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Tel: +44 (0) 845 367 7000 - UK
Tel: +1 (800) 579 5010 - USA
www.capitatranslationinterpreting.com
Tel: +44 (0) 845 367 7000 - UK
Tel: +1 (800) 579 5010 - USA
www.capitatranslationinterpreting.com
Introduction 2 Capita 3 Company History and Outline 4 Industry Accreditations 5 Values and standards 6 Interpreting Guidelines 7 Practical Aspects of Interpreting Assignment Management 8 Talkbase: Registering or Updating Your Details 10 Payments 12 Querying Jobs 13 Invoices 14 Payment or Job Queries 14 Complaints and monitoring 14 Resources and links 15 Contacts 15
Tel: +44 (0) 845 367 7000 - UK
Tel: +1 (800) 579 5010 - USA
www.capitatranslationinterpreting.com
This handbook sets out the standards that all the interpreters are required to meet in terms of attendance, performance, conduct and general interpreting issues. Please bear in mind that by accepting a booking from Capita, you are accepting our current terms and conditions and agree to abide by our recommendations and guidelines, and to any codes of conduct to which we subscribe. While Capita endeavours to keep you updated of any changes to this handbook, the terms and conditions may change. Please ensure that you read and understand what is contained in this handbook. If you have any questions, direct them to the Interpreting Manager or Department, whose details can be found under the section entitled ‘Contacts’. Please also bear in mind that if you fail to meet the standards and the duties set out in this handbook, Capita may not offer further bookings. It is highly advisable that you read this document completely before filling in our online application, or updating your details in www.talkbase.net. You must confirm acceptance by email to Capita at your earliest convenience; failure to contact us within a reasonable time frame will be taken as acceptance. Please email the Interpreting Department in the ‘Contacts’ section.
At Capita we value our interpreters, who are our biggest asset! This is why we strive to develop and maintain a great relationship with all of our linguists and provide all the necessary guidelines and support. We see this relationship as a two-way process; therefore, we have outlined our guidelines, processes, policies and recommendations in all areas below.
Tel: +44 (0) 845 367 7000 - UK
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Founded in 2003, with the intention of revolutionising the language services industry, Capita Translation and Interpreting (Capita) is one of the world’s fastest growing language services provider.
Capita provides translation, interpreting, localisation and proofreading services to a portfolio of high-profile clients and niche operators across multiple industries, including Caterpillar, PayPal, Nike, and the United Nations.
Capita offers fast, efficient and accurate translation services, delivered by helpful and personable localisation experts. Our global network of 17,500 in-country, professional linguists is the largest independent network in the world, and they carry out translation projects on behalf of our clients, many of whom have specialist translation requirements from desktop publishing documents, e-learning materials and website source code, to fully localised software applications. We also work with international linguist organizations such as the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL), to ensure quality and service is maintained.
Capita employs around 186 people throughout 11 international offices in the UK, USA, Bulgaria, France, Guatemala, India, Spain, Germany and Ireland. The company has grown significantly since its modest beginnings, generating just over £10.6 million in global sales in 2011.
As the first company in the industry to capitalise on the benefits of technology, namely by harnessing project delivery through an online portal, built in-house by a team of experienced developers, Capita has designed systems that enable clients with an international reach to deliver their key messages on a truly global scale.
In addition to the Quality Management Systems that Capita employ we have also been examined and consequently obtained the following industry specific accreditations. As a result we must abide by their strict codes of conduct.
American Translators Association Capita has subscribed to the ATA code of conduct and business practice and have been granted a certificate of corporate membership.
Association of Translation Companies Capita is a member of the ATC and as such were carefully vetted before admission into membership, adhere to a strict code of professional conduct, are subject to the rulings of a professional ethics committee and carry full professional indemnity insurance cover to safeguard the interests of the translation purchaser.
Tel: +44 (0) 845 367 7000 - UK
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The Globalization and Localization Association (GALA) Capita is a member of The Globalization and Localization Association. The association allows members a common forum to discuss issues, create innovative solutions, promote the industry, and present a joint - and more powerful - voice within the industry and to the outside community.
The Indian Translators Association (ITAINDIA) Capita is a member of The Indian Translators Association and in doing so abide by their ethical standards and codes of practice. We felt that it was an important association to be a part of when we opened our office in Chennai.
Microsoft Certified Partner We are a Microsoft Certified Partner recognising technological excellence and impact on customers through Microsoft products and service.
Capita Support of the UN Global Compact Capita supports the ten principles of the United Nations Global Compact in respect to human rights, labour rights, the environment and anti-corruption. In doing so we express our intent to support and advance those principles within our sphere of influence by making the Global Compact and its principles part of our strategy, culture and day-to-day operations.
Tel: +44 (0) 845 367 7000 - UK
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We provide the best service for our customers, which include many UK Public Service organisations in various subjects and geographical areas, such as the NHS (Mental Health, GP Surgeries, Orthopaedic Hospitals, amongst others), Police, Immigration, the Tribunal Service, Local Governments, as well as UK and worldwide Private customers, within fields of expertise as varied as TV & Marketing, IT, Medicine, Events, and so on. In order to deliver the best service, we have outlined some simple principles that are key when dealing with customers and linguists in order to promote an excellent working relationship. When these are upheld, we have happy customers, which means much more work for you.
Quality – This is the cornerstone of the business and without it we are nothing. You should always perform to the best of your ability and skills, promote self-development and education and uphold our high standards. Reliability – We count on our Interpreters to be the proud face of Capita and to carry out any assignments on our behalf according to the best practices and codes of ethics. This also includes good time-keeping, as our Interpreters must always arrive on time, manage breaks and times within assignments and create an excellent first (or second) impression. Communication – There is nothing worse than being left in the dark about something. Things do go wrong, this is a human process. You should immediately inform all involved when issues arise. The overall principle is to communicate with honesty, openness and consistency. Ethics – Our Interpreters follow their Professional Codes of Conduct and Ethics very closely and apply these values to every step of every process or assignment, remaining truthful, impartial and confidential at all times. At Capita we want our linguist to be synonymous with the Best Practices in the Industry.
Impartiality – Interpreters must remain neutral and never take sides or provide personal opinions or advice, accept gifts or have a personal interest in the matter, as this interferes with the effective an accurate rendering of a message. Interpreters must be and seem impartial; this means that their behaviour must reflect this value.
Confidentiality – Nothing that is discussed or disclosed during an interpreting assignment can be repeated or shared with anyone else. The interpreter must ensure that he/she respects the parties’ right to privacy and behave in a way that is consistent with this principle. Likewise, the interpreter must communicate any issues, suggestions or comments directly by email telephone or fax to Capita, never through a customer, patient or through the timesheet.
Information – Without it we have no business! Talkbase and any other records should be kept 100% up-to-date at all times. Our principle method of project management, including choosing
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appropriate Interpreters, is this system. If all your details are not 100% accurate we are unable to make informed decisions.
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(These go out with every booking, so please save for your reference.)
When taking an interpreting assignment for Capita, it is your responsibility to observe the following guidelines:
Verify and double-check all the information provided and ensure that it is clear before you set
off to the job – if you are not sure about something, even after it has been explained, please enquire again or inform you Interpreting Administrator immediately if you are unable to take the assignment.
Once you have accepted the interpreting request it is poor practice to be late or cancel.
Make the necessary provisions to arrive on time – bad traffic, forgetfulness, poor organisation or inability to find the venue, amongst others, do not constitute acceptable reasons to miss an appointment or be late.
Take all the relevant assignment details with you.
Make a note of the useful contact numbers provided by Capita in case of emergency or unforeseen circumstances (please note both Capita and customer contact details).
If you have any queries about the job or are unsure about anything once you are on site, please do not leave without contacting Capita first, as this will be deemed as failure to attend, and will therefore not be paid.
Make sure that you keep proof of any confirmations or cancellations in writing (letter, email or fax). If you do not receive any, then it is your responsibility to email [email protected] to confirm that you have been informed.
The timesheet is used to reassure every party involved that an assignment has taken place, therefore, it is your duty to complete it properly.
Only write the information required on the timesheet. Do not add any additional details on it, as this will not be accepted – rates, travel, and any other arrangements are confidential and should only be contained within the confirmation email, or other communications, and discussed with Capita via telephone or email.
Return the signed timesheet within 3 working days of the assignment taking place, as your payment cannot be processed without it.
Tel: +44 (0) 845 367 7000 - UK
Tel: +1 (800) 579 5010 - USA
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Failure to follow these guidelines may result in disciplinary procedures or even termination of your association with Capita.
Capita are here to help with any queries, so please do not hesitate to contact us (our details are in the contacts section; alternatively, go to our website at www.capitatranslationinterpreting.com).
For Community Interpreting / Public Service Interpreting regulations and guidelines, please see the NRPSI Code of Conduct. For other Interpreting guidelines, please refer to the organisations suggested (such as AIIC and ITI, amongst others).
For Face to Face assignments (Public Sector and others), you will interact with various customers and this must be done appropriately. There might be a briefing session before the actual session starts, where some basic yet essential information will be discussed. When the interpreting session is about to begin, it is a good idea to introduce yourself to the parties in each of the languages of the session, explaining who you are, what you do, what they can expect and basic processes – you may add or omit the sections between {example}. Those within square brackets [example] are for you to add your own details. An example has been provided below:
“Good afternoon/morning, my name is [Interpreter’s Name – Maria, Stanislav, etc] and I am a/your professional [Language – i.e. Spanish, Lingala, etc] Interpreter from Capita. I am impartial and will repeat everything that I hear {If there is anything that you do not want interpreting, please do not say it}. Please address each other directly {as if the Interpreter were not present} and ask any questions you may need. If I need to stop to seek clarification, I will explain why at the time. Everything that is said during this session will remain confidential.”
This will assist with setting the tone of the session and will make customers feel more at ease with the Interpreter.
Make sure the parties speak directly to the person, not to/through the interpreter during the assignment. Always interpret in the first person, i.e. “I live in…” and not “He/She said he/she lives in…” to convey what has been said by one of the parties. Try to make sure there is no background noise, to allow the interpreter to hear the discussion. This will enable the Interpreter to manage the
Tel: +44 (0) 845 367 7000 - UK
Tel: +1 (800) 579 5010 - USA
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interpreting assignment better by detaching from the responsibility or ownership of the words. To intervene, use the third person (see below).
Whenever the interpreter needs to intervene, he/she must make a definite (hand) gesture and the intervention should be made in the third person to ensure that there is no confusion between what the parties say and what the interpreter says or comments on. Common or acceptable ways to address the parties when making an intervention would be: “The interpreter needs to stop. Could you please clarify…?” In this way, there is a clear distinction between what is interpreting (what the parties say) and what is intervention (what the Interpreter says). Interventions must be clear and short. Profuse apologising and lengthy sentences will detract the parties from the original conversation or train of thought, and will not look neat and professional. Once you have clearly yet politely stopped the conversation, indicate what the issue is and what needs doing to resolve it. Remember to explain this to both parties in their language to ensure that you are being and acting impartial, whilst building and maintaining their confidence in your professional skills.
Negotiate seating arrangements before the assignment starts and make sure the parties can see the interpreter and vice versa. Body language is as important as, or even more than, the words and tone of voice. The seating arrangement must be practical, comfortable and also, suitable for the style of interpreting (for modes such as whispered or consecutive, the seating will vary).
When interpreting, you will probably have to use a notepad in case there are any facts and figures, names, codes or information that might be difficult to remember and you need to jot down. This is also useful to detach yourself from the conversation and avoid eye contact, as part of remaining impartial. When taking notes, ensure that:
Notepad and pen are an aid, not a hindrance. Noises caused by page turning and fidgeting are kept to a minimum. The contents can only be seen by yourself, unless you are asked to write or spell something
for any of the parties involved. Any useful or interesting notes are added on a separate section, discarding the actual notes. Write notes of any issues or problems, for future reference and inform Capita.
Tel: +44 (0) 845 367 7000 - UK
Tel: +1 (800) 579 5010 - USA
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When dealing with any issues or inconveniences, whether expected or unexpected, be sure to act professionally at all times and use your knowledge, training and common sense to resolve them. Interpreters must not:
Omit, add or alter the message to be interpreted. You must interpret faithfully and accurately. Provide customers with personal information or contact details (breach of T&Cs). Discuss assignment, payment or other details with colleagues, patients or customers. Resort to physical violence/threat, swear or use inappropriate/rude behaviour. Add fees or any other details on the Timesheet, apart from those required. Engage in arguments or debates where you provide your personal opinion. Take on other people’s jobs (deciding whether someone is guilty, ill or lying: you are only
responsible for the content of the message, not the intention or inner thoughts Investigation is for the Police, legal decisions for the Court and prescriptions for doctors).
Allow more than one person to speak (or sign) at the same time. If this happens, intervene and explain that you can only hear one person at a time. Be firm but polite.
Interpreters must:
Always remain and appear impartial: the interpreter must not take sides, give advice or opinions during the assignment. The Interpreter's role is to remain neutral and behave in a way that reinforces this principle (obeying the Impartial Model).
Whenever possible, allow for debriefing (i.e. a chat with the professional afterwards to briefly discuss the assignment), but without engaging in arguments or debates involving the Interpreter’s personal opinion. Remember that even though you may not be on duty, you must still uphold professional conduct.
Keep the information discussed confidential and demonstrate confidential behaviour.
Tel: +44 (0) 845 367 7000 - UK
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To register or update your details please go to www.talkbase.net. There will be a button to register as an Interpreter (and/or Translator), which you need to click and follow the process through. For registering the first screen is shown below and this is all fairly standard, all fields with a * are mandatory fields. Alternatively, you may login if you have already registered and go to the “My Details” section. If you don’t remember your login details, then go to the bottom of the page where it says Forgot your password?, enter your email address and they will be sent to you. Please make a note of them for future reference. If you encounter any issues, please contact us at [email protected] and we will be happy to help. It is very important that you complete your profile as thoroughly as possible, as this will enable us to understand who our Interpreters are and what assignments will be more suitable for each one. The more detailed profiles will be more likely to be selected for urgent jobs, as we are able to see what we need instantly. So make sure your Interpreter profile is always updated! Below are some of the screens that you will see on Talkbase:
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Moreover, make sure that any references that you provide are related to work carried out in the past six months and also that their email address is accurate, otherwise the application will not be processed.
Tel: +44 (0) 845 367 7000 - UK
Tel: +1 (800) 579 5010 - USA
www.capitatranslationinterpreting.com
Tel: +44 (0) 845 367 7000 - UK
Tel: +1 (800) 579 5010 - USA
www.capitatranslationinterpreting.com
We do not accept invoices from our suppliers; all payments are processed through Talkbase system (https://www.talkbase.net/) which ensures a speedy payment for all your jobs. We have two invoice run dates on the nearest business day after 15th and 30th of each month. For example, jobs from 1st to 15th November 2008 would appear on the invoice run on the 15th December 2008. All jobs accepted later than 30 days will appear on the next invoice run. The invoice run will take up to 8 working days to clear, depending on the transfer format. The process is as follows:
When you complete a job it will be viewable under the “My Payments” section. If you are happy with the amount on there you should accept the job and this will be queued
for payment. If you are unhappy with the job amount you can query this which will be then notified for the
appropriate Project manager to resolve. All accepted jobs will be accumulated into a single invoice at each payment date and the total
amount will be paid to you in the agreed method as defined in “My Details”. A copy of that invoice will be sent to you.
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When clicking on any individual job you will have the option to accept it or query it:
If you are in disagreement with any part of a Job or Project you have an option to dispute the Job or Project and state what areas you disagree with. This will generate an action from our queries department to resolve any issues. As long as the issues are resolved within 30 days this will not affect payment date of your invoice.
Tel: +44 (0) 845 367 7000 - UK
Tel: +1 (800) 579 5010 - USA
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Invoices
You can at any point go in and see all your old invoices; you can also print a copy of the invoice or request a PDF for your records.
Please bear in mind that for payments to be processed promptly, your timesheet must be sent in within 3 working days. Late submissions and failure to respond may result in your payment being delayed. Also, as explained above, payment must accept on Talkbase by you as soon as the job has been completed. If you have any queries or disagreements, please have your details at hand and regularly check your bank account or other payment systems. The more complete and accurate your query is, the better.
Tel: +44 (0) 845 367 7000 - UK
Tel: +1 (800) 579 5010 - USA
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As we deal with many interpreters, it is paramount that you are able to provide us with your full name, job/project number, dates, amount or any other relevant details, in order for us to be able to assist you. Once you have this, please submit your query to your IPA (Interpreting Project Administrator, who will be the project manager in charge) or to the interpreting email on ‘Contacts’, specifying who the email is intended for and what the nature of the query is. We aim to treat every interpreter with respect; therefore, we expect the same treatment back. We are always happy to help with any queries, so please refrain from inappropriate or unprofessional communications.
If your experience with Capita is not entirely to your satisfaction, please let us know. We would appreciate it if you could talk to us about anything first, but if you would like to complain, please contact Capita main number or go to our website. Alternatively, please email Interpreting, specifying FAO Interpreting Manager (please see ‘Contacts’). Your opinion is very important for us and we aim to act fairly and professionally at all times and to develop and maintain a great relationship with all of our interpreters. In addition, any incidents or allegations will be investigated thoroughly and we will appreciate your cooperation if and when we do, as this is done to resolve issues and maintain the highest quality standards and customer service, reassuring all parties involved that our procedures are transparent and fair.
For more information on interpreting, further qualifications, courses and training, code of conducts and other issues and details, in the UK and worldwide, please see the following links:
NRPSI – National Register of Public Service Interpreters http://www.nrpsi.co.uk/ CIoL – Chartered Institute of Linguists http://www.iol.org.uk/ AIIC – Association of Conference Interpreters Worldwide http://www.aiic.net CACDP – Council for the Advancement of Communication with Deaf People http://www.cacdp.org.uk/ ASLI – Association of Sign Language Interpreters in England, Wales and Northern Ireland http://www.asli.org.uk/default.aspx SASLI – Scottish Association of Sign Language Interpreters http://www.sasli.org.uk/
Tel: +44 (0) 845 367 7000 - UK
Tel: +1 (800) 579 5010 - USA
www.capitatranslationinterpreting.com
We hope this Handbook was useful. If you are unsure about any of these points, any interpreting-related issue or would simply like to know more, please contact our Interpreting Manager at Capita:
Interpreting Department Email: [email protected] Tel (UK): +44 (0)845 367 7000 Interpreting Fax (UK): +44 (0)1484 502 232 Website: www.capitatranslationinterpreting.com Address: Unit 1, Riverside Court, Huddersfield Road, Delph, Oldham, OL3 5FZ, UK.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us – the Interpreting
Department’s contact details are above.
Please save this file for reference.
And finally, welcome to the team! We hope that you represent Capita with pride and to the best of your abilities.
