Islington Council staff learn the language of cuts as interpreting service post is axed

Published: 11 June, 2010
by RÓISÍN GADELRAB

THE Town Hall is not closing down its interpreting service despite fears to the contrary, Islington Council officials said this week.

Although the service will stay, Islington will save £40,000 by cutting the service co-ordinator post.

Islington’s interpreting service, which arranges specialists to translate letters and act as a go-between for non-English speakers needing help with council services, is one of the first services to be hit by impending government-imposed cuts.

Officials have moved to quell rumours that the council is planning to shut down the service altogether.

The member of staff whose post is to be axed will be offered work elsewhere.

Last year Islington spent £122,000 on translation and interpreting services.

Languages most commonly spoken in Islington include Turkish, Bengali, Somali, Arabic, Spanish, Albanian, Tigrigna, French, Chinese, Greek, Italian, Polish, Yoruba, Urdu, Gujarati, Punjabi and Portuguese.

A council spokesman said: “Islington Council remains committed to providing a comprehensive translation and interpreting service using an already agreed framework of approved agencies.”

He added: “Employing someone to liaise between council departments and freelance translators was not cost-effective. 

“So we now have a simple staff booking system where approved agencies provide these services direct giving us a wider range of languages to choose from and almost 24-hour availability. 

“We will also be able to monitor usage of the service better. 

“All translators and interpreters are aware of the quality standards we require and freelancers can tender their services to the agencies we recruit from.”