Indemnity and Complaints Policy

1.     Purpose

This policy outlines insurance and indemnity requirements for therapists and trainees working within The Dawn Lister Therapy Centre (DLTC), and describes the process for handling complaints or concerns related to professional conduct.

It applies to all self-employed therapists, trainees, supervisors, and staff who use DLTC premises or provide services under DLTC’s supervision or placement programme.

2.     Statement of Liability and Responsibility

DLTC provides facilities, placements, and supervision within an ethical and professional framework but does not employ or directly manage therapists’ clinical work.
DLTC does not assume legal or professional liability for practitioners’ independent work.
Each therapist or trainee practising at DLTC does so as an independent professional responsible for their own clinical decisions, ethical conduct, and client contracts.

3.     Indemnity Requirements

All therapists working at DLTC are self-employed professionals and are required to hold their own professional indemnity and public liability insurance.

Each therapist must provide current evidence of valid insurance before commencing practice at DLTC.

Insurance must include adequate cover for:

• Professional negligence or malpractice;
• Breach of confidentiality or data protection;
• Work with vulnerable adults and children, where relevant.

It is the therapist’s ongoing responsibility to ensure insurance policies remain active and up to date.

Trainee counsellors must also hold individual student indemnity cover and provide documentation to DLTC before beginning placement.

Failure to maintain valid indemnity insurance may result in suspension of practice rights within DLTC.

4. Ethical and Professional Standards

All therapists and trainees are expected to:

• Work within theethical frameworks of their professional bodies (e.g., BACP, UKCP, HCPC, BABCP).
• Adhere to DLTC policies onSafeguarding, GDPR, Clinical Responsibility, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, and Risk Management (Trainees).
• Maintain regularclinical supervision and ongoing continuing professional development (CPD) as required by their governing body.

Failure to meet these standards may result in temporary suspension or termination of practice rights within DLTC premises.

5. Handling Complaints and Concerns

If any concern or complaint arises in relation to therapy, supervision, or professional behaviour, the following process applies:

Step 1 – Direct Discussion

Where appropriate, issues should first be discussed directly between the client and therapist to allow early resolution and transparency.

Step 2 – Escalation to DLTC Directors

If the matter cannot be resolved informally, it may be referred to the DLTC Directors under the DLTC Complaints Policy and Procedure (Pathway A).

Step 3 – Referral to Professional Body

For self-employed or independently practising therapists, complaints may also be referred to their relevant professional body (e.g., BACP, UKCP, HCPC).
DLTC will cooperate with such investigations but does not assume legal or professional liability for those practitioners’ independent work.

Where complaints relate to trainees under supervision, DLTC will liaise with both the placement supervisor and the training provider to ensure due process and client safety.

6. Confidentiality and Record Keeping

All complaint-related communications will be treated as confidential, in accordance with GDPR 2018 and the DLTC Privacy Notice.

Records of complaints, investigations, and outcomes will be retained securely for a minimum of seven years from the date of resolution.

Information will only be shared with relevant parties on a need-to-know basis.

 

7. Review and Version Control

v7.11.25_Aligned – Revised for consistency with Complaints Policy and other relevant DLTC policies. Clarified emergency response and reporting procedures.

This policy will be reviewed annually or sooner if legislation, insurance requirements, or DLTC procedures change.

Review Due: October 2026