Government Business - The right to be informed

The right to be informed

Alan Wheatley, general secretary of the Institute of Translation & Interpreting (ITI), discusses the importance of using only qualified and experienced translators and interpreters, and offers guidance for working effectively with them

Translation and interpreting in the public sector has changed dramatically in the past 20 years. In accordance with the Human Rights Act 1998 Article 6, 3a, everyone has the right “...to be informed promptly, in a language which he understands and in detail, of the nature and cause of the accusation against him...” and (3e), “...to have the free assistance of an interpreter if he cannot understand or speak the language used in court.”

Today we must cater for a greater variety of languages and dialects than ever before in an increasing number of situations covering all aspects of public life including housing departments, job centres, benefit offices, social services, police, prisons and the courts.

According to recent research, total UK public sector spend on translation and interpreting is currently £500 million and forecasts predict that this figure is set to rise substantially in the future. It is crucial that the public sector ensures it is working with high quality translation and interpreting professionals, not just to be confident it is receiving a good return on investment, but to ensure it fully meets the stipulations of the Human Rights Act 1998.

Challenges
A key challenge is balancing spend with quality. It can be very tempting to hire the services of the cheapest and most geographically available translator or interpreter, but due to the very nature of the work being carried out in a different language, it can be impossible for the client to ascertain the quality of the translation or interpreting taking place.

I have heard of various cases where non-professional interpreters pass themselves off as qualified, and have actually carried out interpreting assignments in serious situations. This can be very dangerous especially in the health and criminal justice system. Such imposters may have an unethical agenda and may not interpret accurately, resulting in a wrongful conviction or incorrect patient information.

The way forward
It is essential to check qualifications and credentials. This too is a challenge as there are an estimated 10,000 people in the UK who market themselves as ‘professional translators and interpreters’. Obvious checkpoints are confirming qualifications, references, and memberships of professional bodies. Employing a member of a professional body will provide you with a translator or interpreter who has at least met stringent admissions criteria and who signs up to a Code of Professional Conduct; quite often these professionals take part in Continuing Professional Development to maintain the currency of their skills.

A professional will always be happy to provide evidence of qualifications and memberships; interpreters, for example, will often hold the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (DPSI) and be listed on the National Register for Public Service Interpreters.

Translation companies should have or be working towards a recognised certification standard such as ISO, or the recently introduced European Quality Standard BS EN15038.

Employing freelancers can be a simple process. ITI, for example, offers a free to use internet directory of qualified translators and interpreters who work in a combined total of over 150 languages. Creating a relationship with locally based language service providers within your immediate ethnic communities will be a rewarding experience for all concerned.

Useful tips
Once you have your professional translator or interpreter in place it is important to know how to work with them and provide training to staff who will work alongside the translator or interpreter.

For social services, face-to-face interpreting is always the preferred way of working, while police, courts and prisons may be able to make use of video conferencing in the future.

Some simple basics can help ensure the process runs smoothly. Here are some examples of best practice in a situation requiring an interpreter:

About the ITI
The Institute of Translation & Interpreting (ITI) has over 3,000 members worldwide and is one of the UK’s primary sources of information on language services for government, industry, the media and the general public. ITI promotes the highest standards in the profession and its members play a key role in promoting cross border trade in products and services.

introduce everyone and define their roles
establish some ground rules to ensure communication only takes place through the interpreter
stress that the interpreter can only communicate what is said and cannot offer any additional information or advice
ensure that everyone speaks directly to each other, do not speak to the interpreter
maintain eye contact with the client, if culturally appropriate
speak clearly and naturally
summarise the discussion at regular intervals to ensure that everyone understands everything that is being said
ask yourself whether you believe everyone understands and if you have obtained all relevant information. How will you know and by what measure can you be sure?

Get feedback
After the discussion it is good practice to obtain feedback from the interpreter – particularly regarding any difficulties in the interpretation or with any personalities – and to check that the interpreter has not been traumatised in any way. Remember that conveying sensitive information can be equally distressing for the interpreter.

Translation is no less of a problem. In fact, a mistranslation of a document can have dramatic and long-term consequences. A mistranslated witness statement or patient or claimant notes could have serious detrimental consequences for all parties.

It can be extremely useful to identify language champions among your staff. These people can keep abreast of local community needs and new language requirements and forge strong relationships with language providers.

Smoothing the process further
The use of technology can be a great benefit to dealing with situations swiftly and cost effectively. However, care must be taken not to rely too heavily on automatic translation programs as these will never deliver the level of accuracy required.

Face-to-face interpreting should always be used for complex situations or when discussions are likely to be lengthy. This ensures a more caring, personal service and creates a greater understanding of the communication process because the interpreter is able to identify and respond to cultural body language and religious beliefs that may not be obvious to public sector staff.

Telephone interpreters should be considered in emergency situations for immediate assistance to help establish facts. It is also the case that some individuals may actually prefer to use telephone interpreting as it is more anonymous. However, it is remote and not recommended in all cases.

With recent technological developments, the potential for video interpreting is worth exploring. Video is no substitute for face-to-face interpreting, but it can provide a practical compromise between face to face and telephone interpreting. Video could also work well for Sign Language and perhaps even lip speaking, while text to speech is advisable for the visually impaired or illiterate.

The future
With increased citizen mobility we could find that there are more non-British EU citizens choosing to come to the UK, so our requirement for professional translation and interpreting services could increase.

The best way to handle the growing demand for translation and interpreting is to consider the advice offered in this article: always use qualified professionals; train staff in how to work with interpreters; invest more, not less; identify language champions to keep abreast of local community needs and new language requirements; and finally, forge strong relationships with language providers.

ITI – here to help
ITI has 3,000 members, all of whom demonstrate their commitment to the profession by joining the organisation and adhering to a strict code of conduct. This is essential in an unregulated profession.

There are various levels of membership ranging from fellow (FITI), qualified member (MITI) to corporate membership. To become a MITI, translators and interpreters must successfully complete the rigorous application process where only those who can prove their educational qualification, experience and commitment succeed.

About the ITI
The Institute of Translation & Interpreting (ITI) has over 3,000 members worldwide and is one of the UK’s primary sources of information on language services for government, industry, the media and the general public. ITI promotes the highest standards in the profession and its members play a key role in promoting cross border trade in products and services.

For more information
Visit the ITI website at www.iti.org.uk. The Directory of Members offers a list of qualified members.