Nationwide Building Society is rolling out a new service called Speak Easy across its 605 branches to assist customers with communication difficulties. The service includes bespoke colour-coded cards featuring images and phrases that can aid in interactions with staff. These cards cover various banking needs such as managing savings, reporting lost cards, and identifying potential frauds or scams.
Phrases on the cards include requests like “Please speak slowly” and “I do not recognise a payment on my account.” The initiative was developed in collaboration with charities like the Stroke Association and the British Institute of Learning Disabilities. The cards are differentiated by colour, with red for urgent issues like scams, green for general help, and yellow for support services such as making payments.
The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists estimates that one in five individuals in the UK may face communication difficulties at some point. The Speak Easy initiative aims to support a diverse group, including those with autism, speech impairments, or conditions like Motor Neurone Disease. The service, which originated from a trial in Manchester, follows Nationwide’s partnership with Dementia UK to introduce Admiral Nurses clinics at over 200 locations.
Mandy Beech, Nationwide’s director of retail services, highlighted that the Speak Easy service, along with the SignVideo service for British Sign Language interpretation, offers diverse communication options for customers. Caitlin Longman, the accessibility lead at the Stroke Association, emphasised that tools like the Speak Easy cards can significantly improve communication for individuals with conditions like aphasia.
The Speak Easy initiative has received positive feedback for its potential to provide appropriate support and guidance, enhancing customer confidence when visiting Nationwide branches. Nationwide’s commitment to accessibility and inclusive communication reflects its efforts to cater to a wide range of customer needs.