Contacting an on-demand telephone interpreter (Interpreter Connect) 106-19111309

• Centrelink, go to Step 2
• Child Support, go to Step 3
• Medicare, go to Step 4

• Check the Other Contact Details (OCD) screen, in the Interpreter Language field
• 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

• Check the Client Profile Window
• If not recorded, select the Language Other Than English Spoken at Home check box and select the language from the dropdown menu. This enables the Interpreter required dropdown menu, select Yes
• If the language does not appear, choose OTH in the language drop down menu and select Yes in the Interpreter required drop down menu. Document in the Special Contact Detail the customer's preferred language

• Check if the customer has:
• an Interpreter language Indicator on the Sensitive Information pop up table, or Personal Details tab in CDMS, or
• a language recorded in the Language Spoken at Home (other than English) field under the Personal Details tab in CDMS
• To add an Interpreter language Indicator, see Step 4 in Adding or amending Communication Indicators
• Programs that use CDMS include:
• Medicare Public
• Australia Immunisation Register
• Incentives Program
• Australian Organ Donor Register
• Medicare Levy Exemption
• Medicare Provider Services: claims and assessing
• Medicare Enrolments
• For programs that do not use CDMS (or have view only access), the customer's language does not need to be recorded

If staff:

• receive an inbound call from a customer, go to Step 2
• make an outbound call to a customer, go to Step 3
• are speaking with a customer face to face, go to Step 4

Staff must:

• ask the customer for their preferred spoken language, and tell them a telephone interpreter will be used
• record the customers preferred spoken language. See Table 1
• refer to the Resources page for the Language codes and Office codes. These are needed to contact an interpreter
• adhere to Quality Call Standards throughout the call

Contact Interpreter Connect, go to Step 5.

If the customer is expecting a call, it is best practice to engage the telephone interpreter before calling them.

Note: the decision to engage an interpreter before the customer is at the business area’s discretion.

Staff must:

• identify and record the customer preferred spoken language. See Table 1
• refer to the Resources page for the Language codes and Office codes. These are needed to contact an interpreter
• adhere to the Quality Call Standards throughout the call

Contact Interpreter Connect, go to Step 5.

To connect a face-to-face customer with a telephone interpreter, use either:

• Interpreter telephony kit
• Cisco handset

Staff must:

• ask the customer for their preferred spoken language, and tell them a telephone interpreter will be used
• record the customer’s preferred spoken language, see Table 1
• refer to the Resources page for the Language codes and Office codes. These are needed to contact an interpreter

Contact Interpreter Connect, go to Step 5.

If using Services Australia Workspace with the customer on the call:

• select the consultation button (this places the customer on hold)
• select the star button
• type Interpreter Services
• Interpreter Services will appear in the drop-down list, press the telephone icon next to Interpreter Services to initiate the call

If using a Cisco handset, with the customer on the call:

• press the Conference button and key in the number for Interpreter Connect via Language Services and it will automatically dial
• Follow the prompts:
• press 1, to find an on-demand interpreter
• enter the 4-digit Office ID and press #
• enter the 3-digit Language code corresponding to the language required and press #
• confirm the language selected. Press 1 if correct. Press 2 if incorrect to return to the previous selection
• Enter the required duration of the call:
• for up to 15 minutes, press 1
• for up to 30 minutes, press 2
• for up to 45 minutes, press 3
• for more than 45 minutes, press 4
• Wait while the system connects to an interpreter

If the system:

• cannot locate an interpreter, do not hang up, go to Step 6
• connects to an interpreter, go to Step 7

If the system cannot locate an interpreter, the call transfers to a Language Services Booking Officer. The call will be placed on hold, while the Booking Officer manually attempts to locate an interpreter.

• If a Booking Officer locates an interpreter, go to Step 7
• If the Booking Officer cannot locate an interpreter, they may:
• ask if the customer speaks another language
• advise to call back later, or
• request an interpreter booking for a future appointment. See Booking an interpreter for an appointment.

Procedure ends here.

Once connected to an interpreter, introduce yourself and ask for their vendor number. Interpreters are not required to provide their full name.

Record the interpreter’s vendor number:

• Centrelink customers: on a DOC on the customer’s record
• Child Support customers: in the communication window
• Medicare customers: under Personal Comments in the CDMS system, for the following programs:
• Medicare Public
• Australia Immunisation Register
• Incentives Program
• Australian Organ Donor Register
• Medicare Levy Exemption
• Medicare Provider Services: claims and assessing
• Medicare Enrolments
• for programs that do not use CDMS (or have view only access), the vendor number is not required to be recorded

If staff are:

• returning the customer to the call (inbound call), go to Step 8
• calling a customer with the interpreter on the line (outbound call), go to Step 9

With the interpreter on the line, return customer to the call.

If using:

• Services Australia Workspace press the Call Conference icon (double telephone icon)
• a Cisco handset, press the Conference button

Commence 3-way conversation (staff member, interpreter, and customer), go to Step 10.

If using Services Australia Workspace with the interpreter on the line:

• select the Conference icon before calling the customer. Note: the interpreter cannot be on hold when initiating the call conference
• enter the customer’s contact number using the keyboard
• select the telephone icon
• if the customer answers, select the Call Conference icon (double telephone icon)
• if the customer does not answer:
• click the telephone and X icon, located at the bottom left of the Workspace application (if the telephone icon is not visible, expand Workspace to its full screen)
• repeat to redial the customer’s number

If using a Cisco handset:

• select the Conference button (automatically on hold)
• enter 0 for an outside line
• key in the customer’s contact number and it will automatically dial
• if the customer answers, press the Conference button again to add them to the call
• if the customer does not answer:
• select the top right button (highlighted green) to return to the interpreter
• repeat to redial the customer’s number

Commence 3-way conversation (staff member, interpreter, and customer), go to Step 10.

Staff must:

• read the Privacy Statement once all parties are connected
• adhere to the Quality Call Standards throughout the call

Staff are encouraged to:

• refer to the Resources page
• see Guidelines for using interpreters for information on how to work effectively with interpreters

If the interpreter's line drops out during the call, remain on the call and wait for the in-call menu:

• to redial the same interpreter, press 1
• to be transferred to an operator, press 3
• if the call needs to be transferred at any stage, go to Step 11

To provide feedback about the interpreting experience, go to Step 12.

If during the 3-way conversation the customer needs to be transferred to a different business line/queue, staff must:

• tell the customer why the transfer is needed
• determine if the interpreter will remain on the call during the transfer

For more reasons for call transfers, see Answering calls in Centrelink.

Is the customer in a vulnerable, emotive, or distressed state or insisting the interpreter stay on the call?

• Yes, go to Step 12
• No, go to Step 13

If the interpreter is kept or an announced (warm) transfer is required, staff must:

• tell the customer and interpreter to stay on the call
• not leave the customer and interpreter by themselves while waiting in the queue

See Answering calls in Centrelink.

To provide feedback about the interpreting experience, go to Step 14.

If the interpreter is not required to stay on the line during the transfer (customer not in a vulnerable, emotive or distressed state), staff can make an unannounced (cold) transfer. Staff must:

• not keep the interpreter on the line
• tell the interpreter they need to disconnect before transferring
• tell the customer:
• the interpreter will drop off the call and then the call will be transferred
• to ask for an interpreter when a Service Officer picks up the call
• wait for the interpreter to leave the call before completing the unannounced transfer. The interpreter drop off menu will play, ignore this message

See Answering calls in Centrelink.

To provide feedback about the interpreting experience, go to Step 14.

Staff are encouraged to provide feedback about their experience using interpreters.

Feedback helps identify how services can be improved. It can include the quality of the phone line, the interpreter's performance and professionalism, complaints, compliments, or system issues.

To provide feedback, see the Resources page, Forms (staff) > Interpreter Feedback Form.

Procedure ends here.