Glasgow City HSCP Staff champion British Sign Language awareness

Staff across our Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) are helping make our services more inclusive by learning British Sign Language (BSL) and raising awareness of its importance in our city.

Recently, a group of colleagues successfully achieved their Signature Level 1 in BSL, and another cohort has recently completed a six-week taster course where they learnt basic BSL communication skills useful for work and gained cultural awareness of the Deaf community.

Anne Law, Team Leader, Sensory Support Service said: “It’s exciting to see so many of our staff learning BSL and embracing the opportunity to connect with the Deaf community. We hope even more will take up training in the future and help us build a city that truly supports BSL users.”

BSL is the preferred language of most Deaf people in the UK, for whom English may be a second or even third language. It’s a language in its own right, with its own grammar, syntax, and vocabulary, as well as rich regional variations and dialects.

By learning BSL and understanding Deaf culture, our staff are helping to break down barriers and improve communication with service users in our communities. This work also supports the development of Glasgow’s BSL Action Plan, ensuring that our services are accessible and inclusive for everyone.

Courses are funded through the Scottish Government’s See Hear Strategy, and more opportunities to learn BSL will be available next year.

For more information on BSL and our action plan, visit www.glasgow.gov.uk/article/1336/British-Sign-Language-BSL .