Agenda item

To consider the report.

To accept the report, noting the observations received during the discussion.

The report was presented by the Head of the Adults Department and the Team Leader of the Leadership Team's Workforce Support. Attention was drawn to the following main points:

There was pride that the Departments are committed and persevering to promote the Welsh language as a living and active language in all aspects of their work. It was detailed that the 'More than Just Words' strategy (Strategic Framework for Welsh in Health, Social Services and Social Care) was central to the work of the Departments, to ensure that the proactive delivery of services in Welsh is realised in practice across the services.

It was reported that the Departments offer key resources to support the Welsh language. Attention was drawn to the new PERCCI (Person-Centred Community Care Inventory) data collection system. It was explained that it was a questionnaire designed for individuals with experience of receiving care, and it was confirmed that a Welsh version was available and it would be shared with service users shortly.

Reference was made to the 'Helpu'n Hun' app, which had been recently announced. It was detailed that it was software that provides a virtual occupational therapist service to enable individuals and families to receive advice on the ways in which they could try to support themselves from day-to-day.

An update was given that new Telecare equipment had been presented, and it was confirmed that the technology was now in Welsh. Members were reminded that the service was a means for individuals to call for help at any time, by touching a button or by activating a series of sensors that had been installed in the home.

It was confirmed that 'Beam Notes' had recently been trialled within the services. It was noted that this was mobile software that listens to conversations compiling minutes and a summary of the conversation. It was noted that feedback from the trial indicated that it was successful as the quality of the documentation was good. It was elaborated that the software was now being shared more widely across the Departments to reduce the administrative burden and pressure.

Pride was expressed that the Adults Department had introduced a resource to support front-line care workers in care homes to provide Welsh lessons, refresh the language and build confidence. It was reported that this resource would be available until the end of March 2027, but it was hoped that arrangements can continue in the future. Similarly, it was explained that the Department was working with Bangor University on the ARFer project, to look at how the language practices of workforce teams can be influenced, and that a befriending scheme was taking place among staff to promote the use of the Welsh language and increase confidence.

During the discussion, the following observations were made:- 

Pride was expressed that the provision of the Flying Start service within the Children and Supporting Families Department had recently been expanded. In response to an enquiry about venues that offer the service bilingually rather than just in Welsh, the Executive Officer explained that there were two locations that communicate in English in some cases while the families familiarise themselves with the service. ⁠ It was confirmed that this was required as the families do not necessarily have Welsh language skills. However, it was ensured that these services convert to Welsh once the child has become familiar with Welsh and can communicate bilingually. It was assured that the Department will confirm with Members the further reasons as to why those locations are being designated as bilingual sites and to highlight this in future reports.

In response to an enquiry on the work of the Family Support Team in the field of Language Development, the Executive Officer explained that the service operated across the County, resulting in a positive impact on Gwynedd children and families. It was elaborated that the team operated by responding to requests for additional support from individual families rather than just childcare provision. It was confirmed that the Department will report back to Members on specific data about the Team.

A comment was received that it would be beneficial for the Departments' report to compare statistics over a number of years to see if any linguistic trends arise. The details of the data were given which confirmed that 41% of children aged 3 and over had chosen Welsh as their language of choice, and also data which indicated that 74% of enquiries to the Family Information team had chosen to receive correspondence through the medium of Welsh. In response to the comments, the Executive Officer confirmed that the data could be collected to show trends over time in the future report. Furthermore, the Executive Assistant Head noted that 41% of children choose Welsh as their preferred language because Welsh, English and families who have moved here from beyond Britain use the services and it was not a reflection of the proactive Welsh language service offer that the Department provides. It was stressed that the employees speak Welsh with the child, even if the parents are non-Welsh, if they feel that it is effective for their development. It was elaborated that staff and families were happy to change the language of communication to Welsh, once support provision had commenced, where this was possible.

In response to a request for data on the Adults Department's choice of service language, the Head of Department confirmed that plans were in place to strengthen how language data was recorded. Further details were given that these procedures were being strengthened with the new Mosaic system (child and adult care case management system) as all case information were recorded there.

In response to a query on the impact of the Adults Department's projects on the Welsh language, the Head of the Department explained that collecting data for specific projects was challenging. However, it was noted that the More than Just Words group would consider measures to try to assess the linguistic impact of the Departments' projects on the residents of Gwynedd. It was considered that this could include good news stories and could be data-specific in the future. It was expanded that the More than Just Words group ensures that all members of staff proactively offer Welsh-medium services across the Departments. Reference was made to a series of videos produced to encourage everyone to start any conversation through the medium of Welsh.

In response to an enquiry, pride was expressed that the first series of the Welsh language podcast 'Mam, Dad a Magu' had been a great success, and it was noted that it was hoped that a second series can be made in the future. It was explained that arrangements were in place to consult with families to find out what topics they would like the podcast to cover.

It was pointed out that the Departments had stated in their report to the Language Committee in 2025, that they were working with Coleg Meirion Dwyfor to spark interest within the care area in an attempt to recruit members of staff. In response to an enquiry for an update on this scheme, the Head of the Adults Department confirmed that the relationship with Coleg Meirion Dwyfor continues. It was pointed out that the Care Academy was now in its second year and pride was expressed that individuals had been recruited to it and that individuals were confident that careers were available within the field of care and were proud that they could work through the medium of Welsh.

In response to an enquiry, the Head of the Adults Department confirmed that recruitment challenges remained, noting that it was an increasing challenge as current staff members reach retirement age. It was confirmed that a working group had been established in conjunction with health services, the Children and Supporting Families Department and the Adults Department with the support of the human resources service to attract more people to a career in care. It was noted that this working group sought to respond to statistics that indicate that fewer individuals are completing courses in the field. Furthermore, it was noted that the Departments had been successful in developing the skills of staff by encouraging and allowing time to complete courses within working hours, allowing people to remain within the County. Similarly, it was confirmed that the Departments had managed to appoint staff as they studied in the field of care, confirming that they would be eligible to work within a year. It was noted that those members of staff possessed Welsh language skills and were local to the area.

RESOLVED

To accept the report, noting the observations received during the discussion.