Regardless of whether our interpreters are working in a home, hospital, council building, prison or a GP’s surgery, they always listen to what people say. They bring clarity to confusion, and help deliver vital public services to those who need them most. To those who are disorientated and frightened, such as asylum seekers or refugees, access to a compassionate interpreter offers non-English speakers a lifeline.
Based in Manchester, Carmen Hales has been interpreting since 2009. Her principle languages are English and Romanian and she holds a Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (DPSI) Local Government.
“I love my job, including its challenges! Through the course of what I do, I’m lucky to meet some very interesting people and it doesn’t feel like going to work. For me it feels as if I’m meeting someone new, someone vulnerable who, through working with brilliant, multidisciplinary support teams, I’m helping to get the right outcome and enabling them to live a better life. Essentially, my job is to facilitate communication between the non-English speaker and the relevant professionals.
“On a daily basis I see how important my role is and because of that, I get great job satisfaction. Don’t get me wrong, the role of an interpreter is an impartial one, I never offer my own opinion or advice. I interpret for the various qualified professionals who are working with the person or family in question. Often, this involves explaining to people about the cultural differences between the UK and their country of origin which ultimately leads to them living a happier, more successful life in the UK.
“For example, I once worked on a case with a Romanian family whose children were taken into foster care. This was simply due to their non-English speaking mother not understanding the standards of care here in the UK. Different cultures have different ways of doing things. The children and their mother were distressed and working alongside social services, I saw them a number of times. Ultimately, the children were settled with their new foster carer and we helped to educate the mother. Happily, and thanks to the work of the great social services team, Mum gained a solid understanding of what she needed to do and the children were returned to her. It felt very rewarding to play a role in bringing this family back together in happier circumstances.
“I can be asked to go to A&E departments, police stations, GP surgeries or make home visits with a health visitor; I could be working with a consultant surgeon on a ward or assisting local council staff with a home assessment. No two days are the same, meaning I have to be well organised and ready for anything!
“Capita TI has a dedicated website for interpreters – this online portal and mobile app enable me to view the various jobs available at any time. The online system allows me to accept jobs there and then, a valuable benefit to me, as it can be difficult to take calls whilst I am working. The system manages my calendar appointments and payments with ease, allowing me to work with clients and not be distracted with administration.”
At Capita Translation and Interpreting (Capita TI), all our interpreters are sourced locally in response to our clients’ needs and the required checks and qualifications are guaranteed. Capita TI is one of the few language solutions providers in the UK to have its database of interpreters audited by a central government department. This ensures the quality of interpreters we supply to our customers is of the highest possible.
Our Services
We work with public service teams across the UK including: GP’s, CCG’s, healthcare trusts, the police, schools, and legal and community teams. We support them in providing a diverse range of services, from safeguarding vulnerable children and adults, to localised administration services.
Capita TI also provides translation services to clients, translating anything from a simple appointment card to brochures and detailed technical medical manuals.
We are proud our service has had a positive effect on asylum seekers and refugees, particularly those who arrive in the UK in need of psychological support. In one area, it was necessary to deliver this service in costly, specialist centres. However, the combination of effective communication and the compassion provided by our highly professional, committed interpreters has enabled us to deliver this service at local GP practices. This has helped to stabilise some of the most vulnerable people in our communities whilst reducing costs for our client.
Our services include:
- Interpreting
- Translation
- Transcription
- Proofreading
- British Sign Language,
- Alternative formats including large print and Easy Read
- Braille
- Website localisation
Why work with Capita TI?
- 185 languages offered nationwide
- 163 NHS and public service clients in 2013
- 4,400 interpreting jobs on average per week across the UK
- Working with 1,850 qualified and fully vetted professional interpreters
- Dedicated Customer Portal and 24/7 telephone line
The budget restrictions
With the unprecedented demand for interpreting and translation services, balancing budgets has never been more challenging. At Capita TI we listen carefully to our clients and combine our breadth and depth of service with emerging technologies to tailor solutions which exactly meet our clients’ requirements, including their desired level of management reporting, and budget.
We listen, and make translation and interpreting services easy and efficient to access. Our approach is that no two organisations are the same. Demographics and budgets differ, as do the needs of each CCG, hospital, police force and local council we represent. Working with us, you will have your own client Relationship Manager, responsible for delivering exactly the right service for you, keeping you up-to -date, handling any ad-hoc requests and meeting with you for regular service reviews. You will have access to our customer portal and a 24/7 telephone line, very quickly providing you with an interpreter. We also provide live and historical account information, for real time reporting regarding booking requests, costs and tailored management information – helping you to make informed decisions.
We are constantly developing new services in line with our customers’ needs. We take pride in developing bespoke, highly specialised services providing cost effective methods to reach a quality solution.
Always investing in technology to help you
We have developed an online medical consultation tool including audio support, which is currently being trialled by a large CCG. Complicated three-way communication between the patient, health professional and a telephone interpreter could be replaced by an online, easy to use suite of questions, data and information. The health professional is provided with an immediate translation of symptoms enabling them to provide an effective, timely diagnosis and recommendation for treatment.
What our clients say about us:
Salford City Council and Salford CCG – “Capita Translation and Interpreting enables us to effectively undertake our work by increasing the number of people accessing and receiving our services in Salford.”
Peterborough and Stamford NHS Foundation Trust – “Due to an increase in Lithuanian speakers within our local communities, Capita Translation and Interpreting provided us with a site based interpreter, to enable the hospital to effectively meet the demands of Lithuanian speaking patients in a timely fashion.’’
Please contact us to discuss your translation and interpreting requirements on 0845 367 7000 or email publicserviceenquiries@capita-ti.com
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