Support Pack for Language Officers
The role of Welsh Language Commissioner was created by the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 (‘the Measure’). Efa Gruffudd Jones has been the Commissioner since January 2023.
The Commissioner’s main statutory aim is to promote and facilitate the use of the Welsh language, and we want Wales to be a country where people can live their lives through the medium of Welsh.
In achieving this goal, the Measure requires the Commissioner to focus on:
- increasing the provision of Welsh-language services;
- increasing the use of those services; and
- increasing other opportunities for people to use the Welsh language.
The Measure also gives the Welsh language official status in Wales and establishes the principle that the Welsh language should not be treated less favourably than the English language.
The Measure enables us to do a number of things to promote and facilitate the use of the Welsh language, including:
- imposing and enforcing duties through the Welsh language standards
- sharing successful practices
- compiling and publishing reports and carry out other research or commissions
- carrying out, or commission others to carry out, educational activities
- making comments or giving advice to anyone, including making written recommendations to Welsh Ministers
- conducting a statutory inquiry in a particular area
The Measure introduced arrangements to transfer the functions relating to Welsh language plans to the Commissioner. Public organisations that are not yet subject to the standards continue to operate language plans under the Welsh Language Act 1993. This Act established the principle that both the Welsh and English languages should be treated as equal languages in the conduct of public business and in the administration of justice in Wales.
Welsh language plans set out which services are provided through the medium of Welsh in accordance with this principle, and the Commissioner is responsible for regulating their implementation.
In practice, the Commissioner’s work can be described as operating across three interrelated areas:
- Regulation
- Promotion
- Influence and Communication
Regulatory: Responsible for setting a strategic direction for the Welsh Language Commissioner’s regulatory work, including imposing and enforcing duties on organisations to use the Welsh language.
Strategic: Responsible for leading the Commissioner’s work in the areas of policy, promotion, infrastructure, research and communications.
Governance and Corporate Services: Responsible for overseeing corporate governance, including risk management, data protection and compliance with legislative requirements, as well as human resources and finance.
As a language officer working for an organisation that either implements the Welsh language standards or a Welsh language plan, most of your contact with the Commissioner’s office will be with the Regulatory Directorate. The teams within the directorate are set out below:
- Imposition and Investigation Team
- Two Promoting Compliance Teams
Imposition and Investigation Team
The Imposition and Investigation Team is responsible for the statutory functions relating to the imposition of duties and dealing with potential failures to comply. This includes:
Imposing standards: the process of imposing standards on organisations that fall under certain Regulations. Further information on the process of imposing standards, along with the Regulations approved by Senedd Cymru, is available on our website.
Complaints Procedure: administering the Commissioner’s complaints and investigation procedure for the Standards regime and the language plans regime. More information about our complaints procedures can be found on our website.
Carrying out statutory investigations: investigate allegations of failure to comply with the Welsh language standards, as well as investigations under the Welsh Language Act 1993, in accordance with the Welsh Language Commissioner’s enforcement policy, which explains how and when investigations are conducted, and what action can be taken.
Prepare awards and recommendations: draw formal conclusions on the basis of investigations and make recommendations to the Commissioner regarding appropriate action.
Support enforcement: contribute to the formulation of directions, action plans, or proposals for civil sanctions when failure has been proven.
Promoting Compliance Teams
The two Promoting Compliance teams are the main point of contact for most organisations on a day-to-day basis. Broadly speaking, the role of the Promoting Compliance officers includes
- Promote understanding of the Welsh language standards or language plans among the organisations subject to them.
- Advise organisations on how to implement their duties in practice and provide guidance on good practice.
- Monitor compliance by gathering information, conducting surveys and identifying areas of risk.
- Supporting enforcement by raising concerns, work closely with the Imposition and Investigation Team, and help organisations to improve before formal action is needed.
- Develop and maintain firm relationships with organisations to support them in carrying out their language duties.
Promoting Compliance officers work to improve the performance of organisations as they provide services in Welsh, by monitoring and overseeing their compliance. In line with the principle of co-regulation, the Commissioner provides guidance and support to organisations in order to strengthen their compliance and improve the quality of Welsh language services offered to the public.
You can read more about the Commissioner’s Promoting Compliance Plan on our website.
Each Promoting Compliance officer has a portfolio of organisations, and each organisation that is subject to the Welsh Language Standards or has a Welsh Language Plan has a dedicated liaison officer within one of these teams.
If you don’t know who your liaison officer is, please contact us via email, post@cyg-wlc.cymru, or by calling 0345 6033 221, and your liaison officer will get in touch.
Once your liaison officer has contacted you, your details will be included on our contact list to ensure that you receive:
- invitations to relevant meetings, seminars and workshops; and
- a copy of the Commissioner’s stakeholder newsletter on a regular basis.
Previous editions of the newsletter are also available on our website.
Depending on the nature of your enquiry, you should contact the following officers:
- Questions about interpreting or implementing the Welsh language standards or a Welsh language plan: Please contact your liaison officer within the Promoting Compliance Teams.
- Questions about how to adopt a Welsh Language Plan or amend an existing plan: Please contact your liaison officer within the Promoting Compliance Teams.
- Questions about the process of implementing the Welsh language standards: Contact the Imposition and Investigation Team – ymchwiliadau@cyg-wlc.cymru
- Questions about the complaints procedure/inquiry process: Contact the Imposition and Investigation Team – ymchwiliadau@cyg-wlc.cymru
- Questions about an investigation into a suspected failure to comply with the Welsh Language Standards or a Welsh language plan: Contact the Imposition and Investigation Team – ymchwiliadau@cyg-wlc.cymru
- Policy, communications or research enquiries:
Contact the Strategic Directorate – post@cyg-wlc.cymru - Corporate, data or resource issues: Contact the Governance and Corporate Services Directorate – post@cyg-wlc.cymru
You can find out more about how to contact the Welsh Language Commissioner’s office on our website.
The Commissioner has a wide range of advice documents, guidelines and good practices to assist organisations to plan and provide Welsh language services to the public.
These resources offer:
- practical ideas on how to go about complying with statutory language duties
- guidance on promoting the use of the Welsh language within organisations
- support to improve the quality and consistency of Welsh language services
A list of the advice documents is available on our website.
Codes of practice help explain the requirements of the standards in a practical way and are published by the Commissioner to support organisations. Codes for regulations 1 and 7 have already been approved, while those for regulations 2, 4, 5 and 6 are awaiting the approval of the Welsh Ministers. These codes of practice can be found on our website.
In addition, the Commissioner supports organisations to learn from each other by collecting, sharing and promoting good practice that is in place across public organisations in Wales.
A series of case studies can be viewed on our website.
If your organisation has good practice that you would like to share, please contact your liaison officer to discuss this further.
Recruitment and assessing Welsh language skills
The Commissioner also provides advice and guidance on recruitment and assessing Welsh language skills.
In order to be able to offer high-standard bilingual services, organisations need to ensure that their workforce has the correct linguistic skills. A number of Welsh language standards place specific requirements on organisations:
- to consider the need for Welsh language skills when recruiting
- to assess and record staff’s Welsh language skills
Practical advice and resources on recruitment, workforce planning, and assessing Welsh language skills are available on our website.
Translation
The Welsh language standards and language plans mean that many organisations have a duty to provide services bilingually. Advice about translation and interpretation, as well as how to find a translator, is available on our website.
Promoting Compliance Plan
The Commissioner operates on the basis of co-regulation, emphasising guidance, support, and preventing failures wherever possible.
As part of this:
- a programme of events and sessions is held throughout the year;
- new resources and practical guidelines are developed; and
- the website’s Resource Portal is regularly updated.
Details of the latest plan will be available on our website.
- What if we can’t respond by a certain date?
If there is a problem with responding by a specific date, you should contact your liaison officer as soon as possible to discuss.
Note that the publication dates of Annual Reports on compliance with the Welsh Language Standards are specified in the relevant standards. Failure to publish a report within that timeframe constitutes non-compliance, and the Commissioner may consider taking appropriate action in response to that.
- What needs to be included in an annual report?
The Welsh Language Standards: The expected content is set out in the relevant standards in your compliance notice. Further guidance can be found in our advice document, Producing a Welsh language standards annual report, and Codes of practice, which are available on the Commissioner’s website.
Welsh Language Plans: Progress should be reported against the action plan, and any actions to be completed during the reporting year. A template is available – please contact your liaison officer to discuss.
- When does the annual report need to be published?
The Welsh Language Standards: Details of the annual report’s publication date are set out in the relevant standards in your compliance notice.
Welsh Language Plans: Normally, the reporting period runs from the date of approving the plan until 31 March. However, a different arrangement can be agreed by discussing with your liaison officer.
- Is it necessary to send a copy of the annual report to the Commissioner?
The Welsh Language Standards: There is no need to send a copy to the Commissioner, but you are welcome to do so. The report must be published on your website and ensure that a copy is available in each of your offices that are open to the public.
Welsh Language Plans: Yes, a copy of your annual report should be sent to your liaison officer by the agreed date.
- Why is it necessary to complete a self-assessment questionnaire every year?
The annual self-assessment is a key tool to ensure ongoing compliance, and supports the following:
Ongoing compliance monitoring: As activities, services and organisational structures change, the annual self-assessment enables organisations to regularly check that their arrangements continue to comply with the standards.
Identify risks and gaps: The questionnaire provides a systematic method of identifying areas where compliance may be weak or uncertain, creating an opportunity to address risks before they develop into cases of failure to comply.
Ensuring transparency and evidence: The information provided creates a clear record of the steps taken by the organisation to comply with the standards. This is important for internal and external accountability and provides evidence to the Welsh Language Commissioner of the arrangements in place.
Promote continuous improvement: By reviewing the arrangements annually, organisations can identify good practices, areas for improvement, and opportunities to strengthen the Welsh language provision for users and staff alike.
Support a consistent and fair regulatory regime: The annual requirement helps to ensure a consistent and systematic method of monitoring across all organisations that are subject to the same standards, strengthening coherence and fairness in the regulatory regime.
In short, the annual self-assessment is an important governance and quality tool that supports organisations to fulfill their statutory obligations effectively and sustainably.
- Where can I get Iaith Gwaith (Working Welsh) and Learner badges?
If you would like to order Iaith Gwaith badges for staff who can speak Welsh in your organisation, you can order them for free by filling in the order form.
- What are the requirements in terms of the supplementary standards?
The supplementary standards establish a procedure for reporting compliance. They require organisations to:
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- draw up and keep specific documents
- report on compliance
- provide information to the Commissioner when requested
Further details are available on page 135 of the Code of Practice for The Welsh Language Standards (No. 1) Regulations 2015
- Are third party services covered by the language standards/plans?
Yes. If a third party provides a service on behalf of an organisation that is under a language duty, the organisation must ensure that the third party complies with the relevant standards or clauses.
The organisations will be liable for any lack of compliance, and that can lead to enforcement action. Further details are available on page 13 of the Code of Practice for The Welsh Language Standards (No. 1) Regulations 2015.
- What should I do if I am aware of non-compliance?
- Log the problem
- Notify the relevant managers
- Correct the issue as soon as possible
- Review and amend processes if the problem is systemic
- Keep a full record of the actions taken
- Include the issue in the annual report
- Follow up and monitor the effectiveness of the actions taken
You can also contact your liaison officer for advice and guidance.
- Where can I find advice and guidance?
Advice and guidance can be found on our website, or contact your liaison officer.
- Are monitoring activities the same for each organisation each year?
No. The Commissioner’s monitoring activities are not uniform or the same for every organisation every year.
Monitoring is planned based on a combination of factors, including:
-
- the level and nature of the risk to users of the Welsh language;
- previous information and evidence, such as self-assessments or annual reports;
- findings from surveys or thematic work;
- changes in functions, arrangements or service delivery models.
As a result, monitoring can include different activities such as self-assessment, targeted surveys, direct engagement or thematic reviews. This approach ensures that monitoring is proportionate, risk-based and focused on supporting compliance and improvement where it is most needed.
- Is it necessary to inform the Commissioner about internal changes (e.g. structure or responsibilities)?
If there are significant changes that can affect compliance (e.g. changing the service delivery model, outsourcing, or changing language arrangements), you should inform your liaison officer so that any language implications can be considered.
- What should I do if I am not sure whether a particular standard applies?
You should refer to your compliance notice in the first instance. If you are still unsure, contact your liaison officer to discuss the interpretation or application of the standard.
- Is it necessary to keep evidence or records even if no problems have arisen?
Yes. A number of standards (especially supplementary standards) require record keeping. Keeping appropriate evidence helps to demonstrate compliance, support self-assessment, and facilitate response to any future enquiries.
- What is the relationship between monitoring and enforcement?
Monitoring focuses on understanding performance, identifying risks, and supporting improvement. Enforcement action is only considered where there is insufficient assurance of compliance, or where failures persist.
The Commissioner carries out a range of activities throughout the year as part of its regulatory framework. Organisations are expected to respond to any advice and recommendations issued. The calendar also indicates when organisations are expected to report on specific matters to the Commissioner in accordance with their statutory duties.