Welsh Language Standards
The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 introduced the Welsh Language Standards. Powys County Council has been implementing these since 2016, and they are relevant to all teams within all services.
The Standards explain how the Council is required to provide services in Welsh, to consider the impact of proposals and decisions on the Welsh language, and promote and provide more opportunities for people to use the Welsh language in Powys.
The two guiding principles to the Welsh Language Measure are that:
- The Welsh language should be treated no less favourably than the English language.
- People living in Wales should be able to live their lives through the medium of Welsh if they choose to do so.
And the Welsh Language Standards are designed to:
- Give organisations greater clarity on their Welsh language duties.
- Give Welsh speakers more clarity about the services they can expect to receive in Welsh.
- Ensure greater consistency and improve quality of Welsh language services.
The Welsh Language Standards Compliance Notices outlines the duties placed upon the Council, and is split into 5 sections as follows:
- Service Delivery - e.g. services by telephone, using the Welsh language in meetings, the Council's reception areas, letters and documents, on-line services.
- Policy Making - assessing the impact of the Council's policies and decisions on opportunities to use the Welsh language and not treating Welsh less favourably than English, and considering ways of changing the policies and decisions to get a better outcome for the Welsh language.
- Operational - e.g. ensuring that information and internal procedures are available to staff in Welsh, and that resources and training are provided to help staff work in Welsh. Ensuring staff have the skills required to be able to provide services in Welsh.
- Promotion - to produce a strategy on how the Council will promote the Welsh language and facilitate its use in the area.
- Record Keeping - the records the Council will need to keep in relation to the Standards.
In line with the Welsh Language Standards, we must produce and publish a policy on awarding grants. Through this policy we consider what effects (positive or negative) awarding a grant would have on opportunities for people to use the language and not treat Welsh any less favourably than English.
We consider how awarding a grant could have positive effects, or more positive effects on the Welsh Language and ensure any grant does not have a negative effect.
Sometimes we need to ask applicants for additional information to help us assess what effects awarding a grant would have on the Welsh Language.
Policy on Awarding Grants (PDF) [176KB]
Welsh Language Standards Compliance Notice
The full list of Standards the Council must comply with is included in the Welsh Language Standards Compliance Notice (PDF) [383KB].
This document shows how we intend to comply with the Welsh Language Standards Intention to Comply Document (PDF) [221KB]
Overseeing how we comply with the Welsh Language Standards
Welsh Language Standards Annual Report
Welsh Language Standards Annual Report 2023 (PDF) [357KB]
Our Policy on Using Welsh Internally
Our policy on using Welsh internally for the purpose of promoting and facilitating the use of Welsh.
Internal use of Welsh policy (PDF) [89KB]
If you would like to make a complaint relating to the council's compliance with the Welsh Language Standards or a failure on the council's part to provide a bilingual service, please use the council's complaints procedure on our Comments, Compliments and Complaints page.
You also have a right to direct any complaints relating to the Welsh language to the Welsh Language Commissioner.