NRCPD Sign Language Interpreter Category Expansion

08 February 2021

NRCPD is delighted to announce we are expanding our Registered Sign Language Interpreter (RSLI) and Trainee Sign Language Interpreter (TSLI) categories. The new specialism in the RSLI/TSLI category is: Relay-Intralingual. To become a NRCPD RSLI/TSLI (Relay-Intralingual), the approved routes to registration are:

Signature Level 6 Diploma in Sign Language Interpreting and Translation (2020) (having successfully completed the Relay stream).

Or

University of Wolverhampton MA Interpreting (having successfully completed the Relay stream)

Or

NRCPD Practice Assessment for Relay Interpreters* (this will be available later in 2021 for a limited time).

(An approved Level 6 BSL qualification (or equivalent) is also required.)

Those who have successfully completed one of the approved routes listed above will be eligible to apply to become a RSLI (Relay-Intralingual). You will then be issued with a Yellow NRCPD ID badge.

To be eligible to apply to become a TSLI (Relay-Intralingual), you will need to be undertaking Signature Level 6 Diploma in Sign Language Interpreting and Translation (2020).

You will then be issued with a Purple NRCPD ID badge. If you are currently undertaking an eligible course, please contact us to discuss becoming a TSLI (Relay-Intralingual).

Please note: if you are undertaking the Signature Level 6 Diploma in Sign Language Interpreting and Translation (2020), you will need to choose the Relay Stream in order to be eligible to apply to become a RSLI/TSLI (Relay-Intralingual).

Relay/Intralingual Interpreters are Deaf professionals who work with Deaf people with specific or complex language needs, such as a learning disability, mental health condition, idiosyncratic or non-standardised sign language use, or limited language development. A Relay-Intralingual Interpreter will work intralingually within British Sign Language and broker communication between the hearing British Sign Language/English Interpreter and the Deaf client, in order to ensure that the Deaf client understands the message being communicated. They adapt what the hearing British Sign Language/English interpreter is signing, into a native variation of British Sign Language for the Deaf client, together with the Deaf client's response for the hearing interpreter.

As with all Registrants and Regulated Trainees, NRCPD RSLI (Relay-Intralingual) will have to confirm that they:

• Have appropriate Professional Indemnity Insurance;
• Have a valid standard certificate from the Disclosure and barring Service or Access NI, or be a member of the PVG scheme;
• Agree to abide by our Code of Conduct;
• Meet our annual Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirement (once they are fully qualified).

This is the first time NRCPD has had a category for Relay-Intralingual Interpreters, and we are excited about welcoming more professionals to the registers. Over the next 1-2 years, we expect to welcome a number of TSLI's and RSLI's with this specialism. We recognise that we will need to listen to feedback and suggestions from professionals training and working in this field. As with any new registration category, it will develop and grow particularly in the first years, as more professionals register and as other courses become available. We will use the feedback to review, adapt and improve our registration policies, and categories and terminology.

The new category will be open for applications from 31 March 2021. A new search function for Relay-Intralingual Interpreters will soon be added to the NRCPD website. We look forward to welcoming RSLI and TSLI (Relay-Intralingual) professionals to the NRCPD registers.

With warm regards,

NRCPD.

*The practice assessment route is available to qualified sign language translators. We have invited all NRCPD Registered Sign Language Translators to register their interest for the practice assessment.