1. Purpose and scope

The purpose of candour is to protect clients’ rights, maintain trust, support appropriate remedy and learn from errors or harmful events. This policy applies to all Association members when providing, teaching, supervising, promoting or administering IEMT-related services.

Candour is proactive. A member must not wait for a client to discover the problem, make a complaint or prove harm before being honest about material facts.

2. When the duty is engaged

A candid response is required when the member knows or reasonably believes that an act, omission, error or incident:

• caused, may have caused or materially increased a risk of physical, psychological, financial, informational or other harm;
• involved a material departure from consent, agreed service, safe practice or Association standards;
• involved misleading information about qualifications, evidence, likely outcomes, fees or what was delivered;
• involved loss, unauthorised disclosure or misuse of client information;
• requires further assessment, support, correction, safeguarding action or referral; or
• would be material to a reasonable client deciding what to do next.

An adverse outcome does not automatically prove negligence or that IEMT caused the event. Candour requires honest communication about what is known, what is uncertain and what is being done.

3. Required response

4. Communication standards

• Use plain language and distinguish confirmed facts, reasonable inference and unresolved questions.
• Do not speculate about causation, diagnose injury outside competence or minimise a client’s experience.
• Adapt communication for disability, language, age, literacy, distress and communication preference.
• Involve a representative only with authority, consent or another lawful basis.
• Do not pressure the client to accept an apology, continue treatment, waive rights or avoid a complaint.

5. Recording and reporting

The member must create a timely, factual record of the incident, immediate safety action, client communication, questions, advice sought, referrals, notifications and follow-up. Corrections must preserve the original record and audit trail.

An adverse event associated with IEMT should be reported through the Association’s adverse-event route. A complaint, safeguarding concern, data breach, crime, insurance notification or report to a professional regulator may require an additional and separate route. Reporting to the Association does not transfer the member’s responsibility or replace these obligations.

6. Review, learning and fair process

The Association will triage information according to seriousness, jurisdiction, available evidence and its membership remit. It may seek information, require protective action, identify learning, refer the matter externally or use complaints and disciplinary procedures. It does not promise a fixed investigative method or outcome for every report.

Incident learning and disciplinary accountability are related but distinct. A report does not by itself prove misconduct, negligence or causation. Equally, uncertainty about causation does not justify withholding facts from a client or ignoring a safety concern.

7. Confidentiality and information sharing

Use the minimum personal information necessary for communication, investigation and protection. Client anonymity should be preserved in Association reports unless identification is necessary, legally required or explicitly authorised. Information may still need to be shared for safeguarding, prevention of serious harm, legal process or professional regulation.

8. Responsibilities of members and the Association

• Members must cooperate honestly, preserve relevant records and must not retaliate against a client, reporter, colleague or whistleblower.
• Members must notify their insurer, employer, regulator or other body where required.
• The Association will handle information proportionately, protect confidentiality where possible and avoid promising secrecy that law or safety cannot support.
• Failure to disclose, misleading accounts, record alteration, retaliation or obstruction may be considered under disciplinary arrangements.

External reference

Care Quality Commission guidance on Regulation 20 explains the statutory duty for CQC-registered providers in England. This Association policy is broader as a conduct expectation but does not extend the legal reach of that regulation.