Professional Conduct notice / CW

August 2024: Colin Wass, Reference No:00534417 Registrant ID:591

Outcome Details

Consensual Disposal

Reasons

1. Colin Wass, a former BACP member, agrees to the following outcome of the investigation into a complaint of a failure to meet the Professional Standards under reference PCP[…].

Background

2. On 20 October Year 1, a complaint was made about the former Member’s conduct, in summary:

On 30 September Year 1 the Samaritans Safeguarding team received a notification from two ‘listening-in’ Samaritan volunteers who had listened in on a call that was being taken by the former Member, who was volunteering for the Samaritans.

It was reported by the two individuals who had listened in on the call that the former Member engaged in a sexually inappropriate conversation with a caller who had contacted the Samaritans’ emotional support’ helpline.

During the call the listening-in volunteers were able to privately communicate with the former Member and told him to end the conversation and the call. The former Member was subsequently placed on immediate suspension from duties pending a full internal investigation. The former Member voluntarily resigned on 5 October Year 1.

The record of the conversation between the former Member and the caller is as follows:

The caller identified as a crossdresser.

The volunteer was initially appropriately supportive but, as the call progressed, became increasingly focused on sexualised content. Indeed, it was actively encouraged by the volunteer.

The volunteer asked how the caller was dressed now, with the response that he was in underwear covered by a dressing gown.

Former Member: "Where are you going now?"
Caller: "Upstairs"
Caller: "Going to do a striptease"
Volunteer: "Good!"
Volunteer: "[…], ..do they need […]?"
Caller: "That would be nice."
Caller: "I'd like to […] on […]."
Volunteer: "You can"
Volunteer: Would you like your […] […]?
Volunteer: "You can […]."

The internal investigation conducted by the Samaritans concluded the following:

(a) the former Member had indeed said what he was reported to have said.

(b) the former Member was able to hear all of what the caller was saying.

(d) the former Member showed no noticeable signs of confusion during the call or when he was interviewed as part of the investigation, except regarding the origin of the “whisper” from the listener-in.

(e) the former Member knew he had done wrong, showed remorse, and had resigned.

(f) what the former Member said on the call constituted serious misconduct by way of inappropriate explicit sexual encouragement which, without intervention, would likely have led to further inappropriate contact with the caller.

(g) the former Member was aware of what he was saying during the call, and he was aware of the capacity he was working in.

Admissions

3. The former Member makes the following admissions which BACP accepts:

Allegation

I.1 In his role as a Samaritan volunteer the former Member took part in a telephone call with a member of the public on or around 30 September Year 1 in which he:

(a) engaged in sexualised dialogue with the caller, and/or

(b) encouraged the caller to engage in sexualised dialogue

Mitigation

4. The former Member puts forward the following in mitigation which has been taken into account by the IAC in deciding the appropriate outcome.

The former Member accepts total responsibility for his conduct, he does not defend his conduct and accepts the consequences of his conduct. He does not offer any excuses for his behaviour. He wants to offer his unreserved apology to his former branch and to the Samaritans for all the trouble he has caused. The former Member is so ashamed of the complaint; he will have to live with this for the rest of his life. He has lost all self-respect.

The former Member voluntarily resigned from the Samaritans.

The former Member had been experiencing a number of health issues and personal stresses.

The former Member accepts he was not mentally or physically capable of doing the duty in question; he should have cancelled the shift. He will forever regret this.

Conclusion

5. The issues identified and admitted by the former Member amount to breaches of the professional standards reasonably expected of the Member having regard to the Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy 2018 in particular:

1.2 The Member thereby failed to meet professional standards, including in particular by acting in a way which was inconsistent with paragraphs 34 and/or 48 of ‘Good Practice ’in the Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions 2018 which state:

34: We will not have sexual relationships with or behave sexually towards our
clients, supervisees or trainees.

48: We will avoid any actions that will bring our profession into disrepute.

Allegation 1.1 is an allegation of sexual conduct.

Allegation 1.1 amounts to professional misconduct as defined in the Professional Conduct Procedure.

6. One of the aims of the Professional Conduct Procedure is to protect members of the public. The IAC in considering the appropriate outcome and sanction for the admitted breaches in this case have taken into account the interests of public protection and determined that it is reasonable and proportionate to conclude it on the terms set out below.

7. In relation to the findings above the IAC considers it appropriate that, if he had remained a member, the former Member’s membership of the Association would have been withdrawn.

8. The former Member agrees that this Agreement will be published by the BACP in line with the Publication Policy.

9. The former Member agrees that he will not act in any way inconsistent with this Agreement such as, for example, by denying the admissions in paragraph 3 above.

10. If the former Member acts in a way which is inconsistent with this Agreement the matter will be referred to a sanction panel for consideration. A sanction panel may determine that, if he had remained a member, the former Member’s membership would have been withdrawn. Such a decision would be published.

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