The BSL/English Interpreters booking Agency

Terms and Conditions for Provision of BSL/English Interpreters by Interpreting Matters Ltd

General Conduct

The Interpreters provided by Interpreting Matters Ltd will undertake to abide by the Code of Ethics for Sign Language Interpreters as set out by CACDP (Council for the Advancement of Communication with Deaf People) and the Code of Professional Conduct as set out by ASLI (the Association of Sign Language Interpreters of England, Wales and Northern Ireland). All interpreters provided by Interpreting Matters Ltd shall be appropriately trained and registered with the appropriate body, either CACDP/IRP and/or ASLI, for the setting they have been booked to work in.
The contractor will ensure that for the entire period of the assignment, they will not directly or indirectly, solicit or procure the independent services of the interpreter. Any subsequent requests for the interpreter must be referred through Interpreting Matters Ltd.

Payment

This is an agreement between Interpreting Matters Ltd and ____________________ to provide interpreter/s as specified in the request and confirmation of booking. No booking is confirmed until we confirm in writing to you and we have received your signed agreement of our Terms and Conditions.

Fees will be discussed at the time of booking and confirmation. Travel time may be negotiated by some interpreters due to the length of distance travelled, which shall be discussed and agreed prior to the booking proceeding. A percentage of the full agreed fee may be added to the overall cost if the assignment runs overtime. An administration fee will be charged on all bookings received.

Terms are strictly twenty-one days from date of invoice. Any queries in respect of our invoice must be discussed within seven days of the invoice date. We understand and will exercise our statutory right to claim interest and compensation for debt recovery costs under the Late Payments of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1988 if we are not paid according to our terms.

Cancellations

Once the interpreter has been booked, whether by phone, email, fax, SMS or letter a contractual agreement is immediately entered into. In the event of a cancellation of the agreement the purchasers are liable for the following charges:

Less than 14 full days notice - full interpreting fee and booking fee.
15 days or more notice - booking fee only.

The notice period commences the following day after being informed of the cancellation. Under no circumstances are postponed assignments accepted under this or interpreted as the same as the original agreement. Fees will therefore not be wavered for postponed assignments. In the event of an assignment being dramatically changed from what was stated at time of requesting and booking, the interpreter booked reserves the right to withdraw.

Travel Expenses

The transport deemed most suitable by the interpreter will be used unless a transport mode is stipulated at the time of booking. Standard class tickets will be purchased for rail and/or air travel. If the interpreter travels by car a charge of not less than 40p per mile will be made. Car parking and taxi fares will be charged at cost.

Failure to attend

If any person/s relying on the interpreters' service has failed to attend, the interpreter will wait approximately 20-40 minutes before departing, after consultation with the organiser if possible. This will be applicable to all assignments with the full and agreed fee still payable.

If the interpreter is unable to attend due to unforeseen circumstances, every means possible will be undertaken to find a suitable replacement or assistance will be provided in obtaining a suitable replacement. If an alternative booking has to be made due to the interpreter being unable to attend we will do this and waive the arising booking fee.

Co-Interpreters

It is preferable for most assignments with a lasting duration of over 2 hours for more than one interpreter to be booked. If a co-interpreter/other support has been booked but fails to attend then the interpreter attending may charge an additional 50%-I 00% for the extra workload. This also may occur if two interpreters are necessary but only one has been located. No interpreter should be forced or coerced at any time into lone working by either Interpreting Matters or the people using the interpreting service. There may be exceptions to requiring a co-interpreter which will be discussed at the time of the booking. If three or more interpreters are engaged to work an assignment, one interpreter will be designated team leader and may charge a premium for this responsibility and additional work, but they will ensure all goes smoothly on the day.

Purchaser's Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of the purchaser to provide Interpreting Matters Ltd with the following:
1. The name and preferred method of communication of the Deaf client if known, e.g. British Sign Language, Sign Supported English, visual frame or hands on.
2. Address and phone number of the assignment venue along with any other necessary maps and travel information.
3. The name and address of the person to receive and process the invoice raised by Interpreting Matters Ltd.
4. Information regarding the nature of assignment along with any relevant reading materials such as agendas, minutes of previous meetings, copies of OHP's or handouts.
5.	A signed copy of these terms and conditions.

These terms and conditions are deemed to have been accepted by both parties once they have been signed and returned to Interpreting Matters Ltd via post or fax.

Only once they have been received by Interpreting Matters Ltd shall we start to locate and book an interpreter.

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