Beacon Counselling Trust (BCT) has delivered its latest Level 2 Bet You Can Help (BYCH) training to staff at the Care Quality Commission (CQC) headquarters in Liverpool.
This second round in training sessions was a key step in supporting the CQC’s evolving role in promoting safe and high-quality treatment and support within the National Gambling Support Network. The CQC, which is the independent regulator of health and social care services in England, is currently finalising the development of an inspection framework for gambling treatment and support services.
The training was delivered by Ian Whiteside, BCT’s Education and Intervention Programme Manager, and Nicola Jaques, who supports the Trust’s family-focused initiatives. The session brought together members of the CQC’s multi-agency partnerships, particularly those working alongside the Ministry of Defence, the Criminal Justice System, and teams supporting vulnerable communities including refugees.
These professionals are playing a vital role in shaping how gambling harms are addressed across sectors. The day provided a valuable opportunity for shared learning, with CQC team members demonstrating a strong commitment to embedding gambling harm awareness into their work and wider projects and their own regions.
The CQC’s Gambling Harms Project Team has shown a proactive approach to upskilling in this area, recognising gambling harm as a critical public health issue. The training facilitated rich conversations around prevention and intervention, especially in workplace settings and among isolated or at-risk populations.
One participant from the training shared their feedback:
“I just wanted to relay my thanks for setting up the training. I turned up unsure if I was going to find it relevant and am glad I did. The session was excellent and I am sure we all will have benefitted from you imparting your knowledge and expertise.
“Nicola, thank you for sharing your experience. I will definitely be talking to my colleagues in DMS to see how we can help raise the profile and include discussions around harmful gambling when out on inspection in the military world.”
This collaboration reflects BCT’s continued efforts to build capacity and awareness across sectors, ensuring gambling harms are recognised and addressed with the urgency and care they deserve.
Lauren Campbell, Treatment Manager at Beacon Counselling Trust said:
“Our collaboration with the Care Quality Commission represents a vital step in ensuring that Beacon Counselling Trust’s stratified care model is not only safe and effective, but also quality assured to the highest standards of safeguarding. This partnership reinforces our commitment to delivering services that our clients and professionals across the care sector can trust with confidence.
As the CQC develops its new gambling harms framework, the integration of NICE guidelines will be especially important. These guidelines provide a robust, evidence-based foundation for identifying, treating, and preventing gambling-related harms. Embedding them into regulatory practice will help ensure consistency, accountability, and excellence in care across all services addressing gambling harm.”
Ian Whiteside, Education and Intervention Programme Manager at BCT added:
“We’re incredibly grateful for partnerships like the one we have with the CQC, which help amplify our work and keep prevention at the heart of what we do.”
