Counselling Supervision & Placement Agreement

Authentic Counselling Training

Counselling Supervision & Placement Agreement

(Version html 20050525)

This document in all parts is copyright © Peter Hughes from the version date given above. Please feel free to make use of it for solely personal purposes. However, should you wish to use it for teaching, training, commercial or other purposes, you are required to ask me first.

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Introduction

Nationally, diploma level counselling training requires that counselling trainees undertake some counselling with counselling clients. This is to be expected, as it is usual for aspiring professionals (teachers, social workers, probation officers, youth workers) beyond the early stages of training, to carry out limited, carefully monitored work with their client group. Typically, counselling trainees are required to counsel several counselling clients each week for a substantial period of the counselling training course, amounting to between 100 and 150 hours of counselling on qualification. The counselling trainee is also required to prepare occasional case study reports regarding their counselling with a client.

Counselling placement

The counselling trainee is required to gain experience of fully-contracted counselling. Activities that require the use of counselling skills (such as befriending and buddying), and activities necessary for the effective functioning of an organisation (such as administration, reception and meetings), whilst undoubtedly of value, cannot substitute for fully-contracted counselling. However, a counselling placement organisation can require counselling trainees to participate additionally in activities expected of existing staff.

Counselling undertaken during counselling training takes place in the context of an existing organisation that offers a counselling placement. Many organisations offer counselling placements to counselling trainees, for example Relate, Cruise, Place to Be, schools, student counselling services, GP practices and women’s health projects. Counselling placement organisations familiar with providing counselling placements typically have a designated member of staff who supports and liaises with counselling trainees, and have procedures in place for referring clients to the counselling trainee. New counselling placement opportunities are welcomed for the additional choice they offer counselling trainees.

A counselling placement organisation may require a counselling trainee to submit to legal checks prior to confirming the offer of a counselling placement. A counselling placement organisation may also require a counselling trainee to attend preliminary and/or ongoing in-house training. In such instances it is helpful to the counselling trainee if the counselling placement organisation makes explicit any requirements from the outset.

Counselling trainees are required to confirm with the counselling training organisation that the counselling placement will serve the requirements of the counselling training course.

In order to achieve a wider range of experience, many counselling trainees choose to have two or more placements during their training. For a variety of reasons, a counselling trainee might have more than one placement running concurrently.

Counselling supervision

The Ethical Framework (code of ethics and practice) of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP: the professional body for counsellors) requires not only that all practicing counsellors receive counselling (clinical) supervision in respect of their counselling, but also that trainee counsellors receive adequate counselling supervision for all counselling they carry out for a counselling placement organisation.

It is unlikely that counselling supervision can adequately be delivered other than by an experienced counsellor (probably BACP accredited) who has received training in counselling supervision. It is preferable that the counselling (and counselling supervision) orientation of the counselling supervisor is congruent with the orientation both of the counselling trainee and of the counselling training course – at best person centred, at least humanistic. The counselling trainee will expect the counselling supervisor to contract clearly, either verbally or in writing.

It is widely recognised (including by the BACP) as vital that counselling supervision is either independent of the organisation, or at least does not involve a dual role with line management responsibilities. Whilst some counselling placement organisations make available to a counselling trainee on placement the counselling supervision arrangements for existing counselling staff, other counselling placement organisations pay for the counselling trainee on placement to receive independent counselling supervision. Some very small, voluntary counselling placement organisations are unable to make any counselling supervision arrangements, in which case the counselling trainee is required to make their own counselling supervision arrangements.

The BACP requires counsellors to have counselling supervision proportionate to the number of sessions undertaken, with a minimum of 90 minutes of counselling supervision each month. The BACP requires counselling trainees to have a minimum of 60 minutes of counselling supervision for every 6 to 8 session of counselling undertaken, with a minimum of 90 minutes of counselling supervision each month. This is what is meant by the term “the required ratio”.

If a counselling trainee has more than one counselling placement, unless it is explicitly contracted that the counselling supervisor will supervise their counselling in both counselling placements, it is expected that the counselling trainee will have more than one counselling supervisor. Overall, the required ratio should be maintained. Clarity regarding boundaries of responsibility usually serves counselling supervision well.

Some counselling supervisors supervise the counselling of several counselling trainees.

Counselling Supervision & Placement Agreement

This Counselling Supervision & Placement Agreement relates to counselling undertaken by counselling trainees attending the Diploma in Counselling delivered by Authentic Counselling Training (the counselling training organisation). The agreement is between four parties:

the counselling trainee (in person)
the counselling supervisor (in person)
the counselling placement organisation
the counselling training organisation

The purpose of this document and Agreement is to make explicit the context and circumstances of the arrangement, and the responsibilities undertaken by each party. The agreement should be read in full by the trainee, by their counselling supervisor(s) and by a designated representative of the counselling placement organisation. The relevant page for each party should be signed and dated as required.

For the counselling placement organisation, the agreement holds for the duration of the counselling placement. For the counselling supervisor, the agreement holds for the duration of the counselling supervision relationship.

In the event of uncertainty, disagreement or disquiet, issues should be raised with the training provider (Authentic Counselling Training).

Responsibilities of the trainee

To make her/himself available (at least) once a week (excepting sickness and holidays) to counsel clients as agreed with the counselling placement organisation.
To be reliable in both attendance and punctuality.
To behave in an ethical and professional manner in all dealings with clients, with the counselling supervisor, and with the counselling placement organisation.
To adhere to the Ethical Framework of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.
To ensure that all their counselling is subject to counselling supervision at the required ratio.
To seek and obtain informed consent from a client about whom a case study report is to be written.
To seek membership of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy if required by the counselling placement organisation.
To establish the insurance liability, and to carry professional indemnity insurance if required by the counselling placement organisation.
To respond constructively to concerns reported by either the counselling supervisor or by the counselling placement organisation.

Responsibilities of the counselling placement organisation

To provide the counselling trainee with clients to counsel.
To provide the counselling trainee with a setting for counselling that is safe, fit for purpose, free from disturbance (by people and telephones/equipment) and distraction, and likely to be conducive to therapeutic counselling.
To provide the counselling trainee with an induction into the organisation that meets not only Health and Safety requirements, but is also sufficient to allow the counselling trainee to function effectively in their role.
To designate a member of staff to be supportive of the counselling trainee, to liaise with the trainee regarding procedures within the organisation, and to maintain oversight of the counselling trainee’s caseload.
To voice any concerns about the counselling trainee in the first instance to the counselling trainee, reporting to the counselling training organisation if concerns persist.
To write and submit (by 1 July 200x, or when the placement ends if sooner) to the counselling training organisation a short report outlining the counselling placement organisation’s experience of the counselling trainee.

Responsibilities of the counselling supervisor

To supervise the counselling of the counselling trainee as contracted.
To carry professional indemnity insurance for the counselling supervision of the counselling trainee.
To monitor the emotional fitness of the counselling trainee, and, where appropriate, encouraging the counselling trainee to seek counselling or other help.
To monitor the clinical competence of the counselling trainee, voicing concerns about clinical competence to the counselling trainee, and reporting to the counselling training organisation if concerns persist.
To write and submit to the counselling training organisation a short report outlining ways in which the counselling trainee has been able/unable to make constructive use of counselling supervision.

Responsibilities of the counselling training organisation

To provide the counselling trainee with counselling training as contracted.
To support the counselling trainee in matters regarding the counselling they are undertaking.
To provide the counselling trainee with opportunities to present case studies regarding the counselling undertaken at the counselling placement.
To liaise with the counselling trainee about the (continued) appropriateness for their needs of the counselling placement.
To investigate concerns reported by the counselling placement organisation regarding the clinical competence of the counselling trainee.
To liaise with the counselling trainee about the (continued) appropriateness for their needs of the counselling supervision.
To investigate concerns reported by the counselling supervisor regarding the clinical competence of the counselling trainee.

Details and signature sheet 1

A copy of Details and Signature Sheet 1 is to be retained by each party

Counselling training organisation
Name of organisation	Authentic Counselling Training
Administration address	Path End House 15 Meldon Way High Shincliffe Durham DH1 2PZ
Telephone	07-789-874-420 (at all times)
E-mail	p.g.h@btinternet.com
Website	www.btinternet.com/~p.g.h/counselling_sitemap.htm
Representative
Signature of representative
Status of representative
Date

Counselling trainee

Name

Contact address

Contact telephone numbers

Signature

Date

Name of counselling placement organisation

Name of counselling supervisor

Details and signature sheet 2

A copy of Details and Signature Sheet 2 is to be retained by the counselling trainee, the counselling placement organisation and by the counselling training organisation.

Counselling placement organisation
Organisation
Address
Telephone
Representative
Signature of representative
Status of representative
Date

Name of counselling trainee

Name of counselling supervisor

Details and signature sheet 3

A copy of Details and Signature Sheet 3 is to be retained by the counselling trainee, the counselling supervisor and by the counselling training organisation.

Counselling supervisor
Name
Contact address
Contact telephone numbers
Signature
Date

Name of counselling trainee

Name of counselling placement organisation

Counselling_sitemap

Peter Hughes: introduction

p.g.h@btinternet.com