Translation and Interpretation Services Tender – Cumbria

making sure members of the public can access its services. As part of its public sector equality duty under the Equality Act 2010, the Authority must remove or minimise disadvantages faced by people due to their protected characteristics. Thus, in order to support non-English-speaking customers, the Authority has a duty to make interpretation and translation services available to them. The Translation and Interpretation Service needs to be made available across the Authority, whilst recognising that Children’s Social Care and the Refugee Resettlement Programmes have historically placed a higher demand on the need for a Translation and Interpretation Service. This service area supports children and families engage in statutory childcare proceedings, including court proceedings. Children’s Social Care also incorporates the Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC) programme. The greatest user of translation and interpretation services is in this service area, and has been increasing since 2011, with a significant increase in the last two years. Refugee Resettlement Programmes The Authority is working on a number of refugee resettlement programmes including UKRS, ARAP and ACRS. To date approximately 300 individuals have been resettled, with a further commitment of 177 individuals in order to meet the current pledge. The Resettlement Team is also working on the Homes for Ukraine Scheme where, to date, approximately 800 guests have arrived in Cumbria. Historic assignments by type Demand for translation and interpretation services for the first 6 months from 1 April 2022, in Children’s Social Care alone, amounted to 1068 assignments of which 1349 were interpreting assignments and 281 were translation assignments. This shows a steady increase in assignments over the last few years.