Translating, Interpreting and Communication Support: a Review of Provision in Public Services in Scotland
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Translating, Interpreting and Communication Support: A Review of Provision in Public Services in Scotland e c i t s u J l a ISSN 0950 2254 ISBN 0-7559-2893-8 ISBN 0 7559 2893 8 i Price £5.00 c www.scotland.gov.uk/socialresearch o The text pages of this document are produced from 100% Elemental Chlorine-Free material. 9 780755 928934 The paper carries the Nordic Ecolabel for low emissions during S production, and is 100% recyclable. Astron B44831 2/06 TRANSLATING, INTERPRETING AND COMMUNICATION SUPPORT: A REVIEW OF PROVISION IN PUBLIC SERVICES IN SCOTLAND Isabelle A. Perez and Christine W. L. Wilson with Catherine King and Celine Pagnier Centre for Translation and Interpreting Studies in Scotland, Heriot-Watt University Scottish Executive Social Research 2006 Further copies of this report are available priced £5.00. Cheques should be made payable to Blackwell’s Bookshop and addressed to: Blackwell’s Bookshop 53 South Bridge Edinburgh EH1 1YS Telephone orders and enquiries 0131 622 8283 or 0131 622 8258 Fax orders 0131 557 8149 Email orders [email protected] The views expressed in this report are those of the researchers and do not necessarily represent those of the Department or Scottish Ministers. © Crown Copyright 2006 Limited extracts from the text may be produced provided the source is acknowledged. For more extensive reproduction, please write to the Chief Researcher at Office of Chief Researcher, 4th Floor West Rear, St Andrew’s House, Edinburgh EH1 3DG Acknowledgments The authors would like to express thanks to all those who have contributed to the research: in particular the staff of the translating, interpreting and communication support services and within the public services who were willing to take part in telephone and face to face interviews. The information and insights they have been willing to share will be of benefit to the profession and its clients as a whole. Special thanks are owed to the research advisors to the project, Professor Elinor Kelly, Dr Gina Netto and Professor Ian Mason. The research team would also like to thank the members of the research advisory group and all the project managers. CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 Background 1 About the Study 1 Main Findings 1 Key Opportunities and Recommendations 3 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 5 LIST OF TABLES 7 LIST OF CHARTS 9 CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 11 Background 11 Structure of the Report 11 CHAPTER TWO CONTEXT 13 Overview 13 Languages in Scotland 13 Policies and Initiatives 17 Legislation 26 Summary 28 CHAPTER THREE PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THE RESEARCH 29 Background 29 Purpose of the Research 29 Aims 29 Practical Objectives 30 Parameters for the Research Study 30 Summary 32 CHAPTER FOUR METHODOLOGY 33 Overview 33 Background 33 Summary 34 CHAPTER FIVE RESEARCH FINDINGS – PHASE ONE: STAGE ONE (TICS) 35 Overview 35 Profile of Organisation 37 Services Provided 41 TICS Employees 49 Recruitment, Training and Qualifications 55 Summary 61 CHAPTER SIX RESEARCH FINDINGS – PHASE TWO: STAGE ONE (TICS) 63 Overview 63 Background 63 Requests from Public Service Bodies 64 Records 70 Service Providers 75 Assignments 82 Training 89 Challenges in the Public Sector 99 Summary 107 CHAPTER SEVEN PRELIMINARY CONCLUSIONS (TICS) 109 Overview 109 Conclusions 109 Recommendations expressed by TICS providers 112 Summary 113 CHAPTER EIGHT RESEARCH FINDINGS – PHASE ONE: STAGE TWO (PSB) 115 Overview 115 Background 115 Service Providers 118 Requests 130 Constraints 145 Summary 151 CHAPTER NINE RESEARCH FINDINGS – PHASE TWO: STAGE TWO (PSB) 153 Overview 153 Background 153 Service Providers 155 Requests 174 Constraints 191 Quality Control/Good Practice 201 Summary 205 CHAPTER TEN PRELIMINARY CONCLUSIONS (PSB) 207 Overview 207 Background 207 Language 208 Justice 211 Health 216 Council Services 221 Immigration 227 Conclusions 227 Recommendations expressed by PSBs 233 Summary 234 CHAPTER ELEVEN FINAL CONCLUSIONS 235 Overview 235 Language Considerations 235 TICS Spectrum 235 Translating and Interpreting Policy for Scotland 239 Central Focus 240 Research and Development 240 Conclusion 241 Summary 242 ANNEX 1: GLOSSARY 243 ANNEX 2: DETAILED RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 251 PHASE ONE: STAGE ONE (TICS) 251 Informants 251 Procedure for Contacting Informants 253 Collecting Data 253 PHASE ONE: STAGE TWO (PSB) 254 Informants 254 Procedure for Contacting Informants 257 Collecting Data 258 PHASE TWO: STAGE ONE (TICS) 258 Informants 258 Procedure for Contacting Informants 259 Collecting Data 259 PHASE TWO: STAGE TWO (PSB) 260 Informant 260 Procedure for contacting Informants 262 Collecting Data 262 ANNEX 3: PHASE ONE – QUESTIONNAIRE: TELEPHONE INTERVIEW (TICS) 265 ANNEX 4: PHASE TWO – IN-DEPTH FACE TO FACE INTERVIEW (TICS) 275 ANNEX 5: IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW: ADVANCE BRIEFING OF INFORMANT 287 ANNEX 6: PHASE ONE: QUESTIONNAIRE: TELEPHONE INTERVIEW (PSB) 289 ANNEX 7: PHASE TWO – IN-DEPTH FACE TO FACE INTERVIEW (PSB) 301 ANNEX 8: POSITIONS IN ORGANISATION (PSB – PHASE 1/2) 309 ANNEX 9: REGION CODE NUMBERS 313 ANNEX 10: POSITIONS IN ORGANISATION (PSB – PHASE 2/2) 315 REFERENCES 317 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Background 1. The research was commissioned to take forward the work of the Translating, Interpreting and Communication Support Group established by the Scottish Executive in 2000. The purpose of the study was to give policy-makers a picture of the services that are currently available and indicate what actions are needed to help develop the provision of future services. The study’s central aim was to examine the provision of translating, interpreting and communication support (TICS) within the public services in Scotland. About the Study 2. The research investigated the practice of providing TICS support to users of spoken languages other than English and to members of the Deaf community, including Deafblind people. It examined TICS provision as viewed by TICS providers and by the public sector bodies (PSBs). 3. The study collected information from TICS providers across Scotland and from TICS providers based outside Scotland if providing a significant service in Scotland. It also collected information from PSBs in city, urban and rural areas across Scotland and in a range of sectors, including legal service, health, social services, housing, employment, education, local authority services, etc. 4. The first phase of the study carried out an audit of TICS provision in Scotland by telephone interview, surveying 85 TICS providers and 108 PSBs at grassroots level. The second phase collected more detailed information by conducting face to face interviews with 11 TICS providers and 17 PSBs at policy level. 5. Data collection took place between February and December 2004. Main Findings Pattern of demand for TICS services 6. Although a wide range of TICS services was available, the main focus was on interpreting practices and provision. This was because of the more obvious and immediate nature of the need for interpreting support. Since limited funding from PSBs tended to be allocated to the most pressing needs, translation or other types of communication support might not necessarily receive the same level of assistance or adequate provision. Awareness of needs 7. There was lack of awareness on the part of PSBs of the needs of certain user groups. These included people who combined several communication needs, such as a non-English language speaker with learning needs, a foreign sign language user, or a bilingual person who 1 had lost the ability to communicate in English, their second acquired language, due to aging or dementia. In some settings, the TICS needs of the immediate service-user’s wider family or community also needed to be taken into consideration. 8. There was currently a low take-up of translations available on request because users did not know what was available. It was predicted that demand for translating would grow as PSBs became more aware of the need to provide access to translated documents and as public service users became better informed of their right to access this material. Service provision 9. Many participants in the research acknowledged the lack of joined-up thinking and disparity in service provision across Scotland. 10. PSBs suggested that there were 4 levels of interpreting. These were face to face interpreting provided by trained professionals, telephone interpreting, provision by in-house staff and provision by family, friends or members of the local community. There was still a significant reliance on untrained provision by the last two groups and by volunteers, especially for people with a visual impairment. 11. There was a significant shortage of trained interpreters working in certain languages and in specific domains or locations. Sometimes it was difficult to match interpreters to clients as required. Data collection 13. Collection of data was not systematic and led to various anomalies in the reported demand for TICS. As many clients were booking their own interpreters, the bookings for services received from PSBs did not match the bookings actually made through TICS providers. In addition, heavy reliance on informal provision and subsequent lack of recording tended to disguise the actual need. Quality Control 14. With rare exceptions, procedures for quality control and assessment, as well as police checks, were patchy or non-existent. PSBs tended to trust TICS providers to make sure that these were carried out or assumed that this had been done. Only 15% of spoken language providers, for example, carried out a Disclosure Scotland check on their staff. Job Status 15. TICS provision in the public sector was often associated with low status and lack of career prospects. There were poor working conditions, no retainers paid and little job security. Services were often provided by volunteers or provided part-time by people with other jobs as there seemed to be no future in this field as a career. 2 New work methods 16. New technology, such as computer-aided translation, telephone and video interpreting, and alternative styles of working, such as relay interpreting, had not been adequately researched or quality-controlled.