Language of choice: Dyfed Powys Police launches new Welsh language champion initiative

Dyfed Powys Police is backing a new scheme to give its residents a police service in the language of their choice. To cater for the needs of many bi-lingual or predominantly Welsh-speaking communities, from the Pembrokeshire coast to the mid-Wales mountains, the force has launched a Welsh language champion to offer the full range of services in both English and Welsh.

With the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 receiving royal approval in February 2011, developing on the groundwork laid by the Welsh Language Act 1993, Welsh as a language in public services has greatly increased. The introduction of a Welsh language champion aims to promote better use of the language across the force to reflect the recent resurgence.

Welsh language training is conducted by local universities, with beginners courses starting at Dyfed Powys headquarters in September and a following course planned for January 2013. A third course is to also projected to be delivered on division in Ceredigion during 2013.

Superintendent Aled Davies, Dyfed Powys Police’s Welsh language champion, supported the drive to make more officers willing and able to use Welsh in a working environment.

“We are keen to make officers and staff more confident to use their Welsh language skills,” he said.

“It doesn’t matter if your Welsh isn’t perfect – after all there’s a lot of technical terms in the policing world – but it is important that everyone uses their Welsh skills, whatever level that may be.

“We really appreciate the effort of those who are currently learning Welsh and we thank them for their enthusiasm.”

PC Tom Draycott said: “Having lived and been educated solely in England, without any previous knowledge of Welsh, I was keen to try to learn. Starting to learn a new language can be a daunting prospect, but Cwrs ‘Mynediad’ has been very interesting and accessible. 

“There is a mix of previous knowledge, from people like myself with no previous knowledge to others who have been surrounded by Welsh their whole lives, but haven’t ever made the step to fully learn the language. I find this helps the group as everyone adds their experiences and we all help each other. 

“Although we’ve only had a few sessions, I am amazed by the amount we’ve covered and am often surprised at how much I can understand, especially reading Welsh while on and off duty.”

Dyfed Powys Police is widening the focus on the importance of Welsh language skills, with more emphasis being placed on bilingual abilities during the recruitment process.

The force is currently in the process of hiring four communication adviser posts, with a high level of Welsh language skills (Level 4) considered an essential requirement for three of the vacancies.
Several methods will be employed to increase the use of Welsh by existing staff in Dyfed Powys Police, including the use of specialised software. Cysgliadâ will be available to officers and staff, enabling them to write letters, emails and other documents in Welsh, complete with its own spell-checker and dictionary functions.

Rather than roll out the training uniformly across the region, geographically the largest British police force covering half of Wales, the Welsh language training will concentrate on key areas in certain locations. Call handling roles will be one of the departments to receive special attention, while territorial policing in areas with higher rates of Welsh-speaking will also be among the chief focuses.

An independent advisory group for young people will also be initiated. Established by Dyfed Powys Police’s diversity officer, the group will consist of 16 to 21-year-olds acting as a “critical friend” for officers on issues relating to young people, with the use of Welsh seen as a central plank of the strategy in reaching out to all communities covered by the force.