Part 1 - Staff

1. Criminal Record Bureau Checks

The agency is responsible for ensuring that all staff & freelance LSP’s have an up to date enhanced CRB check.  CRB checks must be renewed every three years.  The agency must have a policy stating how it will check and deal with the results of CRB disclosures.

Other agency staff likely to have significant contact with members of the public should have an enhanced CRB check in line with current legislation and registration requirements.  If there is no contact with the public a CRB check is not required.

2. Registration status of Language Service Professionals 

All LSP’s contracted by the agency, both staff and freelance, must be registered with a relevant national registration body.  This is with CACDP directly, with CACDP through IRP or with SASLI. 

Exceptions as follows:

·         Electronic Notetakers and Manual Notetakers for whom there is currently no registration system.  They are required to be: ‘CACDP certificated Level 2 Electronic Notetakers’ and Notetakers working towards their L2 portfolio providing they co –work with a qualified notetaker.

·         ‘Communication Assistants’.  It is understood that agencies are a good place for ‘Communication Assistants’ to train to enable them to gain the necessary skills, experience and qualifications to register as an LSP with CACDP directly, with CACDP through IRP or with SASLI. Agencies signing-up to the Standards would need to meet the following criteria when employing any such individuals:

o       They are directly employed (ie members of staff) by the agency concerned.

o       They are employed as part of an explicit training strategy.

o       They are never defined or referred to as ‘interpreters’ by agency staff and publicity materials.

o       Communication assistants must have be carried regular supervision carried out by a qualified LSP.

o       Charges must  be commensurate with their qualification level.

The standards do not cover block/hands on/deaf relay as there is currently no training or registration system in place for these services therefore monitoring is not possible.

3. Training, development and monitoring of agency staff (both administrative staff and in-house LSPs). 

Supervision and staff appraisal / development systems are required for all administrative staff and in-house LSP’s.

All agency co-ordinators (or the equivalent post) to have attained the CACDP Deaf Awareness qualification.  Where an agency provides a BSL/English Interpreting service & office staff have direct contact with deaf BSL users it is recommended that co-ordinators (or the equivalent post) possess or are working towards CACDP BSL Level 2.  Where office staff have no direct contact with deaf BSL users this is not a requirement.

4. Health and Safety

Agencies to ensure that they are compliant with all health and safety legislation as required by law.  This is to include risk assessments for all agency staff, lone working policies & co-working policies in reference to staff LSP’s.

Part 2 - Service

1.      Details of Ownership

Agency status to be declared in the Standards of Service document:

Registered charity

Local authority

Private company

Education establishment

Other (please specify)

2.      Charges

Charges, including terms of cancellation, must be available in writing.  To be included in the Standards of Service document and be available upon request.  Agencies are expected to provide consumers with their charges on request, examples of which may include call-out rates, hourly rate, travel cost / time, evening / night / weekend / bank holiday rates, etc.

3.      Complaints System

The agency must have a complaints policy, compatible with the policies and procedures associated with LSP registration.  This must be readily available in written English and BSL, as well as large print or Braille on request.  The number of complaints processed annually must be displayed in the Standards of Service document.

4.      Performance Statistics

Response times in terms of acknowledgement and confirmation of assignments to be displayed in the Standards of Service document.

5.      Advertising

Current CACDP/IRP/SASLI terminology to be used for the services provided.  All publicity materials (including the Standards of Service document) to contain accurate information in clear English and not be misleading to the service users / purchasers.

6.      Insurance

The agency must hold public liability insurance and employee liability insurance.  All contracted freelance LSPs must be covered by the agency’s professional indemnity insurance.

7.      Data Protection Policy

The agency must possess a data protection policy that is compliant with current legislation.

8.      Equal Opportunities

The agency must possess an equal opportunities policy that is compliant with current legislation.

9.      Service User Involvement

The agency to provide the opportunities for service user involvement.  A minimum requirement would be the use of feedback forms for services provided.  Direct methods of consultation such as service user forums are also recommended. Details of the level of service user involvement to be included in the Standards of Service document.

10. Terms & Conditions for Freelance LSPs

The agency must have written terms & conditions that state how it will operate in relation to freelance LSPs.

11. Standards of Service Document

The agency must develop a ‘Standards of Service’ document to be available to the public on request.  This document will contain information under the following headings:

·         Details of Ownership

·         Charges & terms of cancellation

·         Range of LSP services provided

·         Performance statistics

·         Complaints

·         User consultation

·         Additional Information