The Welsh language and the Active Offer in the Third Sector  

Aim:

The aim of the training is to address issues regarding delivering bilingual services in health and social care with reference to:  

? Why you need to develop the services available to Welsh-speaking service users

? What you need to know with regards to the wider context of the Welsh language in contemporary Wales  

? How you can plan services with a view to implementing the principle of the Active Offer 

Audience:  This training is intended for

• Staff (managers and front line workers) in third sector organisations who want to develop their approach to delivering bilingual services 

Content:

Attendees will:

• Consider the relationship between the Welsh language, equality and equal opportunity issues;
• Receive information regarding public attitudes, and consider their own attitudes, towards the Welsh language;
• Consider the position of the Welsh language within the European linguistic mosaic;
• Consider the benefits that a bilingual provision offers to service users;
• Look at the context of current policy supporting the promotion of Welsh language provision within the third sector including the More than Just Words Strategic Framework)
• Identify obstacles, challenges, concerns and attitudes
• Consider the ‘pro-active offer’ and bilingualism in practice

Learning outcomes:

Attendees will acquire information and an understanding of

• the relationship between the Welsh language, equality and equal opportunity issues along with the current linguistic situation in Wales.
• the advantages of providing bilingual services to the service user and to the service provider
• how to implement the ‘active offer’

Trainer:

Siwan Tomos is the Community Projects Manager at IAITH: the Welsh centre for language planning.  Siwan joined IAITH at the end of 2011 from an youth work background. She is responsible for our community focused projects. She is also an experienced trainer and has provided language awareness training to a host of organisations across Wales including the National Assembly, Ceredigion County Council, the County Voluntary Councils, Welsh National Opera and Hywel Dda Health Board.

She also contributes to community-based research projects at IAITH 

Programme