Case Study: Department of Health and Social Care

---

Overview

During August and September 2021, Prestige Network supported the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) during one of the UK's largest emergency humanitarian response operations.

Consequently, as part of the Managed Quarantine Service, thousands of individuals evacuated from Afghanistan required immediate accommodation, healthcare support and access to essential public services across more than 60 hotels throughout England.

Prestige Network delivered rapid-response interpreting and translation services, helping frontline teams communicate clearly with guests during an exceptionally complex and time-sensitive operation.

Challenge

The Afghan repatriation programme presented significant operational and communication challenges.

Therefore, the Department of Health and Social Care needed a language services partner capable of deploying experienced interpreters at short notice while maintaining consistent quality, professionalism and cultural sensitivity across multiple locations.

Key challenges included:

• Mobilising interpreters to more than 60 hotels, including remote locations, within an extremely short timeframe.
• Providing interpreting across multiple Afghan languages and dialects to support effective communication.
• Supporting individuals who had experienced trauma with empathy, professionalism and cultural awareness.
• Enabling clear communication between guests, healthcare professionals, hotel teams, security personnel and government representatives.
• Translating essential documentation quickly and accurately to support health, welfare and quarantine processes.

Success depended on rapid deployment, strong operational coordination and experienced linguists who could work confidently in sensitive, high-pressure environments.

---

Solution

Prestige Network partnered with the Department of Health and Social Care to provide a comprehensive interpreting and translation solution tailored to the needs of the Managed Quarantine Service.

Within just 48 hours, we mobilised a large network of professional interpreters across more than 60 locations, ensuring guests had access to language support from the moment they arrived.

Rapid Interpreter Deployment

Using our nationwide interpreter network, Prestige Network coordinated experienced linguists across multiple locations, including remote sites, while maintaining consistent service quality throughout the operation.

Trauma-Informed, Culturally Sensitive Interpreting

Our interpreters were carefully selected for their language expertise, cultural understanding and ability to communicate compassionately with individuals who had experienced significant trauma.

This helped build trust between guests and frontline teams while supporting clear, respectful communication throughout their stay.

Translation & Public Sector Communication Support

Alongside face-to-face interpreting, Prestige Network translated critical documentation and supported essential conversations relating to:

• Healthcare access
• Welfare services
• Quarantine procedures
• Accommodation guidance
• Public health information

Providing information in guests' preferred languages helped improve understanding, reduce uncertainty and support informed decision-making.

Multi-Agency Collaboration

Our interpreters worked closely with healthcare professionals, security teams and government representatives. Together, they ensured clear communication and a consistent experience for guests.

---

The Outcome

Prestige Network's rapid mobilisation and nationwide interpreter network helped support one of the UK's most significant emergency public sector operations.

By combining fast deployment with culturally appropriate interpreting and professional translation services, we enabled effective communication across dozens of locations while helping vulnerable individuals access the information and support they needed.

The project demonstrates Prestige Network's ability to deliver secure, scalable language services for government departments, emergency response programmes and large-scale public sector operations where reliability, accuracy and speed are critical.

Find Out More