Company of the Month Company of the Month, leading interpreting and translating services in Northern Ireland, Diversity NI

We are delighted to reveal that Diversity NI is our Company of the Month for October

Founded by Paolina Hawthorne in 2010, Diversity NI is the largest interpreting and translation service in NI, offering in-person and telephone interpreting, plus certified translation services.

Northern Ireland, like the rest of the UK is wonderfully multicultural, with many different languages spoken daily. The 2021 Northern Irish Census identified 54,500 residents stated that English was not their main language. The most prevalent languages other than English in the Census were Polish, Lithuanian, Romanian, Portuguese and Irish.

Therefore, when it comes to healthcare, it is essential that interpreters provide precise translations between health professionals and patients.

Spotlight on Diversity NI

Diversity NI Ltd is an accredited OCN Centre providing professional Interpreting and Translation Services in Belfast, Northern Ireland for a wide range of Private and Public Sector clients. Diversity NI provide language interpreting services in over 200 languages and have a database of 500 fully qualified, tested, monitored and quality-controlled interpreters.

Diversity NI can cater to large multilingual conferences and to small one-to-one business meetings and interviews, there is no requirement Diversity NI cannot meet.

Healthcare services

Diversity NI understands the sensitive and discrete nature of its work, which is why all interpreters thoroughly research individual client cases in advance, to understand technical language and terminology.

Scale of work

Diversity NI operate a professional working database of over 500 interpreters, across 200 languages. including many central and eastern European languages, South East Asian languages such as Bengali and Gujarati, through to Swahili, Farsi, Arabic and Mandarin.

The organisation provides support for clients who need urgent translating support. From pre-booked appointments, emergency telephone bookings, or quality assured, timely written translations, Diversity NI can connect its clients with an interpreter in less than 60 seconds and offer up to two hours of faceto-face interpretation, with no pre booking required and no minimum charges.

Diversity also offers interpretation services across remote communications platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Webex and Sightlink. For face-to-face interpreting, Diversity NI use an online booking platform to reduce response times and speed up meeting confirmations for clients.

Each of its professional interpreters adhere to a strict code of practice. The service is quality-controlled and managed to ensure that all translation requirements are carried out effectively and efficiently.

Bespoke training programs to address specific needs of staff and patient population

Diversity NI works with organisations to help tailor preferred learning outcomes and targets.

"At Diversity NI, we offer comprehensive training for healthcare professionals on accessing interpreting services effectively. Our program covers key areas such as working with interpreters, recognising potential challenges and ensuring accurate interpretation, whilst navigating cultural differences in diverse communities.

“We also equip professionals with the skills to manage interpreting sessions efficiently and maintain high standards of communication across cultural and language barriers,” explains Paolina Hawthorne, Managing Director of Diversity NI.

Future plans

Diversity NI is investing over £100,000 over the next three years in its state-of-the-art booking platforms to allow faster and easier processes for clients to secure interpreters in person, online or over the phone.

02890 473737info@diversityni.co.ukwww.diversityni.co.uk