Further Evidence from NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland Group
Re: Welsh Language LCO
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to express our views on the proposed Order. Though we are unable to respond to the specific questions in relation to the scope of the proposed Order, we would however like the opportunity to highlight some of the work we are currently undertaking in relation to promoting bilingualism which will be of interest to the Legislation Committee.
Can I start by saying that we are very proud of our Welsh roots and can trace our origins as far back as 1790. We are one of the main providers of financial services in Wales with more than 151 branches employing over 1800 staff.
As a leading financial services provider in Wales we are seeing an increase in the number of customers using and requesting Welsh language services from us. This demand varies drastically across the country and reflects the linguistic make up of that particular area. We have recently launched a Welsh version of our website to address this need and further ensure all of our customers have access to the products and services that we offer. This can be accessed from www.natwest.com/cymru.
NatWest is committed to the community and culture of Wales. It recognises the importance of the Welsh language and that a comprehensive bilingual service is a vital element of quality service.
There are several strands to NatWest’s active involvement in Wales :
Access to Cash
All our cash machines in Wales offer a bilingual service. We have an extensive network of free to use cash machines with over 161 located in Wales. This, combined with an agreement we have with our competitor banks, means our customers have access to some 1500 machines throughout Wales. In spite of this, cash machine installation is continuing, with increasing numbers of machines being installed and priority given to rural areas. Bilingualism is a key feature of this investment programme, which includes an extensive review of branding, merchandising and signage.
Branch Banking
We recognise that we have direct contact with an increasing number of Welsh speakers who wish to conduct their business through the medium of Welsh. NatWest actively encourages the use of Welsh in the workplace and has been an active supporter of the Welsh Language Board’s 'Investing in Welsh Marque’ initiative. We have incorporated the 'Working Welsh’ logo into the design of its corporate name badges which are worn by all branch staff in customer contact roles. The badges identify Welsh speaking staff and indicate whether they are fluent or learning the language. Our customers’ needs are our first priority and we strive to provide a bilingual service. It is our aim however to further improve and enhance this provision throughout Wales. In addition we are supporting our staff who are learning Welsh and we are currently working with course providers in the Ceredigion and Meirionnydd areas to ensure our people are equipped with the necessary skills to provide a bilingual service.
NatWest appreciates the importance of a satisfactory quality of bilingual service and has undertaken a linguistic skills audit of its Welsh workforce. The results have and will be used to inform future planning decisions in order to best satisfy the diverse requirements of the branch network in Wales.
NatWest accepts for clearance cheques which are written in Welsh. The Bank also supports the Welsh Language Board’s 'Cheque - Mate’ scheme, promoting the initiative with Business customers.
NatWest continues to produce a range of literature in Welsh. A range of key brochures are provided for the public which are produced in Welsh. Bilingual brochures present each language equally in terms of format, size, quality and prominence of display. These are freely available in our branches and can also be accessed on the website:
In addition to its branch network NatWest has introduced a mobile bank service in South Wales which is aimed at providing a number of remote and deprived areas with direct access to face-to-face banking facilities.
Customer Service
Our Welsh branches and customers are supported by a Customer Services Centre which was established in the 1990's to cater for the needs of our Welsh speaking customers.
The Group has recently completed a substantial investment in new technology and re-structure at the centre which is based on Parc Menai near Bangor as part of an overall programme to enhance our Welsh language services.
Since its inception in the early 1990’s, Menai Retail Customer Service Centre has been operating from three sites across North West Wales and these have now been amalgamated under one roof which will improve its service delivery to NatWest customers across Wales. The Centre also provides back office support to the network of NatWest branches across the region and is central to NatWest’s Welsh language proposition. The re-structure has also involved a substantial investment in new technology making it easier for customers to speak to an operator in their preferred language.
The centre has grown gradually over the years and currently employs 50 staff. They provide a bilingual telephone service for NatWest customers with additional processing and lending divisions providing more in-depth and specialist support. Having the team under one roof brings greater opportunities for the staff in terms of cross training and multi-skilling which leads to an improvement in its delivery of service to customers.
Community
We play a leading role in the Welsh community where we take time to build relationships with charities and voluntary organisations. We encourage our staff to use their expertise and enthusiasm for the benefit of their communities through our extensive staff programme, the UK’s most generous, Give As You Earn scheme and Community Cashback Awards whereby staff donate time or money to help the charities and issues of their choice.
Financial Education
We have recently expanded our MoneySense programme of Financial Education to Welsh speaking schools by producing all literature and teaching support material in Welsh.
In 1994 we started a programme to provide financial education for children and adults across the UK. Since then, many thousands of people have benefited from the skills we have taught them, in fact our 1 millionth student completed the programme in June 2007. Due to its popularity, we re-launched our programme in 2007 under the new name of MoneySense, complete with a new improved website (www.natwest.com/moneysense). The MoneySense programme is advised by an Independent panel chaired by Baroness Denise Kingsmill and includes representation by the Citizens Advice Bureau. The FSA has also referred to our programme as "highly regarded".
Personal Finance Education (PFE) became a core component of the new 'Preparing for lifelong learning’ within the Personal and Social Education curriculum in Wales from September 2008. As a direct result of this move the 'Bank on it’ module was introduced in Welsh to support the Welsh Medium Schools in the delivery of the programme. In the first half of 2008, in Wales alone, NatWest delivered 276 MoneySense lessons in 50 schools with the involvement of branch employees, to 21,402 students. For more details visit:
www.natwest.com/cymrumoneysense
Local Business
We provide support for youngsters through the Prince’s Trust. The Prince’s Trust-Cymru offers 14-30 year olds a chance to develop confidence, learn new skills, get into work, start businesses and engage in their communities. It offers training, personal development, business start-up support, mentoring and advice, really making a difference to young people’s lives.
Conclusion
We will endeavour to meet the ever-increasing demand for a comprehensive Welsh language service, and it is our intention to ensure that this service continues to improve in the future in order that NatWest can provide the highest quality of service for its customers.
