Translation Services

Reference: 24-25487

Date response sent: 05/02/2025

Details of enquiry

1. Do you have an active language service (Interpreting) contract?
2. Are services accessed via a framework or independent of a framework? If a framework, what framework(s) is it?
3. When does the existing contract(s) expire?
4. Who are you current suppliers by service type i.e. BSL, telephone, spoken, video?
5. Do you procure spoken and non-spoken (BSL) interpreting together?
6. Do you consider non-spoken interpreting a specialist service?

a. If yes and you do not procure this service separately.  Why do you not procure this service separately?

7. Are you aware of The House of Lords inquiry into Interpreting and Translation Services? If so, will this impact how you procure language services?

8. What is your organisations language services procurement policy. i.e. do you undertake pre-market engagement, do you run a competitive tender process or direct award?

9. Are language services on the procurement plan in 2025, if so, can you please give an indicative timeline?

10. Who is the senior responsible person for Language Services in your organisation?

11. Can you please provide historical use for each service for 2024. Please highlight if you are referring to number of assignments or hour/minutes this response.

a. On-site spoken –

b. Onsite non-spoken –

c. telephone interpreting

d. Video spoken

e. Video non-spoken

Response sent

1. Do you have an active language service (Interpreting) contract?

yes

2. Are services accessed via a framework or independent of a framework? If a framework, what framework(s) is it?

NHS LPP

3. When does the existing contract(s) expire?

14/12/25

4. Who are your current suppliers by service type i.e. BSL, telephone, spoken, video?

We have one supplier who provides all translation/interpreting services:  DA Languages

6. Do you procure spoken and non-spoken (BSL) interpreting together?

No

7. Do you consider non-spoken interpreting a specialist service?

The Trust does not hold this data.  The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA). FOIA enables access to recorded information held by the Trust at the time the request is submitted.  It does not require an authority to answer questions nor provide opinions where this would involve the creation of new information, and this question can only be answered by creating new information.

a. If yes and you do not procure this service separately.  Why do you not procure this service separately?

The Trust does not hold this data.  The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA). FOIA enables access to recorded information held by the Trust at the time the request is submitted.  It does not require an authority to answer questions nor provide opinions where this would involve the creation of new information, and this question can only be answered by creating new information.

7. Are you aware of The House of Lords inquiry into Interpreting and Translation Services? If so, will this impact how you procure language services?

The Trust does not hold this data.  The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA). FOIA enables access to recorded information held by the Trust at the time the request is submitted.  It does not require an authority to answer questions nor provide opinions where this would involve the creation of new information, and this question can only be answered by creating new information.

8. What is your organisations language services procurement policy. i.e. do you undertake pre-market engagement, do you run a competitive tender process or direct award?

Direct Award

9. Are language services on the procurement plan in 2025, if so, can you please give an indicative timeline?

The Trust does not hold any information on future IT Strategies or future IT delivery models. Please note that we are currently working towards a merger with another organisation to strengthen us for the future. This is further explained on our website: Our future options – Tavistock and Portman

10. Who is the senior responsible person for Language Services in your organisation?

The Procurement Manager, procurement@tavi-port.nhs.uk

11. Can you please provide historical use for each service for 2024. Please highlight if you are referring to number of assignments or hour/minutes this response.

We regret to advise that we cannot answer this question as we do not hold this data in a way that it can be extracted. The Trust has a single accounting code for any type of translation or interpreting requirement, and we do not hold centralised records of requirements against booked placements. Furthermore, invoices received do not reflect the type of interpreting/translation medium nor the language.  We can however confirm the range of services used from your given list below

a. On-site spoken – yes

b. Onsite non-spoken – no

c. telephone interpreting yes

d. Video spoken – yes

3. Video non-spoken – no