Scottish Government

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The research was commissioned to take forward the work of the Translating, Interpreting and Communication Support Group established by the Scottish Executive in 2000. The purpose of the study was to give policy-makers a picture of the services that are currently available and indicate what actions are needed to help develop the provision of future services. Its main objective was to examine the provision of translating, interpreting and communication support ( TICS) within the public services in Scotland as viewed by TICS providers and by the public sector bodies ( PSBs).

The research was carried out at the Centre for Translation and Interpreting Studies in Scotland, Heriot-Watt University by Isabelle A. Perez and Christine W. L. Wilson, with Catherine King and Celine Pagnier.

• Many participants in the research acknowledged the lack of joined-up thinking and disparity in service provision across Scotland, expressing a wish for a coherent TICS policy and information sharing within and between the organisations concerned.
• More attention was given to interpreting than to other services in the extensive TICS portfolio. The immediacy of its demands meant that it attracted a larger share of limited PSB funding. Translation or other types of communication support did not exhibit the same degree of urgency and might not receive the same level of assistance or adequate provision.
• PSBs showed a lack of awareness of the TICS needs of certain user groups, especially of people combining several communication needs. Other important groups requiring occasional TICS support might include the immediate service-user's wider family or community.
• There was currently a low take-up of translations available on request because users did not know what was available. It was predicted that demand for translating would grow as PSBs became more aware of the need to provide access to translated documents and as public service users became better informed of their right to access this material.
• PSBs suggested that there were four levels of interpreting. These were face to face interpreting provided by trained professionals, telephone interpreting, provision by in-house staff and provision by family, friends or members of the local community. There was still a significant reliance on untrained provision by the last two groups and by volunteers, especially for people with a visual impairment.
• There was a serious shortage of trained interpreters working in certain languages and in specific domains or locations. Sometimes it was difficult to match interpreters to clients as required.
• With rare exceptions, procedures for quality control and assessment and Disclosure Scotland checks were patchy or non-existent. PSBs tended to trust TICS providers to make sure that these were carried out.
• TICS provision in the public sector was often associated with low status and lack of career prospects. There were poor working conditions, no retainers paid and little job security. Many services were provided by volunteers or on an ad hoc basis.
• New technology solutions, such as computer-aided translation, telephone and video interpreting, and alternative styles of working, such as relay interpreting, were not yet adequately researched or quality-controlled.

TICS Providers

Spoken language ( SL) providers tend to operate on a more commercial basis than British Sign Language ( BSL) providers and other communication support services which rely to a large extent on volunteers.

People providing TICS services are mainly freelance (sessional) workers rather than employees. Exceptions are generally found among people working in BSL. There are few training or career opportunities for SL interpreters and translators in the public sector field. Sometimes no training at all is available for rarer languages and, overall, there is a lack of training materials and resources.

The pool of available practitioners, particularly interpreters, is much smaller than the number reported by TICS providers. Not all of those listed on a register are still active, and the same group of interpreters may be listed by several agencies. The current shortage of interpreters means that organisations are struggling to fill full-time BSL interpreting posts. There are too few male and female interpreters in certain languages and this makes matching difficult, sometimes leading to a breakdown in TICS service provision when bottlenecks in demand occur. The shortage also impacts on the availability of trained interpreters to become involved in the monitoring or training of other interpreters.

Although the main focus is currently on face to face and telephone interpreting, the demand for translation is expected to grow. Communication support services are also predicted to increase.

PSBs frequently turn to TICS providers for expert advice and help on ways of sourcing particular languages or services. Changing levels in the demand for languages or the need for new languages often reflect world events and political decisions. Around 64% of TICS providers have begun trading since the 1990s and this appears to be linked to the introduction of the Disability Discrimination Act ( DDA) and the Race Relations (Amendment) Act ( RRAA).

TICS services in BSL are more widely available across Scotland, with more interpreters willing and able to travel further afield. Generally there is a more structured and rigorous framework for BSL interpreting, supported by a professional body, the Scottish Association of Sign Language Interpreters ( SASLI). Many people would like to see this adopted as a model for Scotland.

Respondents highlighted the need for a language strategy in Scotland. Suggestions for improving TICS provision included:

• providing training for interpreters, especially for those in more remote areas, and training for PSB staff, which could form part of initial legal or medical training.
• making end-users of the public services aware of the services available and their right to free access.
• addressing the use of informal and untrained interpreters
• recognising and supporting the emergence of public service interpreting and translating as a vital profession
• improving quality and standards with the recording of interpreted interviews proposed as a means of facilitating quality control.
• making more funding available to develop overarching language structures, improve TICS provision and increase the basic fees paid to TICS providers.

Public Sector Bodies

PSBs depend on TICS providers to help them identify the language or dialect required by a service-user. Requests for rarer languages, including some foreign sign languages, are becoming more frequent and PSBs need support to manage an expanding range of languages and dialects. In most cases, they want to source spoken language, sign language and communication support needs through a single channel, not separately as at present.

Telephone interpreting is often the first type of formal interpreting. Its use as a backup solution is expanding in cases of unplanned or emergency interpreting need or when the language cannot be sourced locally. All telephone interpreting providers are based outside Scotland and there is some concern relating to the training offered to the linguists working for these organisations. This may not deal adequately with the legal, educational or local government systems specific to Scotland.

Video-interpreting has the potential to become the equivalent of telephone interpreting for sign languages. It may also improve interpreting provision for spoken languages where visual information would be particularly beneficial. More empirical research is needed on the impact of remote interpreting compared to face to face interpreting.

PSBs recognise that providing translation has cost implications and some point to strategies involving the sharing of translated material made available through websites. They also recommend the setting up of a central bank of translated material. The translated end product may need to be produced in an audio, video or DVD format for signed languages, for languages with no written form or if there are literacy issues. PSBs also need to consider their position in regard to accepting submissions in languages other than English which must then be translated.

The communication support aspect of TICS is virtually ignored. Some consideration is given to literacy issues and to the needs of people with visual impairment but there is very little awareness of the needs of Deafblind people within PSBs.

A significant proportion of interpreting support is provided informally by family and friends or in-house staff. As most of this provision is not recorded, it is difficult to assess the actual interpreting demand. PSBs are becoming increasingly aware that this informal approach is incorrect. The language and interpreting skills offered may be of poor quality and confidentiality and impartiality could be compromised. If such provision is going to happen, then it must be properly controlled and there should be guidelines in place. Informal support might be the only type of interpreting available when the language or dialect is rare or a recent arrival in Scotland but there need to be strategies in place to deal with this eventuality.

PSBs show little awareness of the qualifications or training which TICS providers might have. Many of those using BSL/English interpreters, however, want interpreters to be registered with SASLI. As a general rule, with rare exceptions, PSBs rely on TICS providers to conduct checks on qualifications, and ensure quality control as well as carry out Disclosure Scotland checks.

PSBs made a number of recommendations, advocating the sharing of information, experience, problems and solutions within and between public services. Specific suggestions included:

• increasing the number of interpreters, and sourcing providers of rare languages locally
• providing and funding training for interpreters in accredited qualifications, to a set standard and in specialised areas
• establishing a national register of accredited providers in Scotland and a standardised fees structure
• creating a central point for information and advice and a one-door approach for all TICS needs
• using computerised systems to facilitate information-sharing between PSBs and TICS.

Summary: Key Opportunities and Recommendations

• There is a need for a language strategy for Scotland, a coherent TICS policy and sharing of information within PSBs and across the interface between different organisations.
• Accurate and complete information on all communication needs is required to inform policies in Scotland. More systematic collection of data regarding the demand and supply for TICS would help to inform developments and track changes. It could also help identify trends in provision or gaps that are not being met.
• TICS providers and PSBs need to work together and developments need to be informed by feedback from end-users. Trainers and researchers must also be involved in the debate in order to contribute essential theoretical expertise.
• BSL/English TICS provide examples of good practice across a wide range of indicators, such as providers' qualifications, quality control, professional framework, dispersal across Scotland and access to services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Similar procedures should be adopted by all TICS providers.
• Many stakeholders recommend the establishment of a Scottish certification or registration body for public service interpreters and translators, modelled on BSL/English interpreting. This professional body could manage a register, act as a central point for information and resources, act as a repository for a bank of translated materials and evaluate agencies. The remit could be extended to include other aspects of communication support.
• Investment is needed in the training of translators and interpreters. This should cover basic training, training in more specialised fields of work (legal, mental health) and professional skills (e.g. chuchotage or whispered interpreting). Trained translators and interpreters should be re-trained to work specifically in public sector domains.
• Training for front-line PSB staff needs to cover the TICS policies and procedures of their organisations and the management of all communication events requiring TICS.
• The profile of interpreting and translating in the public sector needs to be raised, and the barrier between this type of work and the higher status conference interpreting should be reviewed.
• Users of public services need to be made aware of their right to freeTICS support and the role and benefits of using trained providers.

About the Study

The research investigated the practice of providing TICS support to users of spoken languages other than English and to members of the Deaf community, including Deafblind people

It collected information from TICS providers across Scotland and from TICS providers based outside Scotland if providing a significant service in Scotland. It also collected information from PSBs in city, urban and rural areas across Scotland and in a range of sectors, including legal service, health, social services, housing, employment, education and local authority services.

Data collection took place between February and December 2004

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