Working For Wellbeing

The only ISMAuk accredited training provider adhering to BSI Standards

The stress management industry is evolving. Driven by a critical need for regulation, three new BSI standards are being published to manage psychosocial risks in the workplace. Developed with several key organisations, including the HSE, EU, ISMAuk and CBI, these standards meet the increasing need for a systematic approach to stress management and are fully supported by numerous key members of the insurance industry.

These standards are relevant to any professional involved in:

  • Human Resources
  • Risk Management
  • Health and Safety
  • Occupational Health
  • Stress Management
  • Policy Implementation
  • Training and Development
  • Counseling/Therapy

Working For Wellbeing Ltd is proud to be the body responsible for the administration, assessment and quality assurance of training and services relating to these new standards.

Any professional who successfully completes the respective training module will become one of the first fully licensed ISMAuk accredited practitioners. These practitioners will be provided with a recognised, uniform and quality assured framework for effective stress management. Demand in the marketplace for certified practitioners is quickly becoming exceptionally high, across all industries and all sectors.

What exactly are the BSI Standards?

To address the rising stress epidemic, a number of international bodies joined forces to develop three new standards in managing stress in the workplace. Responding to the demands for formal regulation from government, the insurance industry and the business community, the British Standards Institute (BSI) worked in conjunction with The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Nottingham University, Confederation of British Industry (CBI), Canada Life and Aviva Insurance, EU Trade Unions, Working for Wellbeing and the International Stress Management Association (ISMAuk) to establish a benchmark within a structured framework.

BSI is the number one certification body in the UK and the USA and was founded over 100 years ago, making it the oldest national standards body in the world and therefore well positioned to develop these Publicly Available Specifications. PAS 1010, 1011 and 1012 will sit alongside established and recognised standards such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001, providing a clear and quality controlled path for systematic and effective stress management across any sector or any country, meeting the expanding need for risk mitigation and corporate stability.

The three standards are:

  • PAS 1010 (Organisational Stress) - This covers the obligations as documented by the HSE and EU and the ways to undertake a sufficient risk assessment.
  • Management Standards and Management Competencies (expected to be called PAS 1011) - It is understood that the proposed PAS 1011 will aim to cover both the aforementioned HSE Management Standards and Management Competencies guidelines and reduce pressure in the workplace using this proven model.
  • PAS 1012 (Resilience, Wellbeing and Returning to Work) - Soon to be published, this is primarily a code of conduct. Accredited practitioners following these guidelines can be content in the knowledge that they are offering a professional service.

Representatives from the insurance industry, who sit on the BSI steering group, see these new standards as a vital step towards the regulation and standardisation of stress management professionals globally.

How can I make sure I am working to these new standards?

Working for Wellbeing are the body responsible for the administration, assessment and quality assurance of training and services relating to these new standards. The only ISMAuk accredited training provider adhering to all three standards, every Working for Wellbeing training course guides delegates on a licensed process for their continued professional development, using ISMAuk certified training programmes, manuals and aids

Those wishing to become a certified practitioner must successfully complete the Working For Wellbeing three day practitioner training modules 1, 2 or 3.

On successful completion of one of these modules, delegates will be added to the Stress Management Practitioner Register. This register is openly available to the insurance industry and to any organisation who may be seeking a specialist who can offer services in accordance with the new UK and EU recognised standards.

The three day Masters training programmes have now started with courses being scheduled regularly. The one day training courses aimed at company management, human resources and risk management assessors will be introduced in 2012 as will the e-learning programme modules, focused on improving employees understanding of stress and the processes to manage it.