Contract – Online Counselling
This information is intended to address the most frequently asked questions concerning your online counselling sessions with London Friend. It also serves as a contractual agreement between you and London Friend. Your counsellor or the Counselling Service Manager will be happy to discuss any points that need further clarification.
Length of Counselling Contract and Sessions
You have been offered 6 online counselling sessions (6 consecutive weeks)
The counselling sessions will take place at online
Counselling sessions take place at the same time & day each week
Each counselling session is 50 minutes long. Your counsellor will be available to you at the agreed time. If you log into the session late, you will only be able to have the balance of 50 minutes
Confidentiality
No one will reveal information concerning your online counselling to anyone outside London Friend except as follows: (1) You consent in writing; (2) We believe that your life or safety maybe seriously threatened; (3) You disclose any information which places the safety of others at risk; (4) Disclosure is required by law; or (5) You file a private health care claim and the insurer requires information.
All counsellors are required to have a supervisor who monitors the quality of their work. The process of supervision is conducted in a way that ensures confidentiality.
Professional Ethics
The London Friend Counselling Service is an organisational member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and subscribes to the BACP code of ethics.
Your counsellor is either fully qualified or in advanced stages of professional training. Counselling will involve talking about the difficulties you are experiencing. It will not involve physical contact of any kind.
Donations
The online counselling service is free of charge.
Cancellation policy
If you are unable to attend a session, please notify your counsellor, giving as much notice as possible.
If you have to cancel a session at short notice, please call the London Friend office on 020 7833 1674.
Any sessions missed or cancelled by you (other than holidays negotiated at the start of the contract) and regardless of notice given or reason, will be deducted from the overall number of sessions offered, except under exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the Counselling Service Manager.
The counselling contract will be terminated under the following circumstances:
- If two consecutive sessions are missed without prior arrangement or telephone contact to cancel
- If a total of three appointments have not been attended or cancelled, regardless of notice given or reason, except under exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the Counselling Service ManagerPlease note that if you telephone to cancel a session outside office hours, your counsellor will not get your message until the following day.
Alcohol/Drugs
Alcohol or drugs should not be used prior to a counselling session. We appreciate that those clients who are alcohol or drug dependent will need to have used to stave off withdrawals. If however you are unable to fully participate in counselling due to using, the session will be terminated by the counsellor and the Counselling Service Manager will be notified.
Social Consideration
As all London Friend counsellors identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer and have social lives, it is useful to consider how you might feel if you see your counsellor in an unexpected setting. Sensitivity and respect of privacy is required from both sides, and these concerns should be discussed with your counsellor to contract an arrangement that is mutually acceptable.
Occasionally, you may have some work link with your counsellor outside the counselling space. If this becomes apparent, both counsellor and client need to discuss the situation and make a decision based on how this could impact on the work undertaken.
Evaluation of Service
As part of our quality assurance process, we monitor and evaluate the service we provide to our clients. This is done to ensure that the highest possible standards are maintained. Your views on the service we provide are valued. For this reason, you will receive an anonymous feedback form which we ask you to complete, after your counselling is finished. Your co-operation with this is appreciated.
Requests for letters
If you require any letters to be written by your counsellor, a request must be made in the first instance to the Counselling Service Manager.
Complaints Procedure
If you are dissatisfied or have any concerns about your counselling, please discuss this with your counsellor. If you continue to be dissatisfied you can contact the London Friend Counselling Service Manager to discuss your concerns. It is our hope, though, that you will find your counselling experience both helpful and supportive. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any queries you may have – we will do our best to resolve them for you.
London Friend is responsible only for counselling taking place online by our volunteer counsellors and/or members of staff.
Data Privacy Policy
We are committed to protecting your privacy and keeping the information you provide to us confidential. Sometimes we may need to share some information about you with other services involved in your care to better allow us to co-ordinate the treatment and care you receive. If this is the case, we will make every effort to discuss it with you fully first.
Your information will not be used for any other purpose and is managed according to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Please note that you have the right to apply for access to any records kept about you; to rectify any incorrect information; and you may withdraw consent for us to process your personal data at any time.
London Friend’s Privacy Policy can be viewed at www.londonfriend.org.uk/2012/privacy A worker can provide a hard copy version of this on request.
- I consent to London Friend storing and processing my personal data as long as necessary for the purpose of contacting me and managing my care, treatment or support in accordance with London Friend’s Privacy Policy.
- I agree for information to be used by London Friend to improve and monitor services, including where working in partnerships.
- I understand that I may change or withdraw this consent at any time by emailing London Friend at counselling@londonfriend.org.uk