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The highest quality interpreters will be used

The most skilled and appropriate interpreters will be engaged in the new service arrangements.

Health Service District Interpreter Service Coordinators allocate bookings according to how much professional training in interpreting the available interpreters have undergone.

Accredited interpreters are those that have demonstrated the necessary skills and knowledge and operate within a professional code of ethics. This accreditation is provided by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) which has responsibility for setting and maintaining the standards of interpreting and translating in Australia.

Queensland Health requires that accredited interpreters are used in the following order:
• NAATI accredited as professional interpreters with health training
• NAATI professional interpreter (Level 3)
• NAATI para-professional interpreter (Level 2).

For new languages to Australia, a language test for accreditation as an interpreter may not be available. NAATI has organised testing that is based on English proficiency and people who pass this testing are awarded “NAATI recognised” interpreter status. Queensland Health aims to work with recognised interpreters over unaccredited interpreters for these new languages.

When a language is very new to Australia and Queensland, there will probably not be a language test available for recognition. Queensland Health will work with NAATI so to organise training courses for these new language groups and as NAATI testing becomes available, Queensland Health will monitor increases in the standard of interpreters provided for newer language groups.

Training programs for interpreters are available on (1) working in a health setting and (2) working in a mental health setting. The training programs will be increasingly available to interpreters once the new service arrangements are implemented. Queensland Health aims to work with interpreters who have participated in this training as the first option. Interpreters interested in participating in these programs should contact the relevant Area Health Service Interpreter Quality Officer. To see a map of the Area Health Services, click here. On the map, the Southern Area Health Service is shown in Blue, the Central Area Health Service is shown in Green, and the Northern Area Health Service is shown in Yellow.

NAATI has introduced Revalidation of Accreditation and Recognition as a means to retain the highest level of competency and currency among practitioners in interpreting profession. Revalidation of Accreditation and Recognition will reinforce the standards of initial NAATI accreditation and give increased confidence to the consumers of interpreting services.

The new system will:
• demonstrate that interpreters have maintained their skills through continuing work experience and have participated in professional development activities
• foster long term sustainability and integrity of the interpreter profession.
• demonstrate that the interpreter industry is joining other professions in ensuring interpreting standards are maintained and enhanced
• be promoted as a preferred standard for the profession.

The Queensland Health Interpreting Service will include revalidation in its process for allocating interpreter requests.

Based on information in
‘Revalidation Keeping a Professional Edge’ NAATI March 2007.

Health Service District Interpreter Service Coordinators are responsible for checking that the interpreter is acceptable to the person involved (particularly for gender and cultural preference and where people have concerns about confidentiality in small communities arise). The Health Service District Interpreter Service Coordinator will rely on information provided by staff requesting the booking for this.

When you have an appointment with a Queensland Health service, please provide as accurate information as possible to the staff responsible for booking interpreters, for example tell them if you have a gender or a cultural preference for the interpreter. You will need to do this for each appointment as Queensland Health is a large organisation and many different staff are involved in providing services.

Queensland Health has also put arrangements in place so that all interpreters providing services for Queensland Health understand and comply with the interpreter industry’s Code of Conduct and privacy requirements, particularly those relating to confidentiality.

What is the difference between recognition and accreditation?

Recognition is a separate award, with no specification of level of proficiency. Recognition is only granted in exceptional cases and only for the languages not tested by NAATI. Should the demand for services of interpreters and translators in the recognised language increase to the level where the marketplace requires accredited interpreters/translators, NAATI will establish an examination panel and begin to test and accredit interpreters and translators in that language. Recognition is valid only from the date of the initial award until such time as NAATI offers the opportunity to obtain accreditation by testing.

Recognition does not have equal status to accreditation because NAATI has not had the opportunity to testify by formal assessment of the applicant's standard of performance. Recognition is in fact purely an acknowledgement, at the time of the award that the candidate has had recent and reasonably regular experience as a translator and/or interpreter, but no level of proficiency is specified.

Both recognised and accredited interpreters comply with Code of Conduct and privacy requirements.

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Last Updated: 16 October 2007
Last Reviewed: 16 October 2007