PUBLIC PROTECTION POLICY

& PROCEDURES

The NCIP knows that Psychotherapy changes lives and we work hard to make sure that we promote integrative and multi-modality therapy to every potential client who may benefit from such an approach. 

One of ways the NCIP ensures safety and standards of practice of Integrative psychotherapy are achieved through:

• Raising professional standards: Raising and promoting high standards across the psychotherapy professions is an important part of the work we do. The NCIP provides resources and services to help our members develop and maintain effective and competent practice. We develop competences and curricula to help raise the standards of training for psychotherapy students and learners.
• Maintaining a public register: The NCIP Register is a public record of psychotherapy professionals who meet or exceed our minimum quality standards. These standards cover training, supervision, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and a contractual commitment to our Ethical Framework. Choosing a practitioner who is listed on the NCIP Register offers a client the assurance that their therapist or practitioner meets the standards of proficiency and ethical practice they would expect.
• Supporting clients with concerns: Our Complaints process (including Whistleblowing) and procedures and a regular support via email, website and phone line provide guidance and information to clients who have concerns about their therapy or therapist. If a client is worried about the way their therapy is going, wondering whether what they are experiencing is ‘usual’, or isn't sure what to do or who to turn to, we answer their questions and offer guidance on what to do next.
• Investigating complaints about our members: Through our Complaints Process (including Whistleblowing), we hear and act on complaints about our members which fall under our jurisdiction. We rely on clients, the public and our members to bring poor and unethical practice to our attention so we can take appropriate action and ultimately protect the public and the reputation of the profession.
• Being up to date with policies, procedures, and guidelines: Our policies, standards, procedures, and guidelines are updated on a regular basis and are in open access on our website where members, the public and others have an opportunity to read them through and have access when required. This allows us to keep up to date with changes in laws, regulations, standards, and other regulatory acts of an external nature as well as to keep our members and other stakeholders updated and informed. This ensures that NCIP act in time and up to date with our regulations.
• Maintaining Social responsibility: The NCIP Social Responsibility Policy emphasises our commitment to ethical practices, environmental protection, and community/public support. It outlines our efforts to give back, ensuring compliance with laws, promoting human rights, health and safety, and proactively supporting the community and public initiatives, environmental safety, and educational programs accredited by the NCIP.

Public Protection is also about preventing risk and harm to vulnerable groups within our society. It is an issue of fundamental importance and priority to the NCIP.  Ensuring it remains our foremost priority, this area demands continual oversight, monitoring, updates, and management.

As a member’s organisation for psychotherapist, any NCIP member or staff may be the first to become aware of risk of harm. All vulnerable people, children, young people and adults at risk have a fundamental right to be supported, protected and safe and the NCIP believes that it is the responsibility of all staff and of all our members at all levels and of any status to be alert to circumstances which might place them or their clients (paying or not paying) at risk of safety, harm, abuse or neglect and know what action they need to take if they have a concern.

The NCIP has an essential role in preventing and reducing the risk to the members of public and our members. There is a commitment to ensuring that members of the NCIP and all our staff are confident and competent to undertake their role in identifying and responding appropriately to any concerns.

This policy is to assist the NCIP to fulfil its responsibilities and duties for keeping vulnerable persons (including children, young people, and adults at risk) as well as members of the public safe from harm, and to comply with relevant procedures and the law. This policy applies to all members and staff of the NCIP regardless of whether they come into contact or work directly with vulnerable groups. Specific operational procedures and guidelines are in place in form of policies for support and protection.

The NCIP has a detailed Whistleblowing policy in place. It allows to additionally ensure protection for members of the public and members. 

This policy will be constantly monitored and reviewed biannually or as required to reflect material changes in other related policies, procedures, or guidance and/or changes in legislations. All changes to the policy will be additionally published on the NCIP website and in newsletters to inform our members, members of public and all our stakeholders about changes.

• The prime objective of our Public Protection Procedure is to safeguard the public and to act on behalf of our members. We do this by providing an easy and effective procedure for complaints against any of our members, including our staff and Organisational Members.
• Our secondary objective of our Public Protection Procedure (Complaints Process) is to protect the good name of the professions conducted by members of the NCIP. We invoke the Public Protection Procedure (Complaints Process) after receiving a complaint about any type of member or staff of the NCIP.
• NCIP considers all cases of malpractice or misconduct as a direct risk to professional reputation of the NCIP, profession and public safety and we take all such issues seriously and conduct a full investigation according to rule of law, our procedures, and standards. We also consider the following situations as cases of misconduct potentially affecting public safety and increase risks to members of public:
• Having a physical or mental health problem that has a negative effect on the practitioner's ability to work properly. Ignoring a decision by another health care worker.
• Being derogatory about another professional therapist, in a way that is harmful or rude or detrimental to that person's health or business.
• Inefficient use of supervision (for instance, practitioner hides serious issues from supervisor or doesn’t follow advice and recommendation given by supervisors) and practice without supervision.
• Using unprofessional language and behaviour that reflects poorly on yourself or the therapy profession.

When a complaint has been made (by anyone including members of public, practitioners, members of NCIP etc.) or NCIP become aware that a member of NCIP or staff has breached our Code of Ethics or Code of Conduct, the complaint is passed to the Complaints Triage Officer as part of the Complaints Process and relevant protocol, depending on level is actioned. 

Should any member or staff member be found guilty of a breach of the Code of Ethics and Conduct (depending on the investigation findings), they may be directed to terminate their membership. This will only happen if the Complaints Committee, (CC), deem it to be a just outcome.

The NCIP also states that making false claims about qualifications or experience and/or practice approaches, techniques, methods, and therapies in which a member isn’t qualified or trained under umbrella of CPD is taken seriously and may lead to instant expulsion from the NCIP. There will be no appeal to the CC as a member will have purposely broken our Code of Ethics and Conduct, Professional Standards and Advertising Laws. Accidental breaches due to lack of knowledge may not lead to instant expulsion but will carry sanctions. These may include, advising a member on how they can improve their practice, imposing requirements for specific changes or improvements in their practice, additional supervision sessions, specific CPD activities and many others.

All members, regardless of their membership level, are vetted and all qualifications are checked as are any claims for previous or related experience.

Complaint Procedure Outline

All complaints are dealt according to the NCIP Complaints Process. To make a complaint against a member, please visit our Make a Complaint  page on the NCIP website and follow the instructions provided. 

The Complaints Committee then follow the Complaints Process as outlined on the NCIP website. 

The NCIP Complaint Procedures: exceptions and limitations 

The NCIP do not get involved in matters of fees, refunds, compensation, and efficacy of treatment. The matter of fees and refunds should be agreed between members and clients in a written agreement/contract before commencing therapy.

NCIP cannot investigate or take any action based on a third-party account. The NCIP can only work with direct complaints from the client, not any member of their family, friends, or partners. The exceptions being if the client is a minor or mentally unable to complain themselves.

The NCIP cannot get involved with complaints where the complainant is not a client of the member - has had no therapy from them.

The NCIP cannot deal with complaints about individuals or organisations who were not members of the NCIP at the time of the event. Or who have left the NCIP since the event.

Sometimes a therapist or practitioner may say something that is a legitimate comment to make but it is misinterpreted by the client. This is the client’s responsibility to check with the therapist/practitioner first before contacting the NCIP.

If the client wishes to complain about one of our members because of something they have said or posted on social media, please do so as we will check to see if they are breaking our code of ethics, code of conduct, membership agreement and other regulations and policies.

The NCIP does not get involved in matters that have been settled by a court or are part of ongoing legal proceedings. Once solicitors are brought in by a party, the NCIP will step back from the complaint until the complaint is resolved completely.

If the therapist is working as part of a team and joint decisions are made about the therapy provided, the client should approach the therapy team first before the NCIP. They will let us know if there is individual action to be taken against the NCIP member.

The NCIP, like most professional bodies, does not investigate cases that are over 24 months old. It is almost impossible for therapists even with the best memory and notes, to remember every part of a therapy session in full detail that took place over two years ago. The NCIP cannot investigate an alleged complaint that occurred before the member joined the NCIP. We cannot investigate any ex-member, if you cannot find them in our directory, they are no longer an NCIP member.

Complaints about Training Providers

A training provider (including tutors declared during the accreditation process) whose training courses are accredited by the NCIP.

If a complainant is a student of one of our accredited training courses and has a concern or wish to make a complaint, the NCIP is not the first contact. Initially the complainant should contact the Training Organisation directly to allow them the opportunity to address their concern or complaint. Under NCIP accreditation they will have a complaints process in place.

If a complainant feels that the Training Organisation has failed to address the concern or complaint, the complainant can raise a complaint with the NCIP once the Training Organisation complaints process is completed.

Any complainant who is a trainee of the Training Organisation should be aware that:

The NCIP accredits Training Organisation courses, ensuring that they have the appropriate difficulty and content for the designated course level. We also ensure the tutors are qualified to teach and mark the course. The Proprietor of the course is not necessarily required to be a member but they are fully vetted for qualifications and experience. All tutors should have the qualifications and experience to deliver the course. 

There are no legal requirements for a trainer to have a teaching qualification, but the NCIP do strongly encourage it.

The NCIP is not involved in the running of their business and disputes with their clients. Businesses join the NCIP as an accredited Training Organisation. the NCIP accredit the courses. If these courses are accredited by an OFQUAL Awarding Organisation or other recognised national qualification body, we take it that they have undertaken due diligence and the NCIP accepts their accreditation. Otherwise, the NCIP checks rigorously courses according to our Training Standards before the course can be ascribed an accredited level and status.

The NCIP accredit courses and check that they are the correct standard and delivered by competent tutors. We will check to see if a business is registered at Companies House. 

The NCIP cannot order a Training Organisation to give a refund, it is not within our remit. 

There is one area that the NCIP will get fully involved in – the failure to provide rigorous training or deliver what was presented for the NCIP accreditation. We treat such complaints very seriously and as urgent.

The NCIP does not want any of our accredited courses or Training Organisations to fail to meet our requirement. Therefore, we expect and encourage them to rectify any problems that from time to time arise. 

The NCIP general Code of Ethics applies to all individual members only. The Code of Ethics covers the provision of therapy and not the training.

To ensure that our policies and procedures work as expected and our standards are upheld, the NCIP’s Quality Assurance Policy is in place. It means, we run regular control and checks of our members and Organisational Members.

Related Policies, Standards, Guidelines, Procedures