Daily Archives: Thursday, June 13, 2013

  • Dossier of evidence: Capita’s failure to supply interpreters

    Steve WoodsLanguage, Politics, Social Media

    CAPITA: Translation and Interpreting (TI) (formerly Applied Language Solutions)

    Instances of failure to supply interpreters or to comply with the Ministry of Justice contract and Framework Agreement

    Volume 2: 1st February – 31st May 2013

    The reports contained within this dossier describe justice sector interpreting failures from 1st February 2013. This is the second year of the Ministry of Justice’s Framework Agreement and contract with Capita Translation and Interpreting (formerly Applied Language Solutions) and the variety of failures reported span the following complaints:

    • Failing to supply an interpreter
    • Supplying under-qualified interpreters
    • Providing interpreters with no legal or criminal experience
    • Providing interpreters without assessments
    • Providing interpreters with inappropriate Tier allocations
    • Providing interpreters without CRB checks
    • Unethical practices by CapitaTI and its linguists
    • Breaches of the Ministry of Justice Framework Agreement (FWA)

    Evidence has been compiled from various sources including:

    • Online at http://rpsi.name/default
    • Online at http://www.linguistlounge.org
    • Via Twitter.com
    • The Professional Interpreters against MoJ outsourcing in GB Facebook Group
    • Witnessed reports by public service interpreters present at court hearings
    • Reports passed on by members of professional interpreters’ representative bodies, including APCI, SPSI and PIA
    • Reports from solicitors, barristers, judges
    • Court correspondents and press articles

    READ THE DOSSIER HERE (PDF)

    Originally posted on Linguist Lounge.

  • eBay to offer free wifi on French beaches this summer

    Steve WoodsTech

    beach wifi imageFrench computing news site Le Monde Informatique reports that online tat merchants eBay will be organising a tour of French beaches from 22nd July to 17th August 2013, during which holidaymakers will be able to benefit from free wifi, as well as a space dedicated to this well-known auction site.

    On each of the tour beaches the presence of the eBay Hotspot Tour will be apparent from the setting up of a relaxation area and the presence of ambassadors. These easily recognisable eBay Watchers will enable wifi connection to the internet by scanning the QR code printed on their T-shirts.

    In addition, anyone visiting the official eBay Hotspot Tour tent with the eBay app on their mobile will be able to try and win €100 shopping money. Nevertheless, all holidaymakers will be able to benefit from this area to get online via several tablet computers, discover the latest functionality offers by eBay and win “goodies”.

    The eBay Hotspot Tour will start on the beaches of the Côte d’Azur (aka the French Riviera. Ed.) before swinging round to the coast of the Basque country then travelling up the Atlantic coast as far as the Loire-Atlantique department.

    Originally posted on Bristol Wireless.