Guidance

HMPPS Welsh Language Scheme 2024 to 2027

Published 15 October 2025

Applies to England and Wales

Prepared under the Welsh Language Act 1993, approved by the Welsh Language Commissioner on 2 September 2025

1. Background and context

Introduction

In line with the Welsh Language Act 1993 and subsequent Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011, His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) continues to adopt the principle that in the conduct of public business and the administration of justice in Wales, it will treat the English and Welsh languages on a basis of equality.

This Scheme sets out how HMPPS will give effect to that principle when providing services to the public in Wales, and acts as the instruction to staff in doing so.

This Welsh Language Scheme replaces the following:

• National Offender Management Service (NOMS) Scheme 2013, approved by the Commissioner on 23 May 2013
• The Wales Probation Trust Scheme, approved by the Commissioner on 12 July 2011
• HMPPS Welsh Language Scheme, 2020-2023

This Scheme has been prepared in accordance with Section 21 of the Welsh Language Act 1993, by which, HMPPS will:

• have regard to any guidelines issued by the Welsh Language Commissioner (as detailed on the website)
• send the proposed Scheme to the Welsh Language Commissioner prior to adopting it
• send a written statement of the reasons for not doing so to the Welsh Language Commissioner, if HMPPS does not give effect to the amendments suggested by the commissioner

We are committed to delivering a high-quality Welsh language service, and adopting the best possible practice as well as facilitating the rights and freedoms of individuals (including staff) in line with Section 113 of the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 which prohibits interference with the freedom to use Welsh.

The overarching Ministry of Justice (MoJ) Scheme was published in June 2018. This is a corporate Scheme that sets the overall Welsh language framework for the department. The MoJ is a ministerial department, supported by five Executive Agencies responsible for the delivery of the majority of business and services to the public:

• Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS)
• HMPPS
• the Legal Aid Agency (LAA)
• the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG)
• the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA)

Each of these delivery bodies has their own Welsh Language Scheme. The level of Welsh language services vary between agencies depending on the level of direct contact with the public in Wales. This scheme has been adopted by HMPPS and the bodies operating within it.

Our organisation

HMPPS is here to prevent victims by changing lives. We work with our partners to carry out the sentences given by the courts, either in custody or the community. We work to reduce reoffending by rehabilitating the people in our care, including through education and employment.

Within England and Wales, we are responsible for:

• Running prison and probation services
• Rehabilitation services for people in our care leaving prison
• Making sure support is available to stop people reoffending
• Contract managing private sector prisons and services such as:
  • The prisoner escort service
  • Electronic tagging

We manage public sector prisons, the contract for private prisons, and oversee probation delivery in England and Wales. As of March 2024, HMPPS employed 65,017 full time equivalent members of staff, and were responsible for 87,869 prisoners and 238,765 people on probation.

Consultation and equality analysis

In preparation for this Scheme, HMPPS reviewed progress against our previous Scheme and consulted on the principles of this Scheme with Welsh speaking prisoners, people on probation, staff and other stakeholders. Findings from this consultation informed an Equality Analysis which shaped the scope and ambition of this Scheme, including:

• a strengthened focus on improving data quality pertaining to Welsh language skills of people on probation and people in prison across England and Wales
• commitment to developing an Easyread version of the Welsh Language Scheme to be made available to the public.
• continuation of focussed work with the Women’s prison estate and Youth Custody Service
• taking a needs-based approach to ensuring Welsh language services are provided in England, including the establishment of Welsh language communities, and assurance activities where required
• an action to ensure in-room, and landing digital technology in Welsh prisons offers content in Welsh as well as English
• actions to improve the central availability of Welsh language documents
• commitment to develop a Welsh Language Skills Policy for staff in Wales
• an action to drive an increase in the number of staff disclosing their Welsh language ability on our HR systems

‘The Welsh Language in Prisons’ report

In December 2018, the Welsh Language Commissioner published ‘The Welsh Language in Prisons Report’ which made 17 recommendations which HMPPS accepted and committed to work towards in our previous Scheme. An update against each recommendation, and how they relate to this Scheme, is provided in Annex A.

 2. Applying the scheme

Section 5 of the Welsh Language Act sets out how organisations must prepare their Schemes in relation to the services they provide which are for the benefit of the public in Wales. The ‘public’ in this Scheme refers to visitors, members of the general public, people in prison and people on probation, and this Scheme will apply to Prison and Probation Services, Community Accommodation Services and Corporate functions.

The following delivery principles underpin our approach to delivering services in Welsh in Wales.

• We will offer the public the right to choose which language to use in their dealings with us.
• We recognise that enabling the public to use their preferred language is a matter of good practice, not a concession.
• Denying the right to use Welsh could place members of the public at a disadvantage.
• Members of the public can express their views and needs better in their preferred language.

Organisations do not need to be physically located in Wales to provide a service to people in Wales, and Schemes will apply when the public are obliged to leave Wales to obtain that service, including being held in custody, or completing a sentence in the community.

For these reasons, this Scheme sets out instructions for provision of Welsh language services in both Wales and England, and HMPPS will give full effect to the Act’s principle of equality in so far as is both appropriate under the circumstances and reasonably practicable for Welsh speakers, whatever their location.

Although not legally required to do so, we also recognise the importance of considering Welsh language provision for Welsh speaking staff in Wales, and the vital role that they play in delivering a bilingual service.

3. Governance, monitoring and responsibilities

Overall responsibility for this Scheme, including compliance, and the production of Annual Monitoring Reports is held by the Chief Executive Officer of HMPPS, managed on their behalf by the HMPPS Disparities Unit.

Priorities within this Scheme will be progressed via the Disparities Unit in tandem with the HMPPS Welsh Language Lead.

Our Welsh Language Champions (Area Executive Director and Deputy Director level) will drive focus, prioritisation and progress by leveraging their existing leadership capability.

HMPPS has 7 geographic areas, comprising prison and probation services, each overseen by an Area Executive Director (AED). AEDs are responsible for ensuring their respective Areas comply with the expectations and actions detailed within this Scheme.

Responsibility may be delegated to Prison Group and Probation Regional Directors where appropriate. Across the Long-Term High Security, Youth Custody and Women’s prison estates, responsibility for compliance sits with respective Deputy Directors.

HMPPS Wales and HMPPS HQ will work together to produce an annual monitoring report each calendar year from the point this Scheme is published, and submit this (bilingually) to the Welsh Language Commissioner. HMPPS will respond to the Commissioner’s comments within a reasonable, agreed timeframe, based on the level of detail required.

HMPPS Wales will set out priorities based on the principles and ambition of this Scheme within a strategic action plan which will be refreshed every year. The action plan will be progressed via a Welsh Language Implementation Board, chaired at Deputy Director level. Overall governance arrangements are set out below.

The Senior Operations Leadership Team (SOLT) - is responsible for approval of annual monitoring report and handling escalated issues.

Reporting to SOLT are:

1. Welsh Language Scheme Monitoring board. (Consisting of: 2x Welsh Language senior champions, Disparities Unit (DU) rep, Wales Diversity and Inclusion (D and I) lead.) 6-month reviews, assess and promote progress against the action plan.
2. Welsh Language implementation board (Wales). (Consisting of: Prison / Probation / HQ leads.) Delivery of Wales Strategic Welsh Language plan. Prison Welsh Language forums/communities. Probation Grwp laith ar Waith. Welsh Language staff forums.
3. Disparities Unit (DU) and Wales lead interface. Progression of national scheme action plan. Liaison with action owners.
4. Prison and Probation D and I leads. Periodic updates and escalation. Embedding practice.

4. Our scheme’s measures

A. Policy development

HMPPS applies the process of equality analysis to ensure it is compliant with the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty. The process is used as part of the development and review of policy or projects. Consideration of legal obligations and corporate commitments outlined in HMPPS’ Welsh Language Scheme are a required part of HMPPS’ equality analysis process, which is evidence-based and should take account of the views and experiences of those impacted by the policy/project.

Links to HMPPS’ Welsh Language Scheme are included within the analysis template, and the process also requires policy/project owners to consider whether there are further opportunities to promote the Welsh language. The equality analysis process applies to policies and projects relating to Wales and England.

B.  Service delivery

People in prison and people on probation

HMPPS Wales will:

1. Create a bilingual environment with signage in Welsh and English in spaces accessible to prisoners and people on probation. Signs will be replaced with bilingual versions when they are due to be replaced.
2. Promote the rights of Welsh speaking prisoners and people on probation to speak Welsh.
3. Ask prisoners and people on probation at the earliest possible stage if they have a Welsh language preference, record this accurately on prison and probation data management systems and regularly monitor at a prison, Probation Delivery Unit and Wales-wide level.
4. Where a person’s language preference is known, initiate correspondence in Welsh, or bilingually, and reply to Welsh correspondence in Welsh.
5. Provide key information to support a person’s prison or probation journey in Welsh as well as English where a preference is known.
6. Accommodate additional requests for any material in Welsh where a preference for Welsh is known.
7. Provide prisoners and HMPPS Wales staff with badges or lanyards which identify them as Welsh speakers.
8. Provide opportunities for people on probation and people in prison to use and develop their Welsh language skills.
9. Ensure structures are in place to receive feedback from Welsh speakers on their experiences of prison and probation services.
10. Making complaint forms available in Welsh and accessible to prisoners and people on probation.
11. Ensure prison Discrimination Incident Referral Forms (DIRFs) are available in Welsh in prisons.
12. Ensure that personal documents such as court reports and sentence plans are translated into Welsh where this is the person’s preference.
13. Where available, ensure in-room or landing technology provides content for prisoners in Welsh.
14. Where technology is not available, ensure that notices and forms are available bilingually.
15. Celebrate the Welsh language and culture through events and communications.
16. Assess the delivery of Welsh language services through regular assurance visits to prisons and Probation Delivery Units.

HMPPS (outside of Wales) will:

1. Ask prisoners and people on probation at the earliest possible stage if they have a Welsh language preference and record this accurately on prison and probation data management systems.
2. Initiate correspondence in Welsh, or bilingually, where a person’s language preference is known, and reply to Welsh correspondence in Welsh.
3. Provide key information to support a person’s prison or probation journey in Welsh as well as English where language preference is known.
4. Accommodate additional requests for any material in Welsh where a preference for Welsh is known.
5. Assess the delivery of Welsh language services through regular assurance activity in prisons and Probation Delivery Units where there is a demand for such a service.
6. Regularly consider data relating to Welsh speakers in prison and on probation to determine the level of Welsh language services required.
7. Uphold the rights of Welsh speakers to use Welsh in prison or on probation.
8. Promote Welsh communities/forums to prisoners and people on probation where these are available.
9. Produce national documents and information intended for people in prison or people on probation in Welsh as well as English, ensuring that these are made available at the same time.

We will equip our staff to be able to promote and provide these services by:

1. Providing a links to relevant guidance documents and our refreshed Welsh Language Scheme on our intranet.
2. Publishing our Welsh Language Scheme and annual reports bilingually on the Gov.uk website and HMPPS intranet.
3. Providing the means to obtain accurate and timely translations through the HMCTS Welsh Language Unit, and ensure that services are adequately promoted.
4. Ensuring all HMPPS branding is made available to staff on our intranet in either Welsh, English or bilingual formats.
5. Making a suite of translated documents available on the intranet for all staff to use across HMPPPS. All newly translated documents, local or national will be uploaded onto the site.
6. Providing staff with the means of submitting feedback and enquiries on the Scheme through a dedicated functional mailbox.
7. Ensure our internal systems provide opportunity for staff to record their Welsh language skills, and encourage staff to update this.
8. Providing staff with lanyards and / or badges should they wish to declare their ability (be it fluent or a learner) to communicate through the Welsh language.
9. Providing clarity on prisoners’ and people on probation’s freedom to use Welsh with each other and external contacts, including making it clear where there are limitations on this within the National Security Framework.

Corresponding with visitors and the general public

HMPPS Wales will:

1. Create a bilingual environment with signage in Welsh and English in public facing areas. Signs will be replaced with bilingual versions when they are due to be replaced.
2. Ensure public facing answerphones or automated messages are recorded bilingually.
3. Give Welsh speaking callers the opportunity to have their call returned by a Welsh speaker if no one is available at the time.
4. Ensure that visitors centres in Welsh prisons have Welsh books and magazines including material for children.
5. Make complaint forms and DIRFs available in Welsh for use by visitors.
6. Initiate all correspondence in Welsh or bilingually where language preference is known.
7. Use bilingual greetings in our public facing spaces, over the phone and in person.
8. Give visitors the opportunity to converse in Welsh if they wish to.
9. Use bilingual greetings in our public facing spaces in Wales (over the phone and in person)
10. Give visitors the opportunity to converse in Welsh if they wish to, in person, or over the phone.
11. Ensure that products provided for the public such as leaflets, documents and information packs are available in both Welsh and English or in a bilingual format, including those which are produced by a third party.
12. Offer public facing talks or presentations in Welsh according to the wishes of the receiving organisation or group.
13. Respond in Welsh where correspondence is received in Welsh and using bilingual branding, ensuring that the response times are the same whether the correspondence is conducted in English or in Welsh.
14. Initiating all correspondence in Wales in Welsh or bilingually, including personal correspondence where language preference is known.
15. Ensure that our sites are sufficiently equipped to deal with visitors, people on probation and people in prison, including the means to seek a Welsh speaker to converse; and where this is not swiftly available, secure translation services without delay.
16. Make efforts to ensure that when arranging meetings in Wales involving the public, Welsh is accessible where necessary (and possible in considering the practical arrangements), to ensure that everyone can access events in the language of their choice.

HMPPS (outside of Wales) will:

1. Record bilingual messages where public facing answerphones or automated messages are in use and the numbers are advertised in Wales.
2. Ensure that Welsh language is considered in the development and design of national services available to visitors and the family and friends of prisoners, including setting up telephone helplines or similar.
3. Respond in Welsh where correspondence is received in Welsh ensuring that the response times are the same whether the correspondence is received in English or in Welsh.

C. Our workforce

HMPPS Wales will:

1. Use the data we hold on the Welsh language skills of people on probation, people in prison and our staff to understand the demand for services in Welsh and the resources that we have to meet this.
2. Advertise all job vacancies bilingually. This applies to permanent staff posts and temporary staff posts via agencies.
3. Assess whether each advertised post has an essential Welsh language need.
4. Run recruitment campaigns bilingually; giving the option of accessing all stages of our recruitment processes in Welsh and making every effort to accommodate subsequent requests.
5. Continue to have Welsh language as a desirable skill in all Wales-based posts and specifying where it is an essential skill.
6. Nominate Welsh language Champions across HMPPS Wales functions, to help promote and deliver commitments in the Scheme.
7. Provide opportunities for staff to learn, or develop their Welsh language skills.
8. Provide opportunities for staff to provide feedback on their experiences and shape our approach to Welsh language service provision.
9. Celebrate the Welsh language and culture through activities that engage staff.

HMPPS (outside of Wales) will:

1. Use the data we hold on the Welsh language skills of people on probation, people in prison and our staff to understand the demand for services in Welsh and the resources that we have to meet this.
2. Produce recruitment material, including videos, leaflets and posters, intended for use in Wales, in Welsh as well as English.

D. Corporate identity

HMPPS Wales will:

• Regularly review local media and literature stock to ensure it meets local Welsh language need.
• Use bilingual branding on all official stationery.
• Ensure that products provided for the public such as leaflets, posters, documents and information packs are available in both Welsh and English or in a bilingual format, including those which are produced by a third party.
• Use bilingual branding and content across its social media platforms.
• Ensure that all publications are available in both Welsh and English or in a bilingual format and are published simultaneously, and encourage our third party providers to do the same.

HMPPS (outside of Wales) will:

• Ensure that where publications, media and literature is intended for public use in Wales, Welsh or bilingual versions are made available at the same time.
• Use bilingual branding when a publication is to be made available to the public in Wales.
• When adding or revising content on the Gov.uk website, ensure that this is available bilingually.

E. Third party services

This Scheme applies equally to third party organisations who provide services on our behalf through contracts, or in partnership with us, including public bodies, the third sector, the private sector and faith organisations.

Any agreement or arrangement concerned with the provision of services for the public in Wales, which is delivered on behalf of HMPPS by a third party must be able to provide services in Wales in Welsh and English or bilingually, and consider the impact of their services on Welsh speakers.

We will continue to review the contract arrangements for translation services provided by the HMCTS Welsh Language Unit, and seek annual reporting information. We will also seek feedback from Welsh speaking staff and people accessing our services on the quality of translations.

We will ensure that specifications for services to be supplied on our behalf in Wales include relevant measures relating to the use of Welsh, for example, that printed information is available in both Welsh and English and/or in a bilingual format.

Within Service Level Agreements and provider contracts, HMPPS will define measures that require organisations to apply the principle of equality for English and Welsh languages in the delivery of services, and will monitor this to ensure equally high quality services are delivered in both languages.

We will include Welsh language measures in guidelines for setting up provider contracts and grant agreements to ensure Welsh language is incorporated into the necessary contracts and that expectations are easily understood. This Scheme will apply equally to contracted and public sector prisons.

5. Enquiries and complaints

Existing frameworks provide opportunity for prisoners, people on probation, visitors and members of the general public to make general complaints, including those related to Welsh language. The relevant complaint or grievance process should be followed by staff in the first instance.

Complaints routes available to the public:

A. Prisoners

Prisoner complaints policy framework - GOV.UK

Prisoner Complaints Easyread

Submitting a Discrimination Incident Report Form – details included in Advancing Equality for Offenders and Children in Custody Policy Framework

Prisons and Probation Ombudsman

B. People on probation

Complaints procedure - Probation Service - GOV.UK

Prisons and Probation Ombudsman

C. Visitors or members of the public

Submitting a Discrimination Incident Report Form if this relates to an incident in a prison – details included in Advancing Equality for Offenders and Children in Custody Policy Framework

Complaints procedure - Probation Service - GOV.UK

Complaints procedure - HM Prison and Probation Service - GOV.UK

Anyone can make a complaint to the Welsh Language Commissioner about:

• the lack of opportunities to use the Welsh language
• difficulties using the Welsh language at work
• if you are not satisfied about how an organisation is treating or considering the Welsh language

A summary of complaints related to Welsh language received by HMPPS will be provided as part of annual monitoring arrangements.

HMPPS welcomes feedback on this Scheme, and our Welsh language provision. Please direct any feedback or general enquiries to dedicated functional mailbox, cymraeghmpps@justice.gov.uk

6. Translation guidelines

The following information should be used as a guide for translation activities:

• Documents for use in Wales only

Where these are public (for prisoners, people on probation, visitors and members of the general public) facing, they must be bilingual or available in Welsh.

• Documents for staff (excluding recruitment)

Material does not need to be translated when it is only for staff. While it is considered good practice to do so in Wales, any local decisions should be based on assessed need.

• Service-wide policies and instructions

New, or reviewed/updated national policies, frameworks and instructions should be available in Welsh if they are to be used by Welsh prisoners, people on probation, visitors or members of the general public, and published at the same time as the English version. It may not always be necessary to translate an entire document. If staff are unsure they should direct enquiries to cymraeghmpps@justice.gov.uk

Local policies available only in Wales should be available in Welsh if they are to be used by prisoners, people on probation, visitors or members of the general public.

• Material for prisoners or people on probation

Materials intended for prisoners and people on probation in Wales should be provided in Welsh as well as English or bilingually.

In Women’s Prisons, Youth Custody Services, Secure Training Centres and Long-Term High Security Prisons, where preference is known, prisoners must be given material in Welsh or bilingually as there are no such establishments (or limited provision) in Wales.

In England, where a Welsh language preference is known, material should be provided in Welsh or bilingually, wherever it is reasonable and appropriate in the circumstances to do so. This decision will be made by the Prison Governor, PDU Head or equivalent, and should consider benefits against cost, time and need.

If staff are unsure how these requirements relate to their work, they should get in touch via the functional mailbox: cymraeghmpps@justice.gov.uk

Funding

Translations relating to Wales-only materials will be funded by HMPPS Wales.

Translations relating to national materials which are to be made available in Wales will be funded by the relevant national department.

Interpreting services

Face-to-face simultaneous translation and interpreting services can be obtained via the Ministry of Justice’s approved provider of spoken language services, The Big Word.

Our contract with The Big Word ensures the necessary protection of sensitive and personal information, that data flows are compliant with GDPR and holds all interpreters to an agreed code of conduct.

Requesting a translation

Written translation requests should be directed to the HMCTS Welsh Language Unit at: Welsh.language.unit.manager@justice.gov.uk

Enquiries: 0300 3230 198

Business hours: Monday to Thursday (9am to 5pm), Friday (9am to 4.30pm)

7. Action plan

The following action plan has been developed to support us to meet the measures detailed in our scheme. It is based on:

• our review of work to date (outlined in our Monitoring Report)
• an assessment of our current ability to meet those specified measures
• consultation with stakeholders
• the Welsh Language Commissioner’s Annual Monitoring Report which evaluates the standard of our service delivery
• progress against the Welsh Language in Prisons report

Oversight of the action plan will be the responsibility of the Disparities Unit.

	Action	Outcome	Lead	Completion
1	Promote the launch of the Welsh Language Scheme 2024 to 27, its measures, and support available to staff to meet their obligations through a rolling programme of internal communications.	Staff are aware of the Scheme, its measures, and support available to them. The importance of recording language preference is reinforced.	HMPPS Disparities Unit /HMPPS Wales	Dec 2025
2	Develop an Easyread version of the Welsh Language Scheme to be made available to the public, including prisoners and people on probation.	The public have accessible information about their rights and entitlements as set out in the Welsh Language Scheme.	HMPPS Disparities Unit/HMPPS Wales	Dec 2025
3	Develop a dedicated HMPPS Welsh language intranet page accessible to all staff including relevant resources, learning opportunities and support.	Staff are better able to understand their obligations, learn about Welsh language, and meet Welsh language requests.	HMPPS Disparities Unit/HMPPS Wales	March 2026
4	In Wales, implement the ‘Croeso’ welcome pack for all new starters.	Staff in Wales have clear, accessible instructions about their obligations and the value of delivering a bilingual service.	HMPPS Wales	June 2025
5	Explore the available options with relevant stakeholders, including Analytical Services, to monitor and share data related to people in prison and people on probation and in the Youth Custody Service who have a recorded Welsh language preference.	All prisons and probation units across England and Wales have access to data relating to the numbers of Welsh speakers accessing their services.	HMPPS Disparities Unit/HMPPS Wales	Dec 2025
6	Develop and deliver a Welsh is Welcome Here poster campaign for distribution across HMPPS Areas, including information on rights to use Welsh and rights to make a complaint.	Prisoners and people on probation, regardless of location, have information on their right to use Welsh and how to make a complaint.	HMPPS Wales	Dec 2025
7	In Wales, undertake an audit to identify key documents that are not currently available in Welsh to support people on probation and people in prison, and make these available in Welsh/bilingually.	Improved access to information in Welsh which supports a person’s criminal justice journey. Documents will be made available nationally.	HMPPS Wales	March 2026
8	In Wales, provide staff with refreshed aide memoires to support bilingual service delivery in public spaces (for example, answering phones, providing access to Welsh speakers).	A consistent, bilingual service is provided across public spaces in Wales.	HMPPS Wales	June 2025
9	Review which answerphone services/automated messages are advertised in Wales and ensure content is bilingual.	A consistent, bilingual service is provided to the public contacting service, advertised in Wales, by telephone.	HMPPS Disparities Unit	Dec 2026
10	Using available data on the numbers of Welsh speakers accessing prison and probation services in England, establish agreed thresholds which will trigger local assurance activities.	Expectations on when assurance activities are required are clear.	HMPPS Disparities Unit/HMPPS Wales	Jan 2026
11	Regularly assure the quality of Welsh language service delivery for people on probation and people in prison in any location which meets agreed thresholds.	A consistent, high-quality service is provided to Welsh speaking prisoners and people on probation, regardless of their location.	Prison Group Directors/Regional Probation Directors	Jan 2028
12	Provide refreshed guidance on dealing with enquiries in Welsh to staff working in central call centres, and regularly assure this provision.	Correspondence received in Welsh is treated no less favourably than correspondence received in English.	HMPPS Wales	Dec 2026
13	Continually promote the disclosure of Welsh language ability on central HR recording systems across all staffing groups, working towards an 80% completion rate (Wales only).	Data held on the Welsh language skills of staff across HMPPS is improved.	HMPPS Disparities Unit with Champions	March 2028
14	In Wales, regularly consider the recorded Welsh language ability of staff (as it becomes available), people on probation and people on prison, to determine demand and capability.	Recruitment activities are informed by the Welsh language profile of our staff and those who access our services.	HMPPS Wales	Jan 2028
15	In Wales, embed the Welsh Language Skills Policy.	Welsh speaking staff are valued and supported, and a more robust approach is taken to considering Welsh language need at point of recruitment.	HMPPS Wales	Dec 2025
16	Prioritise the translation of online forms which relate to visitors, friends, and family, for example, visitor booking systems/sending money to a prisoner.	Welsh speaking visitors, friends and family can interact with services that affect them in Welsh.	Digital Team	June 2025
17	Develop standard Welsh language induction information to be given to people on probation and people in prison across England and Wales.	People in prison and people on probation are aware of the extent to which they can access services in Welsh and their rights to use Welsh.	HMPPS Wales	March 2027
18	Ensure that where in-cell and landing technology is available in Welsh prisons, content in provided in Welsh (prioritising those most frequently used documents).	People in prison in Wales have access to information provided via new technology in Welsh as well as English.	HMP Cardiff Project Team	Dec 2025
19	The Women’s prison estate: The expansion of demographic data tests to monitoring levels of recording Welsh as a first language Include Welsh in all aspects of prison life	All prisons and probation units across England and Wales have access to data relating to the numbers of Welsh speakers accessing their services. A consistent, high-class service is provided to Welsh speaking prisoners and people on probation, regardless of their location	Women’s Estates	Dec 2025
20	Explore ways that data relating to staff accessing and completing Welsh language training in Wales can be effectively captured.	HMPPS Wales have a greater understanding of the current and emerging Welsh language skills profile of the organisation.	HMPP Wales	Dec 2027
21	Explore options to strengthen delivery of Welsh language services through commissioning and contract activities, including the monitoring of quality.	Opportunity is maximised to deliver a high-quality Welsh language provision through third party services.	HMPPS Disparities Unit/HMPPS Wales	Dec 2026

Annex A: Welsh Language in Prisons report

Recommendation 1: HMPPS should consider adapting its prisoner placement arrangements to ensure that, where practical, prisoners requiring Welsh language services are placed in the prisons which are most able to provide those services.

There is no legal authority that requires HMPPS to hold Welsh prisoners in Wales. however, closeness to home is one of several factors considered when choosing where to place prisoners. This is particularly important for those on short sentences or nearing release.

The priority for the prison service is to place prisoners in those establishments which optimise chances of successful resettlement and reduces reoffending. This means considering additional factors like safety, employment and training opportunities and offence type, and may also be influenced by any capacity pressures.

We recognise that language plays a role in rehabilitative outcomes and have an expectation that all prisons can offer services in line with language preferences wherever possible. Our work with prisons outside of Wales during our previous Scheme prioritised high security and women’s establishments, of which there are none currently in Wales, and many now have thriving Welsh language communities.

This Scheme strengthens both the measures that apply to prisons in England, and our national monitoring and governance structures, supporting us to uphold the principle of equality regardless of prisoner location.

Recommendation 2: HMPPS should ensure that the needs of Welsh speaking women are fully considered as part of any plans to develop the provision for female offenders under the Government’s strategy.

There are several examples of good work in women’s prisons to promote and facilitate the Welsh language, outlined in our 2020 to 23 Monitoring Report. The incoming Residential Women’s Centre in Wales will provide services to women in Wales for the first time, and Welsh language has already been considered as part of our design phase. Within the new Wales integrated women’s and young adult services contract, provision of Welsh language services is also required.

Based on data included in our 2020 to 23 Monitoring Report, we know that there is under-recording of Welsh speaking women in prisons outside of Wales, and this Scheme commits to improve this, as well as:

• the expansion of demographic data tests to monitoring levels of recording Welsh as a first language
• including Welsh in all aspects of prison life

Recommendation 3: HMPPS should review the data it commits to collect on the language needs of prisoners, in order to ascertain preferred language in different situations, and to identify the ability to speak Welsh as well as preferred language.

Data is collected across prison and probation services relating to language preference, in line with national systems and standards. Some prisons in Wales have adapted local recording processes to gather more nuanced information regarding Welsh language abilities.

This Scheme strengthens our approach to recording across England and Wales to reduce data gaps and introduces an expectation that regular reviews of data will inform the approach to service delivery across all prisons.

Recommendation 4: HMPPS should strengthen its arrangements in order to ensure that data on the Welsh language is collected for all prisoners without fail, and that all prisons are able to access correct data in order to plan services.

Welsh language data for prisoners in England and Wales has been published in our 2020 to 23 Monitoring Report. Quarterly reports on Welsh language speakers in Welsh prisons are now produced and considered by HMPPS Wales’ Welsh Language Board to ensure services are responsive to any increase in demand.

This Scheme commits to regular collection and analysis of data relating to Welsh language skills across the prison estate, including the development of a central mechanism for monitoring, and strengthened measures relating to the consideration and use of data by prison services outside of Wales.

This Scheme commits to a data-led approach to developing appropriate thresholds of Welsh speaking prisoners which will trigger additional local activities in England, including assurance activities.

Recommendation 5: HMPPS should take action to ensure that it is completely clear that prisoners are able to communicate in Welsh with each other and with external contacts, clearly stating under which circumstances this is not allowed.

An analysis of complaints in our 2020 to 23 Monitoring Report received over the life of our previous Scheme did not highlight any concerning patterns or trends regarding the restriction of prisoners’ rights to use Welsh, however, we recognise that prisoners may not always complain formally.

This Scheme commits to developing renewed communications across all prisons regarding the rights of Welsh speaking prisoners, including the right to communicate in Welsh with each other and external contacts, as well as providing opportunities for Welsh speakers to discuss their views and experiences through forums, including where achievable, outside of Wales.

Recommendation 6: HMPPS should develop further opportunities to use the Welsh language socially at HMP Berwyn and at other prisons.

All Welsh prisons, and several English establishments, now have Welsh language communities which are supported to come together socially through activities including forums, peer-led Welsh language lessons, and events to celebrate Welsh language and culture.

Recommendation 7: HMPPS should strengthen its arrangements in order to monitor the availability and quality of the Welsh language services offered in prisons, and support prisons to offer those services.

All prisons in Wales receive regular assurance visits which monitor the availability and quality of the Welsh language services. His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) has revised its indicators for prisons in Wales to include the expectation that prisoners are able to live their lives through the medium of Welsh if they choose to do so.

This Scheme commits to broadening assurance activity to consider those prisons in England where there is a demand for Welsh language services, using HMIP measures and the commitments in this Scheme as a basis for assessment.

Recommendation 8: HMPPS should review its arrangements for ensuring that prison services offered by external organisations acknowledge the fact that Welsh language services lead to better outcomes for Welsh speakers.

In Wales, the requirement on third party providers to deliver their services in Welsh is included when developing specifications for services and monitored by the Contract Management Team. The Wales Probation Commissioning Team has also introduced an early equality screening process, requiring staff who are proposing commissioned services or projects to consider Welsh language.

Contracted education provisions within HMP Berwyn and HMP & YOI Parc have newly developed, enhanced contracts and service specifications to ensure providers meet Welsh prisoners’ needs.

This Scheme continues to reinforce Third Party commitments and is explicitly underpinned by the principles that, in delivering services in Wales, denying the right to use Welsh could place members of the public at a disadvantage, and that people can express their views and needs better in their preferred language.

This Scheme also includes a commitment to explore options to strengthen delivery of Welsh language services through commissioning and contract activities, including the monitoring of quality.

Recommendation 9: HMPPS should ensure that there is a continuous process in place to collect current data on the language skills of prison staff, and it should use that data to plan services for Welsh speakers, including raising prisoners’ awareness of the opportunities available to use Welsh with staff.

During the life of our previous Scheme, the Ministry of Justice introduced a question on staff’s Welsh speaking ability to our central recording system.

This Scheme commits to improving the disclosure rate across our staffing group, regularly utilising this data as it becomes available to inform service planning in Wales, for example, recruitment activities.

As well as making Welsh speaking staff visible and building on our promotion to prisoners utilising a ‘Welsh is Welcome Here’ communications campaign.

Recommendation 10: HMPPS should take steps, especially when recruiting new members of staff, to ensure that there is a sufficient number of staff to offer consistent and reliable services to Welsh speaking prisoners.

In addition to enhancement of data collection prioritised within this Scheme, a review of recruitment processes in Wales has been undertaken and potential improvements identified.

This is captured in our draft Welsh Language Skills Policy which will be implemented during the life of this Scheme, which improves induction information made available to all staff, and a move beyond a default ‘desirable’ Welsh language criterion for all job adverts in Wales, towards detailed consideration of the linguistic skills needed for each post.

Recommendation 11: When planning to open any new prisons in Wales, HMPPS should consider Welsh language provision from the outset, including recruiting staff with Welsh language skills.

Under our previous Scheme, HMPPS committed to ensuring that Welsh language was considered as part of future prison construction in Wales (through the Prison Estate Transformation Programme and Prison Operator Framework). The Prison Estate Transformation Programme was retired in 2019, and the Prisons Strategy White Paper now sets the vision for the future of prison services.

It recognises the ways in which Welsh provision is unique, as well as the need for alignment of criminal justice and Welsh Government policies. The Prison Operator Framework covers the provision of operational custodial services and facilities management of prisons where this is contracted to providers other than HMPPS. Robust Welsh language expectations for contracted services in Wales are specified through individual contracts, covered within this Scheme under our Third-Party Providers measures.

This Scheme also commits to implementing our Welsh Language Skills Policy in Wales. This will take a more robust approach to assessing the need for Welsh language skills in recruitment, including our prison staff.

Recommendation 12: HMPPS should review the training offered to prison staff in order to address the shortcomings highlighted in this report, particularly around the recording of data on Welsh speakers and interference with the freedom to use Welsh and investigate the possibility of increasing its capacity by developing the language skills of current members of staff.

Our previous Welsh Language Scheme was widely promoted to all HMPPS staff. Several Welsh prisons have developed new opportunities for staff to learn or develop their Welsh language skills. For example, HMP Berwyn introduced a Welsh language awareness session as part of their staff induction programme.

A training catalogue has been developed which displays the full range of funded and free of charge Welsh language training available to staff in Wales, and the Civil Service has recently launched a Learn Welsh Civil Service package available to all staff on our online learning platform in partnership with the National Centre for Learning Welsh.

This Scheme commits to improving information made available to new and existing staff in Wales through the introduction of a ‘Croeso’ Welsh language pack. This will reinforce the importance of recording Welsh language preference and upholding the rights of people that access our services to use Welsh.

This Scheme also commits to developing a dedicated Welsh language page on our staff intranet to host information, instructions, and resources, and improve data collection on the numbers of staff accessing Welsh language training.

Recommendation 13: HMPPS should ensure that processes for dealing with internal complaints give prisoners confidence that matters are being resolved appropriately and enable prisons to improve their services.

Recommendation 14: HMPPS should ensure that prisoners are aware that they have the right to complain to the Commissioner about matters relating to the Welsh language and should facilitate any complaint a prisoner wishes to make.

Prisoners can use a rage of methods to make complaints in relation to Welsh language, and these are widely promoted across establishments. Welsh language complaints in Wales are monitored quarterly through HMPPS Wales’ Welsh Language Board to identify and respond to any themes.

A functional mailbox is made available for any Welsh language related concerns or feedback, and complaints data is included in our Monitoring Report 2020 to 23. This Scheme commits to renewing our communications to prisoners utilising a ‘Welsh is Welcome Here’ campaign and developing standard information to be provided to prisoners on their induction, including their rights around complaints.

This Scheme details in full the mechanisms available to prisoners to make complaints which will be promoted as part of the campaign, including Discrimination Incident Report Forms, which can be submitted anonymously.

Recommendation 15: HMPPS should continue its efforts to engage with prisoners in order to learn from their experiences and consult on developments.

All prisons in Wales have Welsh language communities and forums, and some have introduced Welsh language prisoner representatives. Welsh language communities have been established in several women’s and High Security prisons.

Regular assurance visits in Wales incorporate Welsh prisoner focus groups to inform recommendations made back to each establishment.

Recommendation 16: HMPPS should consider the findings of this review as it amends its Welsh language Scheme, ensuring that appropriate accountability arrangements are in place for monitoring progress in implementing the recommendations.

Recommendations were considered in the development of our previous Welsh Language Scheme 2020 to 23, and progress and areas for improvement have been considered in the development of this Scheme.

Governance has been strengthened by adoption by the Senior Operation Leads Group and the introduction of a national Senior Welsh Language Champion.

Actions which respond to review recommendations within the report have been mainstreamed into our Scheme’s measures and action plan and will be reported on as part of our usual annual monitoring processes.