New standards for providers of employee assistance programmes have been published by the UK Employee Assistance Professionals Association.
Key changes made in the revised UK EAPA Standards Framework include the way that specific standards are clarified and quantified, ensuring there is less opportunity for interpretation and more clarity for providers in meeting them.
The standards cover 22 areas across promotions, record-keeping, service delivery, confidentiality, complaints procedures, referrals, follow-up activity and evaluation.
UK EAPA chair Andrew Kinder says: “The UK EAPA Standards Framework has been updated to support the continued delivery and achievement of safe, appropriate and effective, quality employee assistance services. As the employee assistance landscape has changed in recent years, it has been necessary for the Association to evolve and update the Standards to ensure that they reflect the current needs of employers, employees and all those involved in EAP procurement and delivery.
“UK EAPA Registered Provider member are organisations that commit to meet our strict criteria relating to EAP standards, professional practice and programme delivery, as set out in the standards framework. In addition, the UK EAPA acknowledges that the revised standards framework represents an important document for all those involved in the employee assistance industry, particularly employers that are procuring EAPs or reviewing their existing services.”
