My academic colleagues, psychologists at the University of Portsmouth, have been researching Quality of Working Life (or QoWL for short) for many years. They developed a theory and framework for QoWL and psychometric tools for measuring it. They've now generously made these survey tools freely available along with a scoring key and guide.

Quality of Working Life is that part of overall quality of life that is influenced by work. It's more than just job satisfaction or work happiness, but the widest context in which an employee would evaluate their work environment.

I've placed more information and links to where you can download the tools on our Free QoWL Tools page.

I've recently developed a simple checklist tool, which can be used by managers and those who support them to help identify current gaps in management skills, behaviours and knowledge.

Development Interventions such as management development and coaching can help plug these gaps, thereby minimising risk and moving the organisation towards best practice in managing stress at work.

If you're interested in accessing this free tool, please check out our Free Stress Tools page, where you'll find a download form. Just fill that form in and I'll send you a link to access the tool.

I've set up two free events in Southampton, one on resilience the other on stress management competences. These are on Thurs 11th April at the Eastpoint Centre.

The links are below:

• Resilience event
• Stress Management Competencies event

It's taken me absolutely ages to get events set up there after having to cancel a previous event (despite being fully booked)  last year because of venue problems. A big thank you to Claire Mattinson of Southampton NHS and to Kerri Chalk of the Eastpoint Centre for their help in getting these events organised!

I'm often asked about which books I recommend at the events we run. So I decided to set up a stress management book store with all my recommendations. I'm delighted to announce that my book store is now open for business!

I've set up a number of categories including: resilience books, positive psychology books, and personal development books. You'll also find a category on on managing emotions, which contains my favourite book title of the moment, which is: "Should I Strap a Battery to my Head?".

Some of my favourite authors are featured including Martin Seligman, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Dr Steve Peters and Edward (Ned) Hallowell.

Most of the books also have kindle (digital) versions, which I increasing depend on because of all the travelling I do. In case you don't have a kindle, I've included various versions in my book store's Amazon Kindle category, including the latest Kindle Fire HD. I just got one of these for my birthday. It's wonderful, a combination of a kindle and a powerful, fast, tablet computer. The ultimate antidote to airport boredom!

I was very keen to link up with BSI because a number of their Standards and Guidance documents are highly relevant for anyone looking to follow best practice in managing stress risks at work.

The most relevant Standard is PAS 1010, which provides practical guidance on the management of psychosocial risks in the workplace.

Also relevant is PD 25111. This guidance is related to the human aspects of business continuity and deals with what organizations should do to take account of the human impact of adverse events.

More information on both of these can be found on our new British Standards page.

I've organized 2 free events in Leeds, Yorkshire, one on Resilience, the other on Stress Management Competencies.

Both events take place at Leeds Civic Hall on Thursday 6th December. My thanks to Leeds City Council for hosting the events and particularly to Chris Ingham for all his help in getting these events set up.

The Reslience Roadshow looks at psychological research into resilience and introduces tools found to be effective for individuals and organisations, particularly from the field of positive psychology.

The Stress Management Competencies event discusses the skills and behaviours managers need to prevent and reduce stress at work. We look at the management competency framework, tools and interventions that came out of a major research programme sponsored by HSE, CIPD and Investors in People.

Hope you can make one or both of these events!

I've organized 2 events in Hartlepool, Teesside, one on Resilience, the other on Managing Stress Risks at Work.

Both events take place at Hartlepool College on Thursday 8th Nov. My thanks to Hartlepool Borough Council and particularly to Steven Carter for all his help in getting these events set up. Thanks also to Hartlepool College for hosting the events.

The Reslience Roadshow looks at psychological research into resilience and introduces tools found to be effective for individuals and organisations, particularly from the field of positive psychology.

The Managing Stress Risks at Work event discusses the assessment and management of stress risks at work. We look at a range of frameworks and tools including HSE’s Management Standards and alternative (equivalent) approaches. Organisational, team and individual tools are all discussed. We explore ways that organisations can meet their legal obligations while minimising costs. We also clarify the links between the Management Standards and new development interventions such as the Stress Management Competencies.

Hope you can make one or both of these events!

I've organized 2 events in Tyneside, one on Resilience, the other on Managing Stress Risks at Work.

Both events take place at South Tyneside College on Tuesday 30th Oct. My thanks to the College and particularly to Kathryn Wann for her help in getting these events set up.

The Reslience Roadshow looks at psychological research into resilience and introduces tools found to be effective for individuals and organisations, particularly from the field of positive psychology.

The Managing Stress Risks at Work event discusses the assessment and management of stress risks at work. We look at a range of frameworks and tools including HSE’s Management Standards and alternative (equivalent) approaches. Organisational, team and individual tools are all discussed. We explore ways that organisations can meet their legal obligations while minimising costs. We also clarify the links between the Management Standards and new development interventions such as the Stress Management Competencies.

Hope you can make one or both of these events!

I've just published an event in Colchester, Essex. It's a free, Roadshow event on the Stress Management Competencies and takes place on the 17th October at Colchester Town Hall between 1.30 and 4.30 pm.

This Stress Management Competencies Roadshow is hosted by Colchester Borough Council. My sincere thanks to Louise Denyer at the Council for all her help in getting this organized.

Stress Management Competencies are combinations of skills and behaviours that line managers need to prevent and reduce stress at work. A four-year research programme sponsored by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), CIPD and Investors in People (IIP) led recently to the development of a Management Competency Framework for Preventing and Reducing Stress.

The Roadshow raises awareness of this Framework and introduces the associated tools and interventions for up-skilling of line managers.

Hope to see you there!

Very busy getting roadshows organised for this October through to June 13. Coming together now. As events are published they can be found on my (Alan Bradshaw's) eventbrite page.

I'm setting up roadshows all over the UK. There'll definitely be events in the Midlands, North West, North East, Yorkshire, London, South East and Scotland. Hopefully also in the South West (Bristol) and South (Southampton / Portsmouth area). I've increased the list of topics I'm covering in Roadshow events to include:

• Managing Stress Risks at Work (incl. HSE Management Standards)
• Stress / Wellbeing Policies (Development and Implementation)
• Resilience (Individual and Organisational)
• Managing Risks to Wellbeing in an Ageing Workforce
• Stress Management Competencies

I expect between 50 and 100 delegates at each event, max 2 per organisation, apart from event hosts (where I agree a larger allocation). For some locations, there will be 2 events on one day and I may run a number of events in any one region.

Hope you can make one or more of the events! If you'd like to host or sponsor an event, please contact me directly.