Working with interpreters in mental health

To ensure equality of access to health and social care services for all communities resident in Britain, services need to be appropriate and accessible. This requires ensuring that a range of policies is adhered to and that services are designed to make this possible. In a culturally diverse society, there will be people who are not fluent in the language of their country of residence, but who may require access to health and social care services, necessitating the services of a language interpreter. This means that clinicians need to be trained both to work with interpreters and to feel confident in so doing. This paper explores issues relating to working in partnership with an interpreter and offers guidance about good practice. The complex relationship between language, culture and worldview is discussed and suggestions are made about how these might be considered within clinical services. Finally, four diverse modes of interpretation are reviewed and illustrated.