The HSCA Code of Ethics;
Disciplinary Procedure; Articles & Memorandum
All practicing members of The association undertake to:
Maintain strict confidentiality
within the therapeutic relationship consistent with the
good care of the client and the laws of the land and ensure
that any client notes and records be kept secure and confidential.
Confidentiality must be observed at all times unless:
(a) it is in the best interest of the client/patient to
disclose relevant information;
(b) the client/patient has given their permission to disclose;
(c) where the law requires disclosure;
(d) when sharing information with fellow professionals.
In the latter case, client anonymity must be guaranteed;
(e) in the event of a complaint being made against them,
subject to the complainant providing written consent for
their notes and records to be made available, members
may be required to provide this information to The association
on demand.
Practitioners must note
that the question of confidentiality also applies to client
records, computerised records, and any audio or video
recording. Any information or case histories used for
training or commercial purposes must have the written
consent of the individual involved.
Never promise a cure for
any condition or problem, nor give advice or otherwise
pass comment on any medical, psychiatric, or psychological
problem or condition unless they have training and qualifications
in these fields.
Ensure as far as possible
that wherever an aspect of the client's condition is either
known or suspected to be beyond their area of expertise,
the client be advised to seek medical or other appropriate
advice.
Always obtain written permission
from the client (or client's parents/guardians if appropriate)
before recording client sessions by any method other than
written notes.
Take all reasonable steps
to ensure the safety of both the client and any person
who may be accompanying the client.
Refrain from using their
position of trust to:
Terminate treatment at the earliest moment consistent
with the good care of the client.
As far as possible, not
to refuse therapy because of financial hardship.
Ensure that their work
place and all facilities offered to both clients and their
companions will be in every respect suitable and appropriate
for the service provided.
Disclose full details of
all relevant training, experience and qualifications to
clients upon request.
Make no claim that they
hold specific qualifications unless such claim can be
totally substantiated.
Use no claim or title connected
with The Association other than that they are Members
of The Association. Appropriate designated letters, i.e.,
Cert. HSCA (Certificate), MHSCA (Member), FHSCA (Fellow)
and Association logos may be discreetly displayed.
Explain fully to clients
in advance of any treatment, fees, terms of payment, session
length, and any charges levied for non-attendance or cancelled
appointments.
Present all services and
products in an unambiguous manner and ensure that the
client retains complete control of the decision to purchase
such services or products.
Neither expect nor encourage
gifts from clients. Small tokens of appreciation may be
accepted at the end of therapy but should in no way be
solicited.
Conduct themselves at all
times in accordance with their professional status and
in such a way that neither undermines public confidence
in the process or profession of hypnotherapy nor brings
the reputation of The Association into disrepute.
(a) Inform The Association,
upon initial application, of any disciplinary action taken
against them by any professional body and further inform
The Association, in writing, of any subsequent action
taken against them whilst a member of The Association.
(b) Confirm, upon initial application, that they have
not been convicted of any offence likely to bring their
professional name or the reputation of The Association
into disrepute and undertake to inform The Association,
in writing, should such an event subsequently occur whilst
a member of The Association.
Inform The Association,
in writing, of any change in contact address and/or telephone
number, at the earliest convenient moment.
Members must ensure that
all advertising shall comply with the laws in HK and make
available all such literature to The Association on demand.
In the case of overseas Members, their advertising shall
comply fully with the laws of their land.
Make available all relevant
information requested as a result of investigation by
the appointed Complaints and Disciplinary Officer without
hindrance (whether implied or actual) or unreasonable
delay and comply fully with all requirements inherent
within the Complaints and Disciplinary procedure.
To never publicly criticize
or malign another member of the profession, either with
or without perceived justification, whether or not they
are a member of The Association.
To report to The Association,
any other Member who appears to be in breaking one or
more of the ethical rules laid down in this document.
Such complaint can be made with total confidentiality;
the complainant's name will not be revealed other than
to the members of the Advisory Board. Anonymous complaints
will not be considered but all others will be fully investigated.
Disciplinary Procedure
In the event of a complaint being made against a member
of The Association, be it by another member or a member
of the public, the following procedure will be implemented:
(a) In the first instance,
said member will be contacted by the Chairman of The Association
or a Member of the Administrative Board of The Association
for an informal discussion concerning the complaint.
(b) At the discretion of the Interviewing officer, the
member may be required to attend a formal disciplinary
hearing.
(c) In the event of (b), and dependent upon the seriousness
of the complaint, the member may be placed under immediate
suspension.
Any disciplinary hearing
shall consist of 3 individuals: a disciplinary officer
and 2 members of The Association. The member under investigation
may bring one witness or other relevant party to the meeting.
All available evidence
will be reviewed; if the complaint is upheld and shows
that the member has contravened any part of the code of
ethics of The Association, appropriate disciplinary action
will be taken. 'Appropriate disciplinary action' in this
context depends upon the seriousness of the complaint
and whether there have been previous upheld complaints.
For a serious or repeated
breach of the code of ethics, the member will be dismissed
from The Association, although there will be a 6 week
period during which a reasonable appeal may be made to
the Chairman of The Association. During this period, the
member will remain on suspension.
For a lesser breach, a
written warning will be issued and recorded within The
Association files.
All members accept that
this is not a static document and that it may be altered
from time to time, by The Association, in accordance with
the need to ensure ongoing professionalism within the
field of hypnotherapy and psychotherapy.
Articles of the Association
The HSCA is an exclusive body dedicated to maintaining
a high standard of professionalism amongst its members
committed to ongoing training. This, combined with a strict
code of ethics, will ensure that the professional standard
of The Association will always be of the highest order.
The following 'Articles
of The Association' apply to all members:
There are three grades
of membership:
'Cert. HSCA.' (Certificate) shows a level of competence
of using hypnotherapy for smoking cessation only.
'MHSCA' (Member) shows that the member has completed an
advanced training course and is qualified to deal with
most problems. Has fulfilled all of the requirements for
Licentiate and has completed a total of two hundred (250)
hours instruction in hypnosis/psychotherapy from a school
approved by the Hong Kong Hypnosis Smoke Cessation Association.
'FHSCA' (Fellow) is reserved for those individuals at
the top of the profession, who are able to work in a variety
of ways and with the highest level of skill and expertise
or fellows who have made an outstanding contribution to
hypnotherapy/psychotherapy in the field of smoke cessation.
The Annual Subscription
is due on December 31st. Any change will be advised with
renewal notices. It is anticipated that there will be
regular seminars featuring speakers on a variety of topics
and an Annual Conference.
Although non-members may
attend some seminars, members of The Association will
receive a discount of 10% on the entrance fee.
All members are required
to attend at least 5 hours of continuing professional
development per year (not necessarily HSCA seminars) when
renewing their membership each year.
All members must be engaged
in regular supervision, either peer-based or via their
training organisation, or both.
All members will agree
to abide by the code of ethics; signing the application
form for membership constitutes such agreement.
Should any member organise
or run a hypnosis/hypnotherapy/psychotherapy seminar or
other similar event, it must not be implied that such
event is in any way endorsed by or otherwise supported
by The Association.
The Association undertakes
to ensure that the contact details of each member should
be readily available to the general public, via any means
available. To this end, The Association will maintain
registration with the major Internet search engines and
it is intended that other suitable advertising will eventually
be placed where possible.
The Association is not
a profit-making enterprise; all fees received will go
to the running of The Association, including administration
expenses, the payment of lecture fees to speakers at seminars
and conference, and to contributors to any HSCA Journal.
From time to time, this
document may have additions or deletions; in such event,
the latest copy will be available to all members via our
website.
