1.1 STATEMENT OF SERVICE PHILOSOPHY, POLICY AND PRACTICE
 

PAC Philosophy / Vision Statement
To make available a free professional counselling service that will enhance the lives of adults and children who are affected either directly or indirectly by cancer or other life threatening illnesses.
Eligibility Criteria

Positive Action on Cancer provides a free professional children’s therapy service for anyone in Wiltshire, Somerset and BANES (Bath and North East Somerset):

• Diagnosed with cancer or another life threatening illness
• Affected by a diagnosis - as a family member, carer or friend
• Bereaved as a result of cancer or other serious illness 
  

Ensuring the Quality of the Service

The staff at PAC are professionally trained to diploma level and required to have at least one-year postgraduate experience and have membership of a relevant professional body.

As an Organisational Member of BACP we are bound by its Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy and subject to the Professional Conduct Procedure for the time being in force. External supervision is provided in accordance with the requirements of BACP.

Public liability insurance is held.

Monthly meetings are held to promote team building and communication.

Annual reviews are held between the clinical manager and individual staff in order to reflect on practice and to monitor the practitioner’s needs.

Training is provided in response to needs; external training can be subsidised.

Promotion of the Service

The Children’s Service is promoted regularly to schools, youth services and health professionals.

Charging

No charge is made for this service.

Therapeutic Approach

Play therapy is provided for younger children usually up to 11.  The therapist initially meets with the child and their parent to decide whether play therapy can be helpful. If the decision is made to proceed, six sessions are offered initially.

Play therapy enables children to explore and express their feelings using play. Children often struggle to put their feelings into words and this approach gives them the opportunity to use play to communicate and understand their feelings without the need for talking.

The practitioner working with older children uses an Integrative / psychodynamic model. Young people under the age of 16 are asked to get their parent/guardian’s written consent for them to proceed with counselling. Young people are initially offered four to six sessions. Further sessions may be offered if both therapist and client feel it would be beneficial and appropriate to continue.
Clients are able to do supportive work, or to work at more depth, within the agreed number of sessions. Respect for the clients’ values and their capacity for self determination is at the core of the work. The end of the work is kept in mind at the beginning.

Evaluation

Evaluation forms are offered to parents and younger children at the start and end of therapy. Young people are given an evaluation form to complete at their final session. These are returned to the director, anonymously if wished.

Regular evaluation of the service is undertaken between the clinical manager, the director and the board of trustees, who are kept informed of the balance of client numbers and hours available, as well as relevant developments.

Waiting List

In the case of a waiting list, every effort will be made to offer clients an initial holding session before being put on the waiting list. A list of alternative agencies is available.

THE PRACTICE

Younger children can be referred by their parents. Older children may be referred by parents, schools or other sources eg. GP surgeries or can self refer. Children under 16 will be asked to obtain their parent’s written consent before proceeding .

Initial approaches to the service are dealt with by the clinical manager. Clients are then allocated to the practitioner according to the spaces available and the availability of the client. Older children can sometimes be seen at a room in their school if a prior arrangement has been made with PAC and the school.

The practitioner provides a copy of the working agreement for each client at the first session, as well as explaining the limits of confidentiality (see Confidentiality policy) and informs the client that an evaluation form will be offered at the end of the work. Practitioners manage appointments with their clients, missed sessions can be rescheduled due to the possibility of treatment / ill health intervening. Notes are kept in a locked cabinet, separate from client contact details.

1.2 COUNSELLING POLICY

1 Context

1.1 The primary task of the Children’s Service is the provision of free therapeutic support for anyone

• Diagnosed with cancer or another life threatening illness
• Affected by a diagnosis - as a family member, carer or friend
• Bereaved as a result of cancer or other serious illness 
  

1.2 The Children’s Service offers an opportunity for these children and young people  to express their feelings in a safe, non-judgemental environment. The expression of fear and anxiety can benefit mental and physical well being. The practitioner’s role in this process is to aid the individual in ways that respect his/her values and capacity for self determination.

2 Entitlement

2.1 The Children’s Service is available to anyone under 18 years old, affected or bereaved by cancer or another life threatening illness in Somerset, Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset (BANES) and North Dorset.

2.2 Service users are entitled to expect a high quality therapeutic service which

• is client focussed
  
• is delivered by appropriately qualified practitioners
  
• abides by the Ethical Framework of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). Individual membership of an appropriate professional body is required.
  

3 Professional Practice

3.1 All practitioners are trained to diploma level and committed to maintaining their competence through on-going professional development.
3.2 Practitioners have regular supervision with an experienced counsellor or therapist with experience in supervision.
3.3 Practitioners will not misrepresent their training or experience.

4 Confidentiality

4.1 The BACP Ethical Framework requires that the highest possible level of confidentiality is offered to the client in order to respect their privacy and create the necessary trust.
4.2 In exceptional circumstances, the practitioner may take the decision to break confidentiality, with or without the client’s consent if necessary where, in his/her professional judgement:

• there is a risk of the client harming themselves or being harmed
  
• there is a risk of another person being harmed
  

In such circumstances the counsellor will always

• Seek to obtain the client’s, or if appropriate the parent’s consent prior to disclosure
  
• Discuss with his/her supervisor
  
• Inform the clinical manager of any planned breach of confidentiality.
  

Positive Action on Cancer has a comprehensive child protection policy. For further details click on the link.

4.3 It is therefore ethically and legally unwise to promise “total” or ”absolute” confidentiality. Rather does Positive Action on Cancer offer confidentiality within the law and the BACP Ethical Framework.
4.4 All records and case notes will be kept securely locked in drawers. Service user’s contact details will be held separately from case notes.

5 Service Delivery

5.1 The therapy will be provided in an appropriate, safe and confidential environment.
5.2 All practitioners and PAC staff have undergone CRB checks
5.3 Sessions will last for up to 50 minutes and will normally be on a weekly basis, at the same time and day each week.
5.4 Initial appointments will be booked via the clinical manager and thereafter with the practitioner concerned.
5.5 PAC holds a list of referral agencies in the area.

6 Monitoring and evaluation

6.1 Evaluation is carried out via evaluation forms. Service users are informed at the start of the work that evaluation forms will be offered, but do not have to be filled out.

7 Insurance

7.1 Public liability insurance is held.

Supporting policies and procedures

BACP Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy
Child Protection Policy
Confidentiality Policy
Complaints Procedure