Form

How to apply (BSL and English)

Published 10 July 2025

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

© Crown copyright 2025

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apply-to-be-a-bsl-advisory-board-member-or-co-chair/how-to-apply-bsl-and-english

If you are interested in being considered for for either co-chair or board member, please either:

  • complete the application form
  • send us a document or email containing the same information

If you are using the application form

Please download and complete the application form for the:

Send it by post or email to the return address.

If you are not using the application form

Please send us the following information either in:

  • a document (for example, Word or Google)
  • the body of an email

Send the information to the return address.

Section 1: Personal details

  • Full name (including first and second name)
  • Address including postcode
  • Email address
  • Telephone or mobile number
  • Is mobile number text only?
  • If you are currently working, what is your role? 
  • Tell us a little about what your role involves (150 words max)
  • If you are applying for the co-chair role, would you be happy to be considered for a board member role if you are unsuccessful in the co-chair application?

References

Please give the names and contact details of 2 referees to support your application - these can be people who know you in a personal or professional capacity

Section 2: Your experience of BSL

Answer yes or no to the following:

  • Do you use BSL as your first language?
  • Do you use or have experience of tactile or hands-on BSL?
  • Are you a parent of a Deaf BSL-using child or young person?
  • Are you a CODA (Child of Deaf Adult)?
  • Are you a teacher of Deaf children who communicate using BSL?
  • Are you a healthcare professional that communicates using BSL?
  • Are you a qualified BSL signer? Please detail any qualifications you have achieved, including level of qualification.
  • Do you work as a professional BSL interpreter? If yes, please give details of your NRCPD registration.
  • Do you work as a professional BSL translator? If yes, please give details of your NRCPD registration.

Please also list any Deaf organisations where you are a member, or if you are a volunteer.

Section 3: Your committee or board experience

Have you any experience of sitting on committees or boards set up by the government (national or regional or local), or committees or boards run by voluntary organisations? Please provide details including dates.

Section 4: Conflicts of interest

The BSL Advisory Board is a public body and, as such, will be expected to maintain a register of members’ interests to avoid any danger of board members being influenced or appearing to be influenced by their private/personal interests in the exercise of their public duties. 

Conflicts could include:

  • membership of organisations whose aims might be perceived to be in conflict with those of the Cabinet Office and the wider government
  • any activity which, if revealed after appointment, could cause embarrassment to the government
  • significant political activity such as being employed by a political party, holding significant office in a party, standing as a candidate for a party in an election, having publicly spoken on behalf of a political party or having made significant donations or loans to a party. Significant loans and donations are those of a size which are reported to the Electoral Commission, in line with a central party’s reporting threshold. 

Please give details of any conflicts of interest you may have including significant political activity for any political party in the past 5 years. (Please note – withholding information which emerges after appointment will result in the withdrawal of Board membership).

Section 5: Personal statement

Please tell us in no more than 500 words (or by BSL video) why either:

  • you want to lead the BSL Advisory Board (co-chair applicants)
  • you want to join the BSL Advisory Board (board member applicants)

We are interested in what you will bring to the role. You should use the role description to guide your response. Please note that this section is what we will use to shortlist applications.

You may wish to tell us about other similar roles you have held, the community you represent (geographical and/or of interest), how you will communicate to your community or seek views from them, or anything else you think relevant to support your application to lead the Board.

Section 6: Co-Chair vision for the Board (co-chair role applicants only)

Please tell us in no more than 250 words (or by BSL video) about your vision for the BSL Advisory Board for the 3-year term. We are interested in your leadership style and goals as co-chair. You should use the role description to guide your response. Previous BSL Board minutes are available to support your understanding of the BSL Board’s work so far. Please note that this section is what we will use to shortlist applications.

You may wish to tell us about the areas you would want the board to focus on, any goals you have for the board and how you see the board to work with the Deaf community and government. 

Your data

If you are not selected to sit on the BSL Advisory Board, are you happy for us to keep your data on a reserve list?  If a space does become available, we may be in touch.

In order to comply with GDPR are you happy for the Cabinet Office to keep your details on file and contact you with information pertaining to BSL and the BSL Advisory Board?

Closing date

The closing date for applications is:

  • co-chair role: 5pm, 8 August 2025
  • board member role: 5pm, 22 August 2025

Return address

Send your application by email to bslboard@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.

If you would like to send sections 5 and 6 in BSL format, please limit your recording to 5 minutes and send it by:

  • Whatsapp to 07928 399104 – for BSL video submissions only

You can also send your application by post to:

Disability Unit
Correspondence team
Cabinet Office
70 Whitehall
London
SW1A 2AS

BSL videos: Co-chair role

The following videos outline what information we ask you to provide as part of your application.

Introduction and section 1: personal details

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SJ0ZRvYwlk

Section 2: Your experience of BSL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZDitnDgqWs

Section 3: Your committee or board experience

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLP1ljgIbbU

Section 4: Conflicts of interest

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ai3fsK9fdQY

Section 5: Personal statement

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1jMM75ihN8

Section 6: Co-chair vision for the Board

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USWyK4TNIUY

Your data

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUBxL5LohWc

BSL videos: Board member role

The following videos outline what information we ask you to provide as part of your application.

Introduction and section 1: personal details

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avdO_uKkj4c

Section 2: Your experience of BSL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l80wLrZaQ_k

Section 3: Your committee or board experience

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLP1ljgIbbU

Section 4: Conflicts of interest

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2tLVgGNYrk

Section 5: Personal statement

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLczkSQ7yMs

Your data

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JR6l6iFoAj4

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