To receive a presentation by the Senior Business Manager on the progress
of the More than Just Words Task Group.
Minutes:
A presentation was given by
the Senior Business Manager regarding the progress of the More Than Just Words
Task Group, with reference to:-
·
The background to Welsh Government's strategic
framework for Welsh-language services in Health, Social Services and Social
Care and the current consultation on a follow-on strategic framework which
would be a stronger foundation to empower the fields of care and health to
implement the strategy.
·
The work and findings of the Task Group and the steps
taken in response to that. It was
explained that the Task Group had not met since May 2015 as it had been waiting
for the new Language Standards in order to obtain clarity, but that the group
needed to reconvene now. It was also noted that there was a need to review the
membership of the Task Group in order to ensure that it was current.
·
Examples of good work underway in the community.
·
The need to change the monitoring procedure as only
two officers were monitoring over 60-70 homes and 100 home carers.
·
Technological developments in the field, such as a new
information technology system which recorded client information and machine
translation in the field of health and care.
·
The idea of sharing resources in terms of workers with
other councils and to see More Than Just Words being dispersed further afield.
Members were given an opportunity to ask questions and
make observations. The following was discussed:-
·
The need to give
priority to addressing the need in Gwynedd for Welsh-speaking carers, or any
carers, by establishing a collaboration scheme with schools and colleges over
several years. It was noted, nevertheless, that there was much to take pride in
in Gwynedd and that this momentum needed to be maintained.
·
The need to have an
input on a corporate level to the work of the Task Group. It was noted that
there was much activity in the field on a local and regional level; however
there was no scheme in place in order to respond to the problem.
·
The need to respond
to the consultation on the follow-on strategic framework. It was noted that the
basic principles within it were very firm, but that it was the implementation
that was a problem. The Member and Scrutiny Support Officer was asked to send a
link to the document to the members and the Senior Business Manager urged
everyone to take the time to read the document and respond to it by the closing
date of 28 February.
RESOLVED
(a)
To ask the Cabinet Member for the Welsh Language, jointly with the
Cabinet Member for Care, to have a discussion with Morwena Edwards, Corporate
Director, who leads on this project, in order to see how More Than Just Words
could be tied-in to any other strategy that the Council has to provide in the
care field, consider what the Task Group has done to date and what it needs to
do and to submit a report to this committee.
(b)
That the members submit any observations on the follow-on strategic
framework for the attention of the Senior Business Manager before 28 February.
The Senior Business Manager was thanked for the
presentation and for the discussion.