Interpreting and Translation Services

Our Intercultural Education Service (IES) supports schools by providing interpreting and translation services to help communicate with Newcomer families. 

Interpreters agree to a Code of Conduct, which includes confidentiality. They also adhere to Safeguarding procedures and Data Protection legislation.

The role of the Interpreter is to interpret everything spoken, in the language in which they are registered. They are an impartial participant in the interpreting meeting.

Telephone interpreting services are currently provided by The Big Word Interpreting Services Ltd and LanguageLine Solutions.

Please Note: If a school does not know their school access code, please contact IES for assistance.

The Big Word Interpreting Services Ltd.

info@thebigword.com for helpdesk support or ukgovinterpreting@thebigword.com 

• Urgent telephone interpreting: 03333 449473
• Helpdesk: 03333 449479
• WordSynk mobile telephone app

Please note: You must register with The Big Word before you can use the service. 

You can contact the Intercultural Education Service on 028 9448 2210 or email ies@eani.org.uk to request your school access code and an interpreting guide with the language codes and interpreting procedures.

LanguageLine Solutions

• Telephone interpreting: 0845 266 5000

Please note: You must register with LanguageLine Solutions before you can use the service.

Contact the IES Helpdesk for your school identifier code.

Face-to-face and video interpreting services are currently provided by Flex Language Services, Belfast. During an assignment, interpreters wear a Photographic ID badge provided by the Contactor.

Contact details:

Email: info@flexlanguageservices.com 

Telephone: 028 9072 7878

Please Note: The Intercultural Education Service does not recommend asking pupils to interpret.

Please Note: Flex Language Services has informed IES that they need to assign a £10 charge for confirmatory calls from now on. These calls both gave parents the meeting details and confirmed their attendance at the school meeting. These information calls are no longer free. Effective 1st July 2025, IES will no longer pay for Flex Language invoices relating to ‘confirmation telephone call’ unless you have been given prior approval by IES.

Translation services for the Education Authority Intercultural Education Service schools are currently provided by The Big Word, Global Connections and Flex Language Services.

* The Intercultural Education Service does not recommend asking pupils to translate.

The Intercultural Education Service Interpreting Guidelines provides information to school principals and staff on how to book and pay for interpreting and translation for their school.

Current interpreting guidelines state that face-to-face and video interpreting can be used for:

• An ‘initial welcome’ meeting for new arrivals;
• Two parent / teacher meetings per pupil per year; (One of these may be an annual review organised by the school)
• Meetings to discuss pastoral issues such as behaviour, attendance or under-achievement;
• Meetings about transition to primary or post-primary school

Phone interpreting is currently funded by the Intercultural Education Service for:

• Urgent phone calls to parents / guardians regarding a critical incident;
• Follow up phone calls to clarify or request additional information from an initial ‘welcome meeting’;
• Phone calls to clarify information that has been misunderstood;
• Meetings via phone call because no face-to-face interpreter is available.
   

Information calls

• These are the phone-calls made to set up a face to face or video interpreting meeting with the Newcomer parents.
• Flex Language Services has informed IES that they need to assign a £10 charge for confirmatory calls from now on.  These calls both gave parents the meeting details and confirmed their attendance at the school meeting. These information calls are no longer free. Effective 1st July 2025, IES will no longer pay for Flex Language invoices relating to ‘confirmation telephone call’ unless you have been given prior approval by IES.

Next Steps Options

1. Schools can still request that Flex makes an information call and pays their £10 charge directly.
2. Schools can use either telephone interpreting via the Big Word or Language Line Solutions or video calls via Flex.   
   
   This means a member of school staff must invite the parent on to the call via their land line or mobile phone.
                               
3. Schools can use standard translated or visual letters to the Newcomer parents with the meeting details shown on the form.
4. Schools can avoid these confirmatory actions and manage the risk that the Newcomer parents may not attend the meeting.