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F2F Spoken Interpreters – Police Only

2. Job Description

Description

Job Title: INTERPRETERS / Translators (legal Law Police Courts)

Location: United Kingdom

Contract Type: Full-time/Part-time/Contractual

Salary: Up to £30,000

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LANGUAGES REQUIRED

 

Bilingual, Trilingual, Multilingual, Language, Translator, Translating, Interpreter, Interpreting, Interpretation Fluent, Fluency will also be considered for this role.”

Akan,Albanian (Kosovo)Albanian Algerian Amharic Arabic (Classical/North African) Arabic (Modern Standard)

Bengali Bilen Bosnian Bulgarian Cantonese Croatian Czech Dari (Afghan) Dutch English (Pidgin) Estonian Farsi

Filipino French (Congolese) French German Greek Gujarati Hindi Hungarian Indonesian Italian Korean Kurdish (Bahdini) Kurdish (Kurmanji) Kurdish (Sorani) Latvian Lingala Lithuanian Mandarin Mirpuri Oromo (Central)

Pashto (Afghanistan) Pashto (Pakistan) Polish Portuguese (Brazil) Portuguese Potowari (Pahari) Punjabi, Eastern (India) Punjabi, Western (Pakistan) Roma Romanian Romany Russian Serbian Shona Sinhala Slovak Somali Spanish

Swahili (Congo) Swahili Sylheti Tagalog Tamil Thai Tigre Tigrinya Turkish Twi Ukrainian Urdu Vietnamese Yoruba

JOB ROLE

We are actively recruiting interpreters who are vetted and qualified to work within the police sector for the provision of carrying out interpreting and translation services. Due to the broad nature of the assignments within the police each interpreter is required to be vetted to the highest level.

Interpreters will work in the following settings:

  • Criminal justice proceedings, known as public service interpreting (PSI), including police and probation service interviews, court hearings, solicitor interviews, arbitration hearings and immigration tribunals;
  • Community-based events and assignments within the education, health and social services sectors.

RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Assimilating speakers’ words quickly, including jargon and acronyms;
  • Building up specialist vocabulary banks;
  • Writing notes to aid memory;
  • Using microphones and headsets;
  • Preparing paperwork – considering agendas before meetings, or lectures and speeches when -received in advance;
  • Using the internet to conduct research;
  • Organising workload and liaising with internal departments, agencies and employers;
  • Working to a professional code of ethics covering confidentiality and impartiality.

SKILLS, INTERESTS AND QUALITIES

To be a police interpreter you should have:

  • Fluency in one or more foreign languages;
  • Excellent command of your native language and a clear speaking voice;
  • An understanding of the way other languages are used by native speakers, for example informal speech and slang;
  • Excellent concentration and the ability to think quickly;
  • Knowledge of the field in which you are interpreting, for example politics, economics, or trade;
  • Confidence for interpreting in public integrity and a sense of responsibility.
  • Excellent command of English and the other language(s) into which you may interpret;
  • Knowledge of at least one additional language for freelance interpreting and two or ideally more for a staff position in conference interpreting;
  • Skills to interact well with people and work as part of a team;
  • Ability to use discretion and maintain confidentiality;
  • Flexibility to deal calmly with unexpected and difficult situations;
  • Reliability, dedication and commitment;
  • Knowledge of current affairs, politics and different cultures and customs.

VETTING

You MUST have a valid standard/enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and/or Disclosure Scotland Certification.

You MUST have a valid Non-Police Personnel Vetting (NPPV). NPPV clearance at different levels as may be required.

You MAY also be required to have the following levels of clearance:

  • Security Check (SC)
  • Counter-Terrorist Check (CTC)
  • Developed Vetting (DV)

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

  • Association of Interpreters and Translators (AIT) Assessment
  • Association of Police and Court Interpreters (APCI)
  • BA Hons in Interpreting and Translation; and/or a Specific Language
  • Certificate in Bilingual Skills (CBS)
  • City & Guilds Interpreting Course
  • Community Interpreting Levels 1, 2 and 3
  • Diploma in Interpreting & Translating
  • Diploma in Police Interpreting
  • DPSI Oral & Written
  • Home Office Approved and Assessed Interpreter
  • MA in Interpreting; Translation; and/or Interpreting and Translation
  • Membership with the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL)
  • Membership with the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI)
  • Metropolitan Police Test
  • NRPSI Full Status Registrant Listed in Local Government, Law, Health or Other Sections
  • NRPSI Interim Status Registrant Listed in Local Government, Law, Health or Other Sections
  • NRPSI Limited Assessment Category Registrant
  • NRPSI Rare Language Registrant
  • NVQ Level 3
  • UK Language Related Degree with Interpreting Component

WORKING HOURS

Working hours for police interpreters are flexible. Most assignments tend to take place during office hours, but the demand for evening and weekend work, especially within the police sector.

SALARY

Salaries very Competitive: Salaries for experienced interpreters can be up to £30,000. additional payment is made towards travelling expenses such as public transport costs or mileage where you use your own vehicle.

5. Questionnaire

    Screening Questions – Please complete all fields:

    1. Do you have (Non Police Personal Vetting) NPPV? If so which level?

    A higher level of security clearance is required when interpreting for the police, such as NPPV 2/3, and CTC, SC etc. NPPV = Non Police Personnel Vetting. IF ANSWERED NO, PLEASE MOVE TO QUESTION 3

    2. If so, What is your NPPV number? Do you know when this was received?

    We will need to verify your NPPV number if you are to be considered onto the approved list for this Police Contract, you will need to send us evidence of this.

    3. In line with national requirements, all interpreters now must be vetted to NPPV L3 in order to carry out work with the police, would you be happy to be vetted to this level?
    If you are shortlisted to work with us on the basis that your hourly rate is competitive, we will be happy to pay for your NPPV L3 vetting which costs £100.00.
    If we feel that your hourly rate is not competitive in line with other interpreters who hold the same qualifications / experience as you, then we may consider processing your NPPV L3 vetting, however the cost of £100.00 will be deducted from future assignments. (You will be notified of this prior to being vetted)

    FOR FURTHER INFO ON VETTING, PLEASE SEE BELOW

    The vetting process is as follows:
    - Language Empire will need your NI Number, DOB, Email Address
    - Language Empire will fill out a vetting form on your behalf
    - You will receive 2 emails as soon your application is received from Warwickshire;
    - 1st will be your password
    - 2nd will be a link to the application form
    - You will then be required to complete the application form and submit
    - Once you have submitted this application, you will be asked to complete a Declaration Form.
    - Please sign the declaration form and send to Language Empire to counter sign
    - Language Empire will sign this once we can verify having seen your passport/driver license
    - Language Empire swill then send your declaration form of to the Warwickshire Vetting Unit
    - Your application will take up to 30-50 working days to process
    - You will be notified via email once your vetting has been submitted

    4. Please could you provide us with the below information:

    5. Do you currently hold any other Security Clearances?

    We will need your date of security clearance, expiry date and reference number.

    6. How many Interpreting Assignments have you done in the last 12 months?

    7. How many Police Interpreting Assignments have you done in the last 12 months?

    8. Which Police station(s)/venues have you carried out interpreting assignments in?

    9. For which companies/agencies did you do the Police Interpreting Assignments?

    10. What were the rates you were paid?

    11. Which qualifications do you hold? (Please tick)

    12. Are you a member of a professional body?
    Please Note: Monies paid into gaining membership to a professional body, is TAX deductible, meaning you may claim this back in your tax return. Please provide details of your membership; organisation, date joined, membership number, membership level / grade

    13. Do you know any other interpreters (not in the languages you speak, but other languages) who currently interpret for the Police / Courts / NHS / Local Authorities?
    • Or Interpreters who have DPSI / DPI/ or MA / BA Degree in Interpreting or Translation?
    • Or any experienced interpreters? Friends / Family etc.
    • Even if they don’t have DPSI / DPI / MA BA we will offer then training and development to get fully qualified, we are “Investors in People” accredited.

    14. We will be looking to hold induction sessions which will last around 2 hours at our office in Rochdale, will you be able to attend?

    15. We conduct assessments on all interpreters regardless of experience and qualifications. You must successfully complete/pass an interpreter competency assessment (ICA) which is conducted over the phone, and will last around 30 – 45 minutes. Is this ok with you? Please Confirm

    16. In order to be invited to the induction event, your profile must be 100% complete on our system, otherwise we will not be able to progress you onto our induction stage.

    Required Documents - We politely, request you forward the requested information as soon as possible so that we can approve your profile to be made active and thus allow staff to contact you for work.
    • Security Vetting Clearance
    • Certificate of qualifications - Relating to Interpreting
    • Certificate of qualifications - Relating to Non-Interpreting
    • Written Reference Details - Character or Academic (please provide Name, email address and phone number)
    • Written Reference Details - Interpreting Experience (please provide Name, email address and phone number)
    • Copy of your most recently updated CV
    • A copy of a Utility Bill within last 3 months x 2
    • EU Passport
    • Overseas passport and visa to work
    • Copy of Driving License/Identity Card
    • National Insurance Number
    • Passport sized photo (Must have a clear background)
    • CRB/DBS completed within the last 12-24 months

    17. We are in the process of shortlist and selection of interpreters for Yorkshire & Humber Police, we will be looking to “Employ interpreters” and contracting them for a fixed amount of hours per month (in order to offer better working conditions, HR support, weekly or monthly payments, fixed income amount) in addition to using interpreters as Freelancers. We will be looking to offer the bulk of the interpreting assignments to the interpreters who offer the best value for money, in terms of quality service and competitive rates. We will be looking to pay interpreting time + mileage only. Travel Time will be paid, if the return journey to a venue exceeds 2 hours, we are finalising the rates of pay.

    a) If we offered you a set number of fixed hours each month, would you consider this?

    b) Would prefer to remain a:

    c) What would be the best hourly rate you would offer Language Empire, as a Freelancer Self Employed? Most bookings will last 2-3 hours anyway, so for now we are looking only for hourly rates.
    Interpreting Hourly Rate: £
    (Please provide your best hourly rate based on the volume of hours available each month)

    Mileage Rate: £

    d) What would be your hourly rate expectations if we employed you, should we give you a contract for fixed amount of hours a month, to do carry out interpreting throughout your region? Refer back to estimated volumes of work. Most bookings will last 2-3 hours anyway, so for now we are looking only for hourly rates.
    Interpreting Hourly Rate Expectations: £

    Thank you for taking the time to complete the above screening questions, we will be analysing all the information you have provided us with, and we will be in touch with you shortly.

    If you have any questions in regards to any of the above, please do not hesitate to contact us, where we will be more than happy to assist you.

    Thank You
    Linguist Relations Department