Supporting wellbeing at work
June 27, 2023
The Keil Centre started as a place for individuals to come for support for wellbeing and mental health. Over the years, we have moved into supporting team wellbeing, developing tools for assessing work-related stress and psychosocial risk. This article traces some important moments on this journey.
The early 2000s saw a clear increase in awareness of the negative impact of work-related stress on individuals, teams and organisations. In the UK, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) implemented an ambitious strategy to support organisations in reducing the risk of stress at work and The Keil Centre were proud of their role in supporting this effort.
In early 2001, we partnered with bp, East of Scotland Water, and Birkbeck College to support the HSE’s research into stress management standards and stress risk assessment. We were recognised for our ability to provide a link between theory, evidence and practice. Our role was to help bridge the potential gap between universities, industry and the regulator. This allowed us to do what we do best, develop practical tools and interventions that are based on high quality psychological evidence.
StressTools - A comprehensive toolkit for tackling stress was developed following this initial collaboration. This contains:
- Stress risk assessments – we developed a suit of stress risk assessments, with an online questionnaire-based team assessment and a workshop-based assessment of future stressors.
- Management Guidance – this includes a set of clear tips, suggestions and guidance for managers and professionals to support the prevention and management of common stress risks.
Our clients have also won awards for implementing some of the tools. For example, bp for implementing the future-focused stress risk assessment.
"Our project was essentially about getting employees involved in identifying simple steps which can be taken to prevent stress at work. We've seen some noticeable benefits…"
Interest in wellbeing at work has never dwindled but, following the coronavirus pandemic, organisations are appreciating more and more the benefits of focussing on wellbeing at work. The role of stress management in retaining an engaged workforce has also never been clearer.
As such, The Keil Centre has begun the process of reviewing the StressTools product range, incorporating learnings and experience from the nearly two decades since its launch.
For more information on any of our wellbeing products, please contact Chiara@keilcentre.co.uk