Interpretation services

Tender description

Case 488208 BSL Based Video Relay Service for the period 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2022 with the option to extend for a period of 24 months arranged on an annual basis. The Scottish Government’s Directorate for Community Health and Social Care, Social Care Support Division requires a suitably qualified and experienced contractor to provide a fully managed online Video Relay Interpreting Service (VRS). The purpose of the service (called ‘contactSCOTLAND-BSL’) is to enable Scottish Deaf and Deafblind British Sign Language (BSL) users to access and interact with public sector bodies, third sector services, the private sector and family and friends (hereafter referred to as services, family and friends). The contactSCOTLAND-BSL service will offer Scotland’s 6 500 BSL users the means to communicate, in real-time, with services, family and friends via video-call and a BSL/English interpreter. The BSL user contacts the service through a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet or desktop computer and signs via the camera to the online BSL/English interpreter, who in turn calls (telephones) the services or family or friends and relays the call between the two.