Best Counselling Ethics and Code of Conduct for Counsellors
Introduction
1. Ronald Cruickshank's fraser Coast Counselling Service has been established to;
(a) To provide a professionally based organisation of persons engaged in the delivery of counselling education and practice.
(b) To monitor, maintain, set and improve professional standards in staff engagement, counselling education and practice.
(c) To be self-regulatory to provide outstanding service for customers of my service and to provide a mechanism for dealing with complaints about counselling with myself, my team or staff.
(d) To liaise with Government for the benefit of our team and the public.
2. Counsellors and staff of Ronald Cruickshank's Counselling Fraser Coast Service adhere to this Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct applies to Ronald Cruickshank, staff and any counsellor’s work related activities. It includes the clinical or counselling practice as well as research, teaching, supervision of trainees and other activities that relate to the overall general training and employment of the organisation and of the counselling profession.
3. The Code of Conduct is intended to provide standards of professional conduct that can be applied by the organisation in Australia and around the world on an international standard. Depending upon the circumstances compliance or non-compliance with the Code of Conduct may be admissible in some legal proceedings.
Code of Ethics
1. The helping relationship constitutes the effective and appropriate use of helper’s skills that are for the benefit and safety of the participant in his or her circumstances. Therefore as management and staff (regardless of level) of Ronald Cruickshank's Fraser Coast Counselling Service we will:
♥ Offer a non-judgmental professional service, free from discrimination, honoring the individuality of the participant.
♥ Establish the helping relationship in order to maintain the integrity and empowerment of the participant without offering advice.
♥ Be committed to ongoing personal and professional development.
♥ Ensure participant understanding of the purpose, process and boundaries of the counselling relationship.
♥ Offer a promise of confidentiality and explain the limits of duty of care.
♥ For the purpose of advocacy, receive written permission from the participant before divulging any information or contacting any other parties outside of Ronald Cruickshank's Fraser Coast Counselling Service.
♥ Endeavor to make suitable referral where competent service goes beyond the abilities of our team and can not be provided.
♥ Undertake regular supervision and debriefing to develop skills, monitor performance and sustain professional accountability.
♥ Be responsive to the needs of peers and provide a supportive environment for their professional development.
♥ Not act as, or practice legal council, on behalf of or to a participant when practicing as a counsellor or act as an agent for a participant.
♥ Not initiate, develop or pursue a relationship be it sexual or nonsexual with past or current participants, within 2 years of the last counselling consultation.
♥ Be responsible for our own updating and continued knowledge of theories, ethics and practices through journals, the association and other relevant bodies.
♥ Be committed to the above code of ethics and recognize that procedures for withdrawal of employment will be implemented for breaches.
Code of Practice
2. Introduction
This code applies these values and ethical principles outlined above to more specific situations that may arise in the practice of counselling. No clause or section should he read in isolation from the rest of the Code.
2.1 Issues of Responsibility
2.1.1 The counsellor-participant and staff-participant relationship is the foremost ethical concern. However, counselling does not exist in social isolation. Counsellors and staff may need to consider other sources of ethical responsibility. The headings in this section are intended to draw attention to some of these.
2.1.2 Counsellors and staff take responsibility for clinical/therapeutic decisions in their work with participants.
2.1.3 Responsibility to the participant.
Participant Safety
2.1.3.1 Counsellors and staff must take all reasonable steps to ensure that the participant does not suffer physical, emotional or psychological harm during counselling sessions.
2.1.3.2 Counsellors or staff must not exploit their participant financially, sexually, emotionally, or in any other way. Suggesting or engaging in sexual activity with a participant is unethical and illegal.
2.1.3.3 Counsellors and staff must provide privacy for counselling sessions. The sessions should not be overheard, recorded or observed by anyone other than the counsellor without informed consent from the participant. Normally any recording would be discussed as part of the contract. Care must be taken that sessions are not interrupted.
ParticipantSelf-determination
2.1.3.4 In counselling the balance of power is unequal and counsellors or staff must take care not to abuse their power.
2.1.3.5 Counsellors or staff do not normally act on behalf of their participants. If they do, it will be only at the express request of the participant, or else in exceptional circumstances.
2.1.3.6 Counsellors or staff do not normally give advice.
2.1.3.7 Counsellors and staff have a responsibility to establish with a participant at the outset of counselling the existence of any other therapeutic or helping relationships in which the participant is involved and to consider whether counselling is appropriate. Counsellors and staff should gain the participant’s permission before conferring in any way with other professional workers.
Breaks and Endings
2.1.3.8 Counsellors and staff work with participants to reach a recognized ending when participants have received the help they sought or when it is apparent that counselling is no longer helping or when participants wish to end.
2.1.3.9 External circumstances may lead to endings for other reasons that are not therapeutic. Counsellors and staff must make arrangements for care to be taken of the immediate needs of participants in the event of any sudden and unforeseen endings by the counsellor or breaks to the counselling relationship.
2.1.3.10 Counsellors and staff should take care to prepare their participants appropriately for any planned breaks from counselling. They should take any necessary steps to ensure the well being of their participants during such breaks.
2.1.4 Responsibility to other Counsellors
2.1.4.1 Counsellors must not conduct themselves in their counseling related activities in ways that undermine public confidence either in their role as a counsellor or in the work of other counsellors.
2.1.4.2 A counsellor or staff member who suspects misconduct by another counsellor or staff member which cannot be resolved or remedied after discussion with the counsellor concerned, should implement the Complaints Procedure, doing so without breaches of confidentiality other than those necessary for investigating the complaint.
2.1.5 Responsibility to Colleagues and Others
2.1.5.1 Counsellors and staff are accountable for their services to colleagues, employers and funding bodies as appropriate. At the same time they must respect the privacy, needs and autonomy of the participant as well as the contract of confidentiality agreed with the participant.
2.1.5.2 No-one should be led to believe that a service is being offered by the counsellor or staff which is not in fact being offered, as this may deprive the participant of the offer of such a service elsewhere.
2.1.5.3 Counsellors and staff must play a demonstrable part in exploring and resolving conflicts of interest between themselves and their employers or agencies, especially where this affects the ethical delivery of counselling and other related services to participants.
2. 1.6 Responsibility to the Wider Community Law
2.1.6.1 Counsellors and staff must take all reasonable steps to be aware of current law as it applies to their counselling practice.
2.1.7 Resolving Conflicts Between Ethical Priorities
2.1.7.1 Counsellors or staff may find themselves caught between conflicting ethical principles, which could involve issues of public interest. In these circumstances, they are urged to consider the particular situation in which they find themselves and to discuss the situation with their team leader or counselling supervisor and/or other experienced counsellors. Even after conscientious consideration of the salient issues, some ethical dilemmas cannot be resolved easily or wholly satisfactorily.
2.2 Anti-Discriminatory Practice
Participant Respect
2.2.1 Counsellors and our staff work with participants in ways that affirm both the common humanity and the uniqueness of each individual. They must be sensitive to the cultural context and worldview of the participant, for instance whether the individual, family or the community is taken as central.
Participant Autonomy
2.2.2 Counsellors and our staff are responsible for working in ways that respect and promote the participant’s ability to make decisions in the light of his/her own beliefs, values and context.
Counsellor and Staff Awareness
2.2.3 Counsellors and staff are responsible for ensuring that any problems with mutual comprehension due to language, cultural differences or for any other reason are addressed at an early stage. The use of an interpreter needs to be carefully considered at the outset of counselling.
2.2.4 Counsellors and staff have a responsibility to consider and address their own prejudices and stereotyping attitudes and behaviour and particularly to consider ways in which these may be affecting the counselling relationship and influencing their responses.
2.3 Confidentiality
2.3.1 Confidentiality is a means of providing the participant with safety and privacy and thus protects participant autonomy. For this reason any limitation of the degree of confidentiality is likely to diminish the effectiveness of counselling.
2.3.2 The counselling contract will include any agreement about the level and limits of confidentiality offered. This agreement can be reviewed and changed by negotiation between counsellor and participant. Agreements about confidentiality continue after the participant’s death unless there are overriding legal or ethical considerations.
2.3.3 Settings
2.3.3.1 Counsellors and staff must ensure that then have taken all reasonable steps to inform the participant of any limitations to confidentiality that arise within the setting of the counselling work, e.g. updating doctors in primary care, team case discussion in agencies. These are made explicit through clear contracting.
2.3.3.2 Many settings place additional specific limitations on confidentiality. Counsellors and staff considering working in these settings must think about the impact of such limitations on their practice and decide whether or not to work in such settings.
2.3.4 Exceptional Circumstances
2.3.4.1 Exceptional circumstances may arise which give the counsellor or staff good grounds for believing that serious harm may occur to the participant or to other people. In such circumstances the participant’s consent to change in the agreement about confidentiality should be sought whenever possible unless there are also good grounds for believing the participantis no longer willing or able to take responsibility for his/her actions.
Normally, the decision to break confidentiality should be discussed with the participant and should be made only after consultation with the counselling supervisor of if he/she is not available, an experienced counsellor.
2.3.4.2 Any disclosure of confidential information should be restricted to relevant information, conveyed only to appropriate people and for appropriate reasons likely to alleviate the exceptional circumstances. The ethical considerations include achieving a balance between acting in the best interests of the participant and the counsellor or staff’s responsibilities to the wider community.
2.3.4.3 Counsellors and staff hold different views about the grounds for breaking confidentiality, such as potential self-harm, suicide, and harm to others. Counsellors and staff must consider their own views, as they will affect their practice and communicate them to participant and significant others e.g. supervisor, agency.
2.3.5 Management and Confidentiality
2.3.5.1 Counsellors and staff should ensure that records of the participant’s identity are kept separately from any case notes.
2.3.5.2 Arrangements must be made for the safe disposal of participant records, especially in the event of the counsellor’s incapacity or death.
2.3.5.3 Care must be taken to ensure that personally identifiable information is not transmitted through overlapping networks of confidential relationships. In particular the use of Bcc for bulk email transmission should be strictly adhered to.
2.3.5.4 When case material is used for case studies, reports or publications, the participant’s informed consent must be obtained wherever possible and their identity must be effectively disguised.
2.3.5.5 Any discussion about staff interaction with a participant or counselling work between the counsellor and others should be purposeful and not trivializing.
2.3.5.6 Counsellors and staff must pay particular attention to protecting the identity of participants.
2.4 Contracts
2.4.1 Advertising and Public Statements
2.4.1.1 Counsellors who hold accredited qualifications and who are members of recognized bodies are encouraged to mention this.
2.4.1.2 All advertising and public statements should be accurate in every particular.
2.4.1.3 Counsellors should not display an affiliation with an organization in a manner that falsely implies sponsorship or validation by that organization.
2.4.2 Pre-Counselling Information
2.4.2.1 Any publicity material and all written and oral information should reflect accurately the nature of the service on offer, and the relevant counselling training, qualifications and experience of the counsellor.
2.4.2.2 Counsellors and staff should take all reasonable steps to honor undertakings made in their pre-counselling information.
2.4.3 Contracting with Participants
2.4.3.1 Counsellors and staff are responsible for reaching agreement with their participants about the terms on which counselling is being offered, including availability, the degree of confidentiality offered, arrangements for the payment of any fees, cancelled appointments and other significant matters. The communication of essential terms and any negotiations should be concluded by having reached a clear agreement before the participant incurs any commitment or liability of any kind.
2.4.3.2 The counsellors and staff have a responsibility to ensure that the participant is offered a free choice whether or not to participate in counselling. Reasonable steps should be taken in the course a the counselling relationship to ensure that the participant is given an opportunity to review the counselling.
2.4.3.3 Counsellors and staff must avoid conflicts of interest wherever possible. Any conflicts of interest that do occur must be discussed in staff or counselling supervision and where appropriate with the participant.
2.4.3.4 Records of appointments should be kept and participants should be made aware of this. If records of counselling sessions are kept, participants should also be made aware of this. At the participant’s request information should be given about access to these records, their availability to other people, and the degree of security with which they are kept.
2.4.3.5 Counsellors and staff must be aware that computer-based records are subject to statutory regulations. It is the counsellor’s responsibility to be aware of any changes the government may introduce in the regulation concerning the participant’s right of access to his/her records.
2.4.3.6 Counsellors are responsible for addressing any participant dissatisfaction with the counselling.
2.5 Boundaries With Participants
2.5.1 Counsellors are responsible for setting and monitoring boundaries throughout the counselling sessions and will make explicit to participants that counselling is a formal and contracted relationship and nothing else.
2.5.2 The counselling relationship must not be concurrent with a supervisory or training relationship.
With Former Participants
2.5.3 Counsellors remain accountable for relationships with former participants and must exercise caution over entering into friendships, business relationships, training, supervising and other counselling relationships. Any changes in relationships must be discussed in counselling supervision. The decision about any change(s) in relationships with former participants should take into account whether the issues and power dynamics presented during the counselling relationship have been resolved.
2.5.4 Counsellors and staff are prohibited from sexual activity with all current and former participants for a minimum of two years from cessation of counselling.
2.6 Competence
2.6.1 Counsellor Competence and Education
2.6.1.1 Counsellors must have achieved a level of competence before commencing counselling and must maintain continuing professional development as well as regular and ongoing supervision.
2.6.1.2 Counsellors must actively monitor their own competence through counselling supervision and be willing to consider any views expressed by their participants and by other counsellors.
2.6.1.3 Counsellors will monitor their functioning and will not counsel when alcohol or drugs impair their functioning. In situations of personal or emotional difficulty, or illness, counsellors will monitor the point at which they are no longer competent to practice and take action accordingly.
2.6.1.4 Competence includes being able to recognize when it is appropriate to refer a participant elsewhere.
2.6.1.5 Counsellors should take reasonable steps to seek out peer supervision to evaluate their efficiency as counsellors form time to time.
2.6.1.6 Counsellors must recognize the need for continuing education in their chosen profession to maintain a professional level of awareness of current scientific and professional information and education in their particular fields of activity.
2.6.1.7 Counsellors should take steps to maintain their level of competence in the skills they use, be open to new procedures and keep up to date with all dangers that are relevant to their area of expertise.
2.6.1.8 Counsellors are responsible for ensuring that their relationships with participants are not unduly influenced by their own emotional needs.
2.6.1.9 Counsellors must consider the need for professional indemnity insurance and when appropriate take out and maintain adequate cover.
2.6.1.10 When uncertain as to whether a particular situation or course of action may be in violation of the Code of Ethics and Practice, counsellors or staff must consult with their team leader or counselling supervisor and /or other experienced practitioners. Definition: A participant: a person or persons who agrees to be counseled or is being counseled by a person who has represented themselves to be a qualified counsellor, regardless of place, time or payment of fees.
Equal Opportunities Policy Statement
Ronald Cruickshank's Fraser Coast Counselling Service is committed to promoting Equality of Opportunity of access and participation for all its members in all of its structures and their workings.
Ronald Cruickshank's Fraser Coast Counselling Service has due regard for those groups of people with identifiable characteristics which can lead to visible and invisible barriers thus inhibiting their joining and full participation in Ronal Cruickshank's fraser Coast Counselling Service.
Barriers can include age, color creed, culture, disability, education, ‘ethnicity’, gender, information, knowledge, mobility, money nationality, race, religion, sexual orientation, social class and status.
The work of Ronald Cruickshank's Fraser Coast Counselling Service aims to reflect this commitment in all areas including services to participants, employer responsibilities, the recruitment of and working with volunteers, setting, assessing, monitoring and evaluating standards and the implementation of the complaints procedures.
This is particularly important, as Ronald Cruickshank's Fraser Coast Counselling Service is a “Voice of Relationship Counselling” in Australia, and internationally.
Ronald Cruickshank's Fraser Coast Counselling Service will promote and encourage commitment to Equality of Opportunity by it’s staff.
