BSL/English Interpreters are professionals registered with the National Registers of Communication Professionals working with Deaf and Deafblind People (NRCPD) who ensure interpreters and translators meet the minimum qualification requirements to be safe to practice. For more information about Registered Interpreters go to the NRCPD website.

Registered interpreters:

• have achieved, or are working towards, the National Occupational Standards
• have undergone a police check (DBS Check)
• are covered by Professional Indemnity insurance
• agree to follow a Code of Conduct
• can be made subject to the NRCPD complaints procedure

Qualified interpreters often undertake additional training which prepares them for working in specialist domains such as police, court, mental health or with Deafblind people. 

Interpreters should have an ID badge with them to prove they are registered and regulated by NRCPD. Badges are yellow for fully qualified interpreters or translators and purple for trainees.

Please note: Trainee interpreters are not able to undertake work in legal, mental health, child protection domains or bookings involving signing legal documents (this is not an exhaustive list). Interpreters are required to reflect on their skills and competencies and accept bookings accordingly.

Include as much information as possible such as:

•When?  Dates, times and length of booking
•Where? The address of the venue where you need the interpreter or, if remote, the platform to be used e.g. Zoom, MS Teams etc.
•Why? The purpose of the booking, e.g. meeting, training or supervision. It may also be helpful to give an estimate of the number of attendees

The interpreter may contact you for further details to ensure their suitability for the booking.

You may need to book more than one interpreter if the booking is complex, lengthy and/or which have many participants. This is true of video assignments as well.

Preparation – Each assignment will have different requirements in terms of preparation time and materials. Interpreters will ask for materials such as agendas, course content, scripts etc as required. Preparation time may be reflected in an interpreter’s fee depending on the assignment. 

BSL interpreters on this site are freelance and therefore set their own rates, terms and conditions. 

Interpreters generally work in half or full day sessions. However, at the interpreter’s discretion, a ‘short duration’ fee may be charged if an assignment is local to the interpreter and/or short in duration. Interpreters who have experience and expertise in specialist areas may charge higher fees. If you have a query about fees, you can discuss this with the individual interpreter who can explain their fee structure.

Bookings that are requested in the evenings, at weekends or bank holidays may incur higher fees.

For a general guidance on interpreting fees across the UK, the National Union of British Sign Language Interpreters (NUBSLI) has provided fee guidance. 

Travel costs – These may vary depending on the location of the interpreter and the booking. Some interpreters quote a fee inclusive of travel and others may break the fee down.

Cancellation fees – Interpreters have their own cancellation fees depending on the notice given. Please check with the interpreter before you book them so you are aware of their terms and conditions.