What is Bilingual Advocacy?
“All advocacy is, at its core, an exercise in empathy.” Samantha Power, US United Nations Ambassador."
We understand the importance of truly understanding each other - especially when accessing vital services such as healthcare, public safety, transport, banking and government.
Interpreting services are essential for communicating with people in different languages. However, sometimes individuals require more support to access these services.
This blog will explore the concept of Bilingual Advocacy, covering the following topics:
What is Advocacy?
What is Bilingual Advocacy?
Differences Between Bilingual Advocacy and Interpreting Services
Key Responsibilities of a Bilingual Advocate
Bilingual Advocacy Jobs
Case Study
The Professional Journey of a Bilingual Advocate
How to Become a Bilingual Advocate
What is Advocacy?
Advocacy is the act of supporting and defending the rights of others. It involves speaking up on behalf of individuals or groups facing challenges or inequalities. This could be related to gender, race, sexuality, or other factors.
For those whose first language is not English, advocacy can be particularly important. It involves providing support to help individuals express their needs and stand up for their rights.
What is Bilingual Advocacy?
In the context of the UK, bilingual advocacy is a support service designed to assist individuals with limited English proficiency to access the essential services they require, focusing on empowering individuals to take control of their health and social care needs.
Bilingual advocates work with clients to provide information about services and support decision-making. They also share the necessary cultural information with service providers on behalf of the individual.
We are proud to say that many individuals who have received bilingual advocacy support from us are now living empowered and fulfilling lives, without the need to rely on these services.
Differences between Bilingual Advocacy and Interpreting
A professional bilingual advocate is a qualified interpreter who helps individuals communicate in another language. So where lies the difference?
An interpreter's role is to facilitate communication by accurately conveying messages between parties without bias or opinion.
In contrast, a bilingual advocate not only interprets but also supports clients by advocating for their needs and rights. They build relationships with clients, understand their cultural context, and empower them to navigate complex systems.
The advocate's role extends beyond language to include advocacy, support, and empowerment.
While interpreting is a well-established profession, bilingual advocacy is a growing field recognised for its vital role in supporting marginalised communities.
Key Responsibilities of a Bilingual Advocate
- Act on individuals' behalf and help them communicate their needs to health and social care providers.
- Help service providers understand fully the concerns that individuals express.
- Facilitate linguistic and cultural communications by interpreting from one language to the other.
- Inform individuals about services and choices available to them based on their needs.
- Assist with promoting good health and well-being.
Bilingual Advocacy Jobs
Individual Case Advocacy
Bilingual advocacy referrals can originate from various sources, including social workers, independent organisations, friends or family members.
Vandu Languages’ bilingual advocates typically commence their work through one-to-one appointments, creating a comfortable and confidential space for clients to discuss their concerns.
These initial assessments often occur over the phone but can also take place at the individual’s home or a neutral location such as a library,
Once an action is agreed upon, the advocate acts as the individual’s representative, ensuring their wishes are communicated effectively during interactions with service providers.
Signposting to services equipped to assist the individual and demonstrating how to continue to do so in the future are also major elements of the advocate’s role.
Group Advocacy
In some circumstances, bilingual advocates may be requested to provide support for a group of people rather than a single individual.
This often occurs within community events or support groups where service providers share essential information with ethnically diverse audiences.
For example, Diversity Resource International and Care for the Carers, organise support groups for ethnically diverse unpaid carers. Each of their groups has assigned one of our bilingual advocates to facilitate interactions with members of the group.
Case Study
A case with an incredibly positive outcome involved a couple who had recently immigrated to the UK and were concerned about their 2-year-old child’s health.
They were incorrectly informed that they had to have lived in the country for at least six months before registering with a GP. An assigned bilingual advocate intervened, contacting the NHS on their behalf to ensure they received the healthcare they were entitled to.
The bilingual advocate successfully secured the necessary healthcare services for the family, including prenatal care for the mother, who was pregnant at the time.
The primary barrier for this family was language, so they were signposted to free English classes to help them develop their language skills and eventually find work. As a result, the father soon found a job.
They were also introduced to children’s centres that could provide childcare for their toddler and new baby.
The advocate provided the family with the tools to achieve independence and thrive in their new environment without the need for more bilingual advocacy services. They had been guided onto the right track to develop freely.
The Professional Journey of a Bilingual Advocate
Chi Ling Chan has been one of our bilingual advocates for quite some time. Her career started as a community interpreter interested in helping local communities solve their issues.
Recognising the need for specialised skills, Chi Ling pursued formal training in bilingual advocacy to enhance her ability to support community members effectively.
“A bilingual advocate is different from an interpreter because a bilingual advocate is on the side of the client” she explains, “A bilingual advocate follows the issues of a client until these issues are solved, while an interpreter often just has a one-off session with the client.”
Chi Ling's career has been dedicated to supporting Cantonese-speaking individuals and communities across various sectors. She emphasises that her role extends beyond ‘just a voice to the clients’, focusing on empowering them and creating meaningful impact in their lives.
Illustrating her work, Chi Ling describes a regular case:
"When supporting a carer for a disabled husband, a bilingual advocate would coordinate an adult social care assessment with the client and the client’s husband. A bilingual advocate would make sure the carer and her husband get equal opportunities to receive this assessment and also support from the adult social care services. A bilingual advocate may also contact charity organisations that help the carers to support the client.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chi Ling’s work took a turn, with an increase in demand for remote support over face-to-face outreach.
“A bilingual advocate needed to make sure that vulnerable and older people who lived in isolation at their homes could get emotional support and practical assistance, such as organising food deliveries” Chi Ling explains.
How to Become a Bilingual Advocate
Many of our bilingual advocates begin their careers as interpreters within our organisation.
When interpreters express an interest in expanding their role to provide more comprehensive support, particularly within the health and social care sectors, we offer them specialised bilingual advocacy training. This curriculum equips individuals with essential skills such as informal mental health support and community advocacy.
Here’s How We Can Help
Bilingual advocacy plays a vital role in ensuring equitable access to essential services. As we've seen, advocates like Chi Ling Chan can significantly improve the lives of individuals and communities.
If you're interested in learning more about how Vandu Languages can support you, contact us at info@vandu.co.uk or 01273 473986.
