Dr Tina Pereira, a member of The Intermediary Cooperative and Hon Res Fellow, City St George’s, University of London, was recently invited to present to members of the Association of Interpreters and Translators.
Tina’s talk was entitled ‘Facilitating communication with vulnerable persons in justice settings’ and explained what an intermediary is, the role of an intermediary in legal settings in England and Wales, communication between vulnerable persons and the court and how intermediaries work, including their involvement in court and at police interviews.
Tina also shared her experiences and thoughts on how intermediaries and interpreters can work most effectively together.
The presentation, to an online audience of AIT members, suggested that best practice involved close collaboration prior to the arrival of the vulnerable person, during the session itself (e.g. hearing, trial, assessment etc.) and in a debrief afterwards.
The advance briefing allows for the intermediary to explain their aims for the meeting, the way the intermediary and the interpreter will both work and any linguistic or interactional difficulties that may impact the communication ability of the vulnerable person.
Tina said: “I cannot overstate the importance of the intermediary and interpreter having this briefing time together before starting work together.
“Both parties need to be happy with how they are going to work together and understand that every vulnerable person’s requirements are different. There is so much more to the role of the interpreter than word for word interpreting. Interpreting should ideally be carried out in the context of a vulnerable person’s cultural background.
“Just as the advance briefing is so beneficial, so is the importance of a debrief after the session to discuss what went well and any aspects which were more problematic. Information from the debrief can also assist if a different interpreter will be present at a subsequent session.”
Tina’s presentation is the latest collaboration between TIC and the AIT, strengthening links and understanding between the respective members of the two organisations.
Irina Sanders, the Founder & Chair of the AIT in the UK, will be a guest speaker at TIC’s annual conference at the University of Liverpool’s School of Law & Social Justice on Friday, June 27.
Irina’s talk, entitled “Stakeholders’ Collaboration: Dialogue, Support and Best Practice” will follow a similar theme to Tina’s presentation to the AIT.
Irina will talk about joint collaborative working between interpreters and other professionals in the justice system and how that can promote best practice when working with vulnerable individuals in court.
The presentation will also highlight AIT’s advocacy for the interpreting and translation profession, focusing on professional regulation, title protection, and skill development.
Irina’s talk will showcase AIT’s policy influence, such as its engagement with the House of Lords inquiry into court interpreting services, reinforcing its commitment to raising professional standards.
For more information about TIC’s annual conference and to book your place, visit https://theintermediarycooperative.co.uk/conference/
Tina Pereira is an accredited Registered Intermediary with the Ministry of Justice, an HMCTS Appointed Intermediary and Hon Res Fellow, City St George’s, University of London.