Booking an interpreter for an appointment 106-03050060

If the customer:

• needs an interpreter for a future (booked) appointment, go to Step 2
• needs an on-demand telephone interpreter, see Contacting an on-demand telephone interpreter (Interpreter Connect)
• has an appointment with an interpreter, go to Table 2
• needs to cancel or reschedule an appointment with an interpreter, go to Table 3

Ask the customer what language they prefer to speak and check it has been recorded.

Select the relevant option below:

Process Direct:

• Go to the Other Contact Details (OCD) screen and select Add
• Interpreter Language: select the customer’s preferred spoken language
• If the language does not appear, choose OTH (Other) and annotate the Display on Access (DOA) DOC with the language/dialect spoken by the customer
• Select Save
• Enter the Receipt Date
• Select the Channel
• Select the Service Reason
• Select Save
• Select Assess and Finalise the activity

Customer First:

• Go to the Other Contact Details (OCD) screen
• Interpreter Language: select the magnifying glass to search and select the customer’s preferred spoken language
• If the language does not appear, choose OTH (Other) and annotate the Display on Access (DOA) DOC with the language/dialect spoken by the customer
• Action: Select Insert
• Enter Source and Receipt Date
• Continue and finalise the activity

• Check and record the interpreter language in CDMS, see Table 4 in Sensitive Information Indicators in CDMS
• For programs that do not use CDMS (or have view access only), the language is not recorded

• Check the Client Profile table
• To view or update the customer’s:
• language, see Table 8 > Step 5 of Update customer details in Pluto
• need for an interpreter, see Table 8 > Step 6 of Update customer details in Pluto

The process for booking an interpreter depends on the type of customer appointment. An interpreter appointment must be booked through the Interpreter Management System (IMS) for:

• Job Capacity Assessment (JCA)
• Employment Service Assessment (ESAt)
• Seminars or other outreach events
• Refugee and asylum seeker appointments (RAS)
• Block interpreter appointments

Is an interpreter needed for any of the above appointments?

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No, go to Step 5

Access the Front of House (FoH) app (Launchpad):

• Select the IMS window
• Select Interpreter Request under the Interpreter Jobs field and follow the prompts to enter the appointment details

Procedure ends here.

Interpreters are automatically booked when appointments are entered in the CAS.

To book an appointment in CAS, see Booking appointments in the Centrelink Appointment System.

Procedure ends here.

For:

• Job Capacity Assessments (JCA), Employment Services Assessments (ESAt) or Refugee or asylum seeker appointments (RAS), go to Step 2
• seminars or outreach events, go to Step 3
• random sampling appointments, go to Step 4
• block interpreter appointments at service centres with high language demands, go to Step 5

For all other Centrelink appointments, if using:

• Process Direct, go to Step 6
• Customer First, go to Step 7

Assessment Services and Refugee Servicing teams are emailed daily listing report. The reports detail the interpreter bookings (interpreter contact number, time, etc).

Staff must:

• access the report per local procedures or consult a team leader
• on the day of the appointment, check the report to confirm the interpreter details

Go to Step 9.

An email titled Interpreting Booking Confirmation Details is sent to the:

• local Service Centre Manager (SCM) mailbox, and
• staff member who submitted the original request in the Interpreter Management System

The email includes details of the booked interpreter, for a

• telephone interpreter, name and contact information
• face-to-face interpreter, name and address of the seminar/outreach site

Staff must:

• access the confirmation email or consult a team leader
• on the day of the seminar or event, check the confirmation email to confirm the interpreter details

For guidance using face-to-face interpreters at seminars, see Table 1 > Step 3 of Guidelines for using interpreters,

If using a telephone interpreter, go to Step 9.

An email with the interpreter booking details is sent to the staff member who submitted the original interpreter request in IMS.

Staff must:

• on the day of the appointment, check the confirmation email to confirm the interpreter details

Go to Step 9.

Block face-to-face interpreters are scheduled at service centres with high language demands.

A daily listing report of the scheduled block interpreter appointments is sent to the local Service Centre Manager (SCM) mailbox.

Staff must:

• access the daily report as per local procedures or consult the SCM
• locate the face-to-face interpreter at the time of the appointment

For assistance in working with face-to-face interpreters, see Table 1 in Guidelines for using interpreters.

Procedure ends here.

• Click the Appointment icon
• Select the relevant appointment
• View the Interpreter information

Is the interpreter’s name and telephone number listed?

• Yes, call the interpreter, go to Step 9
• No, go to Step 8

• From Quick Links, select Appointments > Book and Manage Appointments
• Click the Appointment ID
• Select the Interpreter Details tab

Is the interpreter’s name and telephone number listed?

• Yes, call the interpreter, go to Step 9
• No, go to Step 8

Does the appointment message text advise to contact Interpreter Connect?

• Yes, see Table 2 in Contacting an on-demand telephone interpreter (Interpreter Connect)
• No, contact Interpreter Connect to arrange an on-demand interpreter

Call the interpreter using the contact details provided for the appointment.

Staff must not:

• call the interpreter before or after the booked time
• save the interpreter’s contact details for future use

Did the interpreter answer the call?

• Yes, go to Step 10
• No, call the interpreter again:
• Leave a voicemail, where possible, advising a follow up call will occur in 5 minutes
• Make at least two attempts to contact the interpreter
• If there is still no answer, contact Interpreter Connect for an on-demand interpreter
• Submit feedback via the Interpreter Feedback Tool, including the attempted call times and if a voicemail was left
• Procedure ends here

• Introduce yourself
• Confirm the language requested
• Explain the purpose of the appointment
• Ask for their vendor number. If they can’t provide it, continue with the call. Do not end the call
• Discuss any sensitive matters that may present during the call
• Provide the customer’s name to check for possible conflict of interest
• If a conflict arises, inform the customer there will be a short delay while connecting to a new interpreter
• Contact Interpreter Connect for an on-demand interpreter. Do not continue with the booked interpreter
• Begin the conference call (between the staff, customer and interpreter)

For help using telephone interpreters, see Table 2 in Guidelines for using interpreters.

If the call drops out:

• Attempt to call the same interpreter again
• If they do not answer, contact Interpreter Connect for an on-demand interpreter
• Submit feedback via the Interpreter Feedback Tool, including the attempted call times and if a voicemail was left

If the call runs longer than expected:

Politely ask the interpreter to continue. Note: interpreters are not obliged to extend the call.

If the interpreter:

• agrees to continue:
• At the end of the call, email LANGUAGE.SERVICES and include the following details: start time, end time and the interpreter’s vendor number (if known)
• can’t continue:
• Inform the customer there will be a short delay while connecting to a new interpreter
• Contact Interpreter Connect to arrange an on-demand interpreter

Procedure ends here.

Contact Language Services to cancel or reschedule any of the following appointments:

• Job Capacity Assessment (JCA)
• Employment Services Assessment (ESAt)
• Seminars or outreach events
• Refugee or asylum seeker appointments
• Block interpreter appointments

For other appointments booked in the Centrelink Appointment System, to:

• cancel, go to Step 2
• reschedule, go to Step 3

To cancel on the same day of the appointment, contact Language Services as soon as possible.

For all other cancellations, see Step 8 in View, reschedule or cancel an appointment in the Centrelink Appointment System.

Procedure ends here.

To reschedule within 3 days of the original appointment, contact Language Services as soon as possible.

To reschedule other appointments, see Step 5 in View, reschedule or cancel an appointment in the Centrelink Appointment System.