ISEP publishes Supporting Mental Wellbeing Advice Note for Impact Assessment Professionals

ISEP is proud to launch the latest Advice Note for professionals and organisations: Supporting Mental Wellbeing in the Impact Assessment Profession.

This Note addresses concerns around growing pressures in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) sector, offering practical approaches for individuals and organisations to foster resilience to stress and support mental wellbeing.

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Challenges facing the profession

Impact Assessment is a demanding field. As Juliette Callaghan, Chair of ISEP’s Impact Assessment Steering Group, highlights in her foreword, EIA work is complex, iterative, and involves navigating diverse stakeholder expectations, tight deadlines, and evolving legislation. These pressures, often compounded a fear of failure, can take their toll on EIA practitioners.

Understanding the root causes

The Advice Note delves into the root causes or ’triggers’ of stress in EIA, from client demands and changing scope, to the isolating nature of remote work. Importantly however stress affects different people differently; what causes stresses for one person may not affect another. Factors such as skills and experience, age or disability may all affect whether an individual can cope with any particular trigger of stress.

Sharing advice for resilience

Practical advice has been collated from a survey of over 100 impact assessment professionals:

  • For individuals: techniques like targeted time management, boundary setting, and mindfulness are recommended, alongside seeking support from colleagues and mental health resources.
  • For organisations: strategies include resourcing projects adequately, fostering open communication within teams, and implementing wellbeing initiatives like flexible working and stress management training.

Crucially, the note emphasises that organisations must take proactive steps rather than relying solely on external support. Stress in EIA is often systemic, tied to workload, culture, and role clarity; issues that require internal commitment to resolve.

Wider implications

While this Advice Note focuses on Impact Assessment, its lessons resonate across all professions. The modern workplace is broken for many, with stress and burnout becoming endemic. As industries experiment with radical solutions like the four-day week, the message is clear: self-care and mental health awareness must become everyday priorities.

For Impact Assessment professionals, this is especially critical. With new government reforms in planning, housing, and nature protection on the horizon, the sector faces heightened scrutiny. Protecting the wellbeing of professionals isn’t just ethical, it’s essential to retaining talent and ensuring high-quality outcomes.

ISEP’s commitment

Though ISEP is evolving into the Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals (ISEP), our dedication to supporting Impact Assessment practitioners remains unwavering. This Advice Note is a testament to that commitment, offering tailored guidance while urging the profession to tackle stress at its source.

The time for action is now. By addressing these challenges collectively, we can create a healthier, more sustainable future for the profession and for the environments we work to protect.

To read the full Advice Note and join the conversation, click here.

 

Top 5 Takeaways for Impact Assessment organisations to support staff wellbeing

  1. Resource projects realistically
    Ensure teams are adequately staffed and deadlines are achievable. Overloading professionals leads to burnout—balance workloads and match complexity with experience.
  2. Foster open communication
    Create a culture where stress can be discussed without stigma. Regular check-ins, mental health first aiders, and safe spaces for dialogue help teams feel supported.
  3. Set clear boundaries
    Respect contracted hours, discourage out-of-hours work, and protect personal time. Unrealistic demands harm retention—push back on scope creep and last-minute changes.
  4. Invest in training and wellbeing resources
    Provide stress management workshops, resilience training, and access to counselling. Equip leaders to recognise signs of stress and support their teams effectively.
  5. Recognise and value EIA roles
    Advocate for the profession’s importance internally and with clients. Celebrate contributions, ensure fair compensation, and align expectations with the true demands of EIA work.

The bottom line? Organisations can act to support professionals before stress or burnout takes hold. Prioritise wellbeing to retain talent, improve outcomes, and build a sustainable profession.