We are offering a new way for British Sign Language (BSL) users to communicate with us about our services.

Following feedback from our hard-of-hearing and deaf customers who found it difficult to contact us, we have partnered with the service provider, InterpretersLive! to offer a more inclusive way of reaching us, speeding up the time it takes to resolve any queries.

This new service is launched on International Day of Persons with Disabilities, a day which promotes the rights of people with disabilities and calls for action to make our society more inclusive and accessible.

Across the two regions we operate in with South Staffs Water, we are aware of 7,000 deaf or hard-of-hearing customers who are BSL users.

Through this new service, customers connect with a BSL video interpreter via the InterpretersLive! service, provided by Sign Solutions.

The interpreter will then connect the customer with our dedicated team of call agents, who will be able to answer questions, give support and point customers in the right direction.

The InterpretersLive! service is available on-demand seven days a week, from 08:00 to 20:00, via the InterpretersLive! app.

We are committed to ensuring all of our customers can access our services. This new InterpretersLive! communication channel is an important step in supporting the deaf community, and we have plans to reach more customers with additional needs in the near future.

Earlier this year, we shared our draft vulnerability strategy, in line with Ofwat’s service for all vulnerability guidance, a commitment to delivering service and offering support that is inclusive of the needs of our customers.

We will be building on our draft vulnerability strategy as we enter a new five-year cycle with our business plan for 2025 to 2030, and we will continuously review accessibility for our stakeholders.

British Sign Language

Find out more about the InterpretersLive! service and see our user guides.