Vulnerability strategy inclusion

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United Utilities' 'Vulnerability Strategy' document

How we worked with water company United Utilities to improve inclusivity for customers and employees who stammer.

Summary

After collaborating with STAMMA, United Utilities have included stammering in their 'vulnerability strategy', recognising customers who stammer as needing extra support.

Outcome: customers of the north-west England-based water company can feel comfortable knowing they will be given space and time to stammer. It's also now a stammer-friendly place to work.

Background

United Utilities is the company responsible for providing water and wastewater services to around 7.3 million people across the North West of England, covering Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, most of Cheshire and parts of Derbyshire.

Their partnership with us started when one of their employees who stammers recognised an opportunity to make a difference. He suggested they reach out to STAMMA to help them better support their employees when talking to customers who stammer and to create a more inclusive environment for employees who stammer too.

They did just that, and for the past couple of years our Training Service has been: 

• sharing resources with United Utilities
• advising on inclusive customer service practices
• bringing their team leaders to our workshops
• creating training videos for their call centre colleagues and engineers.

This culminated in June 2025, when United Utilities included people who stammer in its 'vulnerability strategy', recognising them as needing extra support when using their services.

Outcome

Following our work with United Utilities, the company has put these changes in place:

1. Customers who stammer can register for its Priority Service. This means you can access a separate customer service line, where staff have been trained to give callers more time and space to talk.
2. A wider range of ways to contact them, including webchat, text relay or WhatsApp, so customers are not limited to using the phone.
3. Customers can set communication preferences for how they'd like to be contacted in the event of a water outage. 

Final words

United Utilities said: "Our partnership with STAMMA has helped us build understanding, improve communication and make sure every voice is heard clearly and confidently. It emphasises our commitment to understanding and meeting the diverse communication needs of our customers. By listening, learning and acting on new knowledge we're making sure our Priority Services are inclusive, accessible and shaped by the people who use and deliver them."

STAMMA's Director of Services Kirsten Howells says, "We're really pleased about our partnership with United Utilities. We'd love to see these training resources and ways of working embedded in processes for all new staff going forwards".

Read about other ways STAMMA is making an impact.

Are you making a difference in your workplace or industry? We'd love to hear about it. Email us at editor@stamma.org