Among the most exclusive and sought after work for interpreters are assignments for the courts and police. This work is varied, challenging, interesting and gives you a chance to make a huge difference to the lives of people in your community – making sure the British justice system is working.
But how do you become eligible for this rewarding work? Tess Wilkinson of ISL explains…
Most of you will be aware that the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has signed a new contract with thebigword to provide Face to Face, telephone and video interpreting services.
The MoJ has segmented the Interpreting assignments into 3 levels; Standard, Complex and Complex Written. These levels determine the complexity of work, Standard being straightforward assignments and Complex Written being the most complicated.
This means to secure assignments in sectors such as the Court and Police, you will need to have relevant experience and qualifications, and be entered on the Ministry of Justice Register.
Eligible Qualifications
There are a number of qualifications that make you eligible to work with the MoJ, including specific interpreting qualifications; Level 1-4 Certificates in Community Interpreting, the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (DPSI) and the Level 6 Diploma in Community Interpreting (DCI).To make things a little simpler, the table below explains what ISL qualifications are eligible for which level of interpreting assignment.
Ministry of Justice Register
To work on assignments with the MoJ, you need to be on the register. To join, you need a relevant qualification, as above, and you will also need to register via thebigword.
To register with thebigword as an Interpreter you need to email your CV to [email protected]. If you don’t have an Interpreting CV or want professional help with improving your existing CV to make sure it stands out, browse our Interpreting CV Services here.
When you have completed thebigword on-boarding process, including completing some basic e-learning modules, you will be added to their register of interpreters and also to the MoJ register of Interpreters. At this point you are eligible to start receiving assignments.
Keep a look out for thebigword jobs here.
We hope that you find this post useful and if you wish to discuss your options further, please email the team at: [email protected].
If you are looking to become an Interpreter or to further your Interpreting skills and abilities to increase your earning potential, you can browse our Interpreting qualifications here.