation of the Scheme against the implementation timetable
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Wales Office
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Quarterly
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