Dr Graham Hieke

The experiences of police officers who have retired from the police service have rarely comprised the focus of empirical studies in England and Wales. Drawing on the findings of a survey of former police officers, this article examines the circumstances within which officers leave the service and aspects of the transition to retirement. We find that that certain individual, role and organisational factors come together to explain how the transition to retirement is experienced by police officers. We conceptualise police retirement as a multi-dimensional process during which a number of factors may come into play and have different effects depending on the circumstances in which retirement occurs. Findings are considered in light of wider conceptualisations of the process of retirement and implications are discussed.

This article reports the findings of a large-scale survey (N = 10,897) which sought to reveal patterns of injury on duty (IoD) and perceptions of organisational and other support amongst serving police personnel in England and Wales. We found that IoD is a multi-faceted issue incorporating wide-ranging physical and psychological injuries and illnesses. We also found that, by their own testimony, IoD is not experienced equally amongst police personnel. Reported experiences of IoD together with satisfaction with, and priorities for, support in the aftermath of injury were shaped by injury type, the role played in the police organisation and the individual characteristics of police personnel, notably, gender. Conceptual and practical implications are discussed.

This article focuses on the involvement and management of spontaneous volunteers (SVs). It develops a new theory—which we call the “involvement/exclusion” paradox—about a situation which is frequently manifested when SVs converge in times of disaster. After reviewing research and policy guidance relating to spontaneous volunteering, we present findings from a study of responses to winter flood episodes in England. Taking together the empirical findings and the literature, the article analyzes elements inherent in the involvement/exclusion paradox and develops a conceptual model to illustrate and explain the paradox. Implications for managers and future research are discussed.

The advent of AI-supported, cloud-based collaborative translation platforms have enabled a new form of online collaborative translation – ‘concurrent translation’ (CT). CT refers to commercial translation performed on such platforms by multiple agents (translators, editors, subject-matter experts etc.) simultaneously, via concurrent access. Although the practice has recently gained more ground, research on CT is scarce. The present article reports on selected key findings of a study that investigates translators’ experiences with CT via a survey of 804 professional translators working in CT mode across different commercial platforms. Despite the affordances such as peer learning, positive competition, speed, flexibility of the volume of work and working time, and reduced responsibility and reduced stress, CT workflow comes with its substantial challenges such as time pressure, negative competition, reduced self-revision and research, all of which result in quality compromised for speed.

Background: Interpreting services bridge language barriers that may prevent patients and clinicians from understanding each other, impacting quality of care and health outcomes. Despite this, there is limited up-to-date evidence regarding the barriers to and facilitators of uptake in primary care. The aim of this study was to ascertain current national uptake and experience of interpreting services in primary care (general practice) by South Asian communities in England.

Methods: We conducted a national cross-sectional survey in 2023 with people with limited or no English language proficiency (n = 609). Multilingual researchers interviewed people from Bangladeshi (n = 213), Indian (n = 200), and Pakistani (n = 196) backgrounds from four regions in England (Greater London, Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber, North West).

Results: Sixty-three percent of participants reported using professional interpreting services in primary care. The most common modality was face-to-face interpreting (55%), followed by telephone (17%) and video (8%). Multivariable analysis identified several correlates of lower uptake: participants from Indian backgrounds, those living in the Midlands, and those whose family member/friend interpreted for them within the past year were less likely to have used a professional interpreter provided by their general/family practice. Participants who had visited primary care within the last 12 months, had requested an interpreter but were told they could not have one, were informed about professional interpreting services, and were given choice in their language support were more likely to have used a professional interpreter.

Conclusions: Our approach provides novel data on professional interpreting service use and evidence about the factors that may play a role in patient uptake and experience.

Background: Migrants and refugees may not access mental health services due to linguistic and cultural discordance between them and health and social care professionals (HSCPs). The aim of this review is to identify the communication needs and barriers experienced by third-country nationals (TCNs), their carers, and HSCPs, as well as the strategies they use and their preferences when accessing/providing mental health services and language barriers are present.
Methods: We undertook a rapid systematic review of the literature (01/01/2011 – 09/03/2022) on seeking and/or providing mental health services in linguistically discordant settings. Quality appraisal was performed, data was extracted, and evidence was reviewed and synthesised qualitatively.

Results: 58/5,650 papers met the inclusion criteria. Both TCNs (and their carers) and HSCPs experience difficulties when seeking or providing mental health services and language barriers are present. TCNs and HSCPs prefer linguistically and culturally concordant provision of mental health services but professional interpreters are often required. However, their use is not always preferred, nor is it without problems.

Conclusions: Language barriers impede TCNs’ access to mental health services. Improving language support options and cultural competency in mental health services is crucial to ensure that individuals from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds can access and/or provide high-quality mental health services.

The rapid growth of video-mediated interpreting (VMI) during the Covid-19 pandemic has shifted the focus of research from investigating the feasibility of VMI to developing a better understanding of the factors that can contribute to sustaining it. Within legal settings, a range of challenges has been identified, some of them specific to the actual configuration of VMI that is used (especially the distribution of participants). In this study we examine one particular configuration in which a defendant takes part in the proceedings via video link from prison whilst all other participants including the interpreter are physically present in the courtroom. Drawing on observation and interview data, with a focus on extradition court hearings, we examine the complexities of VMI in this configuration, its main challenges, and the associated strategies employed by the interpreters to cope with the demands of VMI.

Background: Communication difficulties due to unmet language needs are a driver of inequality in healthcare access. The provision of professional interpreting services should mitigate these, and their use is associated with improved patient outcomes. However, interpreting uptake in England is suboptimal and there has been limited research focused on understanding patient experiences and the potential impact on uptake. This multilingual study explored patient perspectives of access to and experience of language support in general practice (primary care) in England, including the use of professional interpreting services and informal language support (i.e. family/friends).

Method: This is a qualitative study based on face-to-face semi-structured interviews with 30 participants from South Asian backgrounds (Pakistani, Indian, Bangladeshi), with no/limited proficiency, living in England. Interviews were analysed with inductive thematic analysis. Patient advisors were involved in all aspects of the research and interpretation of the findings was supported by public engagement focus groups.

Results: Three main themes described participants challenges related to uptake of professional interpreting services including (1) the burden of articulating need, (2) prioritisation of different types of language support (professional/informal), and (3) perceptions of professional interpreting services. Participants described an onus on them to arrange interpreting themselves, whilst regular use of informal language support could inhibit offers of professional language support. Online/digital booking systems perpetuated these challenges. Patient illness appraisal impacted decision making, with informal language support prioritised for less serious matters. Patients highlighted the importance of having confidence in these services, and face-to-face interpreting was preferred to remote interpreting.

Conclusions: No/low English proficiency patients need additional support when booking interpreted-assisted appointments. Increasing patient awareness of and confidence in professional language support is vital to uptake of services. Emphasising the benefits of professional support over informal options is important, with links to patient safety. We provide recommendations for general practice in how to support the uptake of professional interpreting services.