Our Commitment

Northern Voice Counselling (“we”, “us”, “our”) is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of

vulnerable adults, and of any children who may be affected by the concerns our clients bring to counselling. This policy sets out how we recognise, respond to, and record safeguarding concerns, in line with the BACP Ethical
 

Framework for the Counselling Professions.

The Ethical Framework requires that we have adequate training and safeguarding policies and procedures in

place, that clients have access to details of those policies and who to contact, and that we understand and act on

our legal obligations to share information where someone is at risk of immediate serious harm.
 

Scope of This Policy

Our counselling service is currently available to adults (aged 18 and over) only. This policy therefore focuses

primarily on the safeguarding of vulnerable adults. However, safeguarding duties are not limited to our direct

clients: if a client discloses information suggesting that a child, young person, or another adult may be at risk of

harm, this policy still applies. If Northern Voice Counselling begins offering a service to young people in the future, this policy will be reviewed and expanded to reflect the additional safeguarding duties that apply when working directly with children and young people.
 

Key Definitions

• Safeguarding - Protecting a person's health, wellbeing and human rights, enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect.

 

• Vulnerable Adult - An adult who has needs for care and support (whether or not the local authority is meeting any of those needs), is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect, and is unable to protect themselves because of those needs (in line with the Care Act 2014).

 

• Child - Anyone who has not yet reached their 18th birthday  
   

• Abuse or Neglect - Physical, sexual, emotional or financial abuse; domestic abuse; discriminatory abuse; organisational abuse; self-neglect; or neglect by others.

 

Recognising a Safeguarding Concern - 
A safeguarding concern may arise from something a client tells us directly, something we observe during a

session, or a combination of both. Signs that someone may be at risk can include, but are not limited to:

• Disclosures of current or past abuse, neglect, or exploitation

• Unexplained injuries, or a pattern of injuries inconsistent with the explanation given

• Signs of fear, distress, or controlling behaviour from another person in the client's life

• Descriptions of situations where a child or vulnerable adult may be at risk of harm

• Signs that a client may be unable to protect themselves due to their care and support needs

 

What We Will Do

If we have a safeguarding concern, we will:

• Take the concern seriously and respond promptly

• Wherever it is safe and appropriate to do so, discuss our concerns openly with the client, and explain any decision to share information outside of the counselling relationship, in line with the Exceptions to Confidentiality set out in our Counselling Agreement

• Seek guidance from our clinical supervisor, unless doing so would cause harmful delay

• Contact the appropriate agency — which may include adult social care, children's social care, the client's GP, or the police, where we believe someone is at risk of serious harm

• Act without prior consultation with the client where the urgency of the situation requires us to do so to safeguard them or others

• Keep a clear, factual record of the concern, our decision-making, and any action taken
  Where the risk is immediate or life-threatening, we will contact the emergency services (999) directly.
   

Confidentiality and Information Sharing

We will only share information beyond what is set out in our Counselling Agreement where we believe it is

necessary and proportionate to protect someone from serious harm. We will always try to be open with clients

about what we plan to share, with whom, and why, unless doing so would itself increase risk to someone's safety.
 

Record Keeping

Safeguarding concerns, decisions and actions are recorded factually and stored securely within our client records system, in accordance with our Privacy Notice. These records are retained for 7 years, in line with our standard record retention period, unless a longer period is required by law or by a relevant statutory body.
 

Training and Supervision

We keep our safeguarding knowledge up to date through relevant training and regular clinical supervision, in line with the BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions. Safeguarding is a standing item we can raise in supervision whenever a concern arises.
 

Useful Contacts

Emergency (immediate risk) 999

Police (non-emergency) 101

Adult Social Care Contact via the client's local authority

Children's Social Care Contact via the relevant local authority

NSPCC Helpline 0808 800 5000

Samaritans 116 123 (24 hours, free)

 

Review of This Policy

This policy is reviewed regularly, and whenever there are changes to relevant legislation, BACP guidance, or the

scope of our service, to ensure it continues to reflect current best practice.