Researching Interpreting Agencies: Sussex Interpreting Services

This article provides information on the recruitment procedure, language and interpreting skills assessment, DBS checks, and code of practice for community interpreters at Sussex Interpreting Services. It outlines the minimum requirements for community interpreters, the recruitment procedure, language and interpreting skills assessment, DBS checks, and code of practice for community interpreters. It also explains the assignment booking procedure and the information community interpreters can expect to receive about their assignments.

Level 3 Certificate in Community Interpreting
Unit 1/Assessment Criteria 1.1/1.2/1.3
RESEARCHING INTERPRETING AGENCIES
Using information provided by a local or national interpreting agency, answer the questions
below in your own words:
AGENCY NAME: Sussex Interpreting Services STATUS: Active
1. Using the person specification for this agency, outline a minimum of five key
requirements, i.e. the skills candidates are expected to possess in order to be
able to work as a community interpreter.
In order to work as a community interpreter at Sussex Interpreting Services (SIS),
individuals need to have good communication skills. This includes good listening skills and
ability to understand a message that is being delivered. The mannerisms by which the
messages are developed are not always the same. Hence, it is required that every individual
working at the company develop a means to decode the message in a proper manner. Good
oratory skills are also required in order to speak with the people and try to build a good
rapport in order to convenience the people to be part of the community
2. Describe the recruitment procedure, including the forms which need to be
completed.
The recruitment procedure in the company can be either by an online or offline process.
The website of the company can be used in order to apply for the vacant posts that are
available. The manager of the company does not discriminate the employability of the
candidates based on any cultural or social background. Candidates seeking job opportunity in
the organisation need to have a communication test that analyses the clarity of pronunciation
of the individuals. They need to feel up an ethical consideration document stating that under
no circumstance the employees can abuse any person based on cultural or ethical
background.
3. How does the agency assess the applicant’s language and interpreting skills?
Sussex Interpreting Services takes a great deal of care while recruiting people. The
language spoken by the people and the interpretation skills are analysed by conducting tests
about different languages and asking people to translate them. Sometimes, in order to access
the languages used by the employees, foul languages are also used in order to analyse the
manner in which use of that particular language is avoided. Interpretation of a message is
done by allowing people to convert a message from one language to another without the help
of any form of external translator devices.
4. Does the agency carry out DBS checks for community interpreters and what is
the relevance of these checks to the work of a community interpreter?
Level 3 Certificate in CI
Workers' Educational Association

Level 3 Certificate in Community Interpreting
Unit 1/Assessment Criteria 1.1/1.2/1.3
The agency carries out an intensive Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for all the
people that it aims to employ. DBS is used as an alternative to checking the background of
the people. People with any type of criminal records are checked and immediately discarded
from taking the examinations that are conducted for the recruitment. The DBS check is
essential for the agency because of the fact that the agency aims to prevent unsuitable
people from working with the organisation. The agency works with children and aged people
that are normally vulnerable in the situations of threats.
5. What is public liability insurance and what is the agency’s requirement for it?
Public liability insurance is used to aid a business organisation if a person suffers from
injuries. It can also be used to pay compensation for damaged properties that are used in
order to carry out the business. This is an important policy every organisation needs to
consider. This is because slight injury or damage to a property of a person is accountable for
legal actions. In the case of Sussex Interpreting Services, the company needs to ensure that
this policy is maintained as the agency deals with different types of people. Any accidental
injury can be dangerous for the company as it mostly deals with people that are little aged.
6. On what terms and conditions would a community interpreter be employed by
this agency, and what are the arrangements for payment?
The terms and conditions of employment at Sussex Interpreting Services include an
unbiased attitude of the people. The agency makes it clear that no employee should engage
in any type of ethical misconduct and abuse or insult other people by using foul languages.
Personal attack on an ethnic or cultural group is banned by the agency. The agency also
makes it clear that the physical harm to any person cannot be brought upon under any
circumstance. The agency pays its employees via bank account transfer. This is the most
effective mode of payment for the agency as it needs to pay its regular workers as well as the
freelancers.
7. Outline the main aspects of the agency’s Code of Practice for community
interpreters.
Code of practice provides detailed information about the standards that need to be
achieved while maintaining ethnicity at a workplace. These codes of practise help to guide an
organisation to achieve the standard under the WHS laws. Sussex Interpreting Services
maintains the code of practice that is stated under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act
1974. In this code, it is stated that the duty of the employers is to ensure that the employees
are protected from any type of harm in the workplace. In this case, the employer protects the
rights of the people involved in the community as well.
8. Once the community interpreter is registered with this agency, what is the
assignment booking procedure and what information can the community
interpreter expect to be given about the assignment?
Level 3 Certificate in CI
Workers' Educational Association

Level 3 Certificate in Community Interpreting
Unit 1/Assessment Criteria 1.1/1.2/1.3
The assignment that is given to the employees needs to confirmed before assigning it. The
method by which the assignments can be confirmed by the employees is via the web portal of
the company. The assignments can be booked by submitting the unique employee number
and confirming that the assignment will be looked at the following day. The contents of the
assignments need to include an instruction page that details the task of the assignment and
the methods required to carry on the assignment. Rules regarding the violation of ethical
codes are also stated in the assignment paper.
Level 3 Certificate in CI
Workers' Educational Association