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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
RESOLVED To accept the report and to note the observations received.
RESOLVED To accept the report and to note the observations received.
RESOLVED To accept the report and note the observations received.
RESOLVED To accept the report and note the observations received.
Apologies were received from Councillors Beth Lawton, Beca Brown, Olaf Cai Larsen, Gwynfor Owen and Elfed Wyn ap Elwyn. Councillors Rob Triggs and Gwilym Jones were welcomed to their first meeting of this Committee.
No declarations of personal interest were received.
No urgent items were received.
The Chair signed the minutes of the previous meeting of this committee held on 28 January 2025 as a true record.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED To accept the report and to note the observations received.
The report was presented by the Head of Housing and Property Department. She referred briefly to the following main points: It was reported that a number of the Department's projects and plans contributed to the objectives of the Council's language strategy, such as the Housing Action Plan. It was explained that this plan included over 30 projects that aimed to tackle the housing crisis in Gwynedd and strive to ensure that the people of Gwynedd had access to suitable, affordable housing of a good standard to improve their quality of life. Pride was expressed that over 8,000 local individuals had received support through this plan to date. It was explained that the Department's Empty Homes Scheme addressed the lack of housing for local people. It was noted that 101 grants had been distributed to the buyers of empty houses who had a local connection to assist them in renovating them to an acceptable standard of living. It was updated that this scheme had recently been expanded to include empty houses that used to be second homes. It was explained that this scheme was previously only applicable to first-time buyers but in order to respond to the public's high demand for support from this scheme, it was expanded to all types of buyers and helped them to address increased materials and construction costs. It was confirmed that the Department gave thorough consideration to the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 as well as to the equality and linguistic impacts and Socio-economic duties within the plans. There was pride in the Department's positive impact on equality characteristics and the Welsh language by increasing the range of housing available within the County to try and meet the needs of communities. It was elaborated that 63% of Gwynedd residents, who had been priced out of the housing market, had received support to access affordable homes, loans, grants or tax relief. It was noted that Adra Housing Association had recently shared data with the Department, confirming that 94% of the residents of a new estate in Dinas, Llanwnda were able to speak Welsh, and similarly, that 96% of the residents of a new estate in Tregarth had Welsh language skills. An intention was expressed to submit a report to Cabinet to highlight the impact of this scheme, endeavouring to extend it until 2028/29. It was reminded that the Department was leading on the Homely Gwynedd project, which was part of the Cyngor Gwynedd Plan. It was reported that the Department achieved this by increasing the supply of housing for local people. It was assured that this was a priority to ensure that the residents of Gwynedd had suitable, affordable homes of a good standard through tenancy, support to buy a house or to renovate empty houses. There was pride that 97% of lettings through the housing register went to someone with a connection to Gwynedd, with approximately 60% going to individuals with a connection to the community in which they wish to live. It was explained that a Common Housing Allocation Policy was in place to ensure that local people were given reasonable priority when letting houses. It was pointed out that the Department received several requests from community groups and some Community Councils to add a language condition as part of the social housing letting process. It was clarified that the Department was currently receiving legal advice on this. It had been recognised that the main systems used were purchased from external companies and were therefore only available in English. However, it was ensured that the Department was developing apps in-house solely in Welsh and extensive use was being made of them. It was explained that the Department kept a record of how many people used the services through the medium of Welsh by asking anyone who filled out an application form for social housing to indicate their language preference for the purpose of contacting them. It was noted that the system did not currently allow the Department to report on this information but a new system was in the pipeline that would allow the sharing of that information. It was elaborated that the Department also ensured that any correspondence was circulated bilingually, with the Welsh language first to encourage and promote the use of the language, ensuring also that any information shared on social media was placed so that the Welsh language was read first. Pride was expressed that 88.1% of the department's staff had completed a language assessment, confirming that 95.4% of those staff members met the language designation of their posts. It was noted that a lack of confidence prevented some individuals from achieving the language designation of the post, as the vast majority of staff in the department reached Proficiency or Higher level in Welsh. During the discussion, the following observations were made: In response to comments that a person who was local to a community in Gwynedd did not necessarily possess Welsh language skills, the Head of Department explained that the data obtained on the numbers of Welsh speakers came from the individuals who had received an allocation and was shared by the housing associations. It was elaborated that housing associations would come under the Welsh Language Standards in the near future and would therefore be required to collect data on linguistic elements from that point on. In response to an enquiry for clarity on what was meant by having a connection to Gwynedd or a specific area when considering letting houses, the Head of Department confirmed that statutory criteria had been adopted within the Housing Allocation Policy. It was elaborated that these standard criteria had been amended in Gwynedd in order to require that applicants for housing had a connection to the community or the County. It was noted that the Department had gone to the limit by adding these considerations to the criteria as people looking for houses in their home areas were given priority over people from other areas. It was stressed that the Department was highly considerate of not introducing conditions which could be regarded as discriminatory among candidates. It was reiterated that legal advice would be required before any further amendment was introduced. It was noted that the Health Service was finding it challenging to recruit staff in some areas of Gwynedd. The Head of Department was asked if anyone moving to the area to work for the Health Service would be given priority for a house, despite the language condition, in order to serve the communities. In response, the Head of Department confirmed that there was currently no language condition being considered when letting houses and it would not affect their chances of receiving a house. However, it was confirmed that other factors could affect this particular situation such as how long they had been living in the area, resulting in an initial disadvantage when applying for a home. The members expressed their thanks for the report. RESOLVED To accept the report and to note the observations received.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED To accept the report and to note the observations received.
The report was presented by the Head of Economy and Community Department, the ARFOR Programme Regional Manager and the Gwynedd Business Development Team Leader. They referred briefly to the following main points: The ARFOR programme funded by the Welsh Government since 2019 to develop the economy to support Welsh language strongholds, across west Wales in Gwynedd, Anglesey, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire, was expanded upon. It was explained that the aim of the project was to maintain and create work that enables young people to return and stay in the region to work while also promoting the use of the Welsh language. It was confirmed that Cyngor Gwynedd's Economic Development Service was leading the work on behalf of the four counties, confirming that an investment of £11 million had been provided by the Welsh Government over the last two years. It was explained that an Agreement in Principle had been developed in conjunction with the Welsh Government as part of the process of applying for funding through the ARFOR programme. This meant that businesses were expected to undertake a language assessment by the Welsh Language Commissioner and that they would work towards the Welsh Offer. It was confirmed that this had been successful across the region and that a strong relationship has been forged with the Commissioner. It was added that the Welsh Language Commissioner had held a number of awareness-raising sessions to increase the visibility of the Welsh language and pride was expressed that a number of companies had taken part in these sessions. It was pointed out that 'Hac Iaith' sessions had been held in each county within the west Wales region of the ARFOR programme. It was noted that these sessions highlighted how non-Welsh speaking businesses could use the language within their operations and the benefits associated with doing so. Similarly, it was reported that the World's Most Welsh-language awards were held where residents nominated and rewarded businesses they considered to be at the forefront with their use of Welsh, in order to market those businesses that operated through the medium of Welsh and bilingually within the region. It was updated that it was hoped to work with the Welsh Government and the Welsh Language Commissioner to develop the Welsh Business Promise. It was explained that the Commissioner did not have the capacity to provide the Welsh Offer to small businesses, as the aim was to influence larger businesses. Members were reminded that the Welsh Offer was an accreditation provided by the Commissioner for businesses that applied for it by formulating a language policy and operating parts of their business in Welsh. There was pride that the ARFOR programme had succeeded in holding a meeting between the Language Policy officers of each county within the region, in order to share good practice and hold ongoing discussions about the role of language policies when considering the economy and the Welsh language. The increase in the use of Welsh within businesses in Gwynedd as a result of ARFOR programmes, such as Llwyddo'n Lleol and Ffrwd Mentro, was detailed. The Enterprising Communities grant scheme was expanded upon. It was noted that 21 businesses had received funding from this scheme and were completing the Welsh Offer accreditation which was a condition to receive that funding. It was updated that 11 of those companies had already received the accreditation, with another five companies very likely to receive it soon. It was emphasised that there was an increasing use of the Welsh language in businesses that had not been able to achieve the accreditation, such as changing business names to be Welsh only and introducing more bilingual posters and information. It was pointed out that six businesses had received funding through the ARFOR programme's Challenge Fund, which encouraged innovative developments in the Welsh language within the field of the economy. It was detailed that some of these included Cymen which was developing Welsh digital speech systems, and Bangor University which was researching bilingual recruitment processes and developing the ARFer app to promote the use of Welsh in the workplace. Members were updated on the operations of other services within the Department that contributed to the objectives of the Council's language strategy, such as: · Tourism, Marketing and Events Service – pride was expressed in the service having attracted a budget from the Shared Prosperity Fund to develop a number of new articles by freelance writers from Gwynedd promoting local culture and stories. · Regeneration Programmes Service - it was pointed out that the LleCHI LleNi project promotes the heritage of the area. There was pride in the fact that the project promoted the Welsh language and that work was underway in collaboration with Bangor University to monitor the legacy of World Heritage status on the impact and visibility of the Welsh language in the area. · Maritime – it was recognised that recruitment of staff had been a challenge for the Service. It was emphasised that challenges arose when trying to recruit seasonal staff to assist the service over the summer period who also speak Welsh. However, it was emphasised that the Department had attracted individuals with Welsh language skills again this year and recognised that it was not possible to monitor the use of the language in the workplace as they worked independently. · Libraries - it was emphasised that library staff promoted the Welsh language proactively by ensuring that close collaboration with partners enabled residents to access books, events and information in Welsh. · Museums and Arts Service - it was noted that recruiting individuals with Welsh language skills was a challenge for the Department at times such as when commissioning artists for projects. It was confirmed that the Department was working with those individuals to support them with language skills. Similarly, it was noted that the Department was experiencing challenges in finding volunteers with Welsh language skills, noting that it was not possible to ensure that all individuals had Welsh language skills on all occasions. They were thanked for their interest in volunteering and collaborating with the Department. It was reported that 86.8% of the Department's staff had completed the language self-assessment. However, it was clarified that some of the seasonal and fixed-term officers had not had the opportunity to complete the self-assessment to date. It was confirmed that 95.8% met the language designations of their jobs, indicating that any staff member who did not meet the language designation of their jobs received training to develop their language skills. During the discussion, the following observations were made: In response to an enquiry about the future of the ARFOR programme, the Head of Department stated that there was no formal confirmation of the future of the project yet. It was clarified, however, that it was likely that the programme would be implemented for the current financial year but on a significantly lower budget – approximately £500,000. It was elaborated that the Department was looking to mainstream elements of the programme to other projects so as to ensure that the support continued for Gwynedd businesses. It was confirmed that an assessment of developments made through the scheme was currently being developed and would be available to the public shortly. In response to an enquiry about offering small grants to businesses to be able to develop Welsh and bilingual signs, it was confirmed that this would not have met the requirements of the ARFOR programme. It was explained that the main aim of the programme was to assist the economy to prosper, and that Welsh language elements had been added to it. It was confirmed that it was not possible to allocate funding to businesses to develop the language without ensuring that there was a strong link with plans to strengthen the economy. In response to further comments that Mentrau Iaith Cymru could be of assistance with this, the Senior Language and Scrutiny Adviser confirmed that their budget for specific grants of this type had now ended. In response to a query about statistics, the Gwynedd Business Development Team Leader confirmed that 72% of young people who received support from the ARFOR programme indicated that the programme had influenced their decision to stay in their areas. It was elaborated that it was very difficult to find statistics on the impact of the programme specifically on the numbers of young people who had come back to the region to live and work, because that decision was dependent on a range of factors and it was not possible to confirm whether the ARFOR programme, or another factor, was the main rationale for returning to the area. It was explained that the Wavehill company was currently preparing a review of the programme in the hope that more statistics would be presented once the review was published. Members were thanked for ideas on how to promote Welsh language skills among volunteers. In response to an enquiry about how the Department monitored those businesses that received the Welsh Offer accreditation, to ensure that they met the requirements, the ARFOR Programme Regional Manager confirmed that the Welsh Language Commissioner undertook this work. It was emphasised that businesses could lose the accreditation if they did not continue to follow Welsh Offer principles. It was confirmed that the Department offered every encouragement and support to businesses to ensure that they complied with the accreditation and offered support with the Welsh language at every opportunity. The Department was asked to submit a further report on the ARFOR programme following the publication of the programme's evaluation. In response, the request was welcomed by the Head of Department, stating that the evaluation would be published in May. It was elaborated that the Welsh Government's decision on the programme's budget for 2025/26 was expected to be received around the same period. The members expressed their thanks for the report. RESOLVED To accept the report and to note the observations received.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED To accept the report and note the observations received.
The report was presented by the Welsh Language Learning and Development Officer, and she briefly drew attention to the following main points: Members were reminded that the Language Designations project was commissioned by this Committee in 2015 and was operational until 2023. It was explained that the purpose of the project was to ensure the consistency and appropriateness of the language requirements of the Council's posts, while the Council prepared for the statutory requirement of the Language Standards introduced in 2016, to keep a record of the language levels of its staff. It was added that the other purpose of the project was to ensure that support was available to staff members to use the Welsh language and continue to learn it, reducing the risk that Council staff would not be able to provide bilingual services to the people of Gwynedd. It was noted that all posts advertised prior to the implementation of this project denoted 'fluent' language requirements and a detailed and ongoing record of the language proficiency of Council staff was not officially kept. It was added that the wording of the language skill levels differed from those used nationally which caused challenges when researching suitable training for similar language levels. It was explained that the first part of the project was completed by the Human Resources service in 2016, where Welsh language skills levels were adapted to the wording used nationally (Entry, Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced). It was added that the service had also adapted all posts within the Council in order to adapt the language requirement for them in line with the requirements of the post. It was reported that the second part of the project had taken place in 2017 where research had been carried out on how to gather detailed and accurate language assessments for staff, ensuring that there was support to maintain language skills levels or training to enable any member of staff to reach the appropriate language levels for their jobs. It was noted that this part of the project had been piloted with the Council's Gwynedd Consultancy department before being expanded to all other departments. Pride was expressed that this had led to the Language Self-assessment that staff members could find on the in-house self-service system, which informed them of their language skills level upon completion and gave staff members the opportunity to denote if they needed any help or to develop confidence to use the Welsh language. It was pointed out that a technological system had now been developed to store all the responses to the language self-assessment, thus providing officers with essential data. It was confirmed that this data which included staff language levels and the numbers of individuals attending language training was shared with heads of departments on a quarterly basis and was used regularly as departments prepared to submit reports to this Committee. It was elaborated that a member of staff from the Council's main departments and Byw'n Iach sat on the Language Designation Forum which met quarterly to share good practice and discuss any challenges that arose. Attention was drawn to the Cyfeillion Cymraeg scheme which had been developed following comments from members of staff who had attended the Council's language training. It was explained that this scheme matched members of staff who wished to receive additional opportunities to practise their language skills with a member of staff who was confident to support. Similarly, 'Tip Cymraeg y Mis' was set up which shared grammatical or technological support about the Welsh language with staff, and pride was expressed in the fact that Nant Gwrtheyrn was working with the Council to develop it and share it with learners who attended the centre. Assurance was given that both schemes remained operational. It was confirmed that 'Hwb Hyfforddiant Iaith' had been set up digitally for Council staff to share information about the range of training available in-house and beyond. An update was shared that it was hoped to collaborate with the Work Welsh scheme provided by the Welsh Government to develop a more extensive training scheme. It was hoped to develop specific training for specific sectors of work, such as care. It was elaborated that new systems were in the pipeline to ensure that Council officers received quick access to data. It was confirmed that a number of developments carried out over the duration of the project remained operational and that new training continued to be developed, such as 'Cymraeg Clir' training which would be available to members of staff shortly. During the discussion, the following observations were made: In response to an enquiry for further information about the 'Cyfeillion Cymraeg' scheme, the Welsh Language Learning and Development Officer confirmed that 10 staff pairings met regularly and informally. It was explained that individuals who attended language training felt more comfortable practising their language skills with other members of their team. It was confirmed that the scheme had led to support to develop oral and writing skills which had been invaluable. It was expanded that it was hoped that this scheme would continue into the future by trying to find members of staff who were keen to get involved and to provide support to others who were less confident in using the language. In response to an enquiry on the application made to the Welsh Government's Work Welsh scheme to fund a Welsh language tutor in-house for the Council, the Welsh Language Learning and Development Officer confirmed that further discussions had led to the decision not to fund the role at this time. However, the provision offered by Work Welsh has expanded over recent years and the Council hopes to take advantage of those opportunities before creating a long-term training scheme. It was pointed out that this situation was being reviewed regularly and consideration would be given to employing an in-house Welsh tutor if the need arose. It was pointed out that there was an effort to employ bilingual workers in the care sector to ensure that care was provided in the language of those receiving the service. In response to an enquiry as to how the Council could support carers in learning and fostering the Welsh language, the Welsh Language Learning and Development Officer confirmed that 'Cynllun Camau' was a self-study course available to care workers free of charge in their own time to learn more about the relevant Welsh vocabulary which was vital to their jobs. It was emphasised that ongoing work was being done to promote language skills opportunities with care workers. It was elaborated that consideration was being given to additional schemes such as releasing staff to attend language training or holding sessions in residential homes so that the individuals in the residential home attended the training with the staff members to support them if they wished. Following considerations about language training for support staff in Gwynedd schools, the Welsh Language Learning and Development Officer confirmed that discussions were not currently in place but acknowledged that this was a gap in the current arrangements. It was noted that officers would be discussing with Work Welsh to find out if there was a self-study course available for school support staff to complete in their own time. The Senior Language and Scrutiny Adviser added that the Education Department had confirmed that they wished to target support staff to ensure the development of Welsh language skills while recognising that there was a high staff turnover within this field. The members expressed their thanks for the report. RESOLVED To accept the report and note the observations received.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED To accept the report and note the observations received.
The report was presented by the Corporate Director and the Head of Legal Services. They referred briefly to the following main points: It was reminded that the Leadership Team and Corporate Services collaborated with all Council departments and partners to contribute to policies, plans, projects and work streams that realised the objectives of the language strategy. An example of this was shared when detailing the 'More Than Words' project confirming that the Statutory Director of Social Services was part of the project board and had recently been elected as the Chair of the board for the north Wales region. It was reported that the Chief Executive represented Cyngor Gwynedd on the Gwynedd and Anglesey Public Services Board with the assistance of the Corporate Director. It was reported that there was a noticeable change in the number of Board meetings which were held in Welsh, with the vast majority of meetings being held through the medium of Welsh with a translation service available. It was confirmed that this was the only Board of its kind in Wales to hold meetings in Welsh and bilingually. It was pointed out that Cyngor Gwynedd was the host authority for a number of regional partnerships such as the North Wales Corporate Joint Committee. Pride was expressed that the Council was able to maintain all aspects of this responsibility bilingually with emphasis being placed on the Welsh language. The Head of Legal Services elaborated that work had been underway to move staff from the North Wales Growth Deal to the new corporation in April this year. It was explained that Legal Services were working with the Corporate Joint Committee to develop a range of long-term service level agreements. It was emphasised that this would mean that Legal Services would move away from the current arrangement of appointing locum solicitors, who did not have Welsh language skills but were appointed on the basis of their specific expertise, in order to develop teams in Gwynedd that could support the Corporate Joint Committee while also committing to the requirements of the Council's Language Policy. It was explained that the Corporate Director was Chair of the Digital Transformation Board which ensured that the Welsh language was central to any future development of digital systems, as part of Cyngor Gwynedd's Plan. It was elaborated that a Digital Suitability Assessment had to be completed before taking on new digital systems, confirming that consideration of the language was part of this assessment. Pride was expressed that the Leadership Team and Legal Services had been collaborating with CISCO/Webex to develop a new telephone system for Council staff. It was explained that this system forwarded calls to other staff members if the recipient was in a virtual call or meeting. It was pointed out that this international company had collaborated with the Council to develop a new Welsh language provision for the use of Council staff. It was emphasised that this Welsh language provision would be available to other organisations and companies wishing to obtain the system due to the company's co-operation with the Council. It was confirmed that the Leadership Team was taking part in the meetings of the Language Forum developed by the Council's Language Unit as well as in the Steering Group established by the Welsh Language Commissioner. Pride was expressed that the Council's membership of the Steering Group was seen as that of a good practice adviser among the other organisations. It was reported that staff numbers in the Leadership Team and Legal Services had increased significantly over the past year as officers of the Business and Commissioning team that was part of Adults services transferred to the care of the Corporate Director of Social Services. However, it was emphasised that 95.6% of staff had successfully completed the language self-assessment. It was confirmed that only five members of staff who had completed the self-assessment did not meet the language requirements of their jobs but that every effort was being made to learn the language through language training and the Cyfeillion Cymraeg scheme. It was highlighted that the Electoral Service had expanded the Council's representation on national bodies such as the Wales Electoral Co-ordination Board. It was explained that Cyngor Gwynedd's representation on other bodies was a catalyst for linguistic developments beyond the Council, leading to national change. Pride was expressed at seeing a change in electoral systems such as essential forms and processes software, as they converted to become bilingual. It was confirmed that other organisations had the confidence to make greater use of the Welsh language as these developments were implemented, accelerating the scale of Welsh language coverage within this field. Examples of obstacles faced by the Leadership Team such as receiving English-only correspondence were shared. It was recognised that this situation had improved in recent years but the Team received regular correspondence solely in English from some organisations including the Welsh Government. Similarly, reference was made to the challenge in holding meetings with the Health Board where there was a tendency for conversations to turn to English rather than ensuring that a translator was available to allow discussions through the medium of Welsh. The Head of Legal Services elaborated that there had been recruitment challenges in the past as the Service sought to find qualified and specialist individuals and these did not necessarily speak Welsh as the Service appointed locum solicitors to carry out short-term work. However, it was emphasised that the Service had succeeded in appointing specialist individuals who now possessed the appropriate language skills. During the discussion, the following observations were made: In response to updates that the Housing and Property Department was receiving legal advice when considering introducing a language condition to the Housing Allocation Policy, the Head of Legal Services confirmed that the service was supportive of this amendment. However, it was emphasised that legal research was currently being carried out to consider whether this condition could be added to the processes. It was elaborated that the Chief Executive and the Housing and Property Department were considering the Housing Allocation Policy holistically in order to strengthen the linguistic element if possible. It was pointed out that the Gwynedd and Anglesey Public Services Board's Language Sub-group was tackling the challenge of language myths. In response to a query for detail, the Corporate Director confirmed that the language myths of each of the Board's institutions were diverse. An exemplar myth was shared that Welsh language skills of a high academic standard were needed in order to be employed by Cyngor Gwynedd. It was emphasised that this myth needed to be challenged to ensure that individuals were appointed to roles and that an understanding was shared that language skills varied according to the requirement of the specific role for which individuals were applying. It was emphasised that another common myth existed among the institutions such as a decline in the confidence of the workforce to speak Welsh in the workplace compared to informal Welsh. It was emphasised that the aim of this project was to highlight that there were opportunities for people to use and develop language skills in the workplace. In response to a query about the challenge posed by artificial intelligence developments, the Corporate Director confirmed that it was one of the inevitable priorities of the Digital Plan. It was explained that the Council's Manager Network would receive an update on the evolution of artificial intelligence and the potential use it can have in the implementation of services. It was ensured that the Welsh language was central to all discussions on the use of artificial intelligence when it would be presented to the Council in the future. The members expressed their thanks for the report. RESOLVED To accept the report and note the observations received.
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