This is the agreement I ask all new supervisees to sign and agree to. Please let me know if there is anything you are unsure of or wish to renegotiate.

Supervision is a professional relationship which helps you, as a psychologist/psychotherapist/counsellor/trainee, to reflect on different aspects of the therapeutic relationship, and aspects outside the session that impact your work. There is an ethical requirement from the BACP/UKCP/NCPS/BPS that you maintain regular supervision whether you are a trainee or a qualified therapist. Training providers and agencies, sometimes have additional supervision requirements. Please read the conditions below before signing:

My Commitment to you

• I will keep time boundaries where possible. If I am unavoidably late, we will still work for the agreed time if possible.
• For online work, I will contact you via a video call. In the case of a technical problem before or during the session, I will ring you where possible, or otherwise send you a text message or email.
• I adhere to the NCPS Code of Ethics, have appropriate indemnity insurance, and clinical supervision twice a month with Maggie Curran.
• I will make sure that when we work together I am emotionally and physically well enough and working within the levels of my competence, training and capacity.
• If issues arise that I consider to be outside my competence level, I will inform you and assist you to find a suitable alternative.
• I will maintain appropriate boundaries should our paths cross outside of the supervision space. A detailed policy around this can be found in my Boundary Policy.
• I will come to a clear agreement with you over length of sessions, frequency of sessions and the duration of supervision.
• I will give as much notice as possible if I need to cancel one of our sessions, and to try where possible to rearrange this at your convenience.
• I have chronic medical conditions that require that I avoid cold exposure. I’ll be offering you sessions over zoom in the colder months (October-March) or on a particularly windy/stormy day.
• In rare instances where I am unable to attend a scheduled session (e.g. If I have a sudden health flare up, I will have to take sick leave and will not be able to work), I will do my best to give you as much notice as possible, but sometimes it short notice can’t be avoidable. I’ll do my best to offer you a session another day that same week), where possible.
• If you the rescheduled time works for you, the session will proceed as usual and be charged at the standard rate, but deductable by £15.
• If you wish not to have a reschdeuled session/the rescheduled time does not work for you, you will not be charged for that session, and your fee will be refunded in full if already paid.
• I will give you as much notice as possible if I need to end the supervision due to unforeseen circumstances.
• Generally, ending the supervision will be agreed mutually.
• At least one month’s notice will be given except in exceptional circumstances, and all efforts would be made in this situation to refer you to another suitable supervisor if requested.

Boundaries

I will maintain appropriate boundaries should our paths cross outside of the supervision space. A detailed policy around this can be found in my Boundary Policy.

Confidentiality

I will maintain confidentiality and protect your data. This applies to any and all records in accordance with GDPR and confidentiality guidelines of the NCPS.
Our sessions are confidential, with limits of confidentiality being set out in my Confidentiality Policy.

Record Keeping and online security

I am registered with the Information Commissioners Office as a data controller, and will remain GDPR compliant. How I protect, store and use your data is set out in my Data Protection Policy.

In return, I ask that you commit to:

• Attend agreed supervision or give at least 48 hours’ notice of cancellation where possible (at least 72 hours for in person). Sessions are chargeable in full if you do not attend without reasonable notice (48 hours if online and 72 hours if in person).
• Ensure your casework is adequately supervised and our relationship continuous enough for appropriate containment of the work. I consider a minimum of 1 hour per month/1.5 hours if I am your only supervision to be a necessary requirement unless we agree otherwise, with all due effort made to reschedule in the event of cancellations.
• Be ready to start on time. If you are late for a session, the session will still need to finish at the usual time.
• Conduct our online or phone session in a secure, safe, and private place. If anyone else is present, including small children, or your location is public, we will need to reschedule.
• Understand that I may not always be available between sessions unless arranged, however I will endeavour to be available for emergency consultations, particularly regarding safeguarding, when needed.
• Assist me in maintaining appropriate boundaries should we encounter each other outside of supervision, as per my Boundary Policy.
• Be mindful of community overlaps and anonymise clients you bring to supervision, including by using their initial rather than name.
• Make any necessary payment prior to each session.
• Talk to me if you have any concerns or problems.
   

 Additional Terms and Conditions

1) What you share with me about your clients is confidential. I do discuss my work with supervisees in my own supervision; if I discuss my work with you I will not reveal any details that would compromise your client’s identity or your identity (unless required to by your training organisation). If I consider you to be at risk to your clients I will break your confidentiality, where practical I will inform you first of my need to do this. I require you to maintain the confidentiality of others supervisees’ clients if we meet in a group supervision format.

2) I will do what I can to support you professionally to ensure you continue to develop your practice, and to ensure you continue to work ethically and effectively. If I consider you to be working ineffectively and/or unethically I will help you create an action plan to address the areas of concern. If you refuse to take action on areas of serious concern I may inform relevant others (e.g. your training provider, employer, counselling agency, your registering organisation, etc) and I may terminate our supervision arrangement.

3) I keep brief factual notes about our sessions. These are coded and password protected to ensure your privacy. You have a right of access to your notes.

4) If you consent to it, when we have supervision via Zoom, I will note taking software to take the notes.

5) My agreed fee with you is:  £45 for 50 minutes/£85 for 90 minutes and if you are a student/trainee it will be £35 for 50 minutes. I will provide you with 2 months notice of any planned fee changes.

6) After we agree an appointment date and time I will require payment for the session no later than 48 hours in advance. If you choose to cancel without giving 48 hours notice (and 72 hours for in-person supervision) the cancelled session will still incur the full charge. If you are late more than 15 minutes I will treat this as a ‘cancellation without notice’. I will give two months’ notice of any changes to my fees.

7) I record sessions occasionally to help me and my supervisor to monitor my effectiveness and to ensure I continue to work effectively and ethically as a supervisor. If you agree to be recorded (your identity will not be revealed on the recording) please tick the following box:

8) You can contact me occasionally between sessions for additional support. Please contact me immediately if you have serious concerns about a client that cannot wait until our next supervision session, or if a complaint has been made against you. The best mode of contact will be via email. Please mark the subject heading as ‘urgent’ in this case.

9) It is your responsibility to monitor your own ratio of clients to supervision to ensure you have adequate support for your work, and your responsibility to ensure you continue with CPD activity in accordance with the ethical requirements of your registering organisation.

10) You or I have the right to terminate this supervisory relationship at any time. I require a minimum two sessions notice, which includes an ending session, should either of us request termination of the supervisory relationship. This will give you time to organise alternative supervision arrangements before we end our work together.

If you are clear about what I offer and are willing to commit to this work please sign below. When you return this form to me by email I will contact you to organise your first appointment date and time. I look forward to working with you.

 

 

CONFIDENTIALITY POLICY

For more details on our Confidentiality Policy, please click here.

 

BOUNDARY POLICY

For more details on our Boundary Policy, please click here.

 

DATA POLICY 

For more details on our Data Protection Policy, please click here.

This document outlines the terms and conditions of your clinical supervision with Stepping Stones Psychology. It includes important information about confidentiality, data protection, the use of third-party systems, professional responsibilities, and the boundaries of the supervisory relationship. Signing this agreement confirms your understanding and commitment to engage in supervision within these guidelines.

By completing and submitting this form, you (the supervisee) are agreeing to work with me (the supervisor) under the terms outlined here, and I am equally agreeing to provide supervision in line with this agreement. It begins on the date you submit the form and remains in place for as long as we continue working together.

By signing this contract, you also confirm that:

• You have read and understood the Data Protection Policy, and acknowledge how your professional information is processed, stored, and protected in accordance with GDPR and relevant legal requirements.
• You understand how your information is handled and stored, and you consent to the use of GDPR-compliant platforms and trusted third-party services as outlined in the Privacy Policy.
• You acknowledge the Confidentiality Policy, including expectations for email communications, and agree to take shared responsibility for maintaining confidentiality, such as referring to clients by initials or code numbers in written correspondence and marking sensitive supervision emails as “Confidential” or “For Sharmi only.”

Date: Automatically effective for both of us (the therapist and the client) on the date of client submission.

  

Therapist's Name: Sharmi Gowri-Kriszyk

 

Therapist's Signature: