Corporate report

SLC Welsh Language Annual Report 2022 - 2023

Published 29 September 2023

1. 1. Introduction

On 25th July 2016 the Welsh Language Commissioner issued a Compliance Notice under section 44 of the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 to the Student Loans Company Limited (“SLC”).

Standard Number 164 of the Compliance Notice states:

1. 1. You must produce a report (an “annual report”), in Welsh, in relation to each financial year, which deals with the way in which you have complied with the operational standards with which you were under a duty to comply during that year.

2. 2. The annual report must include the following information (where relevant, to the extent you are under a duty to comply with the standards referred to)—

   1. a) the number of employees who have Welsh language skills at the end of the year in question (on the basis of the records you kept in accordance with standard 145);
   2. b) the number of members of staff who attended training courses you offered in Welsh during the year (on the basis of the records you kept in accordance with standard 146);
   3. c) if a Welsh version of a course was offered by you during that year, the percentage of the total number of staff attending the course who attended the Welsh version (on the basis of the records you kept in accordance with standard 146);

   4. ch) the number of new and vacant posts that you advertised during the year which were categorised as posts where—

      1. i) Welsh language skills were essential,
      2. ii) Welsh language skills needed to be learnt when appointed to the post,
      3. iii) Welsh language skills were desirable, or
      4. iv) Welsh language skills were not necessary, (on the basis of the records you kept in accordance with standard 148);
   5. d) the number of complaints that you received during that year which related to your compliance with the operational standards with which you were under a duty to comply.

3. 3. You must publish the annual report no later than 6 months following the end of the financial year to which the report relates.

4. 4. You must publicise the fact that you have published an annual report.

5. 5. You must ensure that a current copy of your annual report is available—

   1. a) on your website, and
   2. b) in each of your offices that are open to the public.

This document constitutes SLC’s annual report being produced to ensure our compliance with Standard Number 164 and relates to the 2022/23 financial year (the “FY”).

2. 2. Information Categories

2.1 Details of how many employees have Welsh language skills at the end of the FY

Standard Number 145 of the Compliance Notice states that SLC must:

keep a record (following assessments of your employees’ Welsh language skills made in accordance with standard 123), of the number of employees who have Welsh language skills at the end of each financial year and, where you have that information, you must keep a record of the skill level of those employees.

Standard Number 123 states: “You must assess the Welsh language skills of your employees.”

At the end of the FY, SLC had 45 employees with Welsh language skills.

2.2 Details of how many members of staff attended training courses offered in Welsh by SLC in the FY (on the basis of the records you kept in accordance with standard 146).

Standard Number 124 states that SLC:

must provide training in Welsh in the following areas, if you provide such training in English — (a) recruitment and interviewing; (b) performance management; (c) complaints and disciplinary procedures; (ch) induction; (d) dealing with the public; and (dd) health and safety.

Standard Number 146 states:

You must keep a record, for each financial year of - (a) the number of members of staff who attended training courses provided in Welsh (in accordance with standard 124), and (b) if a Welsh version of a course was provided in accordance with standard 124, the percentage of the total number of staff attending the course who attended that version.

In the FY, no members of staff attended training courses SLC offered in Welsh.

2.3 Details of the percentage of the total number of staff who attended the Welsh language version of any courses which SLC offered in the FY, (on the basis of the records you kept in accordance with standard 146).

Not applicable due to the absence of any training courses provided by SLC in Welsh during the FY.

2.4 Details in relation to new and vacant posts advertised by SLC during the FY which were categorised as posts where—

• i) Welsh language skills were essential,
• ii) Welsh language skills needed to be learnt when appointed to the post,
• iii) Welsh language skills were desirable, or
• iv)Welsh language skills were not necessary, (on the basis of the records you kept in accordance with standard 148).

Standard Number 148 states:

You must keep a record, in relation to each financial year, of the number of new and vacant posts which were categorised (in accordance with standard 132) as posts where— (a) Welsh language skills are essential; (b) Welsh language skills need to be learnt when appointed to the post; (c) Welsh language skills are desirable; or (ch) Welsh language skills are not necessary.

Standard Number 132 states:

When you assess the requirements for a new or vacant post, you must assess the need for Welsh language skills, and categorise it as a post where one or more of the following apply — (a) Welsh language skills are essential; (b) Welsh language skills need to be learnt when appointed to the post; (c) Welsh language skills are desirable; or (ch) Welsh language skills are not necessary.

In the FY, SLC advertised the following vacancies which were categorised as posts where:

• i) Welsh language skills were essential - 15
• ii) Welsh language skills needed to be learnt when appointed to the post - 0
• iii) Welsh language skills were desirable - 0
• iv) Welsh language skills were not necessary - 0

2.5 Details of the number of complaints SLC received during the FY in relation to SLC’s compliance with the operational standards detailed in SLC’s Compliance Notice.

SLC received no complaints during the FY in relation to SLC’s compliance with the operational standards detailed in SLC’s Compliance Notice.