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For a successful and well-prepared interpreter, continuous professional development (CPD) is a must, and here at Cintra we take this very seriously. We make sure that our linguists have regular access to high-quality CPD events that help them become better professionals and ensure they can keep up with the latest hot topics and regulations within their fields.
As Tamás Kovács, our Human Resources Advisor explains: “The importance for linguists to attend our CPD events is mainly to further improve their knowledge and interpreting skills within a specific area. All major interpreting and translation qualifications heavily focus on interpreting and translation techniques and they often miss out vital parts like interpreting environment, personal safety and extra precautions. For example, the Zakon police CPD event in July explained and demonstrated the key rules which are to always safeguard yourself, know the exit routes and never be left alone with the victim or witness.
Apart from the specialised training these CPD events deliver (e.g. mental health, police training, human trafficking), another fantastic opportunity for our interpreters is to network with other linguists, learn the best practices and also, to meet and speak with Cintra staff members. Many linguists join our CPD events because of the great networking opportunities and also, to find out in what ways Cintra can help improve their qualifications and language skills.”
In the past two months we organised two special CPD events, one in Leicester and one in Norwich. The one held in Norwich on 23 November focused on interpreting for the police and advanced interviews. As Tamás said, we had a very similar event in the summer. After our July event, we received so much positive feedback from our interpreters who attended, that we decided to organise another training day on the very same topic with Zakon, so those linguists who missed the first one might also participate.
We held our other CPD day on 18 October in Leicester on transgender awareness with the help and support from Leicestershire Police. The session helped raise the visibility of transgender and gender non-conforming people, increased the linguists’ cultural awareness, knowledge and communication skills, it explained the rights and wrongs and what the Gender Recognition Act says. It mainly focused on the issues for police, custody staff and linguists. The session was led by Jane Chaplin and Penny Ellis from Warwickshire and West Mercia LGBT Independent Advisory Group and Lynne Woodward, Head of Equality and Human Rights at Leicestershire Police.
The linguists who attended these two events gave us very good feedback, saying these CPD days helped “fill gaps in [their] knowledge and refreshed earlier training that had been undertaken in this area.” They found them “very informative and professionally delivered”.
If you are interested in attending one of our future CPD sessions or have any feedback or suggestions, please do not hesitate to get in touch with Tamás via email at hr@cintra.org.uk or by calling 01233 346870.
At Cintra we constantly strive for the highest standards of service and quality of delivery. For this reason we are extremely proud to have been certified to ISO 18841 for interpreting standards and ISO 20228 for legal interpreting standards. This news is made all the more pleasing by the fact that Cintra is the first organisation in the UK, and quite possibly the World, to have been certified for legal interpreting. Such an achievement testifies to Cintra’s ongoing commitment to providing first class language services in situations where quality cannot be compromised.
Read what our Head of Sales and Marketing, Ben Ablett, had to say to the ATC about our certification: “Cintra leads the way with ISO interpreting”
Part of our mission at Cintra Interpreting is to provide high quality and relevant training and continuous professional development (CPD) opportunities to our linguists, so that they can continuously provide an excellent service to our clients.
Our latest CPD event on 6 July was centred around police interpreting, more specifically advanced interview techniques. We partnered with Zakon Training to organise this informative event and deliver all-day training to our interpreters at the National Space Centre in Leicester.
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In today’s digital world, cyber security is a pressing matter and it is particularly important for businesses to keep the data they handle secure, be it their customers’, suppliers’ or their own employees’ information. At Cintra Language Services Group we take cyber security very seriously, as a breach in our system could have dire consequences, exposing sensitive information about our customers or our linguists.
At CLSG, including our subsidiaries, Cintra Interpreting, Cintra Translation and First Edition Translations, we have always been following strict guidelines with regards to digital safety, working closely together with a specialist IT company, EasylifeIT to make sure that we are safe from any possible cyber-attacks. To show our customers and linguists that we don’t leave anything to chance when it comes to keeping our systems and their data safe, in 2017 we obtained the Cyber Essentials certification. Being certified means that our clients and linguists can rest assured that we maintain the highest standards of cyber security and we undergo regular testing, as well.
The Cyber Essentials scheme identifies the most common online threats, which include hacking, phishing and password guessing, and defines ways in which these can be safely avoided. A secure firewall is a must, as well as a well-protected configuration, protecting our systems against malware, sufficient user access control and making sure all our software is kept up-to-date to minimise the risks associated with software flaws (patch management).
Our practices, amongst others, include the following safety measures:
- Only authorised persons are allowed in our office and they are accompanied at all times.
- Our systems are constantly monitored for any potential threats, so in the case of an attack, action can be taken immediately to protect our systems.
- We have 24/7 IT support, with an easy-to-use system to report any abnormal PC functions.
- Our staff is required to change their login details regularly by following a strict password policy and guidelines.
- We receive regular IT newsletters and training to keep our team’s knowledge up-to-date on the best practices and inform them about the latest threats.
- Our internal network can only be accessed on company owned, secured and authorised devices with user-specific passwords that grant only the required level of authorisation to each individual.
- Only EasylifeIT can install, update and deinstall software on our computers and laptops with the approval of the Department Manager to keep our devices safe.
These steps help us keep CLSG’s systems safe from cyber threats and minimise the risk of any online attacks. If you’d like to know more about how we ensure the highest level of security of our internal network, devices and your data, do not hesitate to get in touch with us at 01223 346870 or contact our HR Department by email at hr@cintra.org.uk.
Cintra is like a machine with many interconnected and intricate pieces that have to align perfectly so that we can provide a great service to our customers. One part of this machine is, of course, our highly experienced and trained interpreters who are out there in the world, helping you communicate and make sure you can get your message across. However, out of public view there is a whole team of busy Bookings Coordinators who make sure that the right interpreters get to you at the right time, and help that Cintra machine stay well-oiled and run smoothly.
Today we’ve caught up with Bookings Team Manager Ursula Fairhurst to ask her about what her team do and how they can help you. …read more
Cintra Language Services Group are extremely proud to have been awarded full certification under ISO 17100 Requirements for Translation Services. This is of particular importance to us as it applies a seal of approval to the quality of service that we have strived to maintain since the business was formed.
Our future customers can now share the same peace of mind that our existing clients have enjoyed for years. This certification means that you can be safe in the knowledge that your projects will be executed to the highest standards without exception. If this is the level of delivery that you require be sure to accept no substitutes, many providers will advertise ‘ISO standard workflows’ but this does not mean that those workflows have been reviewed, tested and approved by a licensed accreditation body. If quality and reliability are as important to you as they are to us, then we are here to help and our certification now provides the reassurance that we are as good as our word.
We are happy to announce our next Diploma in Police Interpreting course in Warwick!
Are you bilingual, have excellent communication skills and have been thinking of becoming a police interpreter? If you’ve been dreaming of becoming an interpreter in the criminal justice system, now is the time to make those dreams come true, with Cintra’s Diploma in Police Interpreting preparatory course. …read more
Cintra is absolutely delighted to announce that following the recent procurement process, it has once again been chosen as a provider of face-to-face interpreting services for the INTRAN partnership, covering a large number of public sector and voluntary organisations in Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Essex. This continues a working relationship which has already lasted since 2001, and which will allow Cintra to continue to serve many existing and new customers via the INTRAN Framework.
Cintra’s Chief Executive, Jerry Froggett, commented: “Having served so many public sector organisations so loyally for many years, it is especially pleasing that this will continue under the new INTRAN Framework, and we very much look forward to the future of this very long-standing relationship. Our loyal regular clients accessing Cintra’s services via the INTRAN Framework can continue to do so as they have always done when the new Framework agreement commences on the 1st July 2017.”
This news adds to an already exciting recent phase in Cintra’s interpreting business, with new contract wins for police forces (together with the renewal of existing contracts) as well as a partnership to enable Cintra interpreters to serve courts in the East of England leaving the company well placed to grow its overall interpreting operations during the remainder of 2017. Now holding positions on a range of national interpreting framework agreements, Cintra is fully accessible to the UK public sector. For further information about how Cintra can assist your organisation with its language service requirements, please contact Ben Ablett, Cintra’s Head of Sales & Marketing, by telephone, 01223 346675, or email, ben.ablett@cintra.org.uk.
L-R Jeremy and Sheila Waller of First Edition with Cintra CEO Jerry Froggett.
Growth found in translation
Cintra Translation, a leading East of England language services agency, today signalled its growing strength in the commercial translation and interpreting sector with the announcement that it has purchased translation agency First Edition.
With an annual turnover currently in excess of £3.5 million, Cintra Translation operates a round-the-clock, 365 day-a-year service, supplying qualified interpreters and translators skilled in over 100 languages for public sector and commercial clients.
First Edition Translations is one of the UK’s oldest established translation agencies with particular expertise in editorial translation in the publishing, pharmaceutical and life sciences sectors. Both companies are based in Cambridge, UK, serving clients in Britain and internationally.
Quality is in the DNA of Cintra and First Edition
Announcing the acquisition, Cintra Translation CEO Jerry Froggett said: “Quality is in the DNA of Cintra and First Edition. In an increasingly competitive and price sensitive sector, we stand out in our industry as operating not only some of the strictest recruitment processes for linguists, but also for offering superb opportunities for training and professional development.
“This consistent emphasis on quality and trust over many years has brought commercial success and earned both companies excellent reputations with clients here and abroad.
“Now with First Edition on board, and capitalising on the expertise available on our doorstep in one of Europe’s fastest growing and most dynamic regions, Cintra Translation is exceptionally well-placed to extend our offer both to clients and to the exceptional linguists we employ. We look forward to considerable growth in our market share.”
Our shared commitment to quality and integrity is fundamental to our plans for the future.
First Edition Managing Director, Sheila Waller, shares that vision for growth and will play a key role in the new company. She commented: “Our shared commitment to quality and integrity is fundamental to our plans for the future.”
Jeremy Waller will continue to maintain a prominent role in Cambridge, including owning the art gallery, jewellers and craft gallery, Primavera, on King’s Parade and Magdalene Street. He will also continue to advise on commercial and financial matters in Cambridge.
The companies will continue to trade as Cintra Translation and First Edition Translations respectively with no immediate plans for a change of business entity.
