SIS Service Users

The SIS Volunteer that helped me is very good, responsive and professional. Thank you so much – she has helped me a lot. (March 2021)
Spanish Speaking Service User A

 

Thanks a lot for your attention and help. You are very good. I can’t thank you enough. (Dec 2020)
Farsi Speaking Service User M

 

I sent this message of sincere thanks and gratitude to all the people of SIS. I want to thank you with all my heart for your efforts. Your organization is very helpful. You helped a lot in conveying the words of the refugees. You have always supported me. Special thanks to Mr. Arran Evans, who was more active in his duties and called me and asked for my health in the worst case. Thank you very much for this good and humane behavior. I hope you are always happy, healthy and successful. (Aug 2020)
Iranian refugee MR

 

SIS Customers

Thank you so much for your kindness to cover the session today. The translator we met today was so kind and helpful. I am so grateful for all of your hard work and for the translator. I shall be recommending Sussex Interpreting Services to all who need it due to the brilliant service myself and the service user received. (March 2021)
Anna Deveson, Support Coordinator, Safe Haven Sussex

 

I just wanted to feedback how helpful and proficient the Polish speaking Interpreter was during my online meeting this morning….she managed excellently throughout a long meeting with a lot of participants. This much assisted with what was always going to be a challenging meeting, in terms of the complexity of the issues discussed. (Jan 2021)
Gary Smyth, Child Protection Reviewing Officer, Brighton and Hove Children’s Services

 

The Italian speaking Interpreter has been brilliant…..professional, helpful, thorough and great use of clarity along with being pleasant to work alongside. (Nov 2020)
Kim Moore, Parenting Practitioner, Brighton and Hove Children’s Services

 

I would like to take this opportunity to say how pleased I am with the sessions I have with the Arabic speaking Interpreter. Her translation is very good – the family have said to me separately, how appreciative they are to have her. She has built up a good professional interaction with them and I feel with me also. (Nov 2020)
Anne-Marie Elkins, Family Support Keyworker, West Sussex County Council

 

Thank you so much for providing this service for us. The Romanian Interpreter R was brilliant and everyone has been particularly helpful. Thanks again. (Sept 2020)
Richard Waddington, Headteacher, Edward Bryant Primary School, Bognor Regis

 

Arabic Interpreter E was fantastic with the patient’s mother and took time to listen carefully to her and was very empathic with a good grasp of the family’s concerns. (Sept 2020)
RACH speech therapist and dietician, BSUHT

 

I just wanted to say I was so blown away with the number of interviews and broad ranging people SIS captured, really impressive! (Aug 2020)
Dr Anusree Biswas, Programme Advisor at Local Government Association

 

As always the contribution in the Focus Groups form your Team was great. A success and very insightful. Thank you for making this happen. (Aug 2020)
Terry Adams, Community Development Worker, Trust for Developing Communities

 

It looks like SIS Bilingual Advocacy support has significantly improved communication with the GP. He [client] has shown me a letter written by his GP that explains the care he receives now and outlines his current situation. I think that any continued support you can give at appointments will be really helpful. (Aug 2020)
Rosa Jones, Migrant ESOL Support Hub Caseworker, Food Poverty and Destitution Support

 

Through SIS I was able to book all my weekly appointments with my client. SIS provided face-to-face and over the phone appointments, they were both flexible and accommodating to our needs. We were able to have the same interpreter each week which made a huge difference to our clients, who have been able to see a familiar face each week. The impact these free sessions [through the CCG discretionary grant] have had has made a real difference to our recipients and to the local community. We were able to complete a full referral for one client who was then accepted into refuge and we were able to meet the practical needs of our clients during case work by discussing issues such as immigration status and legal aid. Not only this but through these sessions we were able to explore the impact of domestic violence for our clients, and offer ongoing emotional support around this. (Aug 2020)
Eilish Jones, Domestic Abuse Case Worker, RISE

 

Just a quick note to say Spanish Interpreter T was very good. I am not used to working with interpreters and she was patient with me despite my explaining everything more than she might be used to!

Thanks a lot Sue for turning this around so quickly. Fantastic service from you. (July 2020)
Shanila Wahid – Foolheea, Registered Mental Health Nurse, Millview Community Rapid Response Team, SPFT

 

I just wanted to say what an amazing job that you and all who work for you do. We have just found out some really important information about a service user who we interviewed with a Kurdish Sorani interpreter. We will now be able to help her and her family so much more as a result of that. It has also made me realise the importance of having proper interpreters instead of relying on our volunteer efforts. I am making a note of how I need to prioritise raising money to pay for interpreting – I feel a funding bid coming on ! (July 2020)
Linda Beanlands, B&H Network for International Women

 

Italian Interpreter W is a fantastic interpreter- she is always really helpful and accommodating, as we have had some real problems getting through to the family. Thank you for all your help. (June 2020)
Beccy Chalker, Health Visitor, Tarner Childrens Centre, SCFT

 

I wanted to let you know I have been supported by Arabic Interpreter Q – on two occasions now and I have found her skills a real asset, especially during this difficult time. She is professional and measured in her approach, checking and confirming she is on the right track. The discussions I am having with the parent are not always straight forward and Q demonstrates empathy and patience. She has a warm and friendly manner which makes the three way call flow with ease, and I look forward to working with Q again. (June 2020)
Barbara Angelkov, Healthy Child Practitioner – Nursery Nurse, Tarner Children’s Centre, SCFT

 

Wow, excellent service! [promptly helping a vulnerable service user make a GP appointment with an interpreter after a direct referral had failed]. Incredibly frustrating for vulnerable clients. (May 2020)
Rosa Jones, Migrant ESOL Support Hub Caseworker, Food Poverty and Destitution Support

 

This assignment was much longer than planned, because the client has taken an overdose so the interpreter S had to stay on the call with us whilst I rang an ambulance. I was advised to keep the client talking whilst we waited and S was brilliant; without her it would have been hard to keep the client talking and this was important for her safety. S is a wonderful interpreter. (May 2020)
Becca Mackay, Cognitive Behavioural Therapist – Hastings and Rural Rother locality, Health in Mind, SPFT

 

Hi I just wanted to say thank you to Turkish Interpreter N for being so flexible today – we really struggled to get the IT to work but she remained available. (April 2020)
Dr Anna Cohen, Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist, Brighton and Hove CAMHS, SPFT

 

8 x thank you emails to the Coordination Team for their responsive services

 

SIS Linguists

Thank you for all your help and best wishes for the future. It is very sad closing my last case and I will miss all the people I have worked with but it still feels like the right thing to do.

Thank you Ben for all your help over the years as well. SIS is a wonderful and caring organisation to work for and I wish you all the best in your future endeavours. (Sept 2020)
Spanish Speaking Linguist on withdrawal from SIS

 

Thank you so much for your wellbeing call, it was really nice talking to you and remember that I belong to SIS and work for SIS. To be honest for the last 8 weeks I only remember where I live, but not where I work or where my children’s schools are… that is why it is so nice to get an email or telephone call from you guys and understand that you are still working and creating life behind our doors.

I think you managed very well with all new recent changes. Seems that we didn’t have time to get anxious about future, because it felt like constant support, care and feeling that you are dealing with the situation. Thank you so much for looking after us. So glad to be with SIS and would love to give you support and appreciation as well! (June 2020)
Russian Speaking Linguist about the 1st COVID Lockdown

 

I would like to express my gratitude towards both of you [Directors] and all the SIS team. The last couple of weeks have been full of uncertainty and insecurity and it feels like a time that will change many of us.

In the very beginning of this unprecedented situation, I was very confused in terms of what is right or wrong to do. I remember calling SIS before lockdown, feeling really poorly and worried when we had so very little knowledge of how far this will go. I received so much comfort only by calling SIS, understanding that we are in this together, being advised in all the matters of cancelling my sessions and reassuring me all the time that this is the wise way to do this.

Time felt like flying since then and turned upside-down in a blink of an eye but if we had a constant, it was all the support and information we had from the SIS team, always being advised upon health and safety, giving also the option for either face to face or phone interpreting where possible.

We don’t always see the efforts behind the scenes, but I am really grateful for how SIS has managed this situation and the effort to always keep us informed and reassured. I can only empathise with how much the last couple of weeks has affected all the admin team in one way or another. And even so, there’s always someone there on the other end of the phone ready to help. Moreover, the financial effort to keep our fees for face to face interpreting as for a phone session, it’s been of so much help and deeply appreciated.

In other words, being part of the SIS community during a pandemic time, it’s been like a ray of light. Especially now, where the confusion is more than ever, it really gives a sense of being able to help and create a bridge between the NHS workers and the Romanian speakers in need.

Therefore, thank you Arran, Shahreen and all the SIS team for keeping going forward and for all the amazing work you’re doing! (May 2020)
Russian Speaking Linguist about the 1st COVID Lockdown