Agenda item

Report of the Director of Culture, Strategy and Engagement.  To be introduced by the Leader of the Council.

This policy will set out the principles which should guide the use of translation and interpretation in council service delivery and community engagement.

The Leader of the Council introduced the report, which sought approval of the Translation and Interpretation Policy.

The Leader outlined that this report met the commitment in the Haringey Deal to have open, collaborative and inclusive conversations with residents; ensuring that residents and families that struggle with English had the right to confidential and independent access to services.

The Council recognised that there were thousands of residents who wanted to learn or improve their English and there was a further commitment to expand ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes in Haringey.

The attached policy and guidance also set out where digital translation could be used when appropriate to access more professional support. For example, where there were high-risk and complex issues.

In response to questions from Cllr Hakata, the following information was noted.

-      There was strong community engagement with representatives of the main community languages, and this provided confidence that the policy objectives would be met.

-      The engagement process allowed valuable information to be obtained about the practical ways that communities accessed and used technology. This would also inform how the Council considers inclusion.

RESOLVED

To note and approve the Translation and Interpretation Policy attached at Appendix 1 which will come into effect from the 25/10/2023.

Reasons for decision

Haringey Council is committed to providing a high-quality public service, improving equity of access and outcomes, and proactively removing the barriers residents may experience when interacting with the Council. High-quality translation and interpretation are critical to meeting these commitments to residents who are not confident English speakers.

The Council does not currently have a translation and interpretation policy, and the lack of one may cause inconsistent decision-making around the use of translation and interpretation. This may negatively impact the access, experience and outcomes of residents using our services who are not confident English speakers who make up 7% of Haringey’s population (19,000 residents). Additionally, the lack of a policy may result in missed opportunities for officers to effectively address resident concerns on the first interaction.

The policy will improve the quality and consistency of translation and interpretation across the Council and support officers to proactively remove the language barriers that residents encounter. The aspiration is that this will improve resident experience and outcomes of our services.

Then policy will also play a critical role in advancing the Haringey Deal particularly the commitments of:

·         Knowing our communities - developing a better understanding of who our residents are, their strengths and needs, and how we can best work with them.

·         Getting the basics right – ensuring residents' everyday interactions with the Council are easy, effective and supportive.

·         Working harder to hear the voices that are too often overlooked.

Alternative options considered.

Not to develop a new translation and interpretation policy. This was rejected because while it is not a statutory document, effective translation and interpretation are critical to removing barriers, improving equity and meeting the following commitments in the Haringey Deal: getting the basics right and working harder to hear voices that are too often overlooked.