The Wales Interpretation and Translation Service (WITS)

The Wales Interpretation and Translation Service (WITS) is now providing full linguistic services 24 hours a day. Organisations can now request interpreters or translators:

• Phone: 02920 857500
• Email: wits@gwent.pnn.police.uk

The WITS project is designed to improve access to public services for people who may otherwise face communication difficulties.

It will provide linguistic services in foreign languages, Welsh and British Sign Language (BSL). It was initially developed through a multiagency partnership approach by Cardiff Council, Gwent Police and Cardiff and Vale University Health Board.

WITS will provide an improved quality of service from interpreters and translators by:

• ensuring all of its linguists are fully security vetted to police standards.
• ensuring all of its linguists possess qualifi cations or have passed a WITS language test.
• ensuring all of its linguists receive free training in professional interpreting and the Code of Conduct.
• providing continued professional development opportunities to its linguists by offering them free sector specific training courses, provided in conjunction with the professions served (health,legal or, local government).
• 5. providing organisations with interpreters in line with their own specific requirements as agreed in their Service Level Agreement with WITS.

WITS also improves the quality of service and efficiency through its one-stop shop with a booking service working 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Public service staff can telephone or email a request for linguistic services, greatly simplifying the process of obtaining linguistic services for our front line staff.

Further, WITS will provide a single monthly invoice to each organisation in a format approved by that organisation, in order to ease their financial administration processes in respect of linguistic services.

In essence the one stop shop should deliver improved quality interpreters and translators who have been security vetted to national police employment standards (higher than CRB), linguistically assessed and trained in professional interpreting. It should also deliver the following financial benefits to service providers:

• Reduced travelling time of interpreters – achieved through training of local interpreters (one Welsh police force has reported that approximately half of its current spend goes on travelling time and expenses). This will not only save on interpreter fees but also reduce staff costs when waiting for an interpreter.
• Reduced booking costs. Currently frontline staff or designated booking staff in each organisation have to make numerous calls to source and book an interpreter. The one stop shop replaces this with one simple phone call.
• Reduced finance administration costs of handling all payment claims, which will be replaced by a single monthly invoice from WITS.

Callers will be asked to provide the following information to the WITS team to allow them to select the most appropriate interpreter:

• Language.
• Dialect (if appropriate).
• Time & date required to attend.
• Gender of interpreter (if appropriate).
• Subject matter (this information will allow the interpreter to prepare).
• Location interpreter required to attend including details of parking facilities.
• Contact details of caller and who to ask for upon arrival (telephone & email).
• Any other special requirements.

WITS staff will then make all necessary arrangements for the interpreter to attend at the requested location. The client will then be telephoned or sent an email confirmation with the name and contact details of the interpreter.

The WITS office is staffed from 07.00 - 23.00 hrs 365 days of the year. Between the hours of 23.00 - 07.00 hrs your call will automatically be transferred to the WITS out of hours service.

Please note, you should only use this out of hours service if you actually require the immediate attendance of an interpreter before 07.00 hrs that day. In these circumstances your request will be dealt with in the usual manner.

Your organisation may also hold a contract with a telephone interpreter service provider. This service will provide a simple alternative for short interpretations which are needed immediately. Though staff should be guided by internal organisation policies regarding the suitability of telephone interpreting for individual circumstances, e.g. telephone interpreting should not be used for anything of an evidential nature in the criminal justice sector.

Health services, police forces, courts and local authorities have legal obligations to provide equality of access to public services under:

• The Welsh Language Act 1993.
• The Disability Discrimination Acts 1995 and 2005.
• The Race Relations Acts 1976 and 2000.
• The Human Rights Act 1998.

Local courses to teach English or Welsh to speakers of other languages are being run all over Wales, however they are often over-subscribed. Until those people are fluent in English or Welsh they will still require interpreter services.

Over the last 10 years it has been getting increasingly difficult for public bodies in Wales to deliver a high quality and cost effective linguistic service.

Improving the access to public services for those members of the community with specific linguistic needs, together the need to reduce public spending, has been the drive that has lead to the concept of the Wales Interpretation and Translation Service.

Can you read and write in two or more languages, or are you qualified to NVQ level 4 in British Sign Language? If so, are you interested in being trained and working as an interpreter or translator in Wales?

If the answer is yes then please contact the WITS team on 02920 857500 or email us at wits@gwent.pnn.police.uk Registration is free and there is no annual membership charge. We will arrange for you to be properly security checked by your local Police Force, to a higher standard than the CRB check.

We run a 24/7 booking service which will arrange all appointments for you, in line with your own specific working preferences.

Please note that WITS aims to provide a high quality service to clients and the public. Consequently, before you will be offered any work through WITS, you must:

• either produce a certificate(s) of language qualifications, OR pass a WITS assessment of your linguistic abilities in English and in your other language(s), (this assessment is free)
• and either produce a certificate(s) of previous interpreter training, OR attend a 2 day initial training course, (this training is free).

We will also offer further free training to interpreters to allow you to develop your skills in each different work sector. Payment rates will vary in line with your qualifications.