Certified confidential counselor

A certified confidential counselor plays an essential role in creating a safe and healthy working environment. In this article we discuss why it is important to choose a confidential counselor with the right certification. We look at the added value that a certified confidential counselor offers and the possible obligations and quality requirements that can be expected in the future.

Why a certified confidential counselor?

A confidential counselor with certification brings expertise and quality. By having the right qualifications and skills, a certified counselor can fulfill the role in a professional and effective manner. This creates trust and a safe environment for employees to share their concerns and problems. In addition, certification ensures that the confidential counselor is aware of the latest developments and best practices in the field of psychosocial workload (PSA) and guiding employees in situations of inappropriate behaviour. If you want to know everything about a confidential counselor, read this article: What does a confidential counselor do?

Certified confidential counselor: legislation and quality requirements

The importance of a certified confidential counselor is also recognized by the upcoming legislation. The obligation of confidential counsellors is almost a fact and applies to all organisations from 10 FTE. In addition, the initiative bill contains a quality requirement for the certification of confidential counsellors. This means that a confidential counselor must be certified and must undergo annual additional training to maintain the certification. These developments are a response to the growing awareness of psychosocial workload and the need for professional support for employees.

Training to become a certified confidential counselor

The training to become a certified confidential counselor takes 4 days for most trainers and costs on average around €1800.

The training to become a certified confidential counselor offers an extensive curriculum that covers various aspects of confidential counselor work. During the training you will learn, among other things:

The legal frameworks: You will gain insight into the relevant legislation and regulations regarding psychosocial work burden and the role of the confidential counselor in this.
Communication skills: You develop conversation techniques and communication skills that are essential for conducting confidential and professional conversations with employees.
Psychological aspects: You delve into psychological processes and dynamics that can occur in situations such as bullying, intimidation and conflicts in the workplace.
Policy formulation and prevention: You will learn how, as a confidential counselor, you can contribute to the development and implementation of policy aimed at preventing and tackling psychosocial problems.
Reporting and recording: You will gain insight into the importance of clear and accurate reporting and recording of conversations and situations that you encounter as a confidential counselor.

A certified confidential counselor will be a registered confidential counselor from 2024.

National Association of Confidential Counsellors

A renowned certification body in the field of confidential counsellors is the National Association of Confidential Counsellors (LVV). The LVV accredits trainers who meet the set quality requirements and guidelines and is the most accepted body in the Netherlands. External agencies that strive for quality and professionalism often work with certified confidential counsellors from the National Association of Confidential Counsellors (LVV).

For an overview of accredited trainers, please visit the LVV website: https://www.lvvv.nl/opleidingen. On this website you will find a wide range of training institutes that offer certified training to become a confidential counselor.

Also read the blog: LvV Registered Confidential Counsellor replaces LvV certified confidential counsellor