Welsh Language Strategy 2023 to 2028: theme 2 - the community

The vision

More use of the Welsh language in Denbighshire’s communities

Desired outcomes

  • Promote more of the council's services offered through the medium of Welsh
  • More opportunities to use the Welsh language in social activities.
  • A better understanding of the effects of the Council's policies and decisions on the Welsh language and the benefits of bilingualism in communities.

Indicators

  • An increase in the number of people moving to Denbighshire who access information about bilingualism.
  • The number of council policy decisions where the impact on the Welsh language was considered.

Promoting the Welsh language in communities

The Welsh language must be a living language, where it is normal to give people the choice of which language they use; where they have opportunities to access services and activities naturally through the medium of Welsh, and that Welsh is seen as a living language through our contact with our residents.

For this purpose, the Council will ensure that all its communication with residents is bilingual; is accurate in its meaning, and services provided through the medium of Welsh will be promoted through the residents' newsletter, the Council's website and social media accounts.

We will work with adult learners to promote opportunities to learn and enrich Welsh language skills through effective collaboration.

We will also strengthen our working links with other organizations involved in developing the Welsh language in Denbighshire, ensuring that people have a solid understanding of the benefits of bilingualism, the need to enrich the county's bilingual culture and to provide opportunities for the Welsh language to flourish organically.

Library Services

Denbighshire Library Services provides the statutory public library service and face-to-face services for customers on behalf of the Council from eight libraries in Rhyl, Prestatyn, Rhuddlan, St Asaph, Denbigh, Ruthin, Corwen and Llangollen. The Home Library Service provides a tailored service for people who are unable to access their local library due to frailty, disability or caring responsibilities. Libraries also provide a 24/7 digital service for downloading books, accessing information and ordering physical books; and providing facilities for people to access a range of support and advice services in their local community.

Bilingual frontline staff are available in all libraries to offer a Welsh service, and in many communities it is one location where people can go for a Welsh conversation.

A comprehensive stock of Welsh books for children and adults are available to borrow free of charge in each library. To ensure equality of access, the local library is the only place to acquire Welsh language large print books and talking books on disc. There are also books on offer to Welsh learners and Denbighshire also has an extensive collection of Welsh books and magazines. The online catalogue and Pori app are bilingual and enable customers to manage their accounts and order books online.

The provision of Welsh digital resources, be it e-books, talking e-books and e-magazines, is constantly increasing thanks to the collaborative efforts of the library sector across Wales in collaboration with the Book Council. These are available for free download to library members.

A programme of bilingual activity is provided to promote reading including the Summer Reading Challenge, reading groups, and cultural events. Flying Start provision for children aged 0-3 introduces many families to the Welsh language for the first time and encourages them to raise their children bilingually and to consider Welsh-medium care and education.

Policy and decision making

There are a number of other elements of the Council's work that have a potential impact on the Welsh language.

One of the key elements of the Welsh Language Standards is the impacts that any policy or decision could have on the Welsh language, whether positive, neutral or negative. We will ensure that all services take this into account when making decisions, carry out impact assessments on the Welsh language where appropriate and identify opportunities to mitigate the negative effects of any decision.

The Council will consider the use of the Welsh language in key policy decision-making areas, and Planning will be one of those main areas of our work.

The Council published a policy on awarding grants (Standard 94) and a policy for implementing the Welsh language internally (Standard 98) during 2023.  The policy on awarding grants has been developed in order to assist officers to comply with the requirements of the Welsh Language Standards when issuing grants on behalf of a County Council.  The aim of the policy is to assist officers to ensure that consideration of the Welsh language is an integrated part of the grants process in Denbighshire County Council, as well as to ensure that those who make decisions are aware of their duties when making decisions.

All members of the Council's staff are required to comply with the Welsh Language Standards, which derive from the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 and with the internal policy for implementing the Welsh language. There are further details about them. The purpose of the Welsh Language Standards is to make it easier for people to use the Welsh language in their day to day lives.  This policy sets out how the Council intends to implement that principle when providing services to the public in Wales and also internally within the Council.

Planning

Denbighshire's Local Development Plan provides a vision of how new developments and land use will deal with the challenges facing the county over the next decade. As stated by the County Council in its Local Development Plan - 'By providing a coordinated framework to determine where, when and how many new developments can be developed, the Denbighshire LDP, through principles, aims to make the county greener, fairer and more prosperous with recognition that the Welsh language and culture are maintained and protected.' Planning Policy Wales together with Future Wales, The National Plan 2040 sets out the Welsh Government's land use policies. Some documents are supported by guidance in the form of Technical Advice Notes (TANs). TAN 20 provides guidance on the Welsh language and land use planning.

‘More than Just Words’ Framework

Language is important in health and care as the ability to respond to the needs of individuals is based on communication.  Language is a key element of care, especially when discussing sensitive and emotional concerns.

'More Than Just Words' focuses on strengthening the provision of Welsh in health and social care.  Here in Denbighshire, we continue to consider steps that will ensure increased opportunities for people to access social care services through the medium of Welsh.  We will do this by continuing to provide and develop Welsh language services, including the recruitment of staff with Welsh language skills, ensuring that the Proactive Offer is evident from the first point of contact and ensuring that the Welsh language is mainstreamed in technology.  The workforce development team will also continue to offer opportunities for staff to learn Welsh and develop awareness of the Welsh language and culture.

Actions and responsibilities

Action: Consider the impact of policy/decision making on the Welsh language and communities.

Responsibility: All Council services

Due by: Review at the end of strategy period


Action: Our public libraries will provide access to Welsh leisure and educational reading material locally within communities, free of charge, including printed books, large print books, talking books, e-books, talking e-books, magazines, e-magazines and papers.

Responsibility: Library Services

Due by: Review at the end of strategy period


Action: Collaborate nationally as a sector to expand the Welsh-medium digital reading resources provision available free of charge to readers.

Responsibility: Library Services

Due by: April 2028


Action: Our libraries will provide Reading Well schemes that offer Welsh books to assist with mental health conditions and dementia, for adults and children, and expanding to include provision for young people.

Responsibility: Library Services

Due by: April 2028


Action: Collaborate nationally to develop and deliver further schemes such as Reading Friends and EmpathyLab.

Responsibility: Library Services

Due by: April 2028


Action: Promote the use of the bilingual app Pori (the national app of public libraries in Wales) which offers all library members access to their personal account to enable them to order and renew books, access and order print and digital books, find their nearest library, and check the availability of all Welsh books.

Responsibility: Library Services

Due by: April 2028


Action: Provide a programme of activities and events for children and adults that promote the Welsh language and Welsh culture (e.g. reading groups, Summer Reading Challenge, book launches and author visits) including in partnership with local and national agencies and organisations.

Responsibility: Library Services

Due by: Review at the end of strategy period


Action: Introduce the Welsh language to parents of 0 to 3 year olds through the Flying Start Rhyme Time sessions in libraries and digitally.

Responsibility: Library Services

Due by: Review at the end of strategy period


Action: Our One Stop Shops will provide support and advice about the Council's Welsh-medium services in our local communities.

Responsibility: Library Services

Due by: Review at the end of strategy period


Action: One of the objectives of the New Local Development Plan is to support and improve the Welsh Language. When developing the New Local Development Plan, the Appraisal of Sustainability and the associated site assessment processes will assess what are the effects of the plan's spatial strategy, policies and allocations on the Welsh language. Where evidence shows an adverse impact, strategy revisions or mitigation measures will be identified.

Responsibility: Planning and Public Protection

Due by: The assessment will continue until the Replacement Local Development Plan (LDP) is adopted by Denbighshire County Council. Once the Replacement LDP has been adopted, the policies will help to support and enhance the Welsh Language.


Action: Increase the marketing of Welsh courses available in the community.

Responsibility: Communication team and County Welsh Language Forum

Due by: Review at the end of strategy period


Action: Attendance at key county events in order to promote the Welsh language.

Responsibility: County Welsh Language Forum

Due by: Review at the end of strategy period


Action: Co-promote Welsh language events on partners' websites and social media

Responsibility: County Welsh Language Forum

Due by: Review at the end of strategy period


Action: Facilitate and support events of national importance which promote the Welsh Language and Culture.

Responsibility: All Council services and County Welsh Language Forum.

Due by: Review at the end of strategy period


Action: Share best practices and an enabling method across the system, including raising awareness of the proactive offer so that the offer is an integral part of the process of providing quality services.

Responsibility: Social Care

Due by: April 2028


Action: Collaborating with the 'Cymraeg i Blant’ Program which hosts support groups for parents to raise awareness of the benefits of Welsh education and the importance of introducing the Welsh language early on to their children.

Responsibility: County Welsh Language Forum

Due by: Review at the end of strategy period