An awards ceremony celebrating successful initiatives which strengthen Welsh-language services in health and social care took place yesterday (19 June 2014) at the Wales Millennium Centre, in Cardiff Bay.
The Words into Action conference and Welsh Language in Health, Social Services and Social Care Awards help to share best practice and ensure Welsh language provision is an important element of the care process across the country. The event also promoted the responsibility of health and care providers to actively offer a Welsh-language service.
The conference recognised the progress made in implementing the Welsh Government strategy ‘More than just Words’ in delivering Welsh language services in health, social services and social care.
Guest speakers at the event included Canadian Lynn Brouillette, an executive manager for an organisation bringing together 11 universities and collages and who is responsible for providing training on the active offer concept in Canada. The active offer is a key principle of ‘More than just Words’ .
Dr Andrew Goodall, the new chief executive of the NHS in Wales, also spoke about leadership in delivering Welsh-language services.
The organisers broadened the scope of the awards this year to include people working in social services and social care as well as health. Four new categories were introduced – Care Based on the Active Offer; IT and the Welsh Language; Supporting Learners and Exceptional Commitment to Providing Welsh Language Service.
Gwenda Thomas, Deputy Minister for Social Services said:
“With the launch of the ‘More than just Wwords’ strategy last year there is now a clear strategy to provide a systematic approach to strengthening services in Welsh to patients and service users.
“The awards ceremony and conference highlighted the great work that is being done through the medium of Welsh in the health service, social services and social care.”
Winners
Work done with priority groups – families, children and young people
WINNER
Alison Parry, Health Care Support Assistant and Baby Massage Sessions in
Rhosllannerchrugog
TWF – Wrexham and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
Bethan Williams, Twf Outreach Officer was looking for a new location to run Twf sessions, therefore she suggested to Alison Parry- Health Care Support Assistant that they could run the course together. After working in the post for nearly 30 years, Alison Parry has regained confidence in her Welsh and is able to hold simple conversations through the medium of Welsh. During the 6 week course everyone learnt Baby Massage techniques and sang accompanying Welsh songs – this meant that there was plenty of repetition and therefore everyone’s confidence in using Welsh had increased by the end of the course.
Over the past few years Alison has realised how important it is that families receive services through the medium of Welsh. She is keen for parents to make informed decisions themselves about the benefits of bilingualism. This is why she ensures that information is available visually on the clinic walls in the form of Twf posters, and she also distributes the Twf CD to parents after talking to them.
Work done with priority groups – older people
WINNER
Brockerage Team, Contracting Unit, Business Services, Adults Health and Well-being
Department, Gwynedd Council
The Brokerage Team acts as a contact point between social workers, older people receiving home care and home care providers. In 2013/14, in response to More than just words work has been undertaken to ensure that all care plans outline clearly the language need of the service user.
Previously, although contracts had noted the expectation to provide services according to language need the service was only offered in English.
As far as is known, this is the only Brokerage Team in the home care sector which provides a fully bilingual service and which is taking very practical steps to ensure that Welsh language provision is directed towards need. Providers are therefore increasingly aware of the fact that the council will not accept deviations from its contractual obligations, namely that providers are required to meet the requirements of More than just words.
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Llys Jasmine Extra Care Scheme (Adult Social Services for Older People)
Flintshire County Council, Community Services Directorate
Llys Jasmine Extra Care Housing Scheme is a cutting edge alternative housing project for older people and older people with dementia, offering state of the art supported accommodation to help people live independently for as long as possible. It has plans to develop new Welsh language conversation groups for tenants and members of the community as well as a bilingual dementia café.
Work done with priority groups – mental health service users
WINNER
‘Mental Health Matters’ project
Communication Department, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
The ‘Mental Health Matters’ project has been developed to extend the early intervention and prevention work carried out by the North Wales Children and Young People Mental Health Service. Over the last year, the Children and Young People Mental Health Service, in partnership with the Health Board Communication Unit, young people and schools have developed resources to deliver a programme which includes a website, a mental health wall, posters, leaflets
and business cards.
Mental health is an intense and complex area and children will feel much more comfortable talking about problems and feelings in their first language. Through the Mental Health Matters project, children are told that this service is available bilingually and therefore they are more prepared to approach the service. This service is a valuable one which can improve and even save lives.
Innovative Practice in Primary Care Responding to Patients’ Need for a Bilingual Service
WINNER
Makaton Advisors on the innovative children’s programme ‘Dwylo’r Enfys’; input for the monitoring group to develop the Welsh language Makaton workshop; work on producing a training DVD on Makaton core vocabulary.
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
Dwylo’r Enfys is an innovative television programme and a public platform for children with communication needs in Wales. The programme uses Welsh Makaton language to help Welsh speaking children with special learning needs. Following the success of the programme a workshop and resources were developed to accompany the programme as there was nothing available in Welsh. The workshops will be delivered across Wales by Makaton tutors from September 2014 onwards.
Education and Training which increase the Capability / confidence of the workforce to provide
Welsh Language Services
WINNER
A Welsh course that would enhance the relationship between social care staff and the older service user
Learning and Development Department, Carmarthenshire County Council
A ‘Welsh Course for Carers Working with the elderly’ which aims to help care staff to use the
Welsh language when caring for elderly Welsh speaking residents. The 5 week course focussing on Welsh for greetings and weather, care tasks, food choices, clothing and areas of the home has been tailored to the setting and client group and aims to enhance the relationship between social care staff and the older service user.
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Welsh Language Team – Building Confidence course
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
The Welsh Language Team works diligently to improve the provision of bilingual services for patients. Historically courses for learners have been provided but a building confidence course was also considered for front-line staff with some Welsh language skills to provide services through the medium of Welsh. Following the success of the course, ‘Cwmni Iaith’ was asked to prepare a unique pack for a second similar course. The course not only built confidence in using the language but also discussed the value of using Welsh when working with clients.
Working in partnership
WINNER
Derwen (Disabled Children Integrated Team)
Gwynedd Council and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
Derwen is a key service for disabled children and their families as it provides intervention and support by responding to referrals for assessments / provision for them bilingually. Historically the majority of Health Board staff who joined the team were not bilingual and as a result a service was not always provided in the family’s preferred language. When establishing Derwen, there was an opportunity to address the gap in the service. Guidelines were drawn up to deal with specific elements of the service, such as offering a bilingual service from the start, recording language choice, carrying out assessments and intervention in the individual’s language of choice. This new system means that parents are able to communicate through the medium of Welsh and they therefore receive an improved service as they feel happier to contribute to discussions.
Care based on the Active Offer
2 WINNERS
‘Your next patient is a Welsh speaker – make an active offer’
Welsh Language Officer, Education and Development and Corporate Nursing,
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board
This project ensures that all members of staff make an ‘active offer’. The Health Board developed
a poster and information sheet for staff on the active offer supported by the ‘patient’s story’, highlighting the positive difference which the ‘active offer’ can make. The patient described how receiving an active offer had made a world of difference to her stay in hospital. Staff ownership was recognised as being essential and evidence of the negative effect of failing to make an active offer was seen as being crucial to success, and this is why using the patient’s story was so important.
The resources can be shared and developed with others, perhaps with the individual health boards developing a local patient’s story to ensure local ownership.
Pharmacy Department, Ysbyty Gwynedd Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
An attempt was made to raise awareness of the concept of the ‘Active Offer’, and materials and
protocols developed to help staff give patents and customers a language choice. As a starting point a survey was carried out of the service by distributing questionnaires. Following the results of the survey, steps were taken to raise staff ’s awareness of the importance of offering out-patients and customers a language choice. The following has been developed:
- A protocol for teaching patients in accordance with the British Pharmaceutical Society
- standards but including an addition on language choice
- A series of Welsh instructions for patients explaining the purpose of their medication
- Greetings for the dispensing reception
- Welsh language notice-board for staff
- The concept of offering a language choice is now part of the patient’s safety agenda and ensures that the patient is central to the service and not staff.
IT and the Welsh Language
WINNER
Caring Through Welsh App produced by the College of Human and Health Sciences and Academi Hywel Teifi from Swansea University, Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol and Galactig.
This interactive App devised for mobile phones is based on an adaption of the book ‘Caring through Welsh’ by Dr Angharad Jones, Swansea University, and based on the booklet ‘Wneith Hyn Ddim Drwg…’ by Carwen Earles, Swansea University. The App can be used by students, academics and health care practitioners and can be downloaded free from iTunes and the App Store. Being available on easy-to-use and popular devices means that there is a potential to further increase its use.
Welsh Learner of the Year -more than two years
Winner – David Hill, Ysbyty Gwynedd, BIP Betsi Cadwaladr
Special recognition – Gareth Morgan, Llanelli, BIP Hywel Dda
Special recognition – Louise Gillam, Merthyr Tydfil, BIP Cwm Taf
Learning Welsh – Supporting Learners
WINNER
Rhian Baker, Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
Rhian Baker is a personal assistant within the pharmacy department at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd.
She is also the department’s Welsh Champion and promotes the Welsh language at every opportunity, by looking at ways the language can integrate the language into everyday life. She is recognised by her colleagues as being a great ambassador for the Welsh language and has been instrumental in encouraging others to start speaking Welsh again. She informs colleagues of courses available to learn Welsh and helps them to practise and realise that normal everyday Welsh is acceptable and that it doesn’t have to be perfect in order to converse with patients and colleagues. She is very supportive of anyone who is learning Welsh and inspires others to go further with their own learning.
The Minister’s Special Award for the best initiative
WINNER
Makaton Advisors on the innovative children’s programme ‘Dwylo’r Enfys’; input for the monitoring group to develop Welsh language Makaton workshops; work producing a training DVD on Makaton core vocabulary, Betsi Cadwaladr university Health Board.
‘Dwylo’r Enfys’ is an innovative television programme which is a public platform for children with communication needs in Wales. The programme uses Welsh Makaton language to help Welsh speaking children with special learning needs. Following the success of the programme a workshop and resources were developed to accompany the programme as previously there was nothing available in Welsh. The workshops will be delivered across Wales by Makaton tutors from September 2014 onwards.
OTHERS SHORTLISTED
Mental Health Matters’, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
The ‘Mental Health Matters’ project has been developed to extend the early year intervention and prevention work carried out by the North Wales Children and Young People Mental Health Services. Over the last year, the Children and Young People Mental Health Service, in partnership with the Health Board Communications Unit, young people and schools have developed resources to deliver a programme which includes a website, a mental health wall, posters, leaflets and business cards.
The service and all the resources are available bilingually. Mental health is an intense and complex area and children feel much more comfortable talking about problems in their first language. As the service is bilingual children are more prepared to approach the service.
Llys Jasmine Extra Care Scheme (Adult Social Services for Older People)
Flintshire County Council, Community Services Directorate
Llys Jasmine Extra Care Housing Scheme is a cutting edge alternative housing project for older people and older people with dementia, offering state of the art supported accommodation to help people live independently for as long as possible.
An initial Welsh language pilot conversation group was established which took place on St David’s Day. Flintshire recognises that this initiative is only the beginning, and that it has allowed Flintshire to make some big improvement in improving its Welsh language provision for older people. Staff who attended the groups reported that the experience has inspired them to work more creatively in relation to the Welsh language provision they provide.
Your next patient is a Welsh speaker – make an ‘active offer’ Welsh Language Officer, Education and Development and Corporate Nursing, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board
This project ensures that all members of staff make an ‘active offer’. The active offer is a key principle in More than just words which involves placing the onus on the service provider to provide a service in Welsh without the service user having to ask for it.
