The ACP’s overarching duty as an accredited register is to protect the public, and as part of that, to promote and maintain the health, safety and wellbeing of the public; to promote and maintain public confidence in the profession it regulates and to promote and maintain proper professional standards and conduct for Child Psychotherapists, Trainee Child Psychotherapists, ACP employees and officers and Board Members.
As a registering body concerned with the wellbeing of children and young people, the ACP recognises the fundamental importance of having an effective policy in place that safeguards and takes reasonable steps to protect from harm all who come into contact with the ACP. This meets the safeguarding principles of the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
The ACP’s Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics states:
A Member must be fully cognizant of and compliant with current child protection legislation and safeguarding procedures. Most importantly, Members must be aware of, and promptly take, the steps expected of them to protect patients, other children or vulnerable adults from harm.
This policy covers safeguarding children and adults at risk and protecting from harm all those who may come into contact with the ACP, including staff, Child and Adolescent Psychotherapists on the ACP register, contractors, and partners, people and members of the public - in a way that is proportionate to our responsibilities.
The ACP gives equal priority to keeping all children and adults at risk safe, regardless of their age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation, We recognise that some children and adults at risk are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs or other issues.