HM INSPECTORATE of EDUCATION (HMIE) GAELIC LANGUAGE PLAN: page 4

HM INSPECTORATE of EDUCATION (HMIE) GAELIC LANGUAGE PLAN

CHAPTER 2 - CORE COMMITMENTS

HMIE is committed to the promotion of high standards and the sharing of best practice as part of its core business. Section 1 of this plan sets out HMIE’s commitment to the development of Gaelic within its core business.

SECTION 1

1. Giving assurance and bringing about improvement in standards and quality through inspection and review.
*Current Practice* HMIE is consolidating and further improving its approaches to inspection and review to make sure that they focus on outcomes while having maximum impact with minimum intrusion. We will seek in our evaluative work to complement the related activities of other bodies, in particular education authorities and educational development bodies including Bòrd na Gàidhlig. We will adjust our practice to further increase the impact of inspections and reviews in securing improvement. We will continue to provide evaluative support to establishments and services which need this to improve their outcomes. The production of resources in self-evaluation, best practice, excellence and improvement planning will help us achieve these ends for Gaelic language, education and culture.
Key areas of development	When?	Who?
Identification of best practice.	Continuous	Chief Inspector, Lead inspectors for secondary and primary education, and National Specialist for Gaelic

2. Building capacity for improvement.
Nationally and internationally, we seek good practice. We work closely with a wide range of organisations to disseminate good practice and build the capacity of establishments and authorities to provide education and services for children and adult learners of the highest quality for all users. Filming best practice in Gaelic-medium education and showcasing this film on the JTE online resource will help us achieve that aim. We will empower establishments and services to aim for excellence, using self-evaluation to improve education. We will use our self-evaluation frameworks, for example How good is our school? to promote better self-evaluation in establishments and services. Translations of key documents relating to self-evaluation, planning for improvement and best practice will enable Gaelic-medium teachers to engage in high level professional discussions and improvements in these areas.
Key areas of development	When?	Who?
Filming best practice and translating key documents.	2 years	Chief Inspector with Gaelic remit

3. Giving professional, evidence-based advice
We support informed policy development by providing independent, professional advice drawn directly from first-hand evaluation evidence and knowledge of the education system as a whole. We will provide advice to organisations responsible for the quality of education and services for children. We will continue to contribute to national developments in education and services for children by drawing on our comprehensive knowledge and understanding of provision and outcomes across the system. HMIE’s work and ongoing partnerships relating to Gaelic education (including a planned task on Gaelic issues) will contribute to achieving this priority.
Key areas of development	When?	Who?
Undertaking key tasks and providing advice.	Continuous	Chief Inspector and National Specialist with Gaelic remit

4. Securing our own continuous improvement
We actively develop and manage HMIE as a self-evaluative, flexible and innovative organisation which is committed to its own improvement. We support the national outcome of public services which are high quality, continually improving, efficient and responsive to local people’s needs. We will continue and extend our approaches to self-evaluation of our own work. As an integral part of these approaches in line with the government agenda of efficient and shared services, we will continuously gather feedback on our work, and focus on best value. Through the activities described later in this plan, we will ensure that we continue to develop as an organisation that is in tune with its stakeholders and their, issues and contributes to the development of Gaelic language, education and culture in Scotland and beyond.
Key areas of development	When?	Who?
Develop the capacity of the organisation in supporting Gaelic language development.	Continuous	Chief Inspector with Gaelic remit

SECTION 2

In its statutory Guidance on the Development of Gaelic Language Plans, Bòrd na Gàidhlig identifies one of the key aspects to normalising the use of Gaelic to be in creating the conditions for its use in public life.

The Bòrd has identified four core areas of service delivery that it wishes all public bodies to address when preparing their Gaelic Language Plans. These are:

Identity:
corporate identity
signs

Communications:
reception
telephone
mail and e-mail
forms
public meetings
complaints procedures

Publications:
public relations and media
printed material
websites
exhibitions

Staffing:
training
language learning
recruitment
advertising

HMIE recognises that each of these four corporate functions can play an important role in raising the profile and visibility of Gaelic, and of creating practical opportunities for Gaelic speakers and learners. Section 2 of our Gaelic Language Plan sets out in turn what Gaelic provision will be made in relation to each of the functions.

We have had regard to the statutory requirements laid out in the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005, and to the Bòrd’s Guidance on the development of Gaelic Language Plans. The Guidance states that, in general terms, the expectation is that in those geographical locations in which the percentages or numbers of Gaelic speakers is greater, the scope of the Gaelic Language Plan will be wider and the level of commitments in it will be stronger. HMIE operates across all areas of Scotland and, as such, will adopt the same level of provision to apply to all of our areas of operation.

This section sets out the minimum level of Gaelic language provision which we commit to providing in the five-year lifetime of the plan.

2.1 – Identity

The presence of Gaelic in the corporate identity and signs of a public authority can greatly enhance the visibility of the language, and makes an important statement by a public authority about how Gaelic is valued and how it will be given recognition. Developing the use of Gaelic through signs can also enrich the vocabulary of Gaelic users and contribute to the development of the language. HMIE recognises the importance of creating widespread awareness of the use of Gaelic and of promoting a positive image of it.
Corporate Identity
*Current Practice*	HMIE’s strapline is presented in Gaelic on the HMIE website and on many public presentation slides. HMIE uses Gaelic banners at internal and external conferences such as the Scottish Learning Festival. HMIE currently does not have a written policy underpinning the use of Gaelic in its corporate identity.
Key areas of development		When?	Who?
	HMIE will construct a written policy for Gaelic in its corporate identity. We will continue to move towards the use of the bilingual version of the HMIE logo in letterheads, envelopes, compliment slips, business cards and acknowledgement cards.	Two years Two years	National Specialist Lead - Publications Team Lead -Communications Team
Signs (internal and external)
*Current practice*	HMIE has no external or internal bilingual signage. HMIE does not have an agreed policy for the use of Gaelic on signage.
Key areas of development		When?	Who?
	We will move to phase in the use of bilingual signage on external facings of our buildings.	One Year	National Specialist with Communications team
	We will increase the internal use of bilingual signage to include: Welcome notices Direction notices Door nameplates	One Year	National Specialist with Communications team

2.2 – Communications

The use of Gaelic at the initial point of contact that members of the public have with a public authority increases the visible and audible presence of the language, and contributes to the sense that the use of Gaelic is possible and welcome. In addition to raising the profile of the language, it also creates opportunities for its practical use and encourages members of the public to use Gaelic in subsequent dealings with public bodies. The use of Gaelic in interactions with public bodies by mail, email and by telephone is important in creating practical opportunities for the use of the language, and in contributing to the sense that its use is possible and welcome. The presence of Gaelic in a wide range of Gaelic forms, or in bilingual forms, can also greatly enhance the visibility and prestige of the language. The preparation of Gaelic versions of forms, applications and similar documents, can also assist in expanding the range of Gaelic terminology and the awareness of the Gaelic-speaking public of such terminology, helping the development of the language itself. HMIE recognises the importance of creating opportunities for the practical use of Gaelic in a wide range of everyday situations and is committed to increasing its level of provision in this area.
Reception
Current practice	HMIE does not make any Gaelic provision in reception areas at present.
Key areas of development		When?	Who?
	We have introduced Gaelic awareness training for key front-of-house staff including key phrases and appropriate use.	One year	HMIE, LTS and SQA Partnership
	Reception staff will have access to a Gaelic-speaking member of staff to assist with Gaelic enquiries.	Helpline to be set up over two years	Head of corporate services
Telephone
Current practice	HMIE does not at present make any provision for handling telephone calls in Gaelic.
Key areas of development		When?	Who?
	We aim to promote the use of basic Gaelic with staff and to enable access to a Gaelic speaking officer when required.	Training for staff in HMIE, LTS and SQA over two years	Clì Gàidhlig
Mail and email:
Current practice	HMIE does not currently have an agreed policy with procedures on how to respond to Gaelic mail and e-mail.
Key areas of development		When?	Who?
	We will aim to reply in Gaelic to members of the public who write to HMIE in Gaelic.	Two years	Communications team
	HMIE will establish a database of those individuals or organisations who prefer to receive communications in Gaelic, and we will endeavour to initiate appropriate correspondence to them in Gaelic.	Three years	Communications team
	We will make automatically generated electronic content (such as e-mail disclaimers) bilingual in Gaelic and English.	Two years	Communications team
	We will provide a Gaelic translation of corporate e-mail disclaimer.	Two years	Communications team
	We will create a strap-line and use it in outgoing e-mails to publicise Gaelic services in Gaelic.	Two years	Communications team
Documentation ie Forms etc
Current practice	HMIE provides inspection questionnaires and reports in Gaelic where appropriate. HMIE does not currently make explicit provision for the use of Gaelic in core documentation but has accepted Gaelic submissions on an individual basis.
Key areas of development		When?	Who?
	HMIE will increase the use and visibility of Gaelic in its most commonly used core documentation.	One Year	Communications team
	HMIE will publicise the completion of any documentation in Gaelic.	One Year	Communications team
Complaints Procedure
Current practice	HMIE does not have a Gaelic edition of its complaints procedures at present.
Key areas of development		When?	Who?
	A Gaelic translation of our complaints procedure will be made available online and in print.	One Year	Communications team

2. 3 – Publications

The use of Gaelic in a range of printed material can assist Gaelic development in a variety of ways. It helps increase the visibility of the language, it enhances Gaelic’s status by being used in high profile publications, and it can help develop new, and enhance existing, terminology. The use of Gaelic in the media helps demonstrate HMIE’s commitment to making important information available through the medium of Gaelic, as well as enhancing the visibility and status of the language. As more people access information about HMIE through our website, making provision there for the use of Gaelic can significantly enhance the status and visibility of the language. HMIE is committed to increasing the use of Gaelic in these areas where the subject matter is of most interest to the general public or relates specifically to Gaelic issues.
Public Relations and Media:
Current practice	HMIE produce approximately 870 press releases a year. None of these is produced in Gaelic.
Key areas of development		When?	Who?
	Gaelic will have a higher profile in HMIE advertising and marketing campaigns.	Two years	Human Resources
	Bilingual press releases related to Gaelic or to schools with Gaelic education.	One year	Communications team
Printed Material
Current practice	HMIE has a bilingual approach to the publication of all reports on Gaelic. In addition, HMIE has identified a number of core documents that it is translating into Gaelic for access on the website. Examples include: How good is our school? Third edition.
Key areas of development		When?	Who?
	We will increase the number of core documents, such as the consultation on the HMIE Gaelic Language Plan, which are produced bilingually.	Three years	Chief Inspector with Gaelic remit
Websites
Current practice	HMIE’s website does not yet have content in Gaelic.
Key areas of development		When?	Who?
	We will place our Gaelic Language Plan on our website.	Six Months	Communications team
	We will develop a Gaelic section on our website with links to other Gaelic web pages as appropriate.	Four years	Communications team
	We will indicate on the website when there is a Gaelic edition of a published report.	Six Months	Communications team
Conferences and exhibitions
Current practice	HMIE uses promotional material in Gaelic at conferences. HMIE has led several conferences for GM practitioners to develop and share best practice. HMIE good practice conferences include Gaelic good practice and issue where appropriate.
Key areas of development		When?	Who?
	Gaelic greetings to be used at all conferences	One year	Lead presenters
	Organise regular Gaelic conferences (eg with LTS, SQA)	Every two years (approx)	National specialist, HMI, HMI Assistant Inspector and Associate Assessors for Gaelic

2. 4 – Staffing

In order to deliver services through the medium of Gaelic, it is necessary to develop the requisite job skills and language skills of staff. The provision of language learning for staff helps promote adult Gaelic learning, and in promoting Gaelic as a useful skill in the workplace. The identification of jobs in which Gaelic is an essential or desirable skill will contribute greatly to the status of the language, and in identifying it as a positive skill to acquire. The use of Gaelic in advertising helps recognise that Gaelic should be used in public life and that Gaelic speakers have an important role to play within a public authority. Whether the ability to speak Gaelic is essential or desirable, what is important is that authorities need to ensure that Gaelic is a genuine occupational requirement and to adopt and apply objective criteria to ensure appointments are made in each case on a fair and consistent basis, and reflect the identified skills needs of the post. HMIE recognises the importance of recognising Gaelic as an important job skill and of identifying situations in which its use is essential or desirable. HMIE also recognises the importance of enabling staff to develop their Gaelic skills where they wish to do so.
Training
Current practice	HMIE has started to offer training on Gaelic issues for staff.
Key areas of development
	We will provide a programme of Gaelic awareness training for all key front-of-house staff.	One Year	Clì Gàidhlig
	We will organise Gaelic awareness-raising sessions for staff, and make Scottish Government material available on-line.	Two years	Clì Gàidhlig
	We will develop guidance notes for all staff on our Gaelic Language Plan and new policies/procedures as they are developed, which will be, published on a Gaelic section of the HMIE intranet.	Three years	National Specialist
Language Learning
Current practice	There has been some Gaelic learning in HMIE. This has largely consisted of supporting personal study, the inclusion of Gaelic in learning at work days and some provision for learners.
Key areas of development
	Gaelic classes will be offered to staff in HMIE through the Scottish Government’s arrangements for lifelong learning to undertake private study	Three years	Human Resources
	The Scottish Government will undertake a Gaelic linguistic skills survey to find out how many of our staff have Gaelic language ability and to what standard.	One Year	Communications team
	We will raise the profile of Gaelic at corporate staff development days.	Two years	Communications team Awareness-raising Sessions
	We will enable staff who already speak Gaelic to develop their competence and literacy.	Two Years	Human Resources Clì Gàidhlig
Advertising and Recruitment
Current practice	HMIE, in line with Scottish Government policy, does not make provision for Gaelic or bilingual advertising for staff at present. All recruitment to HMIE is carried out in accordance with the Scottish Government/Civil Service rules on fair and open competition. This means that the best person is chosen for the vacancy. If the ability to speak Gaelic is a genuine occupational requirement then the candidate’s linguistic ability is taken into account.
Key areas of development		When?	Who?
	We will complete the induction of a new Gaelic-speaking inspector.	Immediate	HMIE
	We will establish a formal policy of bilingually advertising Gaelic-essential, or Gaelic-desirable, posts using the new bilingual corporate identity.	Two years	Human Resources

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