Compliance with Welsh Language Standards | Cardiff Metropolitan University

Compliance with Welsh Language Standards

How can we ensure that we comply with the Welsh Language Standards?

We have legislation in Wales to protect, promote and facilitate Welsh. The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 created the Welsh Language Standards. These give people the right to receive services from Cardiff Met through the medium of Welsh and make sure that Welsh isn’t treated less favourably than English.

People should be able to use Welsh as part of their everyday lives. They should have the same experiences as English speakers. The Welsh should be just as visible and accessible as the English.

Below is a table created by the Welsh Language Unit to help academic schools and professional services meet the requirements of the standards. Please ensure that the following actions are being completed by your academic school/professional service.

Objective	Action(s)
Bilingual electronic signatures and out of office messages	Please ensure that all staff have a bilingual version of their electronic signatures and out of office messages. Full guidance and step-by-step instructions are available on the Help with Welsh page on InSite.
All staff to answer the telephone bilingually	Academic schools and professional services can contact the Welsh Language Unit to arrange training.
Raising awareness of the Welsh Language Standards	Staff in all academic schools and professional services need to be aware of the requirements of the Welsh Language Standards by completing the mandatory e-module on The Welsh Language and Culture at Cardiff Met. Teams can also contact the Welsh Language Unit to arrange a face-to-face Welsh Language Awareness session.
Creating bilingual forms	All forms available to students, members of the public and external organisations should be bilingual. This includes forms in both electronic format (e.g. those on the website and intranet) and hard copies. Both languages should be equally accessible and visible. If there are separate Welsh and English versions, the English version must clearly state that a Welsh version is available. The language toggle can be used to make this clear on electronic forms, but otherwise, please use the bilingual text below: Mae’r ffurflen hon hefyd ar gael yn Gymraeg / This form is also available in Welsh Staff forms relating to some areas need to be produced bilingually. Please see table at the end of this document.
Sending correspondence	Contacting a student or someone external The first time you correspond with them, (or in the case of a registered student, to two individuals who are members of the same household - for example, the parents) please do that bilingually and ask them whether they’d like to correspond with you in Welsh, English or bilingually. We should keep a record of their choice and then carry on contacting them in their language(s) of choice. Since staff change over time, please re-check the language preference from time to time. You can correspond in English only with Welsh-speaking students when it’s about courses or parts of courses which are delivered in English. In correspondence, publications and notices that invite responses, we must include the following bilingual statement: Mae Met Caerdydd yn croesawu gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg a Saesneg a byddwn yn sicrhau ein bod yn cyfathrebu â chi yn eich dewis iaith boed yn Gymraeg, yn Saesneg neu'n ddwyieithog dim ond i chi roi gwybod i ni pa un sydd well gennych. Ni fydd gohebu yn Gymraeg yn creu unrhyw oedi. Cardiff Met welcomes correspondence in English and Welsh and we will ensure that we communicate with you in the language of your choice, whether that's English, Welsh or bilingual as long as you let us know which you prefer. Corresponding in Welsh will not lead to any delay. If you receive Welsh correspondence, remember to answer in Welsh -this includes automatic messages as well as the subsequent reply (or replies). Full guidance and step-by-step instructions are available on the Help with Welsh page on InSite. Contacting staff Only correspondence (e.g. e-mails and Teams messages) sent to all members of staff across the whole university needs to be bilingual. The Welsh text should be positioned to the left or above the English text so it’s likely to be read first.
Producing materials displayed in public bilingually	Please ensure that all materials that the University displays in public (including pull-ups, posters and merchandise) are produced bilingually.
Producing publicity and advertising materials bilingually	Please ensure that all publicity and advertising materials (including brochures, leaflets, any marketing, exhibition and advertising campaigns, posters and press releases) displayed or any materials sent to students or externally, are produced bilingually.
Creating bilingual documents	All documents available to students, members of the public and external organisations (including circulars, certificates, licences, procedures, rules and regulations) should be bilingual. This includes documents in both electronic format (e.g. those on our website and intranet) and hard copies. Both languages should be equally accessible and visible. If there are separate Welsh and English versions, the English version must clearly state that a Welsh version is available - please use the bilingual text below: Mae’r ddogfen hon hefyd ar gael yn Gymraeg / This document is also available in Welsh Documents relating to academic provision that isn’t available in Welsh can be in English only. Staff documents relating to some areas need to be produced bilingually. Please see table at the end of this document.
Bilingual signs and notices	All new signs and notices - including temporary ones - should be displayed bilingually. This also applies to any signs being reissued or renewed. The Welsh text should be positioned to the left or above the English text so it’s likely to be read first.
Bilingual on-line services	Apps The MyCardiffMet, Cardiff Met Sport and Met Rewards apps as well as all new apps produced by, or on behalf of the University should be available bilingually and be fully functional in Welsh (everything must work). Programmes The University’s Virtual Learning Sites (Moodle, Met Connect and Mahara) should be available bilingually. This doesn’t include text relating to provision delivered only in English.
Bilingual social media	The University’s corporate level accounts, as well as those operating at an academic school/professional service level must be maintained bilingually.* Any additional accounts established below this level can operate in English only. * This does not include in any LinkedIn accounts. Common phrases for social media are available on the Help with Welsh page on InSite.
Bilingual website	All content on the Welsh and English version of the website must be the same (including current, new and amended pages as well as documentation).* Both languages should be updated at the same time, to ensure that the Welsh isn’t being treated less favourably than the English. The Welsh language content must be fully functional (everything must work). We should clearly state on the English page that it’s also available in Welsh and provide a direct link to the Welsh page on the corresponding English page. We should also provide the same interface and menus on every page whether they are in Welsh or English. * The only exception is information which targets international students only.
Bilingual intranet	The text of each page and all related content for students (MetCentral, MetHub and the Doctoral Academy) should be available bilingually and be fully functional in Welsh, unless specifically targeting only an international audience. The text of each page and all related content for staff (InSite) should be bilingual. Unless noted in another standard (e.g. some specific forms and documents - see table at the end of this document), any content stored behind a firewall, i.e. which is available to some members of staff rather than all staff, can be in English only. We should clearly state on the English page that it’s also available in Welsh and provide a direct link to the Welsh page on the corresponding English page. We should also provide the interface and menus on every page in Welsh.
Maintaining Welsh services	Please ensure that all Welsh language services are treated no less favourably that the English ones by ensuring that: they are made readily available to staff, students and the public both languages mirror one another and that the Welsh is maintained, amended and updated alongside the English.
Monitoring usage of Welsh documentation and services	Please ensure that a record is kept of all those that request documentation or services in Welsh.

These are the staff forms and documents which must be produced bilingually:

Staff Forms	Staff Documents
Annual leave Absences from work Flexible working hours Staff development Performance management Complaints and disciplinary procedures Induction Health and safety	Contract of Employment Correspondence relating to employment Performance objectives Career plan Training needs or requirements Performance management Absence from work Behaviour in the workplace Health and wellbeing at work Working patterns or conditions Salaries or workplace benefits

Staff, students and members of the public who speak Welsh should be able to live their lives through the medium of Welsh, so these services are really important.

Ensuring bilingual services of a high standard is easy as long as you forward plan and consider Welsh from the very beginning. Remember that help is available from the Translation Team, which also offers a proofreading service. Guidance is available on the Translation Service’s page on InSite. Please send content which is seen around the campuses for proofreading after any design work for final checking before the material is produced.

If you have any questions, please contact the Welsh Language Unit.