A new partnership between the National Centre for Learning Welsh and the Royal College of Midwives will enable midwives across Wales to develop their Welsh language skills, helping them to support women and their families while receiving care.
The initiative is part of the National Centre's provision for Health and Social Care, which supports staff across the sector to learn Welsh and build confidence to use the language, contributing to the aims of the Welsh Government's More than just words framework.
As part of the partnership, a new Learn Welsh course will be developed specifically for midwives. The National Centre will work with the Royal College of Midwives to promote the course to the 2,000 and more midwives working across Wales.
Alongside the new course, a range of learning resources have been developed, including lanyard cards featuring greetings and phrases that midwives can use in their day-to-day practice.
Midwives will also be able to access the National Centre's wider Health and Social Care training, which includes support from a dedicated Learn Welsh tutor in every health board, together with a range of online courses and digital learning resources.
The partnership with the Royal College of Midwives builds on the National Centre's successful collaborations with the Royal College of Psychiatrists and Macmillan Cancer Support.
Dona Lewis, Chief Executive of the National Centre for Learning Welsh, said:
"The National Centre takes a strategic approach to Learn Welsh provision, leading programmes for specific audiences across different sectors, which sit alongside our extensive community-based services. We’re delighted to be working with the Royal College of Midwives on this latest programme. Through tailored, relevant learning materials and our flexible training, we aim to help midwives develop their skills and gain confidence to use Welsh in their work."
Julie Richards, Director of the Royal College of Midwives in Wales, said:
"Midwives support women and their families through some of the most important moments of their lives, and being able to use Welsh when providing care can make a real difference to people's experiences. We’ll be encouraging more midwives across Wales to develop their Welsh language skills and take advantage of these new opportunities, thanks to our partnership with the National Centre."
The partnership will be launched at 11.30am on Monday, 3 August, at the ‘More than Words’ stand at Eisteddfod y Garreg Las, with Julie Richards, Dona Lewis, and other representatives.
