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Helping people to communicate

  • 04/03/2019
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At Vandu we believe that if people can communicate, if they are informed, they are more likely to fulfil their potential, at home and at work. They’ll make the best use of the services available in Sussex; hospitals, police, social care. And they’ll contribute much more in the longer term. 

Barbara Harris is Head of Equality, Diversity and Human Rights at Brighton & Sussex University Hospitals. She told us;

"That is what Vandu enables us to do.  To ensure that our patients have an informed way of making decisions about very important aspects, if not of their own healthcare but that of their children and their loved ones.

We could not be certain of people making informed decisions about their healthcare if they can’t understand what it is that we are trying to highlight to them.  So by having interpreted and translated material, it means they can make decisions that you or I would take for granted for being able to make for ourselves or loved ones."

"I think the majority of interpreters are really passionate about what they do.  The fact that maybe 10 years ago they were perhaps in the same position and maybe know what it’s like to come to the UK with maybe only a smattering of English.

But they also understand not only how empowering it is to be able to speak their own native tongue but be fluent in English.  And I think that the ethos that I like about Vandu is that they instil in people the determination to learn English, learn about the culture so that they can then become successful.

So they are not continually, 5, 10, 15 years down the line, still needing an interpreter to help them navigate health, NHS or any other aspect of Britain that they might need."

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