Ethics Committee

Chair: Barbara Warner

Committee members are: Sara Barratt, Theresa Hendra,Judith Lask, Cherrith Marshall, Philippa Seligman, Mike Sevitt, Charity Tawodzera.

The Ethics committee would like to draw members’ attention to the new guidelines

Guidelines for use of case vignettes

We would also ask you to read the Code of Ethics that is available as a download on this page, which all members must abide by.   AFT takes pride in the low incidence of complaints made against our members but nevertheless clients are becoming more aware of their rights and we owe it to them and to ourselves to practice with the highest ethical standards in mind.  

Recently we have had a number of examples brought to our attention of inaccuracy in the way members describe their qualifications.    Some of these have resulted in disciplinary action.   We are, therefore, reminding members that complete accuracy is required on business stationary headings and signatures, in advertising and in all cases where you are describing your occupation and status.

• AFT is not an accrediting body.   You may describe yourself as an AFT member but you may not indicate that any accreditation is conferred by this membership.

• UKCP is a registering body for psychotherapy and it is acceptable to describe yourself as UKCP Registered if you have a valid current registration document from UKCP.

• Academic degrees are the concern of the Academic institutions although a wrongly claimed degree could, in the case of a complaint, result in an investigation by AFT .

The Ethics committee is happy to answer queries if you are uncertain about any aspect of  how you describe your credentials or about any aspect of ethical practice.  We can always be contacted through Sue Kennedy at the AFT office: s.kennedy@aft.org.uk

Barbara Warner
Chair Ethics committee.

The Ethics Committee is composed of members of the Board and of the general membership who are of good standing in the Association. It has a minimum of 5 members and a maximum of 9 members.
The Ethics committee may co-opt additional members for specific purposes. Where possible, the Chairs of Registration, PAC and Equal Opportunities should be members of the Ethics Committee. The Ethics Committee usually meets at least 4 times a year, with one of these a face-to-face meeting and the remainder teleconferences.
The aim of the Ethics Committee is to raise standards of ethical practice throughout the Association and to deal with complaints of professional misconduct regarding members of the Association. The Ethics Committee has a series of responsibilities for disciplinary matters within AFT, as set out in the Code of Ethics and Practice, and the Complaints and Disciplinary Procedure.
If you are interested in joining the Ethics committee, please contact Barbara Warner on Barwara@aol.com