Interim Policy Fer Given Services An’ Wittens In Ulster-Scots

​​​​​​1.1 Beckgrun

Tae dae hit’s waark the EA’s main leid bes Inglis.

Ivryboadie bes entitlet tae respect an’courtesy at extends tae their culture, heirskeip an’ leid.  The Education Authority recognizes Ulster-Scots in aa o’ hit’s foarms es an expression o’ the cultural wealtht o’ Norlin Airlanan oor unco roul in heftin the leid, culture an’ heirskeip o’ Ulster-Scots. 

The EA recognizes oor responsibilities unner:

• The European Convention oan Human Richts
• The Inthernational Covenant oan Economic, Social an’ Cultural Richts.
• The Inthernational Covenant oan Civil an’ Political Richts
• The United Nations Convention oan Riochts o’ the Wean.
• European Chairter fer Regional an’ Minority Leids.
• Framewaark Convention fer the Bieldin o’ National Minorities.
• UNESCO Convention oan the Bieldin an’ heftion o’ Cultural Expression.

The EA bes an airm’s length boadie o’ the Depairtment o’ Lear an’ bes subject tae the obleegements in thae international treaties oan accoont o’ the UK Government’s ratification.

Thae proveesions ir aa the hairt O’ beildin an’ heftin cultural an’ leid minorities.

1.2 Purpone

This Interim Policy fer the gien o’ services an’ wittens in Ulster-Scots (The Policy) bes tae heft EA offaicers in taakin decisions adae wi’ given wittens an’ services adae wi’ Ulster-Scots includin’ arrangements fer thaim wantin’ tae intherect wi’ the EA in Ulster-Scots.

Thon bes an intherim policy at maun bae apdated an/ir replaced efter Commissioners ir tuk oan es an ootcum o’ Identity an’ Leid (Norlin Airlan) Bill an’ the New Decade New Approach political ‘greement.

The policy wul heft mair an’ betther awareness o’ Ulster-Scots an’ hoo hit bes adae wi’ the provision o’ education services fer EA offaicers.  The policy bes a corporate services policy an’ wul mak’ siccar at EA offaicers apply consistent judgement tae the provision o’ wittens an’ EA services adae wi’ Ulster – Scots.

The Norlin Airlan Executive Draft Plen tae mak’ betther an’ forder Ulster-Scotleid, culture an’ heirskeip 2015 – 2035 recognises the importance o’ enhancin’ an’ forderin the Ulster-Scots leid, heirskeip an’ culture.

The draft plen leuks tae heft mair awareness an’ the delivery o’ corporate services bae the authority an dusnae cover Ulster-Scots proveesion in the curriculum.  Efter the ‘greement o’ New Deal New Approach thaire wul likesey bae a new laafu duty pit oan the Depairtment o’ Lear tae “Encourage an’ heft wi’ the uise an’  unnerstannin o’ Ulster-Scots in the Education System”.

The Chairsman, Heigh Heidyin an’ boord members ir accountable fer the owreaa performance o’ EA.  Matthers o’ equality, guid relations an’ human richts ir hairtsum tae thon accountability an ir hairtsum forebye tae cairryin oot governance responsibilities.

3.1 the Heigh Heidyin bes accountable tae the boord fer the forderin, implementin, maintenance an’ review o’ the interim Ulster-Scots Policy.

3.2 Corporate Leaderschip Team members ir responsible fer:

• Gioen assurance tae the boord; an
• Leukin fer assurance at the Interim Ulster-Scots Policy bes bein’ applied richtly.

3.3 Directors ir responsible fer:

• Maakin siccar at aa leid policy offaicers hae bein trained; an
• Given assurance tae the Heigh Heidyin an’ the boord at decisions in their airt o’ owresicht wur maide in line wi’ this policy.

3.4 Unner Directors an’ Heids o’ Service ir responsible fer:

• Maakin siccar at aa staff knaw aboot the policy an’ quhat hit maks uisefu.
• Maakin siccar at staff unnertak trainin’ es apt; an
• Given assurance tae directors at decisions in their airt o’ responsibility wur maide in line wi’ this policy.

3.5 Equality Unit Staff ir responsible fer:

• Given EA offaicers chansts tae gae tae airted training;
• Given hefts, adwice an’ steerins tae lead policy offaicersin applyin’ the policy;
• Monitorin’ the effectiveness o’ the policy through feedbeck; an
• Owreseein the owresettin o’ paipers intae Ulster-Scots

3.6 Aa Staff ir responsible fer:

• Maakin siccar at they ir familiar wi’ the contents o’ the policy; an
• Applyin the policy tae their waark.

4.1 Staff Trainin’ an’ Awareness

Staff training oan Ulster-Scots bes available tae staff es pairt o’ the yearly trainin’ programme fae the Equality an’ Diversity Unit.  Aa staff ir entitlet tae thon non-mandatory trainin’.

The trainin’ covers

• The laafu framewaark fer Ulster-Scots (taakin in Section 75);
• Owreview o’ Ulster-Scots culture an’ heirskeip;
• Common faause notions aboot Ulster-Scots;
• The Ulster-Scots Leid; structure, key phrases an’ pronounciations;
• Ulster-Scots in the waarkplace

The trainin’ wul bae clessruim based, (ir virtual), an’ bes fer aboot 2.5 hours.

Fer mair wittens aboot the training get oantae equality.unit@eani.org.uk

Noo an’ agin awareness wul bae raisedo’ the Ulster-Scots leid, history an’ culture es hit hes adae wi’ education an EA services acroass EA’s communication channels an’ inby amang staff’

4.2 Addresses

The Locail Government (Miscellaneous Provisions)(Norlin Airlan) Ordair 19&95 alloos at an Airt Cooncil can pit ap a version o’ a street naime in anither leid forebye Inglis.

Quhan a boadie hes uised a laafu street naime in screeds ir oan official foarms quhan applyin’ fer EA services, staff wul uise the Ulster-Scots foarm quhan processin’ foarms ir ansurin screeds.

Baith the Ulster-Scots an’ Inglis foarms o’ the address wul bae hel’ oan record.

Quhan a thurd pairty bes involved fer example Joabs an’ Benefits Offaice, tae verify a service uiser’s status, baith the Ulster-Scots an’ Inglis versions o’ the street address can bae shewn.

4.3 Correspondence

The Education Authority wul tak’ screevit correspondence in Ulster-Scots. An acknowledgement wul cum oot in Ulster-Scots wi’in twa waarkin days.

The EA stannnart fer ansurin correspondence in Inglis bes wi’ in 10 waarkin days, unless mair tim’ bes needfu’ accause o’ the complexity o’ the repone.

Taakin intae accoont the need tae hae the wittens owreset a mair substantial repone in Ulster-Scots wul cum oot wi’in 15 waarkin days, gif mair tim’ bes needfu’, the service uiser wul bae toul thon in Ulster-Scots.

4.4 Tellyphone Caas an’ Voicemails

Gif a customer stairts a collogue in Ulster-Scots ir uises Ulster-Scots wurds oan the tellyphone an’ the stsff memberbes fit tae spake Ulster-Scots ir can unnerstan an’ collogue wi’ the customer they wul dae sae.

Gif the staff member cannae spake Ulster-Scots ir cannae unnerstan the collogue the service uiser wul bae given the chuse o’ cairryin oan the collogue in Inglis.  Hooiniver gif the service uiser wants tae conduct the collogue in Ulster-Scots, they wul bae offaired the chuses ablow

1. They wul bae axed gif they want tae bae transferred tae a voicepoast quhar they can leave a message.  An offaicer wul ettle tae get beck tae the service uiser wi’in thrie waarkin days o’ the message bein’ left.  The service uiser shud bae toul at quyhles we wul ettle tae repone an’ cairry oot the business in Ulster-Scots bit hit micht bae needfu’ tae dae sae in Inglis.
2. Gif the service uiser wants tae they can sen’ a screed tae the Education Authority.  Thon wul bae acknowledged an’ansured in Ulster-Scots.  The EA ettles tae repone tae aa screeds wi’in 2 waarkin days an’ gie a detailed repone wi’in 10 waarkin days.  Thon micht bae streeched tae 15 waarkin days quyhles the screeds ir owreset.

4.5 Face tae Face Maetins

Gif a service uiser stairts speakin’ in Ulster-Scots an’ the EA employee dusnae spake Ulster-Scots ir cannae unnerstan the cologue the EA employee wul explain at they cannae spake Ulster-Scots an’ the service uiser wul bae offaired the chuses ablow:

• Tae Cairry oan in Inglis
• Sen’ a screed tae the EA in Ulster-Scots; ir
• Tae set ap a maetin.

Gif the service uiser wants tae dae their business in Ulster-Scots an’ maks an’ appointment moistly * an interpreter shud bae arranged.  Thon can bae done through the Equality Unit (equality.unit@eani.org.uk)

*A general exception tae given an interpreter micht bae quhan recruitin’ quhan hit micht bae needfu’ tae test the applicant’s communication skeels in Inglis.

4.6 Owresettins

In  line wi’ the letther an’ spirit o’ the European Chairter fer Regional an’ Minority leids, the Education Authority wul owreset key paipers intae Ulster-Scots.

Hit bes allooed at thaire bes leemeted availability o’ Ulster-Scots owresetters an’ thon can impact oan tim’ tuk tae gie owresettins.  Dependin’ oan hoo complicated the material bes hit can tak’ ap tae 2 sennicht tae owreset documenmts intae Ulster-Scots.  Fer similar paipers laike a repone tae a screed hit can tak’ ap tae 5 waarkin days.

Hooinivr hit’s needfu’ fer EA offaicers tae plen delivery o’ their waark in line wi’ the recognized tim’ frames fer given apfront owresettins an’ sae wul ettle tae hae owresettins available apfront wi’oot axin, quhar sic hir allooed tae bae apt.

EA wul gie owresettins oan the basis ablow:

• Screeds gat in Ulster-Scots wul bae acknowledged in Ulster-Scots (in stannart format) an’ reponed tae in Ulster-Scots.  Hit micht tak’ ap tae 15 waarkin days tae gie a fu’ repone.
• EA paipers, fer example consultation paipersadae wi’ Ulster-Scots services ir hae a bag impact oan the Ulster-Scots community wul bae owreset apfront intae Ulster-Scots afore cummin oot.
• Key wittens adae wi’ the corporate functions o’ the EA wul bae owreset intae Ulster-Scots an’ pit oan the EA wabsteid alongside the Inglis leid.  Fer example hoo tae get oantae the EA ir hoot ae mak’ a complaint ir gie a compliment.
• Requests fer Ulster-Scots owresettions o’ Airish .leid paipers ir resources wul bae leuked aa in line wi’ the criteria abeen.

The EA wul waark wi’ the Boord o’ Ulster-Scotch an’ the Depairtment fur Commonities owresettin hub tae mak’ siccar at the stannarts needfu’ fer owresettins ir kept ap.

Owresettins ir centrally owresaen bae the Equality Unit.  Tae ax fer an owresettin offaicers shud epoast equality.unit@eani.org.uk

5.1 Dissemination

This interim policy bes fer aa EA corporate services staff.

Assistant Directors an’ Heids o’ Service ir responsible fer maakin siccar at the interim policy bes pit oot an’ unnerstood in their service airts.

Dissemation can bae done bae means ablow

• Includin’ in staff briefins
• Raisin’ issue at staff maetins
• EA corporate communications; an
• EA intranet an’ internet steids.

5.2 Expectations

This policy refers tae EA’s Corporate Services an dusnae cover Ulster-Scots provision in the curriculum ir in schuil.s.

This interim policy wul bae monitored an’ kept unner review bae the Equality Unit.  Shud onie pairt o’ hit bae haird tae implement feedbeck shud bae sent tae the ERquality Unit aa equality.unit@eani.org.uk

The effectiveness o’ the staff awareness an’ trainin’ programme wul bae monitored forebye in an ettlin tae mak’ ootcums betther.

This policy wus consulted oan es pairt o’ a target engagement an’ consultation daein wi’ apt stakehaulders.

In line wi’ the Authority’s duties unner Section 75 o’ the Norlin Airlan Ect 19&98 a screenin’ exercise wus carriet oot.  A coapie o’ the screenin’ template bes oan the EA wabsteid www.eani.org.uk

In line wi’ the Authority’s duties unnedr the Date Protection Ect 2018,  aa personal an’ sensitive wittens processed in line wi’ this policy wul bae administered in line wi’ the Authority’s duties unner the Data ProtectionEct 2018 an’ the general data protection regulation (GDPR). EA bes obleeged tae comply wi’ the Protection o’ Wittens Ect 2018 an’ the General Protection o’ Wittens Regulation quhan processin’ personal wittens, We hae pit oot detailed Privacy Noatices oan oor wabsteid www.eani.org.uk/privacy at gie mair wittens aboot hoo EA processes personal wittens an’ details aboot hoo tae get oantae iz gif ye hae onie speirins