Policy on awarding grants and providing financial assistance

The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 (‘the Measure’) gives the Welsh language official status in Wales. The Measure imposed Welsh Language Standards on public sector organisations in Wales.

There are five categories of standards:

o service delivery standards

o policy making standards

o operational standards

o promotion standards and

o record keeping standards

Standards explain how bodies should treat and use the Welsh language in different scenarios, for example, when sending correspondence, dealing with telephone calls, providing services on-line or face-to-face, formulating policies or when providing services internally to staff. The requirements also cover the awarding of grants or the provision of financial assistance by the University.

The Welsh Language Commissioner has a statutory duty to monitor organisations’ compliance with the Welsh Language Standards and investigate complaints and breaches in compliance. It is within their power to impose enforcement action, county court judgements and fines.

The relevant standards from the Welsh Language Standards (No.6) Regulations 2017 are:

• Any documents that you publish which relate to applications for a grant or financial assistance, must be published in Welsh, and you must not treat a Welsh language version of such documents less favourably than an English language version (Standard 75)
• When you invite applications for a grant or financial assistance, you must state in the invitation that applications may be submitted in Welsh and that any application submitted in Welsh will be treated no less favourably than an application submitted in English. (Standard 76)
• You must not treat applications for a grant or financial assistance submitted in Welsh less favourably than applications submitted in English (including, amongst other matters, in relation to the closing date for receiving applications and in relation to the timescale for informing applicants of decisions). (Standard 76A)
• If you receive an application for a grant or financial assistance in Welsh and it is necessary to interview the applicant as part of your assessment of the application you must — (a) offer to provide a translation service from Welsh to English to enable the applicant to use the Welsh language at the interview, and (b) if the applicant wishes to use the Welsh language at the interview, provide a simultaneous translation service for that purpose (unless you conduct the interview in Welsh without a translation service). (Standard 78)
• When you inform an applicant of your decision in relation to an application for a grant or financial assistance, you must do so in Welsh if the application was submitted in Welsh. (Standard 79)
• You must produce and publish a policy on awarding grants or financial assistance (or, where appropriate, amend an existing policy) which requires you to take the following matters into account when you make decisions in relation to the awarding of a grant or providing financial assistance -
  (a) what effects, if any (and whether positive or negative), the awarding of a grant or providing financial assistance would have on -
  (i) opportunities for persons to use the Welsh language, and
  (ii) treating the Welsh language no less favourably than the English language;
  
  (b) how the decision could be taken or implemented (for example, by imposing conditions of grant) so that it would have positive effects, or increased positive effects, on -
  (i) opportunities for persons to use the Welsh language, and
  (ii) treating the Welsh language no less favourably than the English language;
  
  (c) how the decision could be taken or implemented (for example, by imposing conditions of grant) so that it would not have adverse effects, or so that it would have decreased adverse effects on -
  (i) opportunities for persons to use the Welsh language, and
  (ii) treating the Welsh language no less favourably than the English language;
  
  (d) whether you need to ask the applicant for any additional information in order to assist you in assessing the effects of awarding a grant or providing financial assistance on -
  (i) opportunities for persons to use the Welsh language, and
  (ii) treating the Welsh language no less favourably than the English language. (Standard 100)

The above requirements must be considered in any aspect of Swansea University’s processes of awarding a grant or providing financial assistance, be it during the promotion stage, the application stage, interviewing (where relevant), decision-making, or awarding the grant or financial assistance and any follow-up with the applicant.  

Adhering to the checklist provided (Appendix 2) will demonstrate that you have acknowledged and responded to the need to consider the Welsh language. Therefore, a successful grant making or financial assistance process at Swansea University must:

- publish all materials in Welsh
- respect individuals’ language preference throughout the application process
- identify any impacts on the Welsh language (positive, negative or both)
- note ways of promoting the Welsh language, including the use of Welsh
- reduce any adverse impacts on the Welsh language

- implement conditions on any grant or financial assistance in respect of the Welsh language where this is deemed necessary

• If the University awards grants or financial assistance on behalf of another body (Welsh Government or any other body that fall within the scope of the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011) and the specific terms and conditions of the grant/financial assistance include Welsh language considerations, then this policy will apply.
• If the University awards grants/financial assistance that it has funded, then this policy will apply.
• If the University awards grants/financial assistance on behalf of organisations that do not fall within the scope of the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 and there are no specific terms and conditions in relation to the Welsh language set out in the grant/financial assistance, then the requirements will apply if Swansea University is involved in the decision-making process in any way.
  
  If you are unsure whether this policy applies to a grant making process that you are managing – please contact welshlanguageoffice@swansea.ac.uk for further advice.

The (draft) Code of Practice for the Welsh Language Standards (No.6 Regulations) published by the Welsh Language Commissioner defines a ‘grant’ as:

“…usually a permanent transfer of money to a person, that does not need to be repaid nor returned. The term 'grant' includes any financial support which a body provides to a person for a specific project or purpose. Grants are usually used in accordance with specific terms and conditions.”

The term ‘financial assistance’ “could include a benefit, scholarship money, loan, or a bursary as some examples but it does not include a sum of money given to a person via a procurement process.”

We suggest the following is inserted into guidance for applicants:

The Welsh Language Standards (No.6) Regulations 2017 place a statutory requirement on the University to ensure all grants and financial assistance issued by it consider whether there are ways the initiative could be amended to include more positive impacts on the Welsh Language or if actions could be included to decrease negative impacts or eradicate them altogether.

In complying with this statutory requirement, we ask you, as the applicant, to let us know through the application form how your initiative may impact the following areas -

- opportunities for persons to use the Welsh Language
e.g students, staff, residents and visitors
- impact on the number of Welsh speakers
e.q. Welsh-medium education, study opportunities, links with the Welsh Government’s Cymraeg 2050 Strategy / Swansea University's Welsh Language Strategy
- opportunities to promote the Welsh language
e.g. status, use of Welsh language services, use of Welsh in everyday life in work, on campus, and in the community. Actively encourage and promote the use of our services in Welsh to see an increase in demand over time.
- treating the Welsh language no less favourably than the English language

The team will assess your answers, ask further questions where necessary or they may impose a condition of grant that would require you to complete a specific action to ensure more positive impacts on the Welsh Language.

We suggest the following should be included in all terms and conditions that Swansea University issue for grants and financial assistance.

This grant/financial assistance is awarded in line with the requirements of our Policy on Awarding Grants, published to ensure compliance with the Welsh Language Standards (No.6) Regulations 2017, under the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011.

And where relevant:

*In order to satisfy the requirements of these terms and conditions you must comply with the below

- <<insert specific conditions of grant in relation to the Welsh language>>
or
- <<list agreed actions that the applicant has noted to ensure positive impacts, or to reduce negative impacts (these will have been discussed during the decision-making stage). >>

*It may be appropriate in some instances to impose a condition on a grant or some forms of financial assistance to ensure more positive impacts on the Welsh language. This could be as simple as requiring applicants to display bilingual signage, to publish annual reports in both Welsh and English, or that activities are provided in Welsh.

Any requirements to report on the use of the grant or financial assistance should also include a requirement to report on the Welsh language impacts.

If you require further advice, you are welcome to contact welshlanguageoffice@swansea.ac.uk .

A Negative or Adverse Impact

This is where it is identified that an initiative (or some aspect of it) may have a negative impact on the Welsh Language by reducing opportunities for persons to use the language, reducing the number or percentage of Welsh speakers, treating the Welsh language less favourably than the English language or not promoting it. A negative impact may be entirely unintentional and only become apparent when research or consultation takes place or by seeking advice from relevant Policy Officers.

A negative impact may also occur when an initiative is removed or no longer continued. Therefore, these matters should be considered during the decision-making process of an application.

A Positive Impact

This is where it is identified that an initiative (or some aspect of it) may have a positive impact on the Welsh Language by increasing opportunities for persons to use the language, promoting the Welsh Language, increasing numbers or percentage of Welsh speakers or treating the Welsh language more favourably than the English language.

No impact/Negligible

This is where it is identified that an initiative (or some aspect of it) may not have any impact on the Welsh Language.

 Further details can be obtained from:

Welshlanguageoffice@swansea.ac.uk

It is advised that assessment frameworks are updated to include a section that considers the impacts on the Welsh Language. A suggested approach is provided here APPENDIX 1 Policy on Awarding Grants

When managing a grant or financial assistance process on behalf of Swansea University, please complete this checklist to ensure the University complies with the requirements of The Welsh Language Standards (No.6) Regulations 2017 APPENDIX 2 Policy on Awarding Grants