SAFETY

BRADFORD BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT recognises the importance of safety and the need to provide a policy and appropriate procedures which take account of:-

·	The vulnerability of bereaved clients

·	The roles and responsibilities of volunteers including telephone answering counsellors, bereavement counsellors and members of the management committee.

·	The roles and responsibilities of supervisors contracted to work with BBS and of paid members of staff.

·	The reputation of the organisation

POLICY

It is the policy of BBS to support bereaved clients and to keep them safe:

¨	By giving them clear information about the nature of counselling, how BBS is organised and what is provided.

¨	By ensuring that voluntary bereavement counsellors are carefully chosen, trained and supervised to the highest possible standards.

¨	By ensuring that bereavement counselling is proceeding safely and effectively, through the provision of regular supervision of voluntary bereavement counsellors.

¨	By ensuring that there is a safe physical environment in which counselling can take place.

¨	By asking clients to provide anonymous feedback when counselling ends, in order to evaluate the quality of counselling and of the service given.

¨	By providing all necessary policies, guidelines and procedures to ensure the efficient running of the organisation.

¨	By monitoring and evaluating all aspects of the organisation on a regular basis and by providing appraisal for members of staff.

It is the policy of Bradford Bereavement Support to work to the Code of Ethics of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and to hold membership of that organisation.

In accordance with the BACP Code of Ethics, BBS will provide regular supervision for all its voluntary bereave ment counsellors and occasional in-service training days.

Supervisors of BBS’ voluntary bereavement counsellors will hold individual membership of BACP as profes sional counsellors and will be suitably experienced.

It is the policy of BBS to provide appropriate training and in-service training for all volunteers and paid staff and also to provide an up-to-date handbook, giving useful information and copies of all policies, procedures and guidelines for good practice.

Representatives of BBS will interview all volunteers for bereavement counselling and telephone answering; references will be taken up, appropriate police checks made and a basic training course provided. Occasional in-service training will also be available.

BBS will respect client confidentiality in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Ethics of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.

BBS will have in place a Complaints Policy together with appropriate procedures and guidelines for good pract ice which will be made known to all clients, all volunteers and all paid members of staff.

4th April 2002