Patients’ welfare and best interests are paramount and accordingly a member of the Association of Child Psychotherapists must maintain the highest professional and ethical standards in the conduct of their practice.
All ACP members are bound by the Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics.
Patient care and the safety of the public are at the forefront of all our efforts with service users and it is important that any member of the public who has a concern about the way they have been treated in their professional dealings with a member of the ACP is clear about how to go about the process of making a complaint.
How to Complain
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If you would like to have an informal discussion before making a complaint please contact the ACP office on 020 7922 7751 or complaints@childpsychotherapy.org.uk. The office will ensure that you are contacted by the Chair of the Ethical Practice Group to discuss your concerns.
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Formal complaints should be made in writing to the ACP via complaints@childpsychotherapy.org.uk or posted to Association of Child Psychotherapists, CAN Borough, 7-14 Great Dover Street, London SE1 4YR.
If you would like some guidance to the information we need to understand your complaint, you may prefer to fill in our electronic form. To fill in the electronic form, please click on the link: https://childpsychotherapy.org.uk/form/complaint-form
If age, language or a disability within the meaning of the Equality Act 2010 would cause difficulties or prevent you from submitting the complaint in writing, please contact the ACP office 020 7922 7751.
What Happens Next
When the ACP receives your complaint you will receive an acknowledgement within five working days together with a copy of the ACP Privacy Notice.
Your complaint will be managed by the Chair of the Ethical Practice Group following the ACP Disciplinary Procedures. A 'plain English' summary and flowchart of the Disciplinary Procedure are available here.
Further information about the Ethical Practice Group can be found in Functions and Job Descriptions for the Ethical Practice Group.
Support
The ACP recognises that making a complaint can be difficult and upsetting. If a complainant would like support for themselves around the complaint that they are making, then the Ethical Practice Group can arrange for further support from a pool of senior members or from themselves to guide the complainant through the process.
The support offered would be impartial and quite separate from any investigation that follows the complaint. If you would like to be put in touch with someone please contact complaints@childpsychotherapy.org.uk.