The Wales Interpretation and Translation Service (WITS)

The Wales Interpretation and Translation Service (WITS) provides full linguistic services 24 hours a day to public services across Wales

Organisations can now request interpreters or translators by telephone or email:

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

Office Hours

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.

Recruitment

We are currently seeking new interpreters in the following languages:

Welsh	Lithuanian	Punjabi (Indian)
Bengali	Latvian	Somali
Gujarati	Lugandan	Tamil
Hindi	Malayalam	Thai
Kurdish	Nepalese	Vietnamese

Could you be an interpreter for the public services on Wales?

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.

What WITS offers to public service providers

WITS improves access to public services for people who may otherwise face communication difficulties. It provides linguistic services in foreign languages, Welsh and British Sign Language (BSL).

WITS provides an improved quality of service in interpreting and translating:

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

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.