INTRAN is a Norfolk multi-agency partnership. It is the largest interpreting partnership in the UK. It commissions specialist agencies to provide foreign language interpreters, British Sign Language interpreters and lipspeakers. These are available on a 24-hour, seven days a week basis to member agencies and residents who depend on interpreters to access the agencies' services. Additional services include written translations, text-to-speech, Braille and audio translations.
The partnership includes Norfolk County Council, all seven district councils, all NHS organisations in the county, Norfolk Constabulary, the Norfolk Probation Service, major housing associations and educational and voluntary organisations.
INTRAN is non-profit making and fully financed by its members, who contribute to the cost of running and developing the service.
The main cost is a Development Manager. Her role includes:
- Leading on tendering for specialist interpreting and translation services
- Monitoring providers for quality and cost effectiveness
- Offering training for front line staff from all partner agencies on the effective use of services
- Developing cost-effective methods for using the service through partners working together
- Collating and using monitoring and management information to develop the service to meet changing needs
- Linking agencies, staff and end users
Multi-agency working
The partnership arrangement:
- Helps public services meet statutory requirements around accessibility
- Gives partners better purchasing power
- Provides an evidence base for informing future planning
- Helps improve service delivery by training service staff and ensuring quality assurance of specialist providers
The partnership ensures a common standard for language support services across the public sector within the county. Any person using an interpreter receives the same standard of service whether they are accessing health care, social care or criminal justice.
In 2005/06, the INTRAN partnership spent £805,050 on 14,349 interpreting sessions and £144,030 on translation services. Twenty-seven partner organisations working together increases the partnership's ability to negotiate favourable terms. Contracting expertise and costs are shared; for example, Norfolk Constabulary ran a recent formal tender and hold the contract, but other partners were involved in the specification and were included on the tender panel.
Monitoring and management information means that service development is based on robust evidence. Cross-service data can be looked at on a geographical basis, helping agencies to identify and target local communities. Sharing information means new pressures can be identified quickly, with arrangements made to identify relevant interpreters and translators.
Partners share the responsibilities of maintaining and developing INTRAN, bringing a range of specialist expertise in contracting, communications, criminal and civil justice, community development, and healthcare, as well as interpreting. For example, the five hospital trusts meet as a group to share experiences and prevent duplication in translation, and have developed joint staff guidelines on the effective use of resources.
A district council group has been formed to share local government related approaches. Sharing increases the scope for innovation and learning. For example, two GP practises in Thetford now have Portuguese interpreters in for one day a week. Their experience has informed written guidelines for developing such clinics.
INTRAN receives external funding from the East of England Development Agency to train local people to become fully qualified interpreters; 106 have been sponsored to date on the diploma in public service interpreting in law and / or health. This has improved local employment opportunities and minimises costs arising from travel.
Communications and publicity
INTRAN has developed a range of resources to raise awareness and promote effective use of interpreting and translation at managerial, staff and user level. For example:
- The distinctive logo is used by all partners, and should be prominently displayed in public areas in relevant buildings, including public enquiry offices and custody suites. It is used on public information leaflets. A standard approach helps service users, who will know that wherever the logo is displayed they can access interpreting services free of charge upon request
- Website includes training information and useful tips and reminders for staff
- There is a training DVD and video, used by INTRAN in direct staff training and by training departments for induction of new staff and for training their staff on best practice
- Training sessions and venues are shared between partners, making it relatively easier to find a course for new staff.