Choosing your Indemnity Insurance
It is important to choose the right insurance policy to ensure that both you and your clients have the appropriate protection. In the event of a complaint or legal action, ensuring you have insurance in place helps to receive some form of protection from being personally liable if faced with legal, disciplinary or complaints proceedings brought against you.
UPCA adheres to the UKCP Code of Ethics and Professional Practice (38) which requires registrants to: ‘Ensure that your professional work is adequately covered by appropriate indemnity insurance.’
Trainee members must also ‘confirm that [they] have appropriate professional indemnity insurance to cover [their] area(s) of practice’
What are the different types of insurance?
There are various types of professional insurance for psychotherapeutic counsellors and psychotherapists. Some of these (such as professional indemnity or public liability) are obligatory under UKCP rules and other types of professional insurance are optional.
Please contact your insurance provider if you have any further questions.
How much does insurance cost?
Insurance costs/policies can vary between providers depending on the type and level of cover provided.
UPCA want to support their members with managing costs and professional practice so have negotiated a special rate for professional indemnity insurance with Westminster Insurance.
Other companies providing insurance for psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors include Howdens, Oxygen, Holistic, Hiscox and PPS. Please note, this list is not exhaustive and inclusion does not imply any endorsement by UPCA. See full disclaimer below.
What is professional indemnity insurance?
Professional indemnity insurance covers you against claims from a client of negligence, malpractice or professional breach of duty.
Typical duties carried out as a psychotherapeutic counsellor or psychotherapist include providing professional advice or therapy. Other duties could include giving or receiving supervision, running workshops, teaching or presenting at conferences and seminars.
This type of insurance typically covers expenses and legal costs that may have been incurred in defending claims as well as any civil damages awarded against you. Loss of earnings may also be covered if you have been suspended or prevented from working because of an allegation until a hearing but you would not be covered for any loss of earnings after a successful claim or disciplinary hearing.
What is public liability insurance?
Public liability insurance is required in case a client is injured or killed while visiting your premises. It also covers if a client has their property damaged.
This type of insurance would cover your legal liability including any costs towards paying for damages.
If you work from home, the public liability section of your normal home insurance policy might not cover you for claims arising out of your professional activities. If you run a clinic or a business space for members of the public, you may be required by the local authority (or similar) to have such insurance in place.
What type of insurance do I need when working with clients who are overseas?
If you’re planning on working with clients overseas (outside of the UK), both in person or remotely, you need to look into and consider the implications of local jurisdictions and working internationally.
You should check to see if the country your client is located in has any laws on practising or advertising as a psychotherapeutic counsellor or psychotherapist. This applies even if you are based in the UK as there could be specific laws in the jurisdiction your client resides in.
UPCA cannot offer any advice on regulations or laws in countries that are outside of the UK. It is the therapist responsibility to obey and recognise the country in which they practise.
UKCP recommend that you contact the relevant professional body in the country you wish to provide therapy in, as they may be able to give you relevant and up-to-date advice. For queries about practice in Europe, the European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP) has a useful set of guides on practising psychotherapy in various countries on their website.
You should contact your professional indemnity insurance provider before progressing with any clients overseas to ensure you are appropriately insured for your practice. They may be able to tailor your insurance requirements to the country you will be operating in. If you are unable to obtain the right type of insurance for working overseas you should seek specialist legal advice.
What type of insurance is required for working with clients online?
UPCA follow UKCP’s guidelines for online working or working remotely.
UKCP’s guidelines provides more information about insurance requirements as well as general recommendations when working internationally or in an online environment. However, please speak with your insurer to check your cover.
Disclaimer
UPCA is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority to advise on, arrange or sell general insurance products.
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