Extract from the Ethical Framework
30.听We will usually provide clients with the information they ought to know in advance in听order to make an informed decision about the services they want to receive, how these听services will be delivered and how information or data about them will be protected.听Where the urgency or seriousness of the situation requires us to intervene before听providing such information, we will do so at the first appropriate opportunity.
31.听We will give careful consideration to how we reach agreement with clients and will听contract with them about the terms on which our services will be provided. Attention听will be given to:
a. reaching an agreement or contract that takes account of each client鈥檚 expressed听needs and choices so far as possible
b. communicating terms and conditions of the agreement or contract in ways easily听understood by the client and appropriate to their context
c. stating clearly how a client鈥檚 confidentiality and privacy will be protected and any听circumstances in which confidential or private information will be communicated to听others
d. providing the client with a record or easy access to a record of what has been agreed听
e. keeping a record of what has been agreed and of any changes or clarifications when听they occur
f. being watchful for any potential contractual incompatibilities between agreements听with our clients and any other contractual agreements applicable to the work being听undertaken and proactively strive to avoid these wherever possible or promptly听alert the people with the power or responsibility to resolve these contradictions.
32.听We will periodically review each client鈥檚 progress and, when practicable, seek our听client鈥檚 views on how we are working together.
33.听We will establish and maintain appropriate professional and personal boundaries in听our relationships with clients by ensuring that:
a. these boundaries are consistent with the aims of working together and beneficial to听the client
b. any dual or multiple relationships will be avoided where the risks of harm to the听client outweigh any benefits to the client
c. reasonable care is taken to separate and maintain a distinction between our听personal and professional presence on social media where this could result in听harmful dual relationships with clients
d. the impact of any dual or multiple relationships will be periodically reviewed听in supervision and discussed with clients when appropriate. They may also be听discussed with any colleagues or managers in order to enhance the integrity of the听work being undertaken.
34.听We will not have sexual relationships with or behave sexually towards our clients,听supervisees or trainees.
35.听We will not exploit or abuse our clients in any way: financially, emotionally, physically,听sexually or spiritually.
36.听We will avoid having sexual relationships with or behaving sexually towards people听whom we know to be close to our clients in order to avoid undermining our clients鈥櫶齮rust in us or damaging the therapeutic relationship.
37.听We will avoid continuing or resuming any relationships with former clients that could听harm the client or damage any benefits from the therapeutic work undertaken. We听recognise that conflicts of interest and issues of power or dependence may continue听after our working relationship with a client, supervisee or trainee has formally ended.听Therefore:
a. we will exercise caution before entering into personal or business relationships with听former clients
b. we will avoid sexual or intimate relationships with former clients or people close to听them. Exceptionally, such a relationship will only be permissible following careful听consideration in supervision and, whenever possible, following discussion with听experienced colleagues or others concerned about the integrity of the counselling听professions, when:
- enough time has elapsed or the circumstances of the people concerned have听sufficiently changed to establish a distinction between the former and proposed听new relationship听
- any therapeutic dynamics from the former relationship have been sufficiently听resolved to enable beginning a different type of relationship. (This may not听be possible with some clients or inappropriate to some therapeutic ways of听working.)听
- an equivalent service to the one provided by the practitioner is available to the听former client, should this be wanted in future
- the practitioner has taken demonstrable care in ensuring that the new听relationship has integrity and is not exploitative
c. We will be professionally accountable if the relationship becomes detrimental to听the former client or damages the standing of the profession
FAQs
Why does the Ethical Framework talk about both 'agreements' and 'contracts'? Why not just 'contracts'?
听
Do our ethics apply too much attention to sex? Are we the new puritans or in danger of becoming Victorian prudes?
听