{"id":1528,"date":"2023-12-22T14:42:38","date_gmt":"2023-12-22T12:42:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/soskieli.fi\/policy-and-practice-recommendations\/"},"modified":"2024-03-15T09:48:32","modified_gmt":"2024-03-15T07:48:32","slug":"policy-and-practice-recommendations","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/soskieli.fi\/en\/policy-and-practice-recommendations\/","title":{"rendered":"Policy and practice recommendations"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Policy and practice recommendations<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Digital services, linguistic vulnerability and the prevention of exclusion <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Recommendation: Public authorities have a responsibility to provide personalised services and adequate guidance to clients who are unable to manage their affairs independently in a digital environment. Digital services can be particularly difficult to manage due to, for example, insufficient reading and writing skills, lack of digital literacy, unfamiliarity with the administrative language and system, and cognitive challenges. The right to inclusion and legal protection of service users facing these challenges must be secured. Special measures are needed to ensure that digital support situations do not create data security risks.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Securing the quality of interpretation services<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Recommendation: Legislation and practice on the use of public service interpreters should be revised to ensure the legal protection of service users and the professional integrity of interpreters. There should be an official register of public service interpreters who are qualified to interpret for public authorities. The education and training of interpreters should be secured and specialisation in social work interpreting should be possible. Co-operation between social work education and interpreter training should be developed. The professional code of ethics for interpreting and the role of the interpreter in social work must be clear to all parties involved. Adequate resources should be made available for interpreter-mediated client work. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Practical guidelines for working with public service interpreters <\/h3><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t
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    The training of public service interpreters should take into account the terminology used in social services. Social work training should include working with interpreters. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    It is important that the professional working with an interpreter is familiar with the ethical guidelines for public service interpreting and that the client is informed about them when necessary. This makes it easier for the client to trust, for example, the interpreter’s confidentiality. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    The interpreter should have time and space to introduce themselves and open up their role: the interpreter is impartial and has a duty of confidentiality, interprets everything and uses the ‘I’ form when interpreting. The introduction at the beginning of the meeting also serves to remind the interpreter of their role and helps all parties to orientate themselves in the situation. It may be useful to return to the role of the interpreter during the conversation, for example if the issue is sensitive. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    When ordering interpreting, the person placing the order should ensure that the interpreter is familiar with the service user’s language and possible dialect, and consider other relevant issues related to interpreting. If possible, the service user should be asked if they have any special wishes regarding the interpretation (e.g. the interpreter’s gender). <\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    In some situations, it may be better to use an interpreter from outside the service user’s home region and to use a telephone or other technical equipment for interpreting.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    If possible, the interpreter should be informed in advance about the nature of the meeting. The more the interpreter knows about the issues to be discussed, the better they can prepare, and the more successful the interpretation will be. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    It is important to take breaks during the meeting to allow the interpreter to interpret as comprehensively as possible. This also means that more time should be allocated for the interpreted meeting. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    It is important to remember that the service user is the main actor in the meeting, i.e. it is the professional and the service user who are talking and the role of the interpreter is to facilitate the conversation. The professional should focus on the service user and maintain eye contact with them so that the service user does not feel left out of the process. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    The professional should make sure to use plain language, especially if the service user has a disability that requires it. The interpreter always interprets in the same register, i.e. using the same terms and expressions as the speaker. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    If necessary, the employee can check their own and the service user’s understanding by asking the service user what they have understood or by summarising the discussion to check whether they have understood correctly. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Promoting multilingual structures and institutions<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Recommendation: Diversity within the social work profession should be increased and clients or service users should be involved in the planning and development of multilingual services. It is important to approach diversity in intersectional terms, for example by considering how different situations that create inequality work together. Professionals should be trained to recognise linguistic inequality and vulnerability and to be proactive in preventing discrimination. Legislation and instructions regarding the obligation of authorities to provide information and counselling should be clarified. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Practical guidelines for strengthening the participation of other language speaking clients <\/h3><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t
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    • The primary decision-making authority has a duty to give advice also when the counselling requires e.g. the use of an interpreter.<\/li>\n
    • The authority must ensure that the service user is aware of their right to appeal against an authority decision or to report discrimination they have experienced and that the service user knows how to appeal in practice.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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      Promoting linguistic justice and accessibility in social services <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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      Recommendation: Social services should invest in communication, information and communication in plain language. The use of visual material should be increased in social services. Social services should secure the equal treatment of all service users or clients. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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      Practical guidelines for strengthening linguistic justice <\/h3><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t
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      • Stigmatisation: clients should not be defined as “linguistically incompetent” if their first mother tongue is not one of the main languages spoken in Finland.<\/li>\n
      • Ignoring: a client should not be ignored by speaking to a relative or interpreter who speaks Finnish.<\/li>\n
      • Family members, especially underage children, should not be used as interpreters and translators.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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        Clarification of tasks and role division between public and third sector organisations<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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        Recommendation: The funding and continuity of the work of third sector organisations in supporting multilingual users must be secured. At the same time, the division of labour between the organisations and public authorities should be clarified so that the actual work of public authorities is not transferred to the organisations. Preventive work and low-threshold activities should therefore be strengthened in public social work, employment and integration services. If the aim is to strengthen the role of third sector organisations, it requires both financial resources and adequate professional qualifications of those working in the organisations. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Policy and practice recommendations Digital services, linguistic vulnerability and the prevention of exclusion Recommendation: Public authorities have a responsibility to provide personalised services and adequate guidance to clients who are unable to manage their affairs independently in a digital environment. Digital services can be particularly difficult to manage due to, for example, insufficient reading and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_seopress_news_disabled":"","_seopress_video_disabled":"","_seopress_video":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas_manual":[],"_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable_all":"","_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas":[],"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1528","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/soskieli.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1528","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/soskieli.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/soskieli.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/soskieli.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/soskieli.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1528"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/soskieli.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1528\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1716,"href":"https:\/\/soskieli.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1528\/revisions\/1716"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/soskieli.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1528"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}