How do you know you need an interpreter

If you are not sure if you really need an interpreter to work with a client (they may have some English), how can you make the decision? Use the Engagement steps flowchart to help you.

When you first talk to a client you may be able to work out whether you need an interpreter or not by trying some of the following:

• Ask a few open-ended questions, something that needs an answer that is more than just “yes” or “no” e.g. “Can you explain the route you took to get here this morning?”; “What is your reason for calling/visiting today?”

• Ask the client to repeat instructions back to you—if they can’t manage this, an interpreter is probably a good idea. For example, “You need to take this tablet three times a day with meals”.

• Pick up indicative body language e.g. extra nervousness.

• As a general rule of thumb, if you don’t understand the client or you feel that the message is not getting through it’s time to get an interpreter.

• If you have a languages poster, ask the person to point to which language they prefer using.

Note: Asking if the person needs an interpreter probably won’t help. They may feel they have sufficient English – you may be worried that this is not the case.