HSBC UK first UK bank to offer British Sign Language for Beginners training

HSBC UK is pleased to announce that it is the first UK bank to offer British Sign Language (BSL) training for Beginners to all its 23,000 employees. This is part of the bank’s work supporting employees across the UK to foster an inclusive environment for customers and colleagues whose first or preferred language is BSL.

Brought to HSBC UK through its partnership with the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID), the accredited e-learning course – which has been developed by Signature, the awarding body for British Sign Language qualifications – enables colleagues to learn useful words and phrases in BSL. BSL is a language in its own right, with its own grammar, vocabulary and sentence structure.

After welcoming a deaf colleague to his team, Christopher Stafford, Channels Support Manager at HSBC UK, spearheaded the launch of the training, aiming to create an inclusive environment in his team by expanding his own communication skills. He said: “The training is all about making communication easier for everyone. At least one in three of us are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus. When a deaf colleague joined my team there was a communication gap. I wanted them to feel at home here, included and to feel part of the team.”

The new training follows the launch of ‘Understanding Hearing Loss’ in 2024, an e-learning course that uses simulations that replicate real office and branch environments. The course has directly led to colleagues identifying their own hearing loss and taking action by taking RNID’s free online hearing check.

Harriet Oppenheimer, Chief Executive of RNID, said:

“We are delighted that HSBC has become the first UK bank to offer this BSL for beginners training to all their employees, and in partnership with RNID, is leading the way in creating a more inclusive environment.

By providing beginner BSL training, HSBC is taking meaningful steps to ensure everyone feels welcome and included and is helping to break down the barriers faced by people who are deaf or have hearing loss.

One in three people in the UK are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus, so it is vital that we all play a role in becoming more deaf-aware, both in the workplace and in everyday life. HSBC’s commitment marks an important milestone, and we hope to see many similar shifts across the sector and among other public-facing organisations in the years ahead.”

Sally Williams, Head of Branch Network at HSBC UK, said: “We are proud to be the first UK bank to offer BSL for Beginners training to our colleagues. It is important that no one faces unnecessary barriers, whether that is in everyday conversations, in our branches, or with colleagues.

We are on a journey to improve our employees’ basic BSL communication and better understand the challenges customers who use BSL face. By raising awareness and working to improve the experiences of BSL users, we are taking real steps towards creating a more inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone. We want to remove barriers to communication wherever possible.

HSBC UK continues to work closely with RNID to improve accessibility through expert advice, training, and online resources and we are excited about more developments to come later in the year. We recognise that this course does not replace the need for BSL interpretation, but we believe this will contribute to providing a more inclusive experience for colleagues and customers.”

HSBC UK is committed to providing a workplace where everyone can be their authentic selves. We believe that supporting colleagues from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences makes us stronger, more innovative and that having an inclusive workplace culture leads to better outcomes for our customers.

As part of the bank’s ongoing commitment to making banking more accessible and inclusive, this year, HSBC UK is investing an extra 30% (£55.8 million) in its branch network, as part of its wider branch promise.

Media enquiries to:

Sephora Landu
Sephora.ineza.landu@hsbc.com
UKpressoffice@hsbc.co.uk