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Agenda item

Annual update on progress made with meeting the objectives within the Welsh Language Standards Five Year Strategy

Minutes:

The Consultation, Engagement and Equalities Manager presented a report which updated the Committee on the work undertaken to meet the objectives within the Welsh Language Standards Five Year Strategy (2016 to 2021), during the fourth year since its introduction.

 

She explained that the councils final compliance notice from the Welsh Language Commissioner included two standards (145 and 146) that required the council have produced and published a Five Year Strategy by 30 September. The strategy was attached at Appendix 1 of the report and set out how the Council promotes the Welsh Language and facilitates its use in Bridgend County Borough.

 

The Consultation, Engagement and Equalities Manager explained it was agreed that the strategy be split into two sections, section one to address the employees, and section two for the public. Further details on the objectives for these sections were at 3.3 of the report.

 

The Consultation, Engagement and Equalities Manager outlined what developments have occurred in the last 12 months. She explained that Officers attended the launch event for the ‘Closing the Gap’ Welsh Language Commissioner assurance report on 15 September 2020. This was the sixth assurance report published by the Commissioner. The report addressed the issues on which organisations need to take action over the coming months. It included evidence on:

 

  • organisations’ performance in providing Welsh language services and encouraging people to use them

 

  • compliance arrangements – what organisations do to ensure their provision is compliant

 

  • workforce capacity – ensuring that there are enough Welsh speakers in the right roles

 

  • promoting the Welsh language – contributing to the future of the Welsh language by considering the impact of policy and grant decisions on the language

 

  • implementing Welsh language promotion strategies.

 

A copy of the concise version of the report was at Appendix 2 (Welsh) and 3 (English).

 

The Consultation, Engagement and Equalities Manager explained that following the Welsh Government consultation seeking views on the draft Welsh in Education Strategic Plans (Wales) Regulations 2019 and Guidance, new regulations came into force at the end of January 2020, with the guidance published in February 2020. WESPs would become 10-year rather than 3-year plans and annual work plans and progress reports will be required. Further information was at section 4.1 of the report.

 

The Consultation, Engagement and Equalities Manager outlined the employee developments which set out to:

 

  • identify the capacity in service areas to deliver services in Welsh
  • provide appropriate learning and development solutions at various levels to meet identified needs within budget allocation.
  • Establish arrangements in recruiting to positions where Welsh language skills are essential

 

Details on these developments were at 4.2 of the report.

 

The Consultation, Engagement and Equalities Manager outlined the public developments which set out to raise the profile of the Welsh language, culture and local activities and events organised by the council and our partners in a structured way, as well as Increase promotion and awareness of the council’s Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP) particularly in relation to objectives one, two and four of the WESP plan. Details on these developments were at section 4.3 of the report.

 

The Group Manager – School Support outlined the £2.6m Capital Grant plans for the provision of four early years settings to feed current Welsh-medium primary schools in Bridgend and any future provision. She added that work had been undertaken to promote welsh language education to new parents also in hopes to provide them with benefits of undertaking the welsh language at home and the benefits for their child to be bilingual.

 

The Group Manager – School Support outlined the progress on Outcome 1: More seven-year-old children being taught through the medium of Welsh. She stated that Pupil level annual school census (PLASC) data was the current method of monitoring this data as opposed to the date of birth data previously used. She presented a table which indicated the number of 7-8 year olds since 2016 who undertook welsh language education. Further details on objective 2 and outcome 1 were at 4.3 of the report.

 

The Group Manager – School Support explained that the admissions team had indicated that Ysgol Bro Ogwr was at capacity, therefore a number of pupils had not been admitted and joined an alternate school which may not have been a Welsh Medium school. This had resulted in a number of missed opportunities for more welsh medium pupils.

 

The Group Manager – School Support also provided figures on the progress on Outcome 2: More learners continuing to improve their language

skills on transfer from primary to secondary school as well as pupils taking Welsh as a GCSE and/or A-level subject. These figures were included in the report at 4.3.

 

The Consultation, Engagement and Equalities Manager explained the current situation surround the public and measuring success in terms of percentage of Welsh speakers in Bridgend County Borough as well as measuring the success of individual activities undertaken which aim to maintain the numbers of Welsh speakers. The three objectives and the methods of measuring their success were listed at section 3 of the report.

 

A Member commented that there are a number of nurseries that are attached to a school and there are some welsh medium nurseries that were not. He asked if there was any work being done to ensure the availability of children continuing on to welsh medium primary schools after nursery and was there a particular trend of children who dropped off from welsh medium education.

 

The Group Manager – School Support stated that in the past there were patterns in regards to children not continuing welsh medium education but that did not seem to be a major issue now and the drop offs from welsh medium education was consistent among all welsh medium schools, although higher than we would like.

 

She added that the Headteacher of Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Llangynwyd was very proactive and visited primary schools to work with parents to establish a clear line of sight for their children.

 

She added that we had suggested the idea of an all through school, whereby children of ages 3-19 could go, which would help parents commit to welsh medium education for their children.

 

The Group Manager – School Support explained that the Early Years and Childcare team worked closely with closely with the non-maintained nurseries which had shown an improvement in the continued education of welsh medium over the past few years. She added that the work of the School modernisation programme to ensure more provision was in place was an important piece of work, as well as ensuring that the provision in place was of high quality.

 

A Member mentioned that on the strategy it stated ‘this document is available in Welsh’ but was written in English. He suggested that going forward, we include that sentence in Welsh.

 

The Leader asked what the effect of the opening of Ysgol Gynradd Calon y Cymoedd at its new location had on the Welsh Language uptake.

 

The Group Manager – School Support explained that it was consistent with previous years in terms of increased uptake of Welsh Medium Education when a new Welsh Medium school was opened.

 

The Cabinet Member Wellbeing and Future Generations commented that the annual assessment undertaken next year on the school would be interesting to see. She asked if there were any early indications on the effects of the pandemic on children regarding welsh medium education.

 

The Group Manager – School Support explained that the authority had been proactive in ensuring effective delivery of welsh language to children which had been particularly helpful for families where parents did not speak welsh. This was achieved with the help of multi-agency work.

 

The Cabinet Member Wellbeing and Future Generations asked for information regarding customer services and what a resident calling in to the authority with the aim to converse in welsh should expect.

The Group Manager – Transformation and Customer Services stated that there was a dedicated phone line for welsh speakers which historically customers would need to go through the English route before they could opt to speak in Welsh. This has now changed so that the main BCBC phone number asked whether the person would like to speak in English or Welsh, and directed them accordingly. In addition, there were 3 welsh speaking staff members employed in customer services. As the take-up was fairly low, these staff were also used for the English calls, but offered a call back service whereby if a Welsh speaker was unable to get through, they could leave a voicemail and they would be contacted back shortly after by the Welsh speaking staff member. He stated that there was no feedback from this service as of yet.

 

The Cabinet Member Wellbeing and Future Generations asked if there had been any ‘mystery shopping’ work being undertaken to see how the welsh services were being provided.

 

The Consultation, Engagement and Equalities Manager explained that this was something they pursued a while ago, but ultimately came across barriers and had not managed to undertake this work, but it was something they wished to continue by liaising with a number of Welsh Medium schools post Covid-19.

 

RESOLVED: That the Cabinet Committee Equalities received, considered

and noted the report

 

Supporting documents:

 

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