Simultaneous Translation in Health and Social Care

We can provide simultaneous translation in all situations, including small or large events. These could be online, in person, or a mix of both. For example:

We are the Welsh language translation services provider for Cardiff and Vale Health Board, Cardiff Council, and several other public sector organisations.

We have 28 years’ experience in providing the highest quality written and simultaneous translation.

Our duty is to make sure that health care professionals can provide an effective and professional service when Welsh is the preferred language of the patient, service user, or member of staff.

Our Simultaneous Translation Team is led by our Head Simultaneous Translator and is made up of experienced and qualified professionals. All team members have completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Simultaneous Translation, and 2 team members have gained Cymdeithas Cyfieithwyr Cymru’s simultaneous translation accreditation.

Bilingual Cardiff is an accredited organisation with Cymdeithas Cyfieithwyr Cymru (Association of Welsh Translators and Interpreters).

Meet the simultaneous translation team

Iaith Gwaith Work Welsh Badge

A simple way for staff to show that they are Welsh speakers or learners is by wearing a badge or a lanyard with the Iaith Gwaith logo. Many Welsh speakers will recognise this symbol and know that they can speak with that member of staff in Welsh.

If you want a badge or lanyard, please contact us.

A little Welsh goes a long way

The Mwy Na Geiriau (More than Words) Strategy celebrates the impact that learning Welsh can make. Staff with any level of Welsh, when engaging with a Welsh speaking service user, can make use of simple phrases to help them feel supported and more at ease.

 

Let people know

The Active Offer is a commitment in the Mwy Na Geiriau Strategy that health and social care providers in Wales will proactively extend the offer of Welsh services. Whether verbally or with a question in a form, ask service users what their preferred language is. This is your first step to a more bilingual approach.

 

Delivering a service bilingually

Simultaneous translation supports bilingual conversations with a real-time, high quality translation service. If a service user chooses to speak in Welsh, they can do so, and you will be given a headset to hear a word-for-word translation.

 

Make use of Welsh skills

In a group setting, Welsh speaking staff do not need to switch to English as all participants can follow the conversation with a simultaneous translation headset.

We always strongly recommend for interactions to be conducted by a Welsh speaking professional where the patient has expressed a preference to use Welsh, where possible. We can support where this is not possible or where only some members of staff can use Welsh.

Success stories

Ask Suzanne

We have adapted our service to support staff to listen to monthly Ask Suzanne meetings with a dedicated Welsh language channel.

Social Services

We have enabled Welsh speaking families to express themselves in their first language where it was not possible to provide a Welsh speaking social worker.

Interviews

We have supported candidates to use Welsh in job interviews, providing simultaneous translation for some or all of the panel.

Clinical Assessment

We have supported clinical assessment of patients, adapting our service according to the needs of both the patient and health care professionals.

Invite speakers to present in Welsh

You can be a great advocate for the language by encouraging other people, whether you speak Welsh yourself or not. If someone who speaks Welsh presents in front of an audience, why not encourage them to do so in Welsh, with simultaneous translation? Our translation team will work closely with you to prepare and make sure that the experience of listening to the translation is an enjoyable experience for all attendees.

Simultaneous translation on Teams

Scheduling translation for a Teams meeting is easy and cost-effective. This is a great way to bring people together in a bilingual context and Bilingual Cardiff will be with you every step of the way to help you put the right settings in place.

Technical support

Between headphones, presentations, correct channels, Wi-Fi, wavelength conflict, live streaming, different microphones and more, can you really add simultaneous translation into the mix?

Yes! We pride ourselves on creating a place for the Welsh language, whatever your needs. We also have the expertise and experience to take care of the technical side. This lets you focus on organising a great event.

Trust and confidentiality

Confidentiality is a priority for us, and our systems make sure that we follow data protection legislation. We work with you to design the best process for your meeting or situation that respects the rights, confidentiality, and dignity of your attendees.

Attendees may be relying on us in highly sensitive or confidential situations, and we will not let them down.

Our goal is for a person to be able to express themselves in their preferred language confidently. We will provide a translator with experience in the matters at hand as well as the appropriate training for the specific situation.

Mwy Na Geiriau | More Than Words

Mwy Na Geiriau is a Welsh Government led 5-year plan to improve the experiences of service users in Wales in health and social care where their first or preferred language is Welsh.

Mwy Na Geiriau highlights the impact that care being delivered in the patient’s first or preferred language can have on outcomes and overall experience. Often, receiving care in the right language is a need.

A key concept in Mwy Na Geiriau is the Active Offer. This means that health and social care services will make sure that they proactively find out if the language preference of the service user is Welsh. This may be in conversations with the individual or their family, and by including a question in forms. For example:

If you are unsure about your capacity to deliver that service in Welsh, simultaneous translation can be an effective solution in many cases.

Duty of Quality

The Duty of Quality sets out the standards of care to which Health Boards and social care providers will hold themselves accountable. As part of these commitments, it is expected that services should:

• Operate under the understanding that health services in Wales are delivered within a bilingual nation
• Offer services in Welsh rather than people having to request it
• Embed Welsh language considerations in culture and leadership
• Include Welsh language (uptake of the active offer and staff stories) in quality reports

The principle of treating Welsh no less favourably

The Welsh Language Measure 2011 sets out the principle that public bodies in Wales must treat Welsh no less favourably than English. For health care providers, this means thinking about service user experience and how parity can be achieved for those who would prefer to access that service in Welsh.

Requirement to deliver services in Welsh

The Welsh Language Standards impose specific requirements on organisations including the provision of simultaneous translation. Examples of standards typically applicable to health boards relating to simultaneous translation include the following:

• Standards 21, 22A, 25, 28, 29 – the requirement to offer the option to engage in the medium of Welsh in any meeting, case conference, and to facilitate this with simultaneous translation where necessary.
• Standard 84, 87, 108 – the requirement to offer the option to engage in the medium of Welsh in internal proceedings between staff including complaints, disciplinary, and recruitment procedures.

The right to speak in Welsh

Part 1 of The Welsh Language Measure 2011 gives all individuals in Wales the right to speak Welsh. Part 6 gives the Welsh Language Commissioner the power to investigate and potentially fine any organisation that is alleged to have interfered with this right.

Bilingual Cardiff is experienced in advising officers and organisations on their legal duties. We can make sure that the translation service we provide at the time is one that meets the legal requirements and supports service users to exercise their right to use Welsh comfortably.

Accreditation, professionalism, DBS and data protection

All of our translators are fully trained and accredited to ensure they have the appropriate skills to undertake a range of work. This includes situations involving technical language or sensitive issues.

We make sure our practices are those that respect data protection laws in all cases. By being accredited, our translators commit to Cymdeithas Cyfieithwyr Cymru’s Code of Professional Conduct.

All translators have had a DBS check.

Here are some important things to note before getting in touch. 

Free testing

We will not charge for any meetings to discuss your translation needs or for short meetings to test translation setups.  

We are also happy to visit a site before an event to carry out a test of the translation. We will not charge for this unless the venue is outside of Cardiff, or we need to be there for more than 30 minutes. 

Equipment

We use state-of-the-art equipment developed by Sennheiser. This high-quality, durable, equipment provides clear sound. It is also designed to be simple to use. 

To use the equipment, there is no need to click buttons. Our devices automatically switch on when worn and switch off when taken off. This helps to save power.  

Our equipment has had a lot of positive feedback from users.

Hygiene

It is important that customers feel safe with us. We fully disinfect all the equipment before each use.  

Health and safety

Our equipment, which is of professional quality and by a trusted brand, is completely safe to use and there are no wires to snag over them. We will work closely with you to respond appropriately to all health and safety issues. 

Additional needs

We also have devices that link with hearing aids. If there are people using a hearing aid at your event, we can provide a solution for this. 

Whatever the need, we will work with you to make sure we provide a timely translation solution. 

Insurance

We have comprehensive indemnity insurance.