❓ A WA parliamentary question on notice regarding the implementation and funding of the Western Australian Languages Services Policy across several government agencies. The responses detail policy implementation dates, expenditure, policy availability, and situations requiring interpreter/translator use.
AnsweredQoN 6470Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
In relation to the Western Australian Languages Services Policy, launched by Premier Colin Barnett in 2008, which states that Government agencies are required to have policies for funding and delivering translating and interpreting services that take account of relevant Government policy, legal circumstances and the needs of potential and current clients, I ask:
(a) what policies in each agency in the Deputy Premier’s departments have been implemented, and when;
(b) what funding and expenditure has been incurred since 2008 on translation and interpreting services by which agencies and to whom was the funding paid;
(c) can the Deputy Premier please table all policies which have been produced and are readily available to agency staff and clients; and
(d) in each agency, can the Deputy Premier please list which situations have been identified where interpreters and translators must, should or may be used?
(a) what policies in each agency in the Deputy Premier’s departments have been implemented, and when;
(b) what funding and expenditure has been incurred since 2008 on translation and interpreting services by which agencies and to whom was the funding paid;
(c) can the Deputy Premier please table all policies which have been produced and are readily available to agency staff and clients; and
(d) in each agency, can the Deputy Premier please list which situations have been identified where interpreters and translators must, should or may be used?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
29 November 2011
Response time
28 days
Department of Health
(a) The WA Health Language Services Policy came into operation on 30 September 2011.
(b) In 2009-10, $1.72 million was spent on translating and interpreting services in the major metropolitan hospitals, namely Royal Perth (RPH), Fremantle (FH), Sir Charles Gairdner (SCGH), Princess Margaret (PMH) and King Edward Memorial (KEMH) hospitals.
(c) A copy of the WA Health Language Services Policy is provided for tabling [See tabled paper no]. The Online version is available via
http://www.health.wa.gov.au/languageservices/home/documents.cfm
.
(d) Consumers and their carers who have limited or no English proficiency or who are deaf or hearing impaired have the right to access interpreting and translating services when using and receiving WA Health services. This includes Aboriginal people and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Health service providers must engage interpreters and translators in situations that have implications for health or treatment of consumers and which depend on the ability of both the consumer and health professional to communicate key information and understand each other.
Healthway
(a) Healthway implemented a Language Services Policy in 2009.
(b) Nil.
(c) [See tabled paper]
(d) Nil.
Health and Disability Services Complaints Office
(a) WA Health Language Services Policy 2011, OMI Language Policy 2008 and Substantive Equity Policy 2009
(b) $9,804
(c) Clients: HaDSCO provide interpreting, translation and Auslan services for persons who speak a language other than English, such as Indigenous people and people from a culturally and linguistically diverse background. Information brochures and the complaint form have been translated into a several core and indigenous languages and are available online and printed upon request. Braille is available upon request.
Staff: as a part of the induction employees handling calls from the public are provided with training and have access to the WA Health Language Services Policy, OMI Language Policy and the Substantive Equity Policy via the employee intranet [see tabled paper].
(d) - the client's ability to communicate in English;
-the purpose of the communication and complexity
- the client's ability to effectively communicate in a stressful or unfamiliar environment;
- the clients preference to communicate in his/her own language, even though he/she can communicate in English; and
- the risks of miscommunication.
Tourism Western Australia
(a - d) Tourism Western Australia (Tourism WA) does not have a Language Services Policy as it does not have any services or programs that would require translating or interpretation and has not experienced problems in the past dealing with clients with language difficulties. Most of Tourism WA's translation work is completed by the organisation's international office staff and marketing representation companies as part of the suite of services provided under contract to Tourism WA. On occasion, translators and interpreters are used by Tourism WA to assist in preparing presentations for international investment forums and conferences, familiarisations, correspondence, foreign language website content, and promotional materials. As the cost of these ad hoc translation services is nominal, they have not been tracked.
Rottnest Island Authority
(a) The Rottnest Island Authority implemented its Interpreter Services Procedure on 1 November 2006.
(b) Nil.
(c) Yes. The Rottnest Island Authority's Interpreter Services Procedure has been made available. [See tabled paper]
(d) Interpreter or translation services are required by the Rottnest Island Authority so quality services can be maintained to Rottnest Island visitors who cannot communicate effectively in spoken or written English, and those who are deaf or hearing impaired.
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(a) The WA Health Language Services Policy came into operation on 30 September 2011.
(b) In 2009-10, $1.72 million was spent on translating and interpreting services in the major metropolitan hospitals, namely Royal Perth (RPH), Fremantle (FH), Sir Charles Gairdner (SCGH), Princess Margaret (PMH) and King Edward Memorial (KEMH) hospitals.
(c) A copy of the WA Health Language Services Policy is provided for tabling [See tabled paper no]. The Online version is available via
http://www.health.wa.gov.au/languageservices/home/documents.cfm
.
(d) Consumers and their carers who have limited or no English proficiency or who are deaf or hearing impaired have the right to access interpreting and translating services when using and receiving WA Health services. This includes Aboriginal people and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Health service providers must engage interpreters and translators in situations that have implications for health or treatment of consumers and which depend on the ability of both the consumer and health professional to communicate key information and understand each other.
Healthway
(a) Healthway implemented a Language Services Policy in 2009.
(b) Nil.
(c) [See tabled paper]
(d) Nil.
Health and Disability Services Complaints Office
(a) WA Health Language Services Policy 2011, OMI Language Policy 2008 and Substantive Equity Policy 2009
(b) $9,804
(c) Clients: HaDSCO provide interpreting, translation and Auslan services for persons who speak a language other than English, such as Indigenous people and people from a culturally and linguistically diverse background. Information brochures and the complaint form have been translated into a several core and indigenous languages and are available online and printed upon request. Braille is available upon request.
Staff: as a part of the induction employees handling calls from the public are provided with training and have access to the WA Health Language Services Policy, OMI Language Policy and the Substantive Equity Policy via the employee intranet [see tabled paper].
(d) - the client's ability to communicate in English;
-the purpose of the communication and complexity
- the client's ability to effectively communicate in a stressful or unfamiliar environment;
- the clients preference to communicate in his/her own language, even though he/she can communicate in English; and
- the risks of miscommunication.
Tourism Western Australia
(a - d) Tourism Western Australia (Tourism WA) does not have a Language Services Policy as it does not have any services or programs that would require translating or interpretation and has not experienced problems in the past dealing with clients with language difficulties. Most of Tourism WA's translation work is completed by the organisation's international office staff and marketing representation companies as part of the suite of services provided under contract to Tourism WA. On occasion, translators and interpreters are used by Tourism WA to assist in preparing presentations for international investment forums and conferences, familiarisations, correspondence, foreign language website content, and promotional materials. As the cost of these ad hoc translation services is nominal, they have not been tracked.
Rottnest Island Authority
(a) The Rottnest Island Authority implemented its Interpreter Services Procedure on 1 November 2006.
(b) Nil.
(c) Yes. The Rottnest Island Authority's Interpreter Services Procedure has been made available. [See tabled paper]
(d) Interpreter or translation services are required by the Rottnest Island Authority so quality services can be maintained to Rottnest Island visitors who cannot communicate effectively in spoken or written English, and those who are deaf or hearing impaired.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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