Our Kitemark™ for inclusive service is helping organizations globally to showcase ongoing commitment to creating a fair, flexible and inclusive society
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“Amid the cost-of-living crisis, and the growing number of vulnerable adults, protecting vulnerable consumers has never been so critical.”
Natasha Bambridge
Global Consumer Promise Director, BSI
The People
Putting compassion first
The first nine organizations to receive the BSI Kitemark™ for inclusive service
To prove they understand the impact of consumer vulnerability and can proactively address it, organizations in every sector must demonstrate a consistently inclusive approach - one which encourages and rewards ongoing compliance.
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The Challenge
Empowering vulnerable people and communities with compassionately inclusive service
Society has greater responsibilities towards its most vulnerable members. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) should be at the heart of this
Anyone can become vulnerable at any time, whether through ill health, financial hardship, mental health challenges, or life events like relationship breakdowns.
The right practices need to be in place so that the vulnerable are empowered by organizations providing essential services to make informed choices, ensuring the best outcomes for everyone regardless of their personal circumstances.
The Solution
A best practice Kitemark™ for customer care, helping those most in need
To help consumers have confidence in trusted services when they need them most, BSI created the Kitemark™ for inclusive service scheme
To become certified, organizations must prove they can identify customer vulnerability, and can design and deliver their services inclusively to vulnerable consumers.
Consumer Vulnerability (BS ISO 22458) also defines best practice around the adoption of AI, data collection, protection and sharing. In January 2023, nine organizations became the first to achieve BSI certification.
The benefits
Organizations can showcase their inclusive service practices through becoming Kitemark™ certified. The benefits include:
Compliance with key sector regulators such as Ofgem, Ofwat and FCA
Reduced likelihood of negative publicity or regulatory fines
Increase in staff morale and skill levels
Competitive advantage through brand protection and consumer trust
A difference-making solution to reaching vulnerable consumers
There are many ways organizations see the positive impact certification brings, including:
Understanding
Identify customer needs and deliver appropriate journeys; securely collect and share data
Diversity
Meet a diverse range of consumer needs while simplifying information provision
Equality
Give people informed choices to guide appropriate decisions and achieve positive outcomes
Inclusion
Products and services designed to help everyone and strengthen organizational resilience
“It's encouraging for both our employees and customers to be recognized by BSI for the work we do to provide an inclusive and flexible service.”
Louise Jones
Social Obligations Manager, Scottish & Southern Electricity Networks
Why BSI?
Continuing compliance
For more than 120 years, the BSI Kitemark™ has been recognized as a symbol of outstanding quality, safety and trust across a wide range of products and services.
As an agent of positive change, BSI is committed to shaping standards that build a better world for everyone. By empowering communities to be more resilient, we want to bring about solutions to accelerate progress towards a more sustainable future.
Contact Us
A Kitemark certification with inclusivity at its heart
Learn how organizations on a mission to help their most vulnerable customers were supported by BSI