Ethics Framework

About Course

This course supports IEMT practitioners in developing a reflective, honest and professional approach to ethical practice. It is produced by The Association for IEMT Practitioners and ties each topic to the Association’s own policies and Standards of Competence, to professional ethics and to the law for England and Wales, with notes for Scotland, Northern Ireland and elsewhere.

It covers the principles of professional ethics, honest claims and the state of the evidence, informed consent and capacity, boundaries, confidentiality, records and data protection, equality and inclusion, safeguarding and working with children and young people, candour and raising concerns, risk and crisis, and remote practice. Case reflections, a knowledge check and appendices on key ethical texts help you apply what you learn.

Whether you are newly certified or an experienced practitioner, the course will help you make careful, well-documented decisions and describe your work accurately.

Apply the core principles of professional ethics to IEMT practice
Describe IEMT honestly, with accurate claims, titles and advertising
Obtain informed consent, and assess and support client capacity
Keep clear boundaries and manage dual relationships
Handle confidentiality, records and data protection lawfully
Work inclusively, including making reasonable adjustments
Apply safeguarding procedures, especially with children and young people
Be open when things go wrong, raise concerns and report adverse events
Respond safely to risk, crisis and the challenges of remote practice
Use supervision and reflection to support ethical decision-making

Course Content

1.1 Introduction to Ethics in IEMT
Why ethics matters when you work with a person’s emotional responses, memories and sense of identity, and how this course is organised.

1.1 Introduction to Ethics in IEMT

1.2 Core Ethical Principles in IEMT
The five principles that run through the course: autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice and integrity, and how to reason when they conflict.

1.3 The Association’s Standards and Policies
How the Association’s policies and Standards of Competence fit with the law, your insurer’s conditions and other professional standards, with a quick-reference table.

1.4 Evidence and Honest Claims
How to describe IEMT honestly: what the evidence does and does not show, what you can and cannot claim, accurate titles and the advertising rules.

2.1 Informed Consent and Assessing Capacity
What valid consent requires, what clients should be told before you begin, and how to assess and support a client’s capacity.

2.2 Boundaries and Dual Relationships
Keeping professional boundaries, and handling gifts, money, social media and dual relationships.

2.3 Confidentiality and Its Limits
What confidentiality means, when information may be shared without consent, and how to decide, share the minimum and record your reasoning.

2.4 Scope of Practice, Suitability and Screening
Working within your training, competence, insurance and authority, and screening clients before and during the work.

2.5 Records and Data Protection
Keeping accurate records, handling client data lawfully, and managing privacy notices, access requests and retention.

2.6 Equality, Inclusion and Reasonable Adjustments
Treating every client fairly, understanding protected characteristics and making reasonable adjustments.

3.1 Safeguarding and Consent When Working with Children and Young People
Safeguarding, consent and confidentiality when working with under-18s. Includes lessons on children’s rights and Gillick competence.

3.2 Communication and Boundaries with Young Clients
Communicating appropriately and keeping professional boundaries with children and young people.

3.3 Managing Disclosures and Reporting Obligations
How to respond to a disclosure, share information lawfully and report concerns through the right route.

4.1 Practising with Integrity and Professionalism
Integrity in practice: honest descriptions, conflicts of interest, accountability and the consequences of misleading others.

4.2 Navigating Ethical Dilemmas and Grey Areas
A structured way to work through ethical dilemmas and grey areas when the answer is not obvious.

4.3 Complaints, Supervision, and Ongoing Ethical Development
Handling complaints well, the Association’s complaints process, supervision and continuing professional development.

4.4 Candour, Raising Concerns and Adverse Events
Being open when something goes wrong, reporting adverse events and near misses, and speaking up about serious concerns.

4.5 Risk, Self-Harm and Crisis
Recognising risk, responding to self-harm and medical emergencies, and why IEMT is not a crisis service.

4.6 Remote and Online Practice
The risks of remote practice, the Association’s advisory position and what you need in place if you decide to go ahead.

5.1 Case Reflection: Ethical Practice with Adult Clients
Case reflections on ethical practice with adult clients, applying principles, policies and the law.

5.2 Case Reflection: Ethical Practice with Young People and Children
Case reflections on ethical practice with young people and children.

5.3 Ethical Dilemma Simulations and Reflective Integration
Dilemma simulations and a reflective summary that brings the whole course together.

5.4 Your Reflective Practice Log
A simple log you can copy, questions to take to supervision, and an annual review checklist.

Knowledge Check
A short quiz to check your understanding, followed by an answer guide that explains each answer and points to the lesson to revisit.

Appendices
Background reading: the Hippocratic Oath, the Gillick case, the ethics of marketing and the Declarations of Helsinki and Geneva.

About Course

What Will You Learn?

Course Content

1.1 Introduction to Ethics in IEMT Why ethics matters when you work with a person’s emotional responses, memories and sense of identity, and how this course is organised.

1.2 Core Ethical Principles in IEMT The five principles that run through the course: autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice and integrity, and how to reason when they conflict.

1.3 The Association’s Standards and Policies How the Association’s policies and Standards of Competence fit with the law, your insurer’s conditions and other professional standards, with a quick-reference table.

1.4 Evidence and Honest Claims How to describe IEMT honestly: what the evidence does and does not show, what you can and cannot claim, accurate titles and the advertising rules.

2.1 Informed Consent and Assessing Capacity What valid consent requires, what clients should be told before you begin, and how to assess and support a client’s capacity.

2.2 Boundaries and Dual Relationships Keeping professional boundaries, and handling gifts, money, social media and dual relationships.

2.3 Confidentiality and Its Limits What confidentiality means, when information may be shared without consent, and how to decide, share the minimum and record your reasoning.

2.4 Scope of Practice, Suitability and Screening Working within your training, competence, insurance and authority, and screening clients before and during the work.

2.5 Records and Data Protection Keeping accurate records, handling client data lawfully, and managing privacy notices, access requests and retention.

2.6 Equality, Inclusion and Reasonable Adjustments Treating every client fairly, understanding protected characteristics and making reasonable adjustments.

3.1 Safeguarding and Consent When Working with Children and Young People Safeguarding, consent and confidentiality when working with under-18s. Includes lessons on children’s rights and Gillick competence.

3.2 Communication and Boundaries with Young Clients Communicating appropriately and keeping professional boundaries with children and young people.

3.3 Managing Disclosures and Reporting Obligations How to respond to a disclosure, share information lawfully and report concerns through the right route.

4.1 Practising with Integrity and Professionalism Integrity in practice: honest descriptions, conflicts of interest, accountability and the consequences of misleading others.

4.2 Navigating Ethical Dilemmas and Grey Areas A structured way to work through ethical dilemmas and grey areas when the answer is not obvious.

4.3 Complaints, Supervision, and Ongoing Ethical Development Handling complaints well, the Association’s complaints process, supervision and continuing professional development.

4.4 Candour, Raising Concerns and Adverse Events Being open when something goes wrong, reporting adverse events and near misses, and speaking up about serious concerns.

4.5 Risk, Self-Harm and Crisis Recognising risk, responding to self-harm and medical emergencies, and why IEMT is not a crisis service.

4.6 Remote and Online Practice The risks of remote practice, the Association’s advisory position and what you need in place if you decide to go ahead.

5.1 Case Reflection: Ethical Practice with Adult Clients Case reflections on ethical practice with adult clients, applying principles, policies and the law.

5.2 Case Reflection: Ethical Practice with Young People and Children Case reflections on ethical practice with young people and children.

5.3 Ethical Dilemma Simulations and Reflective Integration Dilemma simulations and a reflective summary that brings the whole course together.

5.4 Your Reflective Practice Log A simple log you can copy, questions to take to supervision, and an annual review checklist.

Knowledge Check A short quiz to check your understanding, followed by an answer guide that explains each answer and points to the lesson to revisit.

Appendices Background reading: the Hippocratic Oath, the Gillick case, the ethics of marketing and the Declarations of Helsinki and Geneva.