Who is Using Interpreting Services in 2024?
For over two decades, we have been dedicated to delivering translation and interpreting services to our local community, serving a diverse clientele that includes prominent entities such as the NHS, Brighton and Hove City Council, Surrey County Council, as well as East and West Sussex County Councils.
Today, we present a list of user groups based on our primary clients and the types of interpreting assignments they typically request. While this compilation does not encompass the entirety of our service offerings, it provides a concise glimpse into the versatility of interpreting and its relevance across various sectors.
Asylum Support
A significant portion of our interpreters are frequently booked by local authorities, mental health organisations, non-profits, and limited companies dedicated to assisting asylum seekers and refugees.
Interpreting assignments within this sector vary widely, encompassing assistance for asylum seekers regarding housing, education, and healthcare, as well as facilitating communication in respect of their integration into life in the UK. This may involve providing updates on their applications or appointments, supporting age assessments and, in certain instances, making connections with foster carers.
Social workers require detailed information regarding the conditions under which asylum seekers have arrived in the UK and the countries they have traversed. Consequently, when collaborating with local authorities, interpreting assignments frequently centres around comprehending their individual circumstances.
Maternity Services
The healthcare system consistently requires interpreting services, but this time we would like to particularly focus on the maternity industry.
Interpreters play an important role in facilitating communication for pregnant women during their regular scans and appointments with healthcare professionals. Moreover, interpreters can be also booked to assist in the delivery room during labour, ensuring effective communication and support during this potentially stressful yet ultimately rewarding time.
Postnatal care frequently requires the use of interpreting services too, with interpreters providing support to new parents alongside their midwives throughout this period.
Agriculture Industry
The agriculture industry often relies on a workforce from countries outside the UK. These employees work in a range of different positions such as seasonal farm workers, livestock handlers, machinery operators and crop sprayers.
Interpreting services are frequently utilised during the recruitment process and remain essential for ongoing human resources duties within each agricultural company.
Counselling and Advocacy
Our interpreters and bilingual advocates have played essential roles in mental health and community support initiatives. Collaborating with both private and public services, we've assisted with counselling and specialised support programmes catering to diverse community groups, including young people, migrants, carers, and the broader community.
For individuals whose first language isn't English, receiving support in their native tongue can be precious, fostering a greater sense of comfort and enabling them to more effectively express their needs and emotions.
Schools
Schools frequently require interpreting services for various parental activities, including parent-teacher meetings and orientations for SATs evaluations and procedures.
In specific instances such as school closures, interpreters may be required to facilitate communication between parents and school staff. For instance, during meetings regarding the prospective closure of St Bartholomew’s Church of England Primary School in Brighton, our team of interpreters was instrumental in providing language support to attendees across 13 different languages.
Community-Based Events
Interpreters are frequently required for community-based events that draw participants from diverse ethnic backgrounds. These interpreting assignments ensure the engagement of minoritised communities in decision-making processes. Additionally, they provide attendees with further opportunities to comprehend the various structures and systems in the UK.
How to Determine if Your Company Requires Interpreting Services
In simple terms, if your company interacts with individuals or communities in the UK who are not proficient in English, you are likely in need of interpreting services. It's important to recognise that even when communication appears feasible, individuals may feel more at ease expressing themselves in their native language, potentially leading to a more fruitful exchange of information.
Interpreting services can be tailored to accommodate a spectrum of needs, spanning from brief sessions to full-day appointments or recurring engagements, conducted either face-to-face or remotely. These adjustments are made based on the unique demands of your business and the specific circumstances of each situation.
At Vandu Languages, we specialise in providing interpreting, translation, and health and social care bilingual advocacy services for over 135 different languages, and we are committed to meeting the diverse linguistic needs of our local communities and businesses.
For further information, we encourage you to visit our website at www.vandu.co.uk.
