Mentors in South Wales Region

Name:	Clive Ellis
Region:	South Wales
Phone:	07801912928
Email:	clive.ellis@virgin.net

Biography:

I work as an Interpreter/Lipspeaker for 4 Local Health Boards (the Welsh equivalent to English PCTs) in the South Wales area.  I am responsible for co-ordinating and covering all appointments in medical situations in Primary and Secondary care, including doctors, hospitals, dentists, opticians and any other appointments linked to health.

I worked for 25 years in the Civil Service until 9 years ago, when I decided to train as a BSL/English Interpreter.  I eventually qualified via the UCLAN/SLI Post Graduate Diploma in BSL/English Interpreting.

My Civil Service career started at the age of 17 as a Clerical Officer and worked my way up through the grades until I became a Senior Executive Officer.  During the last 10 years of my Civil Service career I worked as a Personal Assistant to a Departmental Barrister and then went on to work as a member of a team of Civil Service Management Consultants.

Whilst in the Civil Service I undertook training and became a qualified counsellor, and after attaining my Certificate and Diploma I worked as a volunteer counsellor with the BDA Health Promotion Unit in Crewe.

I have experience of working as an Interpreter in various settings, mainly as a community interpreter in situations such as health, education, employment, religion, social services and job interviews.

As well as an ASLI trained Mentor, I am also an Association of Lipspeakers trained Mentor.  I also have experience of being a Supervisor to Apprentice Interpreters under the Welsh Assembly Government's BSL Futures scheme.

I am an active member of the South Wales region of ASLI, and was the South Wales Rep. From 2002 to 2006.

Expertise:

I consider my areas of expertise to be health and Social Services.

However, having said that the majority of my interpreting practice is two-way dialogue community based I feel I can offer support and encouragement on most other interpreting domains too.

I am particularly experienced working with organisations that have little or no knowledge of the work we do. Having spent years working with, and educating the Health Authorities in my area I feel these are experiences that would be useful to others.   I would be particularly happy mentoring Interpreters who are employed in organisations like these.