When you appoint a confidential adviser in your company, it is mandatory for this employee to follow a training course to become a confidential adviser.
Premed organizes this 5-day confidential adviser training a few times a year (in Leuven and Diepenbeek). See www.premed.be\opleidingen for more information.
Below is some information about the appointment, responsibilities, and basic training to become a confidential adviser, a challenging but very valuable role!
Who can be appointed?
The appointment of a confidential adviser is not legally mandatory but is strongly recommended. The threshold to a confidential adviser is often lower than to a manager. Problems thus come to light faster, do not escalate, and are better resolved.
Please note: the role of confidential adviser is incompatible with a number of functions. For example, you cannot be appointed as a confidential adviser if you:
- are the employer yourself or belong to the management staff
- are an employer's or employee's representative (and are a member of the works council or the committee for prevention and protection at work)
- want to run or have run as a candidate for the social elections
- are part of the trade union delegation
Role of confidential adviser in a nutshell
- A confidential adviser can be seen as a first point of contact for employees experiencing a (psychosocial) problem at the workplace. Stress, burnout, bullying, sexually undesirable behaviour, conflicts, alcohol, drugs, ... a whole range of topics that pose a growing problem for business. A confidential adviser can help prevent or quickly address these risks.
- Ideally, the confidential adviser is someone with a sound sense of responsibility and an open, empathetic, listening attitude. Someone who is easily approachable and has the trust of colleagues. The organisation should therefore ensure that the function and identity of the confidential adviser are sufficiently clearly communicated to employees via posters, the intranet, etc.
- The confidential adviser's tasks primarily consist of offering a listening ear and support. Often, employees only need a good conversation to find a solution themselves. If necessary, the confidential adviser can of course also provide advice, address colleagues or managers, or even mediate. The petitioner, however, is always the requesting party and retains control and responsibility.
Foundation course: confidential counsellor
- When you are appointed as a confidential adviser, it is legally required to follow a training course within 2 years. In this five-day basic training you will become familiar with:
- the legal framework regarding the role and status of the confidential adviser
- insights into the origin/approach of psychosocial risks at work
- psychosocial intervention and managing problem situations such as violence, bullying, unwanted sexual behaviour at work, as well as stress and burnout.
- In addition, interactive, practical training is provided in communication techniques (asking the right questions, maintaining an empathetic attitude, body language,...) and intervention skills (practically preparing and conducting a help conversation, addressing cognitive distortions, setting up mediation,...). All this to prepare you for your role as a confidential adviser!
Supervision moment
After completing the training to become a confidential adviser, supervision moments are provided. Every confidential adviser is obliged to participate in these at least once a year.
During these meetings, experiences are exchanged with other confidential advisers and answers are given to questions you are struggling with. The aim is to share thoughts and good practices and to learn from each other's experiences. This, of course, under expert guidance from a psychosocial prevention adviser. He/she will also offer additional tips, tricks, advice, and information.
Additional information?
For even more information, we would like to refer you to our service offering regarding confidential advisers on our website www.premed.be or the documents on the extranet.
