Questions 3.5h to 3.5k – Interpretation services

Find out how to answer questions about interpreters

3.5h. Confirmation

This is a tick box question to confirm you agree to providing interpreting support for 12 months to the family

3.5i. How will you ensure that an interpretation service is available 24/7 for the first week the resettled family are in the UK? (100 words)

It’s unlikely that the refugees you support will have a high enough level of English to communicate with you in English at first, so you’ll need to research and budget for the use of interpreters. You can check out our good practice when working with interpreters and interpreting options resources to learn more about working with volunteer, professional and telephone interpreters. 

Groups are required to provide 24/7 interpretation for the first week that the resettled family are in the UK. This can be a lot to ask of volunteers so many Groups hire a phone service for the first week. We have more information about working with telephone interpreters in our Interpretation Options resource.

Some Groups have worked with an interpreter who provides intensive interpreting support through the first week of arrival. The Group will pay for the time of the interpreter and their accommodation.  This can offer greater confidence that your interpreters are on hand to help.  Contact Reset for details of interpreters who offer this service. 

3.5j. How will you ensure that there is sufficient interpretation resource available to support the resettled family during the intensive first four to six weeks? (100 words)      

Even if your Group plans to rely on volunteer interpreters, it’s a good idea to research paid interpretation options if volunteers are unavailable. Gathering this information for your application will also demonstrate that your Group is prepared to source different services for interpretation and that you have budgeted for this possible expense. The below questions will help you gather information to demonstrate that you have a clear understanding of the interpretation services available to your Group.

Questions for volunteers:

•            How much time per week/month are you able to dedicate to interpretation?

•            Do you have any previous experience?

•            What dialect of Arabic are you most comfortable with?

Questions for paid interpretation services:

If you are not relying on volunteer interpreters and will use paid-for interpretation services, also include if the interpretation company can provide interpreters in other languages common to resettlement programmes and if they do, you can include this information in your application; the Home Office will be keen to ensure you have budgeted for these services. Find out more about working with professional interpreters in our Interpretation Options and good practice when working with interpreters resources.

  • What are the hourly rates for interpretation?
  • Do you charge transportation fees?
  • Can you provide interpretation for Levantine Arabic? Iraqi dialect? Kurdish?

Questions for phone interpretation services:

  • What are the hourly rates for interpretation?
  • Are you able to provide interpreting services 24 hours per day? How do these work? Will the family/group require account details to access these services?
  • Can you provide interpretation for Levantine Arabic? Iraqi dialect? Kurdish?

3.5k.  Budgeting

Detail here how much you have budgeted for your interpreters.  The Home Office are looking for you having a realistic understanding of how expensive interpreting services can be.