This work argues that language is one of the most basic tools of the caring professions, with effective practice by social workers, youth workers and health care workers being dependant upon good communication. In Wales, this very often means simply speaking in the language of the clients. This book is aimed at workers who can already speak Welsh or who are learning the language, but lack the vocabulary or confidence to use it in the workplace. Setting out the legal and practical requirements of language-sensitive services, the book gradually introduces words and concepts within the practical day-to-day circumstances and experiences of front-line workers. The text sets out the legislative, policy and practice issues which are producing new and growing emphasis in recent years on the provision of linguistically sensitive services. It deals, in separate chapters, with a series of contexts and encounters which make up the daily round of workers in the social welfare field, introducing relevant vocabulary and exercises through which words and concepts can be retained and developed. Each chapter ends with a series of practical applications which encourage the reader to practice the newly acquired vocabulary in typical work situations and settings.
