What you can expect:

We will offer you your first appointment as quickly as we can, usually within two weeks. If at the end of this appointment it is agreed that Relate counselling or therapy may be helpful, we will discuss at what times you can come on a regular basis and when this might begin. You can usually come to see us during the day or in the evening.

Counselling sessions are usually once a week for an hour. You will see the same counsellor each week and your counselling will continue for as long as both you and the counsellor feel it is helpful.

Counsellors receive continuing support and supervision and attend professional development courses. In this way we maintain consistently high standards.

Relate services are private and confidential. We will not normally give your name, or any information about you, to anyone outside of Relate. However, there are exceptional cases where Relate might ethically or legally have to give information to relevant authorities, for example:

* Where we are legally compelled to do so.
* Where we have reason to believe that someone, especially a child, is at risk of harm. * Where there is a duty to the public to disclose.
* Where disclosure is permitted by law and required to protect our interest.
* Where disclosure is made at your request or with your consent.

Relate keeps confidential records and statistics about its clients. All records are kept securely and are only seen by authorised Relate personnel. These records are subject to the Data Protection Act 1998.

What we expect from you:

We rely on contributions from clients to keep our services open to everyone. We expect contributions for our services according to your income. The service you receive is not affected by the amount that you contribute. At your first meeting, your counsellor will discuss with you how much you can pay for each session.

Once counselling begins, we expect you to keep all your appointments. If you have to cancel an appointment, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can offer it to someone else. If you miss an appointment or cancel with less than 48 hours’ notice, the full fee of the session will be due.

We try to provide a caring and effective service. To help us do this, we invite clients to comment on their experience of Relate GMS. If you want to comment about any part of the service you receive, please contact Sue Parkes, CE as soon as possible.

sueparkes@relategms.co.uk >

If you are not satisfied with your experience of Relate, please tell us. We may be able to give you an explanation or an apology. We will always take your complaint seriously, investigate it fully and let you know the outcome