Banking organisation HSBC UK has announced that it will offer British Sign Language (BSL) for Beginners training to all of its 23,000 employees.
Through a partnership with the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID), the e-learning course has been developed by Signature, the body for BSL qualifications. It will enable employees to learn useful words and phrases in BSL.
After welcoming a deaf employee to his team, Christopher Stafford, channels support manager at HSBC UK, spearheaded the launch of the training. More than 4,000 employees have completed a pilot of the e-learning course.
The training is part of HSBC UK’s commitment to providing a workplace where everyone can be their authentic selves. It believes supporting employees from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences makes it stronger and more innovative, and that having an inclusive workplace culture leads to better outcomes.
It was introduced as part of the bank’s work to support its UK employees and to foster an inclusive environment for those whose first or preferred language is BSL.
The training follows the launch of ‘Understanding Hearing Loss’ in 2024, an e-learning course that uses simulations that replicate real office and branch environments. This has led to employees identifying their own hearing loss and taking RNID’s free, online hearing check.
Sally Williams, head of branch network at HSBC UK, said: “It is important that no one faces unnecessary barriers, whether that is in everyday conversations, in our branches, or with employees. 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 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 employees and customers.”
