Mind Sets the Standard with Expertise from bss

bss, the UK's leading multi-channel customer contact solutions provider today announced that Mind infoline, the mental health charity helpline which bss manages and operates, has achieved the Standard for Helplines© accreditation. Currently, there are only seven other helplines in the UK who have achieved this prestigious endorsement which must meet a robust criteria for quality, knowledge management and security.

The accreditation is awarded by the Customer Contact Association (CCA), the industry body for all UK call and customer centres, and the Mental Health Helplines Partnership (MHHP). To meet the accreditation standards, Mind infoline was assessed against eight different modules which covered caller focus, helpline performance, operational effectiveness, learning and development of staff, performance management and confidentiality.

Beth Murphy, Head of Information at Mind says: "Talking about mental health issues is never easy and our infoline offers people a safe and secure environment to talk about difficult issues and receive effective information, advice and guidance. bss'customer contactexpertiseis second to none and achieving this accreditation provides us with the confidence that our service is indeed, a valuable lifeline to our callers. It also validates the time and investment Mind and bss have both put into training and supporting staff and the technical systems we put in place to keep the helpline running smoothly."

bss was selected by Mind to manage the infoline service back in 2003. It currently employs 4 call advisors and is based in Manchester. Quality and security are at the heart of bss' operational philosophy. The organisation is the UK's only not-for-profit provider of contact centres and its unique mission is to enable people to take action to improve the quality of their lives and society, through the provision and management of impartial information and advice. For its robust information security protocols, bss achieved ISO 270001 accreditation and is amongst the 1% of businesses in the UK to hold this standard.

Dani Muir, Sales and Marketing Director at bss adds: "This accreditation is testament to our exemplary track record of delivering effective information, advice and guidance services to public and charity organisations. It also provides official recognition of the quality of our work within the mental health sector. Mind's commitment and dedication to helping people affected by mental health problems is outstanding. We are delighted to have been able to support the charity in establishing a helpline that other organisations can emulate."