UK Association for Solution Focused Practice
Code of ethics (12th September 2008)

Note that although this document refers to ‘conduct, performance and ethics’, it is not intended to define or delineate levels of performance in SF practice. Another document, known as the ‘standards of proficiency’, performs that role.

As a solution focused practitioner, you must protect the health and wellbeing of people who use or need your services in every circumstance.

Everyone applying to join UKASFP must confirm that they have read, and agree to keep to, the standards explained in this document. Also, every member must be familiar with the standards, and must make sure that they keep to them.

The standards of conduct, performance and ethics

This document explains the standards of conduct, performance and ethics that all members must keep to. We also expect anyone who wants to join the Association to have kept to these standards. They are the basis against which we will assess complaints made against a registered member of UKASFP, and we can use the standards to help us decide whether to allow a prospective member to join. We might take action against you if you do not keep to the standards set out in this statement.

Your main responsibilities are summarised below, grouped into the categories of conduct, performance and ethics. Please remember that this is not a complete list of all the issues that can arise in relation to your conduct, performance and ethics.

In the standards below, the word ‘clients’ is used to signify clients, patients, users, carers, family members, work colleagues or other members of the public.

You must always keep high standards of conduct. You must always:

1. Act in the best interests of your clients;
You are personally responsible for making sure that you promote and protect the best interests of the people you care for. You must not exploit relationships with clients, allow your views on their sex, age, colour, race, disability, sexuality, social or economic status, lifestyle, culture, political or religious beliefs to affect the way you treat them. You must not do anything, or allow anything to be done; that you have good reason to believe will put the health or safety of a patient, client or user in danger. This includes both your own actions and those of others.

The safety of clients must come before any personal and professional loyalties at all times. As soon as you become aware of any situation that puts a client at risk, you should discuss the matter with a senior professional colleague.

2. Respect the confidentiality of your clients;
You must only use information about a client:
· to continue to care for that person; or
· for purposes where that person has given you specific permission to use the information; or
· To take necessary steps to minimise and prevent the risks of clients harming themselves or others

3. Maintain high standards of personal conduct;
Any past criminal convictions must be declared and will be taken into account when applying for membership/registration. This will be balanced with the fact that we will also take into account other considerations such as time spent since conviction, type of conviction and potential threat posed to clients. We may ask for references.

Any criminal conviction received whilst being an existing member must be declared to the chair of the UKASFP committee in confidence.

4. Provide any important information about conduct, competence or health.
You must tell us information relating to your own personal and professional conduct, as well as that relating to other members, and cooperate in any investigations.

You must always keep high standards of performance. You must always:
5. Keep your professional knowledge and skills up to date;

6. Act within the limits of your knowledge, skills and experience and, if necessary, refer on to another professional;

7. Maintain proper and effective communications with clients and other professionals;

8. Effectively supervise tasks you have asked others to carry out for you;

9. Get informed consent as and when necessary;
You must explain to the client what you are proposing to do, your reasons for doing this, and discuss any possible alternatives.

10. Keep accurate client records;

11. Keep within health and safety guidelines as appropriate to your working environment; and

12. Limit your work or stop practising if your performance or judgement is affected by your health.

Finally, you must always keep high standards of ethics. You must always:

13. Carry out your duties in a professional and ethical way;

14. Behave with integrity and honesty;

15. Follow our guidelines for how you advertise your services;
Any advertising must be accurate, and you may not claim to provide better services than others unless you can demonstrate this to be true.

16. Make sure that your behaviour does not damage this Association or your profession’s reputation.

17. Actions the UKASFP may employ with members not meeting or breaching the standards.
If a report is received that a UKASFP member is breaching or not meeting standards the first action should be to clarify said information, including the reliability of the source.

The member will be contacted by a member of the appropriate committee (in time we may have an ethics committee) and given the opportunity to explain and/or clarify.

In the case of inadvertent or minor breaches it may be enough for the member to be contacted and offered support.

For more serious breaches a ‘panel’ will be formed of existing committee members and there are a number of sanctions that may be employed:
1. A clear instruction of how the member should address said breach and improve their future conduct.
2. A requirement for further training and or evidence of learning to be undertaken.
3. A suspension.
4. Revocation of membership.

In the event of any of these sanctions being imposed, said member may request a full appeal with the ‘panel’ and committee of UKASFP, the committee’s decision following the appeal shall be final.

18. Insurance:
UKASFP does not insure individuals though we expect that any practitioner offering any level of service is appropriately insured, either through their workplace, or through individual arrangements.