Confidentiality and Consent Form for Clinical Supervision
Sydney Online Counselling and Coaching
Linda Magson Counselling and Coaching Pty Ltd
Welcome to Sydney Online Counselling and Coaching! As part of accessing this service, you agree to the terms stated on this page and consent to engaging in this service, as described on the website, located at https://www.lindamagsoncounselling.com.au.
Purpose
The purpose of this Policy is to clearly identify situations in which your privacy and confidentiality is maintained, and to identify limits to confidentiality and what happens in those situations.
Scope
The intention of this Policy is to protect your privacy and prevent the information you discuss from being revealed to a third party apart from the exceptions listed below. This Policy seeks to enable you to talk freely about your experiences and to explore these in a safe supervision, educational and collegial context.
Clinical Supervision Services
As part of providing this service, Sydney Online Counselling and Coaching needs to collect and record personal information from you to maximise the services provided to you. We respect the privacy and confidentiality of your information and adhere to the Australian Privacy Principles. Please read our Privacy Policy, which outlines the information we collect from you, how we use that information, its storage, security, and other important features.
You are entitled to access your personal information kept on file and retained for a period of 7 years, when you advise us in writing and identify the information required. Exceptions are noted under the NSW Health Record and Information Privacy Act 2002 (HRIP Act).
Privacy and Confidentiality
Linda Magson is a Clinical Member and Accredited Supervisor with the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA). It is a requirement that all counsellors follow strict guidelines for professional conduct in line with PACFA’s Code of Ethics, The Public Health Act 2010, and the Public Health Regulation 2012.
https://www.pacfa.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/PACFA-Code-of-Ethics-2017.pdf
Code of Conduct for display at practitioners’ premises – A3 poster
Personal information and re-identified client information may be collected for the purposes of providing a high-quality Supervision service. Such information is the property of Linda Magson Counselling and Coaching, is confidential (except in the situations noted below) and kept secure.
All Supervision sessions are confidential, with the exceptions noted below.
Principles and exceptions
- All supervisees have a right to privacy and confidentiality. The exceptions are when matters discussed are subject to mandatory reporting, or where there are reasonable grounds to believe that some risk to a person’s life might be involved, or when legally required to report a crime.
- If any third party seeks information about a supervisee, this will not be disclosed unless the supervisee has provided written consent in advance of any information being released.
- Supervisors also have Clinical Supervision on their supervision and if matters discussed relate to your supervision sessions or client cases the material will be de-identified.
Disclosure
- If you disclose a matter that you are legally required to report to authorities, you will be supported to make the disclosure in an appropriate way.
- If you refuse to make the disclosure, the supervisor will be required to take action and inform you in writing of the action taken.
- If a court of law subpoenas a supervisee’s file, the supervisor is legally obliged to provide the information and will inform the supervisee that this has occurred.
Consequence of Not Providing Personal Information
If you do not wish for your personal information to be collected in a way anticipated by this consent form, Sydney Online Counselling and Coaching may not be in a position to provide the service to you.
Contracting
We will spend time in our first session exploring your specific needs for Supervision and what best suits your learning style and level of development.
Membership of a Professional Association
This is strongly advised. PACFA or ACA or similar associations will further protect your interests.
Insurance and Professional Development
Supervisees need to be covered by their own or workplace’s professional indemnity insurance policy and provide evidence and currency of this. Ongoing professional development in accordance with membership of a professional association is highly recommended.
Service Fees
- Individual Supervision sessions are $130 for an hour’s session.
- Group Supervision sessions (max of 3) are $90 per person for a 75-minute session.
- You can either pay at the time of booking or at the time of your appointment.
Cancellation policy
You can reschedule an appointment up to 24 hours beforehand through Sydney Online Counselling and Coaching’s secure online booking system with Cliniko.
A minimum of 24 hours is required for a cancellation, otherwise the session fee will apply. Please let me know if there are exceptional circumstances and I’ll be happy to consider them.
Crisis
I am only available during weekday working hours and am not equipped to operate a crisis service. Please let me know if you are going through any major issues in your life and I may be able to provide extra support or a referral to an appropriate service.
In the event of a crisis, you can contact the following 24-hour telephone counselling services:
- Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636
- Lifeline 13 11 14
- Mensline 1300 78 99 78
- 1800respect.org.au (1800 737 732)
- Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467
Concerns
I take all due care to provide you with a respectful and high-quality Supervision service. If you have any concerns about the management of your information or the service provided, please discuss these with me. If you do not feel that your concerns have been taken up, you can contact my professional association (PACFA) or the NSW Health Complaints Commission.
Your agreement
By consenting to this service offered by Sydney Online Counselling and Coaching, you agree to the terms stated on this page and consent to the approach outlined on my website, located at https://www.lindamagsoncounselling.com.au.
Online session protocols
Data collection and secure, high quality video calls
Video calls are accessed through Cliniko, a secure cloud-based Healthcare Practice Management that meets and exceeds the strict privacy and security standards, and data regulations of the Australian Privacy Principles, GDPR, and HIPAA.
Guidelines:
- Set yourself up in a comfortable, private space where you won’t be disturbed
- Use headphones or ear buds for audio quality
- Have water, tissues, notebook & pen at hand
- Only use a secure Wi-Fi network that is password protected
- We need to start and finish on time so please allow an hour for our session (or 70-mins for couples).
I look forward to working with you on your goals for Life Coaching and/or Counselling.
Linda Magson, Clinical Member PACFA. Reg. 21210