Ethical Guidelines for working with young people

Question 1

When can a young person give informed consent

Answer 1

when they achieve a sufficient understanding to enable him or her to understand fully what is proposed

Question 2

What should you assess when assess capacity to give informed consent

Answer 2

1. Can they understand the nature of the porposed service
2. Can they understand the benefits and risks
3. can they understand consequences of not receiving
4. Can they understand the limits to confidentiality

Question 3

Do both parents separated or not have parental responsbility

Answer 3

YES unless there is a court order

Question 4

WHo does a psychologist have responsibility to

Answer 4

The young person as well as the client parent

Question 5

How do you manage this responsiblity

Answer 5

discuss with both the young person and client parent issues of consent, confidentiality and iscloser from the outset

Question 6

What is common in hospitals and health-care settings

Answer 6

A team approach which may require sharing of client information - client should be notified of this

Question 7

When there is conflict between the client parent and young person who does the pyschologist consider

Answer 7

the young person’s best itnerests are paramount

Question 8

What should you enquire about before engaging a young person

Answer 8

1. If they have seen previous psychologists
2. If there is family court of childrens court involve
3. Is there consent from both parents

Question 9

What should you do if a parent challenges the psychologists judgement that a young person has the capacity to give informed consent

Answer 9

The psychologist explains the rationale in reach his or her decision by describing how the person met the criteria previously metioned

Question 10

SHould you discusss the limits of confidentiality with a young person who is not capable of informed consent

Answer 10

YES in language theyoung person can understand

Question 11

If you are changing the psychological services you provide to a young person makwhat shoudl you do

Answer 11

Inform the client parent and the young person and gain consent to follow the new contractual arrangement

Question 12

When providing family sessions and individual therapy should you have separate records for each

Answer 12

YES

Question 13

What should you do if the otehr parent seeks information about psychological service

Answer 13

Refraining from acknowledging wheteher or not a psychological service has been provided inform the client parent encourage the client parent to discuss and resolve the issue driectly with the other parent inform a young person if they are able to give informed consent