Complaints

Complaints Policy

Last updated: 23 June 2024

Introduction

My commitment to upholding ethical standards includes providing a clear and accessible process for addressing any concerns you may have about my services. Your well-being is important to me, and I encourage open communication about any aspect of our work together. This policy outlines the steps you can take if you have a complaint or wish to provide feedback about your experience.

In the following sections, I will use “I” to refer to myself and “you” to refer to the person making the complaint.

Who Can Make a Complaint?

Complaints can be made by anyone who has received services from me, including:

• Current clients
• Former clients
• Current and former supervisees, mentees and trainees

If you are unable to make a complaint yourself due to incapacity or other reasons, your appointed representative contact me on your behalf. However, they can only do so with your express permission, and after a discussion with you about the potential risks to confidentiality involved in sharing information about your therapy.

What Can You Complain About?

You are welcome to raise a complaint about any aspect of the services I provide, including but not limited to:

• My professional conduct: including behaviour, communication, ethical standards, and perceived conflicts of interest.
• Therapeutic process and relationship: including the suitability of therapy, techniques used, your experience of our relationship, and your perception of progress.
• Administrative issues: scheduling, fees, cancellation policies, or other practical aspects.
• Confidentiality and data protection: perceived breaches of confidentiality or concerns about how your information is handled.
• Other concerns: regarding the therapeutic environment or any aspect of our professional relationship.

How to Raise a Concern or Make a Complaint

I encourage open communication and believe that many concerns can be addressed through direct dialogue. If you have concerns about any aspect of your therapy, please consider the following steps:

1. Informal Complaint – Discuss Your Concerns with Me: I encourage you to raise your concerns with me directly during a session or through our agreed-upon communication channel. This allows us to address the issue openly and work towards a resolution together.
2. Formal Complaint – Put Your Complaint in Writing: If you have discussed your concerns with me and feel they haven’t been adequately addressed, or if you prefer not to discuss them in person, you can make a formal complaint. This can be done through email. Please include the following information in your complaint:
   • Your name and contact information
   • Dates of the sessions or interactions relevant to your complaint
   • A clear and detailed description of your concern
   • The outcome or resolution you are seeking
3. Contact BACP: If, after attempting to resolve the issue with me, you remain unsatisfied, you have the right to contact the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). They have a Professional Conduct Procedure in place to investigate complaints against their members. You can find detailed information about the BACP complaints process and contact details on their website.

This Complaints Policy is not intended to replace or limit your right to make a complaint directly to the BACP at any time.

Formal Complaints Process

Upon receiving your complaint, I will:

• Acknowledgement: Acknowledge receipt of your complaint in writing via email within 15 working days.
• Initial Discussion (Optional): If appropriate and with your consent, I may invite you to a meeting to discuss your concerns in more detail. This can help clarify the issues and explore potential resolutions.
• Investigation: Thoroughly investigate your complaint and consider your perspective fully. This may involve reviewing my notes, seeking guidance from my clinical supervisor, and potentially consulting with other relevant professionals.
• Written Response: Provide a written response to your complaint within 30 working days of acknowledgement. This response will address your concerns, outline any actions taken or planned, and offer further options if you are not satisfied.

Confidentiality

As outlined in the Privacy Policy that forms part of our agreement, there are specific situations where sharing information may be necessary:

• With my Supervisor(s): I may consult with my clinical supervisor(s) to seek guidance on how to best address your complaint, while maintaining your anonymity as far as possible. This is standard practice in the therapeutic profession to ensure ethical service.
• With the BACP or other professional bodies: If you choose to escalate your complaint to the BACP or other professional bodies, I am obligated to cooperate fully with their investigation, which may involve sharing relevant information with them. This is necessary for the BACP or other professional bodies to assess the situation and determine appropriate action.
• With my Insurer: In the event of a complaint, I may need to share relevant information with my insurer as part of my professional obligations and to seek guidance on appropriate next steps.
• With Legal Representatives: In the rare event that legal proceedings or potential legal action arise related to the complaint, I may need to share relevant information with my legal representatives to appropriately respond to the situation.

If during the investigation of your complaint, it becomes apparent that seeking the perspective of another therapist would be beneficial in understanding and resolving the issue, I will discuss this with you and obtain your explicit consent before asking them to contact you.

Review of this Policy

This policy will be reviewed regularly to ensure it remains effective and in line with best practice.

Important Note

This policy is not intended to replace or limit your legal rights.