Maintaining Professional Boundaries

Description

If you are facing an allegation around professional conduct our courses provide a space for reflection, for expanding insight and for ensuring that restorative plans commensurate with the issues of concern are put in place. 

The course is a three-day small-group programme. There are a series of sessions aimed at opening up a space for increased insight, for reflection and for ensuring that restorative/remedial actions are put in place. Our aim is to help you to find the heart of the matter, to distinguish how the allegations have arisen and to put in place plans to avoid similar issues arising in the future. There is some element of information sharing and improving understanding of key features of conduct issues. 

A big focus of the course is the interaction between the course facilitator and each individual. These conversations open a space for insight. They can be challenging, they can involve some vulnerability and they are always in line with our core values of respect and wellbeing. Each participant has a substantial amount of time to discuss what brings them to the course and the training is designed so that people can benefit from all the conversations, even where it is not directly focused on them.  

Each person is supported to increase their awareness and to take responsibility where appropriate and leaves with a structured restoration plan. 

Goals & Intended Outcomes

• To increase responsibility and awareness of professional boundaries
• To learn techniques for establishing and maintaining boundaries
• To increase awareness of vulnerabilities and risk factors
• To put in place a Personal Development & Restoration plan
• To improve understanding of personal history and antecedents to problems
• To increase understanding of the effects of boundary transgressions on others
• To consider needs for further professional assistance and personal development

Is this the right course?

If you're not sure about which course is the right one for you we have provided a guide to help you here.

Indicative Content

• Attitudes towards power and authority
• Belief and its functions
• Blind spots
• Cognitive distortions
• Counter-dependent ways of being
• Difference between personal and professional boundaries
• Distinction between context and cause
• Dynamics of risk
• Dynamics of interpersonal attraction and intimacy
• Dual relationships
• Impact and consequences
• Uses and misuses of physical touch
• New ways of relating and being
• New ways of communicating
• Notion of responsibility
• Power differentials
• Practitioner self-disclosure
• Relationship with vulnerability
• Three stages of moving on
• Commitment
• Insight
• Acknowledgements 

Learning Methods

• Pre-course reading
• Conversations with the trainer
• Evidence from research
• Film and TV Clips
• Group discussion
• Working in pairs
• Acted Scenarios
• Presentations
• Playing The Professional Boundaries Game®
• Creating a Personal Development Plan

When The Course Is Helpful

The course is for professionals who have a need to look at professional boundaries where there is any concern around sexualised behaviour, alleged or proven. This includes verbal comments/sexualised banter, use of touch, inappropriate relationships or allegations of harassment. 

The course is for those in roles working with people, including medicine, nursing, social work, ministry, education, psychotherapy, counselling, criminal justice, corporate, legal and political settings.

It is helpful where there are concerns, allegations or findings – it is important to understand that the course has been helpful to people who face allegations, including where allegations are contested.

• Inappropriate emotional or sexualised relationships with colleagues
• Sexualised relationships with patients
• Inappropriate use of touch
• Sexual harassment
• Sexualised or inappropriate language

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