Interpreting and translation services
Welcome to the Silent Sounds services hub
Communication should never become a barrier to healthcare, education, employment, public services or everyday life.
Silent Sounds provides professional interpreting, British Sign Language and translation services to organisations throughout the UK. For more than 25 years, we have helped public, private and third-sector organisations communicate effectively with people who speak different languages or have different communication needs.
Today, our services cover more than 350 languages, approximately 100 dialects and a UK-wide network of more than 11,500 interpreters, supported by specialist in-house teams and secure interpreting technology.
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Our clients include NHS organisations, local authorities, housing providers, universities, charities, government bodies and private businesses. Requirements range from a single appointment to complex, multi-site interpreting contracts supporting thousands of interactions.
There is no single interpreting method that is appropriate for every situation. A sensitive clinical consultation may be best supported by an interpreter attending in person, while an unexpected language requirement could be resolved within seconds using telephone or video interpreting. Deaf BSL users may require a qualified British Sign Language interpreter or another specialist Deaf communication professional, while written information may require professional translation or an accessible alternative format.
Our role is therefore not simply to provide an interpreter. We help organisations choose the right communication solution for the situation.
Explore our services below to find the most appropriate option for your organisation.
Face to face interpreting
Face-to-face interpreting remains an important part of professional language provision, particularly where conversations are complex, sensitive, lengthy or benefit from having an interpreter physically present.
Silent Sounds provides professional in-person interpreting services throughout the UK, supporting organisations that need professional interpreters who speak different languages to communicate clearly and effectively.
Our interpreters work across a broad range of environments, including healthcare, social care, education, housing, local government, legal and professional services. Assignments can range from routine appointments and meetings through to safeguarding discussions, assessments, consultations and complex multi-agency situations.
The role of a professional interpreter is to facilitate communication accurately and impartially between the people involved. This requires considerably more than simply being bilingual. Professional interpreting involves mastering close and wide listening, understanding context and terminology, preserving meaning and communicating information accurately between languages.
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Different assignments also demand different skills and experience. A healthcare appointment, for example, may involve terminology and sensitivities very different from those encountered during a housing consultation, educational meeting or legal appointment.
Silent Sounds works with a large UK-wide network of interpreters covering more than 350 languages and numerous dialects. Our team considers the language, location, type of appointment and relevant experience when allocating an interpreter.
Face-to-face interpreting can also form part of a blended language-service model. Organisations may use in-person interpreters for planned or complex appointments while using telephone or video interpreting when immediate access or greater flexibility is required.
For organisations managing significant volumes of interpreting requests, Silent Sounds can provide centralised booking, reporting and contract-management support alongside interpreter provision.
Our dedicated face-to-face interpreting page explains the service in greater detail, including how bookings work, the types of assignments we support and how we manage interpreter allocation.
Video interpreting
Silent Sounds’ Video Interpreting (VI) combines the immediacy of remote interpreting with the additional communication benefits provided by visual interaction.
Using a compatible computer, tablet or mobile device, organisations can connect remotely with professional interpreters without requiring the interpreter to be physically present.
Silent Sounds provides video interpreting services across hundreds of spoken languages as well as British Sign Language, helping organisations deliver accessible communication across a wide range of environments.
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Video interpreting combines the immediacy of remote interpreting with the additional communication benefits provided by visual interaction.
Using a compatible computer, tablet or mobile device, organisations can connect remotely with professional interpreters without requiring the interpreter to be physically present.
Silent Sounds provides video interpreting services across hundreds of spoken languages as well as British Sign Language, helping organisations deliver accessible communication across a wide range of environments.
Video interpreting can be particularly valuable where visual cues contribute to communication. Seeing facial expression, body language and other non-verbal communication can create a more natural interaction than telephone interpreting while retaining the flexibility of a remote service.
For British Sign Language users, video technology provides an especially important communication channel because BSL is a visual language.
Organisations use video interpreting in healthcare, local government, housing, education, customer services, reception areas and remote meetings. It can support both planned appointments and situations in which language support is required unexpectedly.
Video interpreting also helps organisations operating across multiple locations. Rather than maintaining separate interpreting arrangements at each site, staff can access a common interpreting platform and connect with appropriate language professionals when required.
At Silent Sounds, our technology is designed to complement rather than replace professional interpreters. The platform provides the connection; the interpreter provides the linguistic expertise, contextual understanding and human communication that make the interaction work.
Clients can incorporate video interpreting into broader language-service arrangements alongside face-to-face and telephone interpreting. This allows organisations to select the most appropriate communication method according to the person, situation and urgency of the requirement.
Video provision can also be configured for specific operating environments, including reception desks and other public-facing locations where staff may need rapid access to language or BSL support.
Our dedicated Video Interpreting page explains how the platform works, available access routes and how organisations can introduce video interpreting into their services.
Telephone interpreting
Our Telephone Interpreting (TI) service provides organisations with rapid access to professional language support without requiring an interpreter to travel to a physical location.
It is particularly valuable where communication is required unexpectedly, appointments are relatively short or organisations need access to a wide range of languages across multiple locations.
Silent Sounds provides telephone interpreting 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, covering more than 350 languages. Interpreters can support conversations between staff and people whose first language is not English using an ordinary telephone, mobile device or compatible communication system.
This flexibility makes telephone interpreting suitable for a wide variety of environments.
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Healthcare organisations may use it when a patient presents unexpectedly with a language requirement. Local authorities and housing organisations may use it during telephone enquiries or frontline service delivery. Businesses, charities, education providers and other organisations can use the service whenever a language barrier prevents effective communication.
Telephone interpreting can be accessed on demand or arranged in advance where an organisation knows the language and appointment time beforehand.
It can also complement other forms of interpreting.
Many organisations use a blended model in which scheduled appointments are supported by face-to-face interpreters while telephone interpreting provides immediate backup for unexpected requirements. Video interpreting may be used where visual communication adds value to the interaction.
The benefit is therefore not simply speed. Telephone interpreting gives organisations a practical way to build language accessibility into everyday operations without needing to predict every language requirement in advance.
Silent Sounds’ interpreting infrastructure is supported by a substantial interpreter network and secure technology, allowing organisations to access appropriate language professionals quickly when communication is required.
For organisations with regular requirements, the service can form part of a wider managed interpreting arrangement incorporating usage reporting, account management and other interpreting channels.
Our dedicated telephone interpreting page provides further information about on-demand access, pre-booked telephone interpreting and how organisations can implement the service.
British Sign language (BSL) interpreting
British Sign Language is a core area of Silent Sounds’ expertise and has been part of our services since the company’s earliest years.
We provide professional British Sign Language interpreting services throughout the UK, supporting Deaf BSL users and organisations across healthcare, employment, education, public services, conferences, events and many other environments.
BSL is a complete visual language with its own grammatical structure and linguistic conventions. Professional BSL interpreting therefore requires specialist qualifications, language proficiency and an understanding of Deaf communication and culture.
This is an area where Silent Sounds has particularly strong in-house expertise.
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Our Head of Deaf Services is a Level 6 BSL interpreter, while two additional members of our Deaf Services team are Deaf and use British Sign Language themselves. This means our BSL provision is informed by both professional interpreting knowledge and lived experience of Deaf communication.
A request for BSL support is not simply another language booking. Different Deaf people may have different communication preferences and requirements, and some situations may require specialist professionals or additional consideration.
Our Deaf Services team can therefore help clients determine the appropriate communication provision rather than treating every request in exactly the same way.
BSL interpreters can be provided face-to-face or remotely through video interpreting, depending on the nature of the appointment and the needs of the BSL user.
Assignments range from healthcare consultations and workplace meetings through to conferences, education, public-sector services and major events.
For longer or particularly intensive assignments, interpreter requirements may also need to take account of duration, breaks and whether more than one interpreter is appropriate.
Because BSL is a significant specialist service in its own right, we have created a dedicated resource covering our experience, interpreter provision, specialist team, sectors supported and booking options.
Deaf Services
Deaf communication encompasses considerably more than British Sign Language interpreting.
Deaf and hard-of-hearing people have different communication preferences, experiences and accessibility requirements. Some people use BSL as their primary language; others may communicate through spoken English, lipreading, written communication, Deafblind communication methods or other forms of specialist support.
For that reason, Silent Sounds provides a broader range of Deaf Communication Services designed to help organisations identify and provide the most appropriate support for the individual.
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Our specialist Deaf Services team has substantial professional and lived experience in this field. The department includes a Level 6 BSL interpreter as well as Deaf team members who use BSL themselves, providing an important depth of understanding around Deaf communication and accessibility.
Depending on the requirement, support may include professional BSL/English interpreters, Deaf Relay professionals, lipspeakers, Deafblind communication support, International Sign and other specialist communication services.
We also support organisations that want to improve their own understanding of accessible communication through Deaf Awareness and BSL Training.
This broader approach is particularly useful for organisations that may not regularly work with Deaf service users and are unsure which communication professional should be requested.
Rather than assuming that every Deaf person requires the same service, the communication requirements of the individual should be considered.
Our Deaf services team can help clients understand those requirements and identify an appropriate solution.
These services are used across healthcare, social care, local authorities, education, housing, employment, conferences and other public and professional environments.
Remote communication technology can also form part of the solution. Depending on the circumstances, video interpreting can provide rapid access to BSL or other visual communication support where a professional cannot reasonably attend in person.
Our dedicated Deaf services page explores the different types of communication support available and provides further guidance for organisations arranging services for Deaf and hard-of-hearing people.
Document translation
Organisations also need to ensure that written information can be understood by the people who receive it, whether that means translating content into another spoken language or providing information in a more accessible format.
Silent Sounds provides professional translation services supporting organisations across healthcare, government, local authorities, education, housing, charities and the private sector.
Translation differs fundamentally from interpreting.
Braille services, dedicated project management, sector specific professionals, second translator proof reading, overnight capability (ISO27001)
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An interpreter facilitates communication as it happens, whereas a translator works with written content and has the opportunity to review terminology, context, structure and consistency before the final material is delivered.
This is particularly important for documents containing specialist, sensitive or technical information.
Our translation work can cover a wide range of materials, including correspondence, information leaflets, policies, guidance documents, public information, healthcare communications, educational materials, reports and other professional content.
The appropriate translation process depends on the purpose of the document, the intended audience, subject matter, language and required format.
Silent Sounds also supports organisations with associated communication requirements such as transcription and accessible formats.
Accessibility is not limited to translating information from English into another spoken language. Depending on the audience, information may need to be provided through alternatives such as Braille, audio, large print, Easy Read or signed BSL video content.
This enables organisations to consider accessibility more broadly rather than viewing language and disability-related communication requirements in isolation.
Our translation service is supported by specialist project management, professional linguists and quality-control processes designed to maintain accuracy and consistency.
Large or ongoing translation requirements can also be managed as structured projects, giving organisations a central point of contact for multilingual communications.
Our dedicated Translation Services pages provide further detail about written translation, transcription, accessible formats and how documents are managed through the translation process.
One provider. Multiple ways to communicate
The most effective language strategy is rarely based on a single interpreting method.
A hospital may use face-to-face interpreters for scheduled clinical appointments, telephone interpreting for unexpected language requirements, video interpreting for urgent remote access and BSL specialists for Deaf patients.
A local authority may require all of those services alongside document translation, accessible information and specialist Deaf communication support.
Silent Sounds brings these services together through one language-service provider.
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Our role is to help organisations create an appropriate mix of interpreting, translation, BSL and accessible communication services based on the people they support and the environments in which they operate.
Whether you require a single interpreter or an organisation-wide language-services solution, our team can discuss your requirements and help identify the most appropriate approach.
Contact us
Telephone
01494 796030
Text/ FaceTime
07380599832
Out of hours (Deaf Services only)
Address
9-10 Manor Courtyard
Hughenden Avenue
High Wycombe
Buckinghamshire
HP13 5RE