Safeguarding

1. POLICY STATEMENT

The Essex Birth Company is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of adults, unborn babies, infants, and children who may be affected by risks identified within therapeutic work.

We recognise that clients accessing perinatal and women’s health counselling services may present with heightened vulnerability, including severe depression, trauma, domestic abuse, suicidal ideation, postnatal psychosis, self-harm, or risk of harm to others.

We operate in accordance with UK safeguarding legislation and the ethical framework of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). Safeguarding responsibilities are taken seriously and form an integral part of clinical practice, governance, and risk management.

2. SCOPE

This policy applies to:

All therapeutic services delivered by the organisation
Face-to-face therapy
Online therapy
Walk and talk therapy
All adult clients (18+)
Situations where risk may impact unborn babies, infants, or dependent children

Although the service works with adults, safeguarding duties may extend to children or adults at risk where concerns arise.

3. LEGAL & ETHICAL FRAMEWORK

This policy is informed by and complies with:

Care Act 2014 – Safeguarding Adults
Children Act 1989 and 2004 – Safeguarding Children
Working Together to Safeguard Children (statutory guidance)
Mental Health Act 1983 (amended 2007)
Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR
Equality Act 2010
BACP Ethical Framework

We recognise our legal duty to:

Prevent harm where reasonably foreseeable
Make safeguarding referrals where thresholds are met
Share information lawfully and proportionately
Make reasonable adjustments for disabled clients
Act in the public interest where serious harm is likely

4. DEFINITIONS

Adult at risk

As defined under the Care Act 2014, an adult at risk is a person aged 18 or over who:

Has needs for care and support
Is experiencing, or at risk of, abuse or neglect
Is unable to protect themselves from that abuse or neglect

Types of abuse

Safeguarding concerns may include, but are not limited to:

Physical abuse
Emotional/psychological abuse
Sexual abuse
Domestic abuse
Financial abuse
Neglect or acts of omission
Discriminatory abuse
Organisational abuse
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
People trafficking
Stalking
Digital abuse

In perinatal contexts, additional safeguarding risks may include:

Risk to unborn baby
Risk to infant
Severe maternal mental illness
Postnatal psychosis
Substance misuse in pregnancy
Domestic violence during pregnancy

5. CONFIDENTIALITY & INFORMATION SHARING

Confidentiality is fundamental to therapeutic work. However, it is not absolute.

Confidentiality may be lawfully breached where:

There is risk of serious harm to the client
There is risk of serious harm to another person
A child or vulnerable adult may be at risk of abuse or neglect
There is disclosure of serious criminal activity (e.g., people trafficking, money laundering, drug trafficking)
Disclosure is required by court order

Information sharing decisions will be:

Necessary
Proportionate
Relevant
Accurate
Timely
Securely recorded

Where possible, concerns will be discussed with the client prior to information being shared.

However, consent is not required if seeking consent would increase risk or delay necessary protection.

If necessary, information may be shared with:

GP
Midwife, health visitor or maternity services
Crisis resolution and home treatment teams
Adult or children’s social care
Police
Emergency services

All disclosures and decisions will be documented in line with the Data Protection Act 2018.

6. RISK ASSESSMENT & MANAGEMENT

An initial risk assessment will take place at the start of the therapeutic relationship to assess the suitability of the service to the individual’s presentation. Risk assessment is ongoing and embedded within clinical practice.

Suicide and self-harm

Where suicidal ideation is disclosed, assessment will include:

Frequency and intensity of thoughts
Intent
Plans
Access to means
Protective factors
History of attempts
Current mental state

Where risk is identified:

A collaborative safety plan will be created
Increased support or referral may be advised
GP or crisis services may be contacted
Emergency services may be called in cases of imminent danger

Harm to others

Where a client expresses intent to harm another person, including an infant or child, a risk assessment will be undertaken.

Intrusive thoughts common in perinatal anxiety or OCD will be clinically differentiated from intent-based risk.

Where credible intent, planning, or risk is identified, appropriate safeguarding procedures will be initiated to keep harm from occurring.

Severe mental illness

In cases of suspected postnatal psychosis, acute psychosis, or significant mental state deterioration, urgent medical intervention will be prioritised.

7. SAFEGUARDING IN DIFFERENT MODES OF THERAPY

Face to face therapy

Emergency procedures are in place
Contact details are securely stored (see GDPR policy)
Lone working considerations are risk assessed
Emergency services may be contacted if required

Online therapy

Client location is confirmed at the start of each session
Privacy is identified at the start of each session
Emergency contact details are obtained
A safe word is confirmed, in case of coercion by a third party out of sight
A protocol for technological disruption is agreed
Crisis numbers are provided

If a client disconnects during high risk disclosure and immediate risk is suspected, emergency services will be contacted.

Walk and talk therapy

Please see the walk and talk counselling contract and walk and talk safeguarding policy for a comprehensive guide.

Additional safeguards include:

Pre-agreed routes
Risk assessment of terrain and environment
Clear emergency response protocol
Confirmation of contact details before session
Agreement about what happens in crisis

Clients are informed that confidentiality cannot be fully guaranteed in public spaces, but routes will be quiet and as confidential as possible in a public space.

If acute distress or risk arises, the session will pause, safety will be prioritised, and emergency services may be contacted if required.

8. SAFEGUARDING UNBORN BABIES & CHILDREN

Under the Children Act 1989 and 2004, professionals have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

Where concerns arise regarding:

Risk of harm to an unborn baby
Domestic abuse in pregnancy
Substance misuse affecting parental capacity
Severe untreated mental illness impacting infant safety

A referral may be made to children’s social care in line with local safeguarding thresholds. When possible, details of the referral will be transparent and discussed in advance, unless this disclosure may cause harm.

9. RECORD KEEPING

The organisation maintains clear, accurate, and contemporaneous records of:

Risk disclosures
Safeguarding assessments
Advice sought in supervision
Decisions made
Information shared
Rationale for action

Records are stored securely and retained in accordance with data protection legislation. Please see the GDPR Policy for further details.

10. SUPERVISION & GOVERNANCE

In accordance with BACP requirements:

Safeguarding concerns are discussed in supervision
Complex cases may involve additional consultation with supervisor
Continuing professional development in safeguarding is maintained
The practitioner works within competence

Clinical supervision forms part of the organisation’s governance structure and risk management framework.

11. EQUALITY & NON-DISCRIMINATION

Safeguarding decisions are made in compliance with the Equality Act 2010.

No individual will be treated less favourably on the basis of a protected characteristic.

We recognise that discrimination and systemic inequality can increase vulnerability and may form part of safeguarding risk.

Please see the EDI Policy for further details.

12. POLICY REVIEW

This policy will be reviewed annually or earlier if:

Legislation changes
Professional guidance is updated
Service delivery models expand
A serious incident necessitates review

Copyright Notice

The Essex Birth Company may also trade as Perinatal Counselling and Trauma Therapy by The Essex Birth Company. All copyright, intellectual property rights, and the terms of this document apply to both trading names.

All content contained within this document, including but not limited to text, structure, layout, branding, and logo, is the intellectual property of The Essex Birth Company (TEBC) unless otherwise stated.

This document is provided solely for the purpose of client engagement with The Essex Birth Company. It may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, adapted, shared, published, or used for any commercial or non-commercial purpose without prior written consent.

The logo, branding elements, and design of this document may not be used, replicated, extracted, or displayed in any format without express written permission.