How will the Welsh Government ensure that people in care homes across Aberconwy are clear on who can provide services to them in Welsh and are comfortable about its use in their care and treatment plan?
Social care services in Wales provide Care Inspectorate Wales, with details about the language they are able to operate in English only, Welsh only or bilingually. For example in Conwy County Borough Council, 22 care home services across adults and children’s services have registered that they provide bilingual services. Currently, it is for service providers to inform potential or existing clients whether they have capacity to deliver their services through the medium of Welsh. However, a website is currently in development which will enable adult care home providers to indicate to the public whether there are Welsh language services currently available.
The joint Social Care Wales and Health Education and Improvement Wales Workforce Strategy for Health and Social Care has Welsh language at its heart. Supporting Welsh language skills in the workforce forms part of the detailed action plans that are being developed underneath the strategy. Social Care Wales is also working as part of the recently established Task & Finish Group to develop a five year work plan for More than just words following its recent evaluation. This work will include looking at ways to develop and support the Welsh language skills of the workforce and the effectiveness of the Active Offer (providing a language choice to people receiving care and support without them having to ask for it).