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Does anyone on the list know whether any local authorities or other public bodies (e.g. police) in the UK have sourced specialist interpretation provision for domestic violence interviews and ongoing support? If so how have they gone about it? I know there have been ongoing debates on the list regarding medical interpretation and translation, in particular around minimum skills sets and qualifications. I have found one comment on the list by Dr Sundari Anitha on DV and interpretation from 2009. I am involved in a multi-agency project in Salford, NW England, looking at how domestic violence services in one area of the city can be improved. A specific strand is investigating the issue of interpretation for clients. Currently the main support service receives a significant number of referrals of women whose first language isn't English and requires interpretation, often for the duration of the intervention and support they receive which can be lengthy. Inevitably a high proportion are migrants to the UK. Currently the support services do have a commercial arrangement with a large interpretation and translation company but this does not require any extra-ordinary skills set on the part of interpreters supplied. My own opinion is that providing interpretation in such circumstances should require a level of specialisation on the part of the interpreter akin to that for medical interpretation. In the first instance the content can be very emotionally challenging but also involve require a broad technical understanding of areas such as legal injunctions, child protection, etc to interpret them adequately into another language which may or may not have comparable words and concepts etc, aside from any discussion about different attitudes to women's rights, familial power relationships etc. I understand this is not purely a health issue (although it touches on so many health matter) would appreciate any advice or information members of the list can give. Thanks Phil Martin Equalities Monitoring Officer Equalities and Cohesion Team Salford City Council DISCLAIMER: The information in this message is confidential and may be legally privileged. It is intended solely for the addressee. Access to this message by anyone else is unauthorised. If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure, copying, or distribution of the message, or any action or omission taken by you in reliance on it, is prohibited and may be unlawful. As a public body, Salford City Council may be required to disclose this email [or any response to it] under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, unless the information in it is covered by one of the exemptions in the Act. Please immediately contact the sender if you have received this message in error. For the full disclaimer please access http://www.salford.gov.uk/e-mail. Thank you.