APBC Members
Code of Practice
- Animal Behaviour Counsellors (ABCs) accept only patients referred
by veterinary surgeons. Their fees do not exceed those charged by
members of other helping professions with comparable experience and
qualifications.
The welfare of the patient and client are paramount and are not subjugated
to commercial considerations. ABCs are covered by appropriate professional
indemnity insurance in order to be in a position to meet any liabilities
they may incur.
- ABCs have a responsibility to their patients, their clients and
to society in general. Their interventions should not knowingly cause
avoidable
psychological or physical distress or damage to any of these. Where
such damage, or the risk of it, is unavoidable, this should be explained
to
and discussed with the client, so as to enable him to make an informed
decision regarding the intervention.
- ABCs interventions are assumed to be the practical applications
of a scientifically based body of knowledge or resulting from proven
practical
experience. Where interventions are experimental, the client and
referring veterinary surgeon must be fully informed. ABCs keep clients
as fully
informed as possible about the nature of and reasons for their interventions
and about any possible risk or drawbacks of these interventions.
They do not lead their clients to form unrealistic expectations of
the outcome
of their interventions.
- The relationship between the ABC and his client is such that the
ABC must guard against the exploitation of the client. During his
interventions, he maintains a professional relationship with his client.
He does not
exploit the relationship for improper personal, professional or financial
gain. He does not seek inappropriately to impose his own values on
the client. ABCs recognise that information acquired by them about
clients
or patients is confidential within the limits of the law and they
ensure that it is not improperly used. They ensure that, where details
of cases
are made public, the anonymity of the client is preserved. Photography
or video or tape recordings of the clients, patients or their property
are made only with the consent of the client.
- The personal and professional conduct of ABCs is not such as to
undermine public confidence in their profession or the APBC. They do
not attempt
to practise when unable to do so competently by reason of their physical
condition or psychological state.
- ABCs do not exploit their professional position or reputation
by associating themselves with the promotion, endorsement or sale of
any
article whose efficacy and relevance to the profession is not supported
by evidence of a standard acceptable to the profession.
- Where ABCs employ in their profession practice workers or assistants
who are not ABCs, they are responsible for ensuring that such workers
conform to the APBCs code of practice in their dealings with the
public.
- In their public statements, ABCs maintain a professional standard
comparable to that in other areas of their professional life. They
do not misrepresent their activities or make unrealistic claims. They
do
not make assertions that are not justified by evidence and it is
made clear whenever they are expressing personal opinion or speculating
beyond
available evidence.
- An ABC respects the viewpoint and independence of other APBC members
and does not publicly denigrate their professional conduct or opinion.
Where one ABC violates acceptable standards of professional conduct,
an ABC with reliable knowledge will take steps to resolve the matter
informally or, where this is not possible, through the appropriate
channels within the APBC.
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