How do I complain regarding a counsellor?

ACC is committed to maintaining the highest standards for the benefit of those who use its counsellors.

Our counsellors are required to adhere to ACC’s Ethics and Practice Framework to ensure professional accountability and public protection. Therefore if, as sometimes happens, someone is unhappy or has concerns about their counselling they may wish to complain or seek resolution of the issue.

Every effort should be made to resolve the issue locally with your counsellor or the agency for which they work. ACC recognises that this is not always possible and so provides the documents below to help understand our complaints process and provide the necessary forms to submit a complaint or concern. What follows is a simple outline of the process in which all parties are notified at each stage what is happening:

1. Complaint enquiry or submission received (7 working days to acknowledge)
2. Initial assessment in consultation with our Registry Advisory Panel (RAP)takes place
3. Once accepted an investigator is appointed and subsequently reports
4. Pre-assessment panel examines the evidence submitted by the investigator
5. They can decide there is not sufficient evidence to proceed in which case an appeal is possible;
   or they can escalate the complaint to a Disciplinary Panel.
6. The panel meets, and both parties are invited to attend and can make statements or answer questions
7. This panel reports an outcome and either party can appeal this if unacceptable to them.
8. If there is no appeal and the complaint was upheld the outcome is published on the ACC website.
9. If an appeal is lodged – a totally new panel is appointed, holds a hearing and makes a decision.
10. They can uphold or alter the original Disciplinary Panel findings. There is no further appeal.

A potential complainant can seek advice or start the process from the following options:

A. Contact ACC at 024 7663 6792 and ask for contact with The Executive Chair or the Registrar; or by email to Executive Chair. They will contact you at the number you provide if they are not available at the time of your call. They will listen and advise you on what to do next.

B. Complete the complaint form below after reading the Complaints Guidance for Clients

The Complaint Form

C. You may prefer to use the more simpler Feedback Form whether it be a compliment, when you have found the counselling helpful, or concerns when it has not gone well but you haven’t decided whether to make it a formal complaint. ACC will follow this up by contacting you within 7 working days and advise you on what to do next. ACC will offer pastoral support to both parties without prejudice.

ACC wishes to ensure accessibility for everyone to communicate with us. Therefore we will accept different methods that allow you access to the complaints procedure. For example: an audio file; or by proposing another person to act on your behalf. The Executive Chair or Registrar will be pleased to discuss these and other appropriate alternatives with you should they be necessary.

You can read the full complaint procedure here: ACC Complaint Procedure
You can read the Indicative Sanctions Policy here
You can find the way to complain about staff here