Independent Registration Working Group
Chair: Ann McAllister
NEC Liaison: Christopher Stone
ASLI has representation on the Independent Registration Panel of the CACDP.
On this page members can see quarterly reports from our Working Group which summarise recent IRP events and future developments.
To contact the chair of the Independent Registration Working Group email IndependentRegistrationworking@asli.org.uk
Working Group : Independent Registration
Report Author: Liz Mercer
Date of report: 15th February 2008
1. Current Membership of your group:
Liz Mercer (Chair)
Trudy Field (IRP Chair)
Christopher Stone (ASLI Chair)
2. Your Contact email: independentregistrationworking@asli.org.uk
3. Summary of recent Events including attendance:
Trudy and Christopher attended a meeting in December to explore how the issue of Deaf
Interpreters could be progressed. Others at this meeting included representatives from
CACDP and ASLI’s Deaf Interpreter Network. The meeting looked at defining the actual
role of an interpreter (whatever the languages) and also that of language modifiers
working within BSL (cf lipspeakers).
To summarise, it was decided that three members (Paul Parsons, Clark Denmark and
Christopher Stone) would move the skills analysis forward helping to map language
modifiers’ role to that of interpreters. One member is to plan the work required to extend
the existing NVQ to cover a wider range of languages (e.g. support needed from
employers, professional associations and users). One member is to examine what steps
would need to be undertaken to have a register/category of BSL/ASL, BSL/ISL etc
interpreters. The next meeting scheduled for 2nd April 2008
CACDP have commissioned Taro Consultants to undertake a consultation on the future
of the registers of interpreters and other LSP’s and their relationship with CACDP. Initial
interviews have been held to aid in the formation of a consultation document that will be
going out to all stakeholder in March. Hopefully a large number of ASLI members will
provide responses. Christopher and Trudy were involved in the initial meetings and will
be present when the preliminary results are reported in mid-April.
Summary of recent significant contacts, networking, meetings:
Liz attended a meeting along with the Chair of Mid-South Coast the aim of which was to
help inform a Deaf organisation about interpreting both from ASLI and IRP perspectives.
5. Meetings planned in the next 3 months:
There will be a Ratification committee meeting in Durham in February and a full IRP
meeting in April. No complaints are currently being dealt with.
6. Events planned in the next 3 months: Consultation as reported above
November 2007
Group comprises – Trudy Field (IRP Chair),
Chris Stone (NEC Liaison),
Liz Mercer (Working Group Chair)
Trudy and Liz attended an IRP meeting on Wednesday 7 November 2007 in
Birmingham. This was a routine meeting preceded by a ratification
committee meeting at which Trudy was in attendance. This meeting was to
agree new and upgraded applicants to the register with effect from 1 January
2008.
One of the main items on the agenda was the future plans for the register. It
has been decided that an independent firm of consultants be engaged and
they are currently undertaking a major review of the registration system,
taking into account what is in place already and what, in an ideal world, the
registration system would look like. They will be supported by an advisory
Group comprising Chris Stone (Chair of ASLI), Ross Trotter (Chair of ACE/
Deafblind Registration Panel) and Trudy Field (Chair of Independent
Registration Panel).
The proposed work schedule is briefly as follows:- 1st round of consultation to
take place with stakeholders the aim of which is to create a proposal for a
robust governance structure. This will then go to a second round of
consultation after Christmas. It is hoped that a final report with
recommendations will be ready by March 2008 with a view to the new system
being in place by January 2009. The process is planned to be open,
transparent and independent. It is hoped that setting up a more robust
system with a sound regulatory framework will attract government support.
The IRP were informed that a meeting between the Advisory Group and the
consultants took place in October 2007.
The IRP were informed that the next Advisory Group meeting is to take place
on 8 January 2008. The next IRP Ratification will take place in February in
Durham. As yet the composition of the committee is undecided. The next full
IRP meeting will be in Birmingham in April 2008.
Registration numbers are still rising. There will be the highest number ever
registered from January 2008.
- Interpreter Representatives were asked to ensure that our members who
register are reminded that their CRB needs to be always current, ie not only
when they apply for re-registration for the following year but by renewing it
ensure it will continue to be so for the full registration year. Please bear in
mind the time it takes to get it done so if yours is about to run out, best to
start the process soon.
- It was brought to the panel’s attention that some Deaf consumers are
concerned around the issue of interpreter breaks – is an interpreter working
all day at an all day event? If two or more interpreters are present, should
they turn take for lunch? The ASLI info sheet on the website ‘How to Work
with an Interpreter’ suggests that this is something to be considered during
the event. However, before the event might be better but it seems that
consumers are not always clear what can be expected or what, if anything,
has been agreed.
Liz Mercer
Chair of the Independent Registration Working Group
May 2007
The ASLI reps continue to bring up issues within the IRP that are raised with them by interpreters. There is an item on each agenda specifically for each stakeholder group to raise any issue that has been brought to their notice. The other stakeholder representatives also raise issue but often these are very much supported by each other. Issues that have caused concern in recent months have been reported in the Factsheet which is issued after each meeting.
One recent example is the issue of the low threshold at which a person can first register as a JTI which had been raised by representatives of different stakeholder groups including the ASLI reps. The decision has been taken to raise the threshold for registering as a JTI. Details will be issued during the summer and will apply to new applicants from April 2008. This will bring the registration categories more in line (though not exactly so) with the membership categories of ASLI.
Another example is that Deaf consumers’ reps are constantly being asked to raise the issue of fees charges by interpreters and agencies. Although the IRP does not regulate fees, we have issued recommendations about ensuring fees and expenses are agreed before booking and interpreter and consulting ASLI’s published figures to ascertain what the ‘average’ fee may be.
January saw the highest number of registered interpreters in the register’s history.
As the NEC are aware, the IRP has been seeking to become financially, as well as operationally, independent of CACDP, after an initial ‘straw poll’ of ASLI members about 18 months ago which seemed to suggest that a single national independent register was the will of the majority and would also seek to satisfy the misgivings that some members have about ‘registering with CACDP’. To this end a great deal of work has been undertaken by a working group within the IRP to produce a feasibility study to present to the CACDP board. CACDP have invested a great deal in the setting up and administering of the register over the years and are keen to ensure its continuation after full independence. It should also be added that CACDP subsidise the running costs of the register each year. To achieve full independence is not something that can be achieved overnight!
However, the IRP continues to seek ways of making this happen. It is likely to be a gradual building of independence and consequent reduction of support from CACDP. After the recent IRP meeting, it was reported that CACDP (and indeed the IRP too) are not completely satisfied that full financial independence is possible at this stage given the numbers registering and other factors such as needing to find out if all stakeholders and eg commissioners of interpreting services would support the new entity. However, the new CEO of CACDP, Jim Edwards, has expressed his support for continuing to investigate increasing the independence of the IRP from CACDP. He has suggested a meeting between the Chair of ASLI, the Chair of the IRP, CACDP’s rep on the IRP and Jim himself to discuss the way forward (meeting on 4th June). It is important to have a shared view of what the aim of the register is. This all seems very positive.
A summary of other issues discussed at the recent meeting will be included in the Factsheet that is sent to all registered interpreters. We will also send to all ASLI members via the egroup.