At Language Empire, it is important high standards of personal conduct are adopted in order to maintain confidence and respect. The following code of conduct applies to everyone working on behalf of language-Empire:

Be a positive role model by behaving impartially and respectfully at all times.

Ensure you are not under the influence of alcohol or any substance, which may affect your ability to work.

Seek support for your Manager if you are worried about the way someone has acted or if you have concerns about unsafe practice.

Treat information confidentially unless doing so would put a child or vulnerable person at risk. Always follow information sharing guidance!

Prepare in advance for your meetings. This is key to minimising risk and keeping yourself safe.

Remember that child protection involves contact with a broad cross section of the community. Be sensitive to how terms may be understood.

Always apply the same professional standards regardless of culture, disability, gender, language, racial origin, religious belief and sexual orientation.

Contact with adults or children you have interpreted for outside the workplace is prohibited. This includes but is not limited to communication through the use of social media, phone, messaging or face to face meetings.

Take time to look after yourself.

Interpret truthfully and faithfully to the best of your ability without anything being omitted or added.

Concerns about challenging behaviour should be shared with a member of staff immediately. Do not attempt to intervene yourself!

Ensure you do not use your mobile phone or any form personal recording or video equipment during meetings or interviews.

Everyone should feel able to raise concerns about poor or unsafe practice and potential failures in safeguarding and know that such concerns will be taken seriously by the organisation.

If you feel a member of staff has acted inappropriately, you must be aware of whistleblowing procedures. Speak directly to your line Manager if you have any concerns.

If you have any concerns in this regard, you must inform the Safeguarding Team or the Managing Director of Language-Empire immediately.

All staff must be clearly identifiable, wearing photo ID at all times.

Should you have an accident or feel unwell, please report this to your Line Manager as soon as possible so we can contact the relevant agency and try to arrange suitable cover.

If you have an accident while on site (home visit, office, school etc) you must also inform your key contact or lead professional.

Team around the family meetings and Child in Need meetings involve parents on a voluntary basis. They may take place in school, local authority offices, homes or nurseries. Meetings are minuted and the lead professional will chair the meeting.

A child protection conference is an initial conference where practitioners, the family and sometimes the child meet to make decisions about the child’s safety, health and development. Parents are legally required to attend. Again, the meetings are minuted.

Where there are concerns that a child is likely to or has suffered significant harm, they will be subject to a child protection plan. This is a detailed plan involving a range of agencies to ensure the child concerned is safe from harm and to prevent them from suffering further harm.

Once a child becomes subject to a child protection plan a core group is established to implement and develop the child protection plan.

Home visits may be announced or unannounced. A risk assessment should be undertaken prior to any planned home visit including taking into account any history of violence, drug / alcohol misuse, prior allegations against staff, known hazards, aggressive pets, location (especially if out of hours) or any child protection or adult safeguarding concerns.

The risk assessment should set out how any risks will be minimised and managed.

Where a parent and child are living separately, supervised contact meetings can be arranged to observe the adult / child interaction.  Prior to the meeting it is good practice for interpreters to ask how many children will be present during the contact session in case extra interpreters are required. You should be made aware of any known family history that may present a risk during the contact session and any risk assessments that have been put in place.

If there are potential risks associated with a child or adult you have been asked to interpret for or in an environment you have been asked to work in, you should have been notified of that risk and how it will be managed. Don’t be afraid to ask if you haven’t had this information.

Always be mindful of your own safety and the safety of children and vulnerable adults.  Any safety concerns must be communicated to the lead professional you are interpreting with.

If any concerns arise after the meeting, inform your line manager. If there is any immediate danger you must contact the police.

Ensure you are aware of exit strategies if the meeting needs to be terminated due to safety concerns.

Whilst you are interpreting it is acknowledged that the very nature of child protection and adult safeguarding can mean that the information communicated and translated can be very distressing and traumatic to hear. It may also bring up memories of past experiences.

If you are affected by anything you may see or hear, please speak to your Line Manager. If you would prefer to access another confidential source of support, you can also contact the Samaritans on 116 123. Make sure you look after yourself too.