The Trust recognises that many people can only communicate their care needs effectively through their first language, which for approximately a fifth of our population is Welsh. We are committed to ensuring dignity and respect to meet the communication needs of Welsh speakers as a natural part of their care. Not everyone working for the Trust speaks Welsh, however, we are all committed to dealing with the communication needs of everyone who comes into contact with the service. The role of non-Welsh speakers will not be undervalued as everyone has an important role to ensure a high quality service.
We will work together towards increasing the active offer approach as an integral part of service delivery.
We recognise that offering the right to choose which language to use in dealing with the Trust is a matter of need for some people and a matter of choice for everyone accessing the service.
Where the communication needs of Welsh speakers have been identified, the Trust adopts a team approach to meet those needs thus making a difference to the patient’s experience.
We are committed to creating a bilingual culture, ensuring a more citizen centered service which respects people’s cultural identity and strive to respond to the communication needs of all patients and service users as part of our commitment to provide high quality care and professional standards.
‘Not everyone can speak Welsh, but if the team has someone
who’s a Welsh speaker or can say a few simple words,
that makes a world of difference (user experience)