1. Counselling Concepts Week 9
Session Aim:
To explore the counselling environment and to increase understanding of health, safety and good practise in counselling.

2. Session Objectives
Consider the counselling environment and identify the checks and balances which support the counsellor, the client and the public.
Describe the key features which ensure that counselling takes place in a suitable and safe environment (3.3)
Summarize key requirements of legislation relevant to counselling practice (3.2)
Identify the key features of at least one recognised ethical framework for good practice in counselling (3.1)
Summarise the importance of equal opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice. (3.4)
Prepare work for submission.

3. Where does counselling take place?
Schools, prisons, hospitals, workplace, private practise, client’s homes, on-line, by telephone, family centres...

4. The Counselling Environment What keeps it safe?
Law BACP (or other professional organisation) BACP Ethical Framework Employing Organisation Supervisor Line manager or Team. Contract between counsellor and client Counsellors own professional/personal limitations

5. The Contract
Why is it important to have a contract or a contractual relationship in counselling?
What should/could be included in a counselling contract?
Discuss your ideas in groups

6. How is health and safety established and maintained in counselling relationships?
For the counsellor?
For the client?
For others?
For each of the above you should consider the physical safety, psychological safety and emotional safety of all parties.

7. BACP and the Ethical Framework
BACP’s mission is to:
“Enable access to ethical and effective psychological therapy by setting and monitoring of standards”.
From BACP website (accessed 28/6/13)

8. BACP Ethical Framework for Good Practise in Counselling and Psychotherapy
The framework is divided into three sections:
Part one
Ethics for counselling and psychotherapy
Part 2
Guidance on good practice in counselling and psychotherapy
Part 3
Professional Conduct Procedure

9. The BACP Ethical Framework – part one
Part one is divided into:
Principles
Values and
Personal Moral qualities
Members of the BACP agree to take these into account when planning or carrying out their work and when facing ethical dilemmas.
N.B. lists of the principles, values and personal moral qualities were provided on a course handout.

10. BACP Ethical Framework and the Law
On your own or in small groups, complete parts of the two work sheet and discussion documents provided.
Next week we will share our answers and, if necessary, there will be an opportunity to amend yours.

11. Preparing your work for submission
Collect all of your homework, completed worksheets, and LSSA’s together, including instruction sheets.
Identify those from the list provided by your tutor
Put them in numerical order – 1 to 12
Bring to the final session.