North Wales Probation Area has a long standing, strong commitment to ensuring that its services and culture reflect the bilingual community we live in. Progress on this issue has been led since 1992 by the Area’s Bilingual Advisory Group, which is Chaired by a Board member and which is made up of a mixed grade group of staff all of whom have a strong commitment to the issue.
Over the years the group has developed and advised on a wide range of policies and procedures, the most significant of which are the Welsh Language Scheme and the internal Welsh Language Policy.
The success of the work of the group is probably best reflected in the fact that in 1992 only 8% of its staff were fully bilingual, whereas the current figure is now 34%, with distribution across all roles and locations.
The groups success was acknowledged nationally in 2005 by a national diversity award for team determination and persistence.
The Area aims to offer its services to all users in the language (Welsh / English) of the user’s choice and to develop an inclusive bilingual organisational culture.
The Area works jointly with other Local Criminal Justice Agencies in North Wales and with other Probation Areas in Wales on Welsh Language issues.
