How to … work with interpreter

councils and registered social landlords are working with a greater variety of refugee and asylum-seeker communities, which means more and more front-line housing officers have to help tenants whose first language is not English.

You may rely on getting papers translated or using phone-based services but the most revealing way of communicating is through a face-to-face translator.

Newlon Housing Trust set up a translation service with other east London associations after one housing officer visited a refugee three weeks after he had moved in and found him sitting in the cold and dark because he had not understood how to switch on his utilities.

Tim Bryant, a housing team leader for Newlon, says that when arranging an appointment with a tenant and a translator, you must remember that it could take twice as long as an interview in English.

The tenant may have many questions they haven’t been able to ask before, particularly concerning rent, service charges and what their money is being spent on. In addition, certain technical terms may need a detailed explanation and sometimes translations can be more long-winded than the English.

You will need to arrange a short briefing with the interpreter before the interview to outline the circumstances and for the interpreter to consider the terminology that will be used. Bryant says he leaves about five minutes for this, but restricts the briefing to an outline of the type of problem to be discussed, being careful not to reveal any unnecessary confidential details. The tenant can reveal details during the interview.

The interpreter should also be asked to sign a confidentiality agreement when they start employment. Newlon’s scheme, ARTICLE, asks translators to sign a statement when they join the agency. This says they will not repeat or talk about what was discussed in the interview except with the housing official.

It is best to avoid a situation where the tenant knows their interpreter, as you may uncover sensitive information such as evidence of domestic violence. “When I walk into the room, the first thing I always do is ask the resident if it is OK to use that specific interpreter,” explains Bryant.

Bryant says he requests interpreters of the same sex as the tenant – for example, if a woman has a domestic violence problem, she may not want to discuss it in front of a man.

Remember, an interview with an interpreter could take twice as long as one without

Religious sensitivities should also be taken into account, particularly if there are known to be tensions between different groups on an estate, such as Sikhs and Muslims, or Protestants and Catholics.

To put the tenant at ease, the meeting should be as informal as possible. As the interpreter is likely to be the unfamiliar face, they should introduce themselves first, explaining that they are independent. Because there will be two “official” people in the room, make it less intimidating by placing the chairs in a triangle: having the tenant and interpreter next to each other facing you usually works best.

During the interview, address your questions directly to the tenant – rather than to the interpreter – and look at the tenant while the interpreter is translating their response for you.

This allows you to read their body language and facial expressions, which will often be more animated than usual, as the tenant feels more comfortable conversing in their own language.

When the interview is complete, both you and the interpreter should allow a short period to discuss the interpreting process. Newlon asks both interpreters and housing officials to fill in feedback forms. ARTICLE is developing feedback systems for tenants.

It can be tempting to ask the interpreter for their opinion about the tenant’s problems, Bryant says, but it is their duty to remain impartial throughout.

He has found, however, that interpreters are a useful source of information about cultural or religious issues and they can also pass on any worries the tenant may have.

If the meeting goes well, try to use the same interpreter for future interviews with that tenant. Bryant explains: “All three of you will build up a trusting relationship with each other and the tenant is much more likely to get their problems solved with the minimum amount of trouble.”