Preparation for Assignments

To assist the interpreter to provide effective communication between Deaf and hearing clients, the person requesting service should provide the interpreter, in advance, and via the Interpreting Services Officer (or applicable relevant role in each state) with any relevant material, such as:

  • Documentation – agenda of the meeting, minutes of meetings (preceding and current), subject matter to be discussed, names of those attending the meeting/interview/conference etc., copies of speeches/papers to be given and scripts of videos to be used if the video is not subtitled.
  • Terminology/specific language, jargon or acronyms commonly used.
  • Relevant information regarding the appointment – for example, specialisation of doctor; whether male or female interpreter is required.

The interpreter will aim to arrive 15 minutes before the booking in order to:

  • Meet the Deaf client(s) and establish the appropriate level of communication to be used,
  • Be briefed by service providers about the content of the assignment,
  • If necessary, conduct pre-interviews with both hearing and Deaf clients to brief them about the interpreter’s role,
  • Negotiate work conditions specific to the assignment.

Interpreters will wait for a minimum of thirty minutes for the client(s) to arrive. Should the client(s) fail to appear, the interpreter may leave after having consulted with the employer or their representative and having contacted the relevant SLC member. In this situation, SLC members will claim for the time for which the interpreter was booked.
SLC members providing the service reserve the right to reject the appointment if an interpreter does not feel they have adequate preparation material supplied.
 
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