Information for employers

The ‘active offer’ means providing a service in Welsh without having to ask for it. Welsh language services should be as available to users in the same way as English language services.

Actively offering Welsh language services makes sure that people’s needs are understood and met and that those who access care services can rely on being treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.

Not actively offering Welsh language services may result in people’s dignity and respect being compromised.

You can find more in the 'active offer' information pack.

In this clip we hear from key workers and people who use services at Antur Waunfawr, who talk about why speaking Welsh is important to them, and what difference this makes.

Assessing and recording your staff’s Welsh language skills

This resource will support you to assess your staff’s Welsh language skills based on the types of communication tasks (reading, writing, speaking, and understanding) which your workforce are able to undertake in Welsh.

Within this resource you will find a Language Skills Framework that will enable you to be clear about the exact skills levels that you need to refer to when assessing, recruiting and planning the use of your staff’s communication skills.

The Welsh Language Skills in your workforce – using them effectively resource has been designed to support deliver the requirements of 'More than Just Words' by helping employers and managers identify what Welsh language skills their workforce have.

This resource includes a self-assessment that works out people’s skills in speaking, writing and reading Welsh from a basic to fluent. All levels are important and much needed in the social care sector in Wales.

We’ve also created a version for the early years and childcare sector that’s based on the principles of ‘More than just words’.

These packs helps make effective use of language skills as you would with any other workplace skill, for the benefit and well-being of people who use your services.

Our 'train the trainer’ resource supports language awareness training for people working in health and social care, early years and childcare and for people who are in further or higher education.

The resource aims to:

• help the trainer to teach language awareness while encouraging discussions on how best to work bilingually
• educate and empower learners and workers about how to offer a valuable service, making sure that language is always a consideration
• be used as part of in-service training or induction for people working in social care in Wales.

This resource is in PowerPoint format with trainer notes to support each slide. Contact us if you can't download the presentation.

This module is for workers and students in the social care and early years and childcare sector who wish to learn more about Welsh language, culture and working bilingually.

It includes information about the Welsh language and bilingualism, what the law says, and what we must do and why.

The module also looks at the practicalities of working bilingually and what this means to people who use services. There's also information about what you can do to improve the experiences of individuals or children who receive care and support.

The module takes around 30 minutes to complete and if you're registered with us, it counts towards your continuous professional development (one hour).

Everyone who completes the module will receive a certificate.

Work Welsh is a free online course for beginners that’s tailored to people working in care. It covers topics such as how to have an initial face-to-face conversation in Welsh with the people you care for.

Camau | Learn Welsh by The National Centre for Learning Welsh, is a fully funded online self-study course for beginners,

Sgiliaith (Grwp Llandrillo Menai) offers practical advice about good practice, staff training and resources to improve learners' bilingual skills and experiences.

Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol offers scholarships for undergraduate and postgraduate students to study higher education courses through the medium of Welsh. It has resources to support learners who have little or no Welsh skills with the new CCPLD and HSC qualifications. It also offers 'Prentis-iaith' courses for apprentices who have little or no Welsh language skills, and apprentices can complete part of their HSC/CCPLD qualification in Welsh.

Iaith Gwaith (working Welsh) scheme and the orange speech bubble badge is used to show if a person can speak Welsh.

More resources.

Social care workers in Wales can now use a free online tool to assess their Welsh language skills.

We’ve worked with the National Centre for Learning Welsh to develop a ‘Level Checker’ for the social care sector.

The Level Checker is an online assessment to help you find out your Welsh language level in the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. You complete a series of online assessments, and your results indicate your level of Welsh - from entry level through to proficient.

Anyone working in social care can use the Level Checker to assess their Welsh language ability. It’s free to use and available on mobiles, tablets and computers.

After completing the assessment, the next step for someone who is interested in improving their Welsh is to register for one of our free Camau Welsh language courses, which have been created especially for social care workers.

It offers bitesize, flexible learning that focuses on the Welsh words and phrases workers are most likely to need when they’re communicating with the people they support.

It counts towards registered social care workers’ continuous professional development and everyone who completes it will receive a certificate.

Contact us

If you have a question or if you can't find what you are looking for get in touch with us.

More information can be found on our Welsh language offer.