- I am bound by the Codes of Ethics and Practice of the British Psychological Society (BPS), the British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapists (BABCP), and the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). A copy of these codes of practice and ethics statements are available on request.
- Subject to me being satisfied that your child’s issue is one that might be alleviated by a psychological intervention, I will offer you an agreed number of sessions. This is my commitment to you. You are not contracted to any specific number of sessions. As long as you give at lesst 48 hours notice you may terminate therapy without further cost at any time you wish.
- If you have self-referred the cost for the inirtial assessment, lasting up to 90 minutes, will be £130 . Subsequent sessions, which will be up to 55 minutes, will cost £100 per session. Payment must be received by bank transfer (BACS payment) no later than 24 hours before each session. Please make BACS payments to Account name: Springboard; Sort code: 30-96-26; Account number: 71716860.
- If for any reason you are late for a session, I will see you for the duration of the remainder, but will be unable to work beyond the allotted time as this will disrupt the clinic for other clients who may be waiting.
- If necessary, sessions can be replaced by a zoom session at the same time.
- The cost of therapy includes any written materials I may supply, but excludes the cost of any books that I might suggest you read.
- It is understood that sometimes sudden events, such as emergencies, happen, that may make it necessary for clients to cancel their appointment, or fail to attend without notification. On these occasions it is at my discretion if a fee will be charged. In general, however, if you fail to give at least 48 hours notice of your intention to cancel or postpone an agreed therapy session, or if there is a repeat pattern of cancellations or non-attendance, I reserve the right to charge in full for that session.
- If private health insurance is being used to fund treatment, therapy will not commence until approval in writing has been received from the insurer.
- If agreed payments for therapy are not made, I reserve the right to terminate therapy.
- As part of my code(s) of practice I am required to carry out continuing professional development, and to engage in regular on-going clinical supervision. This is to ensure an ethical and professional service to clients and to monitor and improve the clinical work undertaken. I may discuss your case in supervision on a confidential basis, but would not use any identifying details.
- If I wish to record a session I will ask you first. If you wish to record the sessions yourself you may do so without cost.
- Confidentiality will be maintained within the codes of ethical and legal requirements. All the sessions are confidential between myself and you. It is important that during our discussions, you feel you can talk openly with me and that your right to privacy is protected. Generally, this means that I cannot discuss your case with any third parties without your consent (see term 14 for exceptions to this). I recommend parents are aware of the general session content for clients under 16 years old, so that they can support change and assist with any homework between sessions. I will work with the young person to decide what information they would be comfortable communicating to parents.
- Confidentiality may be breached in the following situations:
– Where it would be illegal for me to withhold information from relevant authorities, or where withholding information would breach the codes of ethics I work by (see term 1). For example, if I consider there is a risk that the client might harm themselves or others. In such exceptional circumstances it might be necessary to seek help outside the therapeutic relationship. In such an event where I am considering breaching confidentiality, the client would normally be informed first.
In the case of a disclosure by the client concerning acts of terrorism, vulnerable adult or child protection issues, or drug trafficking. Such disclosures will be passed onto the relevant authority without delay. Due consideration should be exercised before disclosing anything of a previously unreported criminal nature, as I would be obliged to contact relevant authorities.
– If a court of law required me to answer questions about the client. - Notes may be taken during and after each session. These will be stored in accordance with the General Data Protection Rules (2018). I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and am compliant with GDPR legislation which came into effect on the 25th of May 2018. I also follow professional guidelines for registered psychologists. Further information is on my website under “Privacy” and I recommend you read this.
I keep the following information about my clients to allow me to administer therapy and to evaluate outcomes:
- Contact details, such as name, address and telephone number
- Personal details, such as age and gender
- Working notes from each session
- Insurance details if appropriate
- Clinical questionnaire results
- Clinical letters and reports if requested
15. You have the right to inspect your records. To do this you will need to request a “data subject request”. You will then be supplied with the information within one month.
16. I will only store your personal information for as long as it is required. Basic contact information held on my mobile phone and the website enquiry forms will be deleted within 6 months of the end of therapy. Session notes, registration forms and identifiable information will be kept for a minimum period of 7 years after you (if you are over 18) or your child (if they are under 18) turns 18. After this period this data will be carefully disposed of at the end of each calendar year. Some records may be held indefinitely if there were any issues of concern that could lead to police investigation in the future. This is in accordance with the guidelines and requirements for record keeping by The British Psychological Society (BPS; 2000) and The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC; 2017).
17. Endings– psychological therapy can be demanding, frustrating and emotional. You may find this process to be very difficult, and feel the need to end therapy. Your feedback on the process will be asked for at the end of each session and if you feel unhappy with any aspects of the treatment being offered please do try and communicate this verbally. This gives us both the chance to address and resolve engagement issues. In the normal course of events you will probably know when you are ready to finish therapy, and we will agree together on the work we need to do to prepare for this.
18. I will not suddenly, or without warning, terminate our contract, except in exceptional circumstances which would become clear in the course of our work together. This would be fully discussed at that time. Please note any threats or acts of violence will invalidate this agreement and therapy will cease. Sessions will not take place if you arrive under the influence of alcohol or non-prescribed medication.
19. You will be notified of any holidays to be taken by myself well in advance. However, there may also be occasions when sessions may be cancelled because of illness or because of attending training sessions or meetings. I will try to give you as much notice as possible of any cancellation, and will offer an alternative time. Therefore, please keep me informed of any change in your contact details.
20. In the event of you being unhappy with the service you receive, please discuss this with me. If you feel unable to do so or do not receive satisfactory resolution, then you have the right to complain to my professional body, the HCPC.
21. If you think I have not complied with data protection laws you can also complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office. https://www.hcpc-uk.org/complaints/raiseaconcern/howto/
22. I do not offer an emergency therapy service. I can provide a list of emergency numbers on request.