Yorkshire Building Society Wetherby branch joins Speak Easy scheme

Yorkshire Building Society, which has a branch in Wetherby, has joined the Speak Easy initiative.

The scheme is designed by the banking industry to help people with communication difficulties have more accessible conversations when visiting a branch.

Speak Easy uses a series of simple communication cards featuring commonly used banking requests alongside clear images.

Customers can use the cards to help communicate with branch colleagues, making it easier to discuss their banking needs in a way that works for them.

The cards were originally developed by Nationwide and Visa, with input from people with lived experience of communication difficulties, including stroke survivors, deaf individuals, people with learning disabilities and neurodivergent individuals.

Speak Easy communication cards are freely available to all financial services providers across the UK, to help improve accessibility and inclusion in branch banking.

Yorkshire Building Society has introduced the cards across its branch network as part of its ongoing commitment to making services accessible and ensuring customers can access support in a way that meets their individual needs.

Simone Fox, Director of Customer Support at Yorkshire Building Society, said: "Everyone deserves to feel confident when accessing their finances.

“Joining the Speak Easy scheme is another step in helping us create a welcoming and inclusive experience for our customers.

"The cards provide a simple but effective way for people who may find verbal communication difficult to tell us what support they need, helping our colleagues better understand and assist them."

"Our branch colleagues see every day how important clear communication is.

“Speak Easy gives customers another way to start conversations and access support, helping to remove barriers that some people face when managing their money.

"We're proud to be introducing the scheme across our branches and look forward to supporting customers who choose to use it."

Speak Easy is intended to support customers who experience difficulties communicating for a wide range of reasons, and cover a range of everyday banking requests, from checking account balances and updating personal details to reporting lost or stolen cards and requesting additional support.