ACCORD: Code of Ethics

Introduction

  1. The purpose of this Code of Ethics and Practice is to describe the standards required of ACCORD personnel, the values and principles guiding them in their work and in their relationships within the agency, with clients and, where appropriate, members of the public.
  2. By accepting to work in ACCORD, personnel accept and agree to the principles and practices outlined in this code and confirm their commitment to give effect to them in their work for ACCORD.
  3. In cases of dispute or grievance the ACCORD Complaints Procedure provides a process whereby complaints made against a member of ACCORD or an associate member are examined and where possible resolved.
  4. Those who avail of an ACCORD service are the clients of the agency rather than of the personnel who work with them on behalf of ACCORD.
  5. Throughout the code personnel applies to all who work, one-to-one or in groups, on behalf of ACCORD Marriage Care either voluntarily or in a paid capacity, in particular, counsellors, facilitators, supervisors and trainers.
  6. The code, where applicable, pertains to all ACCORD support staff working on behalf of the agency.
  7. However nothing in this code is intended or shall be taken to vest any legal rights in any persons or to create any liabilities enforceable at law on ACCORD or any of its employees or members.
  8. This code is in two parts. Part A – Ethics – outlines the fundamental values and ethical principles relating to ACCORD’s Marriage Care Service. It is not intended to be a complete or exhaustive statement of such values and principles but rather an indication of the ethical framework within which all personnel work. Part B – Practice – seeks to indicate how ACCORD personnel should apply these principles in the course of their work.

Ethics

A1. Autonomy

  1. ACCORD, and each of its Centres, works in co-operation and under the aegis of and with the active support of the Catholic Bishops in Ireland, and subscribes to the moral values of the Church. ACCORD work is carried out as part of the pastoral, as distinct from the teaching, ministry of the Church.
  2. Clients are accepted, regardless of their social, religious or ethnic background, as being of unique worth and capable of self-determination and growth.
  3. ACCORD personnel shall respect the beliefs, values and standards of their clients, their dignity and inherent worth as persons, and their ultimate right to self-determination, while having due regard to the rights, interests and well-being of other relevant persons.
  4. ACCORD personnel will not use their position to coerce or manipulate their clients, nor to impose their own beliefs or their moral or social values on the clients.
  5. ACCORD personnel recognise the trust placed in them by clients and the need to observe appropriate boundaries between the professional relationship and any other personal association or relationship.

A2. Service

ACCORD services are delivered in accordance with best practice. Personnel are selected and trained to proficient standards and undergo ongoing training and development. All personnel work under a contract both in a voluntary and paid capacity.

A3. Contracting

ACCORD personnel shall make clear to all clients the terms on which a service is being offered. Clients will be made aware of all relevant ACCORD policies as outlined in the Constitution, Policy and Guidelines folder, and other official policy documents before commencement of services.

A4. Confidentiality

ACCORD personnel recognise and accept that all information relating to clients shall be treated as confidential. This confidentiality shall be observed and protected as an ethical value in accordance with the Policy on Confidentiality, MC/02/2000, and as outlined in Part B Practice of this Code.

A5. Competence

  1. ACCORD personnel are selected and trained to proficient standards. Quality services are delivered in accordance with organisational policies and guidelines. Personnel undergo ongoing training and development and have regular supervision for their work.
  2. Personnel shall be aware of the boundaries of their competence and will facilitate the referral of clients to other appropriate agencies/experts, where necessary or advisable.

A6. Accountability

Personnel delivering services are accountable to ACCORD and to their clients in respect of their work within the organisation. All complaints shall be dealt with pursuant to the Complaints Procedure currently in force.

A7. Minors

  1. Counselling a minor (at present under 18 years of age) shall not be undertaken. During the reception interview the counsellor may propose a referral to an appropriate agency or expert.
  2. Certain educational work done by ACCORD will involve working with minors, principally in schools and for those marrying under 18 years of age. In all such work, ACCORD personnel shall have due regard (a) to the limitations in autonomy and the right to self-determination of such clients which may arise because of their age and/or (b) to the rights and duties of their parents or guardians.
  3. Minors are entitled to confidentiality to the same degree as adults.
  4. ACCORD personnel are requested to implement in their work environment the R.O.I. government child protection policy – children first: National Guidelines for the Protection and Welfare of Children issued by the Department of Health and Children, 1999. The equivalent policy for Northern Ireland is “Our Duty to Care”: Principles of good practice for the protection of children and young people issued by the National Volunteer Development Agency, 1997.

A8. General

  1. Personnel will be discreet about their work in ACCORD.
  2. Unless authorised to do so, personnel will not make statements on behalf of ACCORD.
  3. ACCORD personnel shall not work concurrently with any other organisation whose ethos or practice is incompatible with that of ACCORD.

Part B – Practice

B1. Autonomy

  1. Personnel are responsible for observing appropriate boundaries between their professional relationship and any other relationship they may have with a client or former client. Personnel will not compromise the integrity of the professional relationship to satisfy their own needs.
  2. The principle of non-directive counselling, and facilitation where applicable, pertains to all our client services.
    • In services that have a teaching aspect (I.e. marriage preparation, marriage enrichment, fertility education, personal enrichment, foccus programme, psychosexual therapy, schools’ work), a more directive approach will be required.
    • In a relational context where abusive actions are perpetrated on a spouse or where a client is in clear danger specific directives will be necessary.
    • In all circumstances clients will be encouraged to take responsibility for their own actions, behaviour and decisions.
  3. ACCORD personnel shall not act on behalf of or in association with their clients outside of their professional ACCORD relationship. Prior to making a decision when requested to do so they will seek advice from the Centre chairperson and Regional Officer.
  4. Personnel shall not enter into a personal or sexual relationship with a client or with anyone else who, as far as they are aware, is or was a partner of the client.
  5. Personnel will ensure that clients understand they, the clients, are free at all times to participate or to withdraw from ACCORD services.

B2. Services

  1. All personnel are expected to commit their services for the period of their contract. Where possible, they will not withdraw from such service without reasonable prior notice to their Centre Chairperson.
  2. Personnel will not accept personal payments or significant benefits-in-kind from clients for work done on behalf of ACCORD.
  3. All ACCORD work will be delivered in premises agreed by the local or national ACCORD executive. Personnel will not counsel, facilitate or supervise in their own homes, nor, as a general practice, arrange to take telephone calls at home from clients.
  4. It is the primary responsibility of the Centre Executive to ensure that its venues are safe for clients and personnel.
  5. Personnel will not be alone with a client in the building where counselling takes place.

B3. Counselling

  1. (a) Counsellors will take all reasonable steps to honour undertakings offered in pre-counselling information supplied by ACCORD to clients. During the reception interview, prior to the initial counselling session, clients will be informed of the terms upon which counselling is offered. These will include the number of sessions offered, appointment times and frequency, record keeping and confidentiality. (b) Counsellors will negotiate an agreed client financial contribution for service provided in line with organisational policy. Clients will be made explicitly aware of their responsibilities in relation to appointments and also of the voluntary nature of counselling and their participation in the process.
  2. Counsellors will ensure that clients understand that neither ACCORD nor a counsellor can give any assurance regarding the outcome of counselling.
  3. Counsellors will inform the client and, with due regard to confidentiality, their supervisor or the Centre chairperson if the interests of the counsellor (whether as counsellor or otherwise) and the interests of the client are in conflict.
  4. Counsellors will not undertake ACCORD counselling of close relatives or friends.
  5. Counsellors will pay due regard to any therapeutic or helping relationships, past or present, which the client may disclose, and (except in special circumstances as indicated in B.5.4.) must obtain the clients permission before conferring with anyone who is or may have been so involved with the client.
  6. The counsellor and client together will review the process and benefit of counselling at agreed intervals.
  7. Counsellors are required to maintain client records as outlined in the organisational policies and guidelines.
  8. When clients have received the help they sought, or when it is apparent that counselling is no longer helping them, the counsellors will facilitate the termination of counselling. Care will be taken to avoid creating a dependency.
  9. If a counsellor is unable or unwilling to continue counselling with a client, then the counsellor will, subject to the consent of the client and where appropriate, facilitate an arrangement for the continuation of counselling with a colleague or other suitable person.

B4. Competence

  1. ACCORD personnel offer quality services to all clients. To this end personnel are expected to review, develop and maintain their own competence in accordance with ongoing and agreed in-service training schedules. Having undertaken an initial training course personnel will accept and undertake such ongoing in-service training, supervision, case discussion and evaluation procedures as may be required by ACCORD.
  2. Personnel are expected to carry out such volume of casework/groupwork as decided by ACCORD as being the reasonable minimum to maintain competence.
  3. Only the services specified by ACCORD may be offered to clients.
  4. Personnel are expected to know the limits or boundaries of the services on offer and of their own competence. Where appropriate, they will facilitate, with the client’s consent, and after consulting with their supervisor, an appropriate referral.
  5. It is recommended that ACCORD counsellors/facilitators will be in personal therapy if deemed necessary as well as being in supervision.
  6. Personnel will not engage in ACCORD work when their competence is impaired by personal or emotional difficulties, by illness or by disability from any cause, and shall withdraw (either temporarily or permanently) from client work/facilitation work in such or similar circumstances. Personnel will work with their supervisors in deciding to withdraw from client work/facilitation work and when it is appropriate to return.
  7. ACCORD shall retain the right to suspend, remove or withdraw personnel from any work which they are undertaking on behalf of the organisation, if the National Director decides that such a course of action is necessary in the best interests of the organisation. This does not preclude the right of the counsellor/facilitator to invoke a grievance or a right to appeal procedure.
  8. Where circumstances occur which may be deemed likely to cause unusual or excessive stress or pressure on the personal life of a counsellor/facilitator (as, for example, serious illness, bereavement, financial crisis, marital breakdown or separation, alcohol or drug addiction, family trauma), then a supervisor, Centre Chairperson or other appropriate officer of ACCORD may require the counsellor/facilitator to take leave of absence from ACCORD work. Work will be resumed when the member him/herself, their Supervisor and the Centre Executive are satisfied that it is appropriate to do so.

B5. Accountability

  1. ACCORD seeks to provide quality services to all clients. Quality systems are in place, through which services are monitored. As part of its service quality ACCORD seeks from time to time the views of service users.
  2. ACCORD personnel accept the norms and conditions laid down by ACCORD in relation to services offered.
  3. Personnel will work the minimum client contact hours, counselling/facilitation, and receive supervision for their work as specified.
  4. Personnel and Centres will provide information and reports, for statistical or other purposes as may be required by the regional or national office.
  5. ACCORD’s Complaints Procedure outlines the process to deal with complaints against any member of the organisation. Clients will be made aware of how to comment or complain about services received.

B6. General

  1. If any ACCORD personnel intends to engage in a public campaign or to run for public office, they will first consult with the Centre Chairperson or other ACCORD officer to establish whether the public image thus involved conflicts with the interests or ethos of ACCORD; if it does, then the person concerned may be required to withdraw (either temporarily or permanently) from ACCORD.  Neither shall any personnel make public use of their association with ACCORD for their personal purposes.

  2. The resources and facilities of ACCORD will be used only for purposes approved by ACCORD. Counsellors and facilitators will not use ACCORD’s resources or access to clients to promote or facilitate their private practice.