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How NatWest Turns Vulnerability Support into Compassionate Action

The Company

Meet NatWest

NatWest is a UK-focussed bank serving over 20 million customers, with businesses across retail, commercial and private banking markets.

The Problem

FRAGMENTED LOCAL SUPPORT AND GROWING CUSTOMER NEEDS

NatWest teams are seeing rising levels of customer vulnerability, reflecting a broader national picture in which almost half of UK adults show one or more signs of vulnerability. These challenges span financial hardship, bereavement, health conditions, caring responsibilities and wider life events, and are often complex and multi-faceted.

Frontline colleagues were highly motivated to help, however the external support landscape is fragmented and constantly changing, making it hard to maintain up-to-date, trusted resources. Under time pressure, identifying the right help and confidently introducing it into sensitive conversations could be challenging.

Existing referral routes, including well-known national partners, were increasingly stretched. While internal tools supported some needs, they did not always reflect the breadth of non-financial challenges customers were facing. NatWest identified a clear opportunity to strengthen how colleagues could offer timely, practical support at the right moment — in a way that was consistent, trusted and easy to use.

The Solution

One trusted platform to find and share the right support

NatWest partnered with National Support Network (NSN) to launch a tailored Support Hub, initially focusing on rollout across its Welsh branches. The Support Hub provides a single, trusted platform enabling colleagues to signpost customers to appropriate support across a wide range of life challenges.

The platform was co-created through a close, “one-team” partnership approach, with strong leadership sponsorship, governance and feedback loops to ensure it aligned with NatWest’s customer support strategy and values.

The rollout in Wales was deliberately designed as a pilot to test and refine adoption. NSN supported implementation through:

  • Tailored content and printable materials for customers who are offline
  • Onboarding training to raise awareness and build colleague confidence
  • Simple, practical phrasing to support sensitive conversations

 

The Hub was made accessible through multiple routes, including branch screens, website integration, QR codes, email signatures and use at community events. Teams were also able to add trusted local and specialist partners, helping build a NatWest-specific support ecosystem within the platform.

The Results

Stronger outcomes for customers and colleagues

The Support Hub has been positively received by colleagues and is now firmly embedded across NatWest Wales and rolling out across the wider NatWest business, becoming one of the bank’s core external support partnerships.
 
Colleagues report feeling more confident and better equipped to support customers experiencing vulnerability, particularly when navigating difficult or emotionally charged conversations. Uptake across Welsh branches has been strong, with teams using the Hub both to support customers and, in some cases, to access support for their own wellbeing. This has contributed to improved job satisfaction and morale, reinforcing NatWest’s commitment to colleague care alongside customer outcomes.
 
  • “It really feels like a one-stop shop. Having everything in one place makes it easy to share internally and get teams using it.”
  • “Keeping support information up to date is a moving target. NSN helps reduce that burden and makes it easier to find the right help quickly.”
  • “Empathy matters, but colleagues also need to take positive action. Having the right tool helps reduce the emotional load.”
  • “Colleagues can default to a single pathway because it feels safer. We want to build confidence so they can signpost to a wider range of support.”


From a service perspective, the Hub has enabled more consistent and trusted signposting, reducing reliance on ad-hoc or outdated lists and helping colleagues respond more effectively to a broader range of needs. The platform has also provided new insight into emerging support themes, helping inform ongoing learning and decision-making.

At an organisational level, the partnership supports NatWest’s commitment to delivering good customer outcomes, strengthening vulnerability support and meeting regulatory and stakeholder expectations. Expansion beyond Wales is already underway, with growing demand for wider UK rollout. NatWest teams are also exploring ways to extend the impact into the community, including gifting Support Hubs to charity partners to maximise social value.


“NSN felt like part of our team from day one. They made it easy for us to turn intent into action and helped our colleagues feel more confident signposting customers to the right support.”
Char Gude, Good Customer Outcomes Manager, NatWest

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