Welsh language policy

We are an organisation that supports and encourages accessibility to our services, including providing a consistent service to our Welsh-speaking staff and audiences in a language of their choice.

Main principles of our Welsh language policy

  • We recognise that the Welsh language has official status in Wales and should be treated no less favourably than the English language. People in Wales should be able to access our services through the medium of Welsh if they choose to.

  • We produce, promote and present our work in Wales in English, Welsh and bilingually.

  • We are an organisation that supports and encourages accessibility to our services, and this includes providing a consistent service to our Welsh-speaking staff and audiences in a language of their choice.

  • We understand the importance of the Welsh language to older service users, even those who may declare themselves to be English-speakers.

  • We welcome correspondence in both English and Welsh and aim to provide an equal standard of service in both languages.

  • Our policy seeks to:

    • Offer a service of equal standing to Welsh and English speakers

    • Understand and acknowledge the bilingual nature of Wales

    • Give a wider access to our activities

    • Ensure that Welsh and English speakers benefit equally from the therapeutic benefits of live music

    • Raise our Welsh profile and recognise ownership by Welsh speakers and non-Welsh speakers alike

    • Strengthen our appeal both within and outside Wales

    • Strengthen our ability to meet the requirements of funders and other partners; and

    • Ensure conformity to the linguistic and cultural specifications in legislation and best practice guidance as approved by the Welsh Language Commissioner.

Corporate identity

The name Music in Hospitals & Care, when used to indicate our name, will always be used in English only. With this one exception, our public image and corporate identity in Wales will be fully bilingual. This includes the use of strap lines, letterheads, business cards, compliment slips and other stationery, email signatures, signs, concert posters and other publicity material.

Marketing, Communications and IT

We welcome written correspondence in Welsh and English and will reply in the original language of communication wherever possible.

We will have a fully bilingual web presence in accordance with the Welsh Language Commissioner’s guidelines. Where content is included from outside sources, content will be accepted in Welsh or English. News items will be translated whenever possible.

Media releases will be issued according to the language preference of the recipient media organisation, journalist or publication. We will ensure that Welsh speakers are available to undertake interviews with Welsh language press and broadcast media.

Recruitment

All external recruitment advertising for roles in Wales will be bilingual. The ability to speak Welsh will be ‘Desirable’ on all job specifications in Wales. We will ensure that we have sufficient Welsh-speaking musicians to ensure that we can provide live music in English, Welsh or bilingually.

Review of policy

This policy and its implementation will be reviewed at Board level on an annual basis and improvements made, where possible.