March 2025: RASASC South London, Reference No: 00108504
March 2025: RASASC South London, Reference No: 00108504
Outcome Details
Consensual Disposal
Reasons
1. Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (RASASC) South London, a BACP organisation 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. The Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (RASASC) South London has been a BACP member since […].
3. The Member works as an organisation member.
4. On 22.2.Year 5 a complaint was made about the Member’s conduct by […] (the Referrer) who is the […]. The referrer raises concerns about the Member’s actions or inaction in light of what it should have known about […] state of mind and intentions.
[…] registered with the Member for counselling to discuss historical […]
On 25 March Year 1 […] completed a self-assessment
On 21 October Year 2 […] emailed the Member for an update.
On 25 March Year 3 […] received an email from the Member confirming they had a space. […] replied stating that she did not want counselling, that she had just made a suicide attempt […].
On 26 March Year 3 […] agreed to counselling.
On 28 March Year 3 […] asked the Member about physical symptoms from […]
On 6 April Year 3 […] had her first counselling session with the Member; due to COVID it took place by phone. It lasted 66 minutes.
On 7 April Year 3 […] disclosed to the Member that she did not think the session had helped.
On 13 April Year 3 […] had her second counselling session.
On 15 April Year 3 the Member sent […] an email; […] did reply
On 20 April Year 3 the Member called […] four times and also left a text message. The Member called […] again on 27 April and 4 May Year 3. […] did not reply.
On 11 May Year 3 the Member emailed […] saying that as she had missed three weeks of sessions her counselling file would be closed.
It is now known that, at a time thought to be in April Year 3, […] took her life.
The Referrer has concerns that, in light of what the Member knew about […] mental health and what […] had disclosed about taking her life, the Member failed to recognise that […] was at high risk of self-harm.
Admissions
5. The Member makes the following admissions which the BACP accepts.
Allegation
1.1 The Member did not contact […] GP and/or other appropriate health care
professional(s) after:
(a) receipt of email from AL dated 25 March Year 3 and/or
(b) receipt of email from AL dated 26 March Year 3 and/or
(c) receipt of email from AL dated 28 March Year 3 and/or
(d) receipt of email from AL dated 7 April Year 3.
Mitigation
6. The Member has provided a significant amount of information and documentation in mitigation which has been taken into account by the IAC in deciding the appropriate outcome.
RASASC as an organisation, together with the Board of Trustees and Senior Leadership Team, express that it is deeply sorry for the harm and distress caused as a result of its failings in this case.
RASASC accepts that its previous protocol on suicide was not compatible with BACP’s Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions 2018 and accepts that as a result, it failed to meet professional standards and acted in a way which was inconsistent with the Ethical Framework and in particular with paragraphs 9, 10 and 26.
RASASC’s operational systems, policies, procedures, governance and structure have been in the process of a root and branch overhaul, including:
• the policy on suicide has been completely re-written, together with the adult safeguarding policy and procedures and related documents
• all counselling staff, including consultants, are being re-trained in safeguarding, interventionist requirements and implementation of the new systems
• all clients are being contacted individually regarding changes to the suicide and self-harm and safeguarding policies
• a number of clients have been identified as high-risk with action needed under the new intervention policy. These clients are being contacted to sign post them to services and to confirm that their information may be shared with health professionals/appropriate third-parties in accordance with the new policies
• other governance measures are being put in place, including an updated risk register, a serious incident reporting policy and a new complaints handling policy.
A serious incident report has been made to the Charity Commission for England and Wales, recognising previous failures in both safeguarding and governance structures.
Conclusion
7. The issues identified and admitted by the 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’s Protocol on Suicide is not compatible with the BACP’s Ethical
Framework for the Counselling Professions 2018.
1.3 The Member thereby failed to meet professional standards, including in particular by
acting in a way which was inconsistent with paragraphs 9 and/or 10 and/or 26 of ‘Good
Practice’ in the Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions 2018 which state:
9: We will give careful consideration to how we manage situations when protecting
clients or others from serious harm or when compliance with the law may require
overriding a client’s explicit wishes or breaching their confidentiality.
10: In exceptional circumstances, the need to safeguard our clients or others from
serious harm may require us to override our commitment to making our client’s
wishes and confidentiality our primary concern. We may need to act in ways that
will support any investigations or actions necessary to prevent serious harm to our
clients or others. In such circumstances, we will do our best to respect the parts of
our client’s wishes or confidences that do not need to be overridden in order to
prevent serious harm.
26: We will work with our clients on the basis of their informed consent and
agreement. We recognise that exceptional situations may arise where we may need
to prioritise the safety of the client or others over our client’s wishes and
confidentiality.
Allegation 1.1 (a) and/or 1.1 (b) and/or 1.1 (c) and/or 1.1 (d) and/or 1.2 individually
and/or collectively amount or professional misconduct as defined in BACP’s Professional
Misconduct Procedure.
8. 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.
9. In relation to the findings above the IAC considers it appropriate that the Member provides to BACP, within 6 weeks of entering into a Consensual Disposal Agreement, a letter of apology addressed to the original Complainant which includes a summary of the steps taken to address the concerns encompassed by the Allegation.
10. The Member agrees that this Agreement will be published by the BACP in line with the Publication Policy and that it will be disclosed to the Complainant.
11. The Member agrees that it will not act in any way inconsistent with this agreement such as, for example, by denying the admissions in paragraph 5 above.
12. If the Member fails, without good reason, to comply with the sanction set out above or 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 it will terminate its membership. Such a decision will be published.
(Where ellipses [ . . . ] are displayed, they indicate an omission of text)