Vulnerability can affect anyone at any time. Ill health, financial difficulties, mental health problems, or life events such as bereavement or relationship breakdown can all place consumers in vulnerable situations. This can make it hard for consumers to understand information, choose suitable services or products, and make decisions. They risk being denied access to services, signing up for inappropriate contracts, or making unsuitable purchases as a result.
Our newly published standard BS ISO 22458 can help businesses to identify, understand and support vulnerable customers, making it easier for their customers to make smart and informed choices. In turn, this can lead to better outcomes for consumers and increased customer satisfaction.
Consumer vulnerability is defined as a ‘state in which an individual can be placed at risk of harm during their interaction with a service provider due to the presence of personal, situational and market environment factors’.
Whilst there are some consumers who are more likely to be at risk of harm, such as people with chronic illness, cognitive impairments, learning difficulties, and physical disabilities, it is ultimately how businesses act that makes all the difference. If organizations do not act with appropriate care, they can create or exacerbate vulnerability. A consumer in a vulnerable situation may not experience harm if their service provider offers adequate support.
Any one of us could become vulnerable due to a change in personal circumstances.
Losing a job, bereavement, developing a medical condition, dealing with addiction, or struggling with literacy and numeracy; there are many reasons why someone might become temporarily or permanently vulnerable and susceptible to harm.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created or exacerbated vulnerability for many people, particularly in these areas:
Financial hardship - in early 2021, the UK unemployment rate rose above 5% for the first time since 2016 and almost four million workers were on furlough. The hardest hit sectors included hospitality and retail, where many jobs were already insecure and poorly paid.
Mental health - UK depression rates are estimated to have doubled since the pandemic began, with a disproportionate impact on young people, women, disabled people, and those living in deprived areas. One in five adults (19.2%) experienced some form of depression.
Bereavement - more than 180,000 people in the UK have died from COVID-19, often in very difficult circumstances without hospital visits or a full funeral. Bereaved people may face challenging emotional and financial circumstances as a result.
Physical health - approximately 1.1 million people are living with long COVID symptoms such as fatigue, muscle pain, and difficulty concentrating. Those aged 35-69 years, women, those in deprived areas, and people in health or social care professions are the worst impacted. COVID also impacted other areas of health care: between April 2020 and May 2021, there were 3.63 million fewer elective procedures and 23.67 million fewer outpatient attendances.
Digital exclusion - digital technology has been used to facilitate the contactless provision of goods and services during the pandemic. But access to technology can be restricted by not having a device or connection, lacking skills, or another condition such as a disability. This results in digital exclusion. Age, region, socioeconomic status, and having a disability all increase the risk of being on the wrong side of the digital divide. For example, 76% of UK adults use online banking, but this figure falls to 49% of those aged 65+.
It is vital for all businesses to be able to identify where their consumers might be vulnerable to harm and support them by providing an inclusive service. Organizations also need to be aware of how these risks impact their consumers differently. For example, one person’s experience of mental health problems might have no impact on their ability to manage financially, whereas another person might struggle.
To learn more about how you can support your consumers and workforce, visit our Diversity & Inclusion Topic Page.
BS ISO 22458 is a pioneering new international standard that specifies requirements and guidelines for organizations on how to design and deliver fair, flexible, and inclusive services that will increase positive outcomes for consumers and minimize the risk of harm.
It covers organizational culture and strategy, inclusive design, and how to identify and respond to consumer vulnerability. BS ISO 22458 is applicable to any organization that provides services, including service-related products, to consumers, regardless of location or size.
Adopting a consumer vulnerability policy is arguably of merit in itself; no business wants to cause its customers needless distress or difficulty. However, there are also other benefits for organizations. These include:
Increased customer base, by making services accessible to a greater number of individuals
Improved service provision for all customers irrespective of their vulnerability status
Improvement in the quality of consumer interactions, thereby minimizing the risk of harm
Reduced likelihood of problems and complaints, because of operating effectively and getting things right the first time, leading to a reduced cost of complaints handling
Improved customer satisfaction, building consumer trust, and enhancing the organization’s reputation
Ability to demonstrate ethical behaviour and social responsibility
Strengthened staff loyalty and engagement by ensuring that they feel valued, supported, and confident in handling difficult situations
Help to achieve compliance with legal obligations related to fairness and equality, by following good practice in the fair treatment of consumers in vulnerable situations
Learn more about how BS ISO 22458 works and how this standard could help your organization to improve inclusive service provision by downloading the ISO 22458 flyer here. You can also get an expert guide to understanding the views and experiences of consumers in vulnerable situations by downloading the ISO 22458 executive briefing.
Businesses recognize that they need to support consumers better but require assistance in modernizing their behaviour, interaction, and responses.
As a result of shared knowledge and good practices developed by businesses, consumer bodies, charities, and government departments, we have several standards to support organizations to deliver inclusive, fair, and flexible services.
Our other key standards that can help to support consumers in vulnerable situations include:
BS ISO 25552 Ageing societies. Framework for dementia-inclusive communities
A dementia-inclusive community is one that is committed to working together to promote a better understanding of dementia, reduce stigma, raise public awareness, and facilitates social inclusion and participation.
BS ISO 25552 provides a framework to foster a dementia-inclusive environment, where communities can support persons with dementia to be independent citizens, to be connected as much as they want to, to feel safe and comfortable, and to be able to maximize their abilities and opportunities to participate.
BS EN 17161 Design for All. Accessibility following a Design for All approach in products, goods, and services. Extending the range of users
BS EN 17161 specifies requirements that enable an organization to design, develop and provide products, goods, and services so that they can be accessed, understood, and used by the widest range of users, including persons with disabilities.
It enables businesses to extend their range of users by identifying diverse needs, characteristics, capabilities, and preferences in their procedures and processes.
BS 8878 Web accessibility. Code of practice
BS 8878 is the first British standard to outline a framework for web accessibility when designing or commissioning web products. It provides guidance for all sectors on meeting the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 which states that web products must be accessible to all.
It is designed as an introduction to digital accessibility for non-technical professionals. It will help anyone commissioning or designing a website or product to ensure it can be accessed by anyone.
Why not see how these standards could help you to support consumers in vulnerable situations? Experience the benefits of delivering a fair and inclusive service by adopting BS ISO 22458 today.
Keeping up with your consumers changing circumstances can be time-consuming, but accessing and managing your standards doesn't have to be. With a BSI Knowledge subscription, you will have the flexibility and visibility to manage the key standards you need in order to support your vulnerable consumers with confidence - all in one place. Request to learn more.