March - June 2023 - Working with difficult people -

A program for sign language interpreters & translators

Training by Darren Townsend-Handscomb

An opportunity to develop awareness and understanding of why we find certain people difficult to work with and to identify a range of skills and strategies to help when interacting with difficult people.  Sessions were facilitated by the trainer and followed by discussion groups throughout the month following.

  ·      What is ‘difficult’, and why is it ‘difficult’.

  ·      What are our triggers?

  ·      What influences our perceptions and experiences of, and our ability to, work with ‘difficult’ people (customers, colleagues, bookers, as relevant)?

  ·      What you can do to improve your experience of, and ability to, work with ‘difficult’ people, before, during and after interactions.

This course includes sessions discussing the importance of :

  ·     Mindfulness, anchoring and self-talk, and

  ·     Assertiveness skills.

The particular challenges of working remotely were explored along with sessions which brought attention to the need for self-care, and what to do when you can’t resolve the difficulties.

February 2023 - Expletives in the Interpreting Context

Training by Dr Octavian Robinson

Is it ok to swear? The effect of profanity in interpreted dialogue.  The dangers of using or omitting profanity inappropriately.

This workshop looked at the various contexts that profanity is used. Profanity can be anything from an empty space-filler to markers of deep emotion. In one area a work may be considered impolite, in another entirely acceptable. In other contexts, profanity can build rapport.

How do I use (or not) profanity. Do my personal views on the use of language and profanity colour my interpretation? What dangers should I avoid?

Creating a Collaboration in Communication: Exploring Crip Linguistics in Interpreting 

Training by Dr. Naomi Shenemen

“Crip linguistics means to critique language… through the lens of disability, include disabled perspectives, elevate disabled scholars, center disabled voices in conversations about disabled languaging, dismantle the use of disorder and deficit rhetorics, and finally, welcome disabled languaging as a celebration of the infinite potential of the bodymind.”

This training workshop focussed the interpreter’s mind on linguistic collaboration – never viewing another person’s style of language use as being at a certain ‘level’, but taking responsibility for enabling meaningful communication in a variety of ways according to the language style of the people we work with.

December 2022 - Trauma-Sensitive Boundaries in Interpreting

Training by Dr Hattie Bowden-Howl, Clinical Psychologist

'Trauma-Sensitive Boundaries in interpreting': Considers the role of trauma in your work as BSL interpreters and how this may affect boundaries. Discussions concerning other influences such as our role in the systems that surround us (utilising the ecological systems model), how we feel about our roles, being an ally to those who experience discrimination and marginalisation and how this further contributes to the felt trauma of not being heard (literally and metaphorically) and validated.  

November 2022 - Sexual Violence workshop 

Training by Claire Chilton - Qualified IDVA

 An opportunity to discuss new jargon and terminology associated with sexual violence and gain a better understanding of how interpreters can work more professionally and proficiently in this domain.

The course covered:

 - How interpreters build trust in their clients in highly emotive environments?

 - Extralinguistic knowledge should we arm ourselves with

 - Interpreting for a disclosure

 - Interpreting in situations of sexual violence 

 - Vicarious trauma/Self-care - what interpreters need to be aware of

 - Case studies and professional discussions 

October 2022 - Interpreting in police settings – the police perspective

Training by DS Emma Gilbert

Emma Gilbert is a Detective Sergeant, currently serving with Leicestershire Police, with extensive experience of response, community and criminal investigation policing.

Emma manages the UK’s innovative Police Link Officers for Deaf people (PLOD) scheme and manages a team of police officers and police staff trained at various levels of BSL and Deaf Awareness and which aims to make police services accessible to all D/deaf people.

Topics discussed:

• What types of bookings/interviews might interpreters be needed for?
• What would you do if you felt you needed to challenge a police officer on their practice?
• How national (UK) and strategic aims of the PLOD initiative and police interpreting may affect interpreters.
• A discussion of the technological, national and global developments taking place in this domain.
• What the PLOD does and how it differs from the role of an interpreter
• An analysis of the limitations of interpreting and translating police procedures including the introduction of Video Relay Services (VRS) and Video Remote Interpreting (VRI)
• Identification of national and global issues that could impact on interpreter services as a whole
• 
  

June 2021 - The Demand Control Schema

Training by Dr Robyn K. Dean

Why didn’t I handle that situation better? Am I an incompetent interpreter? What else could I have done?’

The DC-S is a framework designed to help us analyse each situation in which we carry out our interpreting work, to identify and more effectively meet the demands of the assignment.

Reflecting on the ‘demands’ of an assignment and our own ‘control’ options is essential not only for our professional and personal growth, but also in managing occupational stress, preventing burnout and ensuring career longevity.

July 2020 - Crown Commercial Service Seminar

The Crown Commercial Service Market Engagement Session 

Discussion centered around:

• The structure and services which they intend to deliver under the new Language Service Framework. Levels of community engagement and delivery prior to the allocation of framework agreements were discussed.
• Challenges faced both by the CCS in meeting their targets and also the communities that use their services (such as interpreting within the NHS etc.)

Diversity Signs - VRS/VRI Training

Training by Diane Thomas

Training covered the basic guidelines for undertaking VRS/VRI assignments:

• Which types of assignments are well suited to this medium of interpreting and which are not
• How to deal with difficult calls
• How to take control if the communication is not successful
• Self-care
• How to set up your home-studio
• Fee structures that apply to this type of work
• Equipment requirements
• Identifying our transferable skills