Health & Social Care Interpreting Training Programme   

PROJECT AIMS & DESCRIPTION                                                                                                          

1. The training programme enables unemployed beneficiaries from linguistic / refugee communities  (communities for whom English is a second language) to be trained, achieve the relevant interpreting knowledge and work related skills to gain the Health & Social Care Interpreting accreditation 

2. The programme enables these communities to access employment opportunities within the Health sector, through guaranteed job vacancies for health interpreters with the participating Primary Care Trusts.    

3. The programme enables linguistic / refugee communities to overcome the barriers faced in entering and competing in the labour market by enhancing their  skills base and employment prospects, through the achievement of (employer- led, recognised) training accreditation.

4. Apart from helping to create employment within the said linguistic / refugee communities,the programme enables the Primary Care Trusts to effectively customise and tailor its service provision to meet the health needs of these disadvantaged communities, with the introduction of professional health interpreters.

5. Within the Pan London area, a large concentration of linguistic / refugee communities reside including Indian; Pakistani; Bengali; Polish; Somali; Eastern European; Middle East; Afghanistan; African etc. It is recognised that a majority of adults in these communities speak English slightly or not at all. Also, a large percentage suffer from long term illnesses. As a result of these factors, these communities have found it difficult to make sense of hospital systems, medical procedure and treatment in this country. Added to such exclusion from health service provision, these communities also face substantial barriers in entering and competing in the labour market, including high levels of unemployment, greater dependency on benefits and welfare support, lack of UK qualifications and work base experience, non-recognition of overseas qualifications by UK employers, lack of UK labour market and knowledge of job search culture, residing in a highly disadvantaged socio-economic environment. As a result, trained Health interpreters working closely with professionals in the Health & Social Care Sectors can enable these communities to gain better access to Health/ Social Care provision, locally.

6. The customised training programme has been specifically tailored to meet the training and employment needs of unemployed migrants and refugees, which includes appropriate delivery methods (directed training, role play, seminars, talks etc.) time tabling which includes personal development and positive action measures implemented by the participating employers thereby, increasing the chances of migrant / refugees obtaining work as health interpreters. The programme includes training on: The NHS, Social Services, Child Protection, Social Care, Mental Health, Role of the Interpreter, Interpreting Skills & Techniques, Communication Skills, Three Way Communication, Role play (interpreting) and Code of ethics and practice.