External confidential advisor at Veenendaal & Verschoor

What do we do?

Imagine feeling unsafe at work but not knowing where to turn. You need someone to talk to without fear of repercussions. This is where an external confidential advisor becomes invaluable.

Are you considering appointing an external confidential advisor for a safe and supportive work environment? At Veenendaal & Verschoor, we are ready to assist you. With our accrued knowledge and qualifications, we are experts in psychosocial workload (PSW) and are well-versed in the related legislation and regulations. We are applied psychologists with many years of experience.

Our goal is to provide a safe space where you can share your experience. We listen, offer advice, and support you, ensuring you can return to work with confidence. Rely on our expertise and experience to help you when you need it.

What is an external confidential advisor?

 An external confidential advisor is someone outside your organisation who you can approach confidentially with work-related issues. These issues may include bullying, discrimination, inappropriate behaviour, or other forms of unacceptable conduct. The external confidential advisor listens to your experience, provides advice, and helps you reach a solution. Unlike an internal advisor, an external confidential advisor is independent of the organisation, ensuring no conflict of interest and allowing you to share your concerns in complete confidence.

At Veenendaal & Verschoor, we ensure you receive the support you need. With us, you will always find a listening ear, helping you to feel safe and comfortable at work again.

What does an external confidential advisor do in practise?

As external confidential advisors, we help you address work-related problems step by step. From the first conversation, we support you by listening to your case, understanding your goals, and explaining the advantages and disadvantages of potential actions.

However, an external confidential advisor offers much more. Being independent of the organisation allows us to remain objective and focus on company culture, leadership styles, and interactions. Drawing from our expertise, we provide advice on how to establish, maintain, and enhance a safe work environment. Additionally, we objectively assess potential risk factors and offer recommendations on preventing future unsafe situations.

Sometimes, the person reporting the issue may want to file a complaint with the employer immediately. In such cases, it is beneficial to consider alternative solutions that might be better for all parties involved. Typically, 6 to 8 sessions are required, although for simpler cases one session could be sufficient. These sessions can be conducted both in person and online.

In some instances, the reporter might be hesitant to take further steps, despite the severity of the situation. In such cases, we will provide unsolicited advice to the employer without revealing the reporter’s identity, ensuring a safe and confidential approach.

Our core tasks as LVV-registered confidential advisors

LVV stands for the ‘Landelijke Vereniging voor Vertrouwenspersonen’ (National Association for Confidential Advisors). In accordance with LVV guidelines, we have three core tasks:

• Supporting, guiding, and advising employees: We are here for employees who report inappropriate behaviour. We listen, provide support, and offer advice. 
• Educating, informing, and inspiring the organisation: We ensure everyone in the organisation is well-informed about dealing with undesirable behaviour and inspire a safe work culture. 
• Providing solicited and unsolicited advice to the board and management: We offer advice to the organisation’s leadership, both upon request and proactively, to ensure a safe working environment.