Coventry Interpretation & Translations Unit (CITU)

Coventry Interpretation and Translation Unit (CITU) was formed in December 2006, through a joint partnership between the Interpretation and Translation Units, from Coventry City Council and the Coventry Primary Care Trust. It was created to deliver a cost effective service to Coventry based statutory, voluntary, private sector, and other organizations.

Introduction

CITU provides an accessible, confidential, equitable, quality service to people whose first language is not English, or who have sensory impairment. This includes sign language, audiotapes and Braille. You can book an interpreter if you work for:

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust
Coventry Teaching Primary Care Trust
Community Services (PCT)
General Practitioners
Community Services, Social Care, Coventry City Council
Public and Private Sector (price list will be attached for further information)

Why might I need an interpreter?

People whose first language is not English can find it difficult to access services to discuss their needs with professionals. Without a properly trained professional interpreter, people may rely on a member of the family or a friend, which can lead to breach of confidentiality or a conflict of interest.

What will the interpreter do?

CITU's qualified/accredited Interpreters provide word-for-word interpretation between patients/service users and professionals. They have a code of ethics they follow, which includes maintaining patient/service user confidentiality.

What languages can CITU provide?

At present we provide interpretation and translation services in more then 43 languages, and always try to add more languages on an on-going basis, based on local need. Please contact us to find out more about languages we can provide.

How can I book an interpreter for a face-to-face appointment?

You need to book as far in advance as possible (this should be at least 24 hours in advance of an appointment). Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee to provide an interpreter at less than 24 hours notice, although we will do our best to do so.

When you book an interpreter, you need to provide the following:

Name/contact telephone number for the person booking the interpreter
Name of the professional who will be holding the appointment
Language you require and country of origin (if known)
Name of the patient/service user and their ID number, if known
Time, date and estimated length of the appointment
Venue, and where the interpreter should report to
Patients/service users phone number, if you would like the interpreter to tell them about the appointment
Any additional information you think the service or interpreter should know

If you want to book more than one appointment please fax all of the above details to the number at the foot of this page. We will only come back to you if we have any problem meeting your request, otherwise you can consider the appointment confirmed at the time of your call/fax.

Appointment cancellations

If you have a problem, or you need to cancel the appointment, please call the office between 9am and 5pm.

Comments, compliments and complaints

We welcome feedback about our service through comments, compliments or complaints (we will investigate any complaints fairly and promptly). If you would like to send one of these, please write to Sam Chakravarty or Jaswinder Smagh (Service Managers) at the address below.

How can I get a telephone interpreter?

You can access an interpreter by calling the office or out of hours phone number, although telephone interpreting should only be used in exceptional circumstances.

What if I need a written translation?

We can provide these in a variety of community languages, for various items such as leaflets, documents, and letters. Please call to discuss your requirements.

Providing a quality service

We like to provide people with a quality service and the following will assist you.

All interpreters arrive shortly before the appointment time, so they can be briefed
Should the interpreter fail to turn up, please call the office
After the appointment, please complete/sign the interpreter’s referral form and make any comments, if you wish
We can provide training to help you get the best out of using an interpreter.

Useful downloadable documents

Please use the links below to download a copies of the CITU leaflet and current charges information sheet.

Contact details

Coventry Interpretation and Translation Unit
35 Vine Street, Hillfields
Coventry, CV1 5NH
Office Tel: 024 7678 6878
Out of hours emergencies: 07984 166959ary
Fax: 024 7622 7250 (this includes sending full details of requirements)
e-mail: CITU@coventry.gov.uk

For further information or informal discussion, please contact: Sam Chakravarty, CITU Manager on 024 7678 5611 or email sam.chakravarty@coventry.gov.uk.

Downloadable documents

About PDFs and Accessibility

CITU Information Leaflet (1015 kb)
CITU Charges Information (4211 kb)

Coventry City Council