Our Ethics, Rules & Procedures 

+ CSS Code of Ethics and Practice

The Code serves both as information for the public and a reminder to the practitioner of the high standards of practice expected and the commitment required to maintain them. It attempts to provide guidance by way of a standard of attitude, understanding and therefore behaviour. It is written in a spirit of support and encouragement with the intention of engendering a state of being in the practitioner in which destructive, disempowering and otherwise unprofessional conduct will be anathema. Whilst recognising that the word is not ideal, patient is used to denote the individual who seeks some form of service from the practitioner. Members’ own terminology is, of course, respected. The code assumes that members run their practices legally and professionally.

THE CODE

Members are required to respect the Code, to apply their best endeavours towards practising it, and to afford appropriate support to their colleagues in doing the same.

PROFESSIONAL INDEMNITY INSURANCE

Membership at all levels is conditional on evidence of professional insurance.

THE PRACTITIONER / PATIENT RELATIONSHIP

1. The member undertakes to treat their patients, their patients’ families and their own colleagues with respect and compassion. Members shall respect the religious, spiritual, political and social views of any individual irrespective of race, colour, creed, sexual orientation or gender.

2. The choice and capacity to gain in health lies first within the power of the patient, not with their practitioner. The role of the practitioner is to help to make such choices more accessible. This requires that the practitioner supports the individual towards greater self-understanding by joining them in a partnership of discovery, neither claiming, nor encouraging the inference that the practitioner has special powers.

3. Respect for the self-healing principle leads to the acceptance that one person cannot heal or cure another, only that by the responsible application of techniques or other help, or by the quality of their presence, the practitioner may help remove inhibitions to or otherwise support the patient’s self-healing. Promises, cures and guarantees are therefore without foundation. It is, however, the duty of the practitioner to encourage appropriate optimism.

4. The practitioner will provide a non-judgmental environment which respects patients’ ethically held beliefs and admits them as part of the therapeutic process.

5. Members shall encourage only positive or neutral opinions of other practitioners and practitioner groups.

6. The practitioner role involves privileged information, and particular power and authority. This shall be used only for the benefit of the patient, and not for seeking or receiving any benefit save for fair remuneration for the practitioner.

7. The practitioner shall keep accurate records of all patients and treatments given. These records shall be kept for 7 years; when treating minors records shall be kept for 7 years into their adulthood.

8. The patient-practitioner relationship and its details shall remain confidential between patient and practitioner and appropriate staff except only where the patient’s clear consent has been given, and such consent should be recorded.

9. Whilst respecting areas where confidentiality must apply, practitioners will appreciate the need for honesty and openness in all their professional relationships. All practitioners working within hospitals, hospices and any other medical establishment will comply with the protocols and guidelines required at such establishments. Practitioners must not countermand instructions or prescriptions given by a doctor.

10. Unless the practitioner is legally qualified to work with juveniles, all patients under age 16 shall be accompanied by their responsible adult for the duration of a treatment session.

11. The practitioner’s relationship with the patient shall be confined to the therapeutic, and shall be conducted only in ways which will preserve and promote the patient’s power in therapeutic transactions. A practitioner must NOT enter into a sexual relationship of any kind with a client and must be diligent in guarding against any act, suggestion or statement that may be interpreted, mistakenly or otherwise, as having a sexual implication.

12. Upledger CranioSacral therapy is received fully clothed. Practitioners qualified in other modalities such as massage, should ensure patients are covered in layered towels before using any CranioSacral techniques. If in any circumstance a patient refuses to recognise these boundary issues, the practitioner is under no obligation to treat them and should NOT do so.

13. No practitioner has a duty to treat anyone who comes to their door. They must NOT treat a client whose condition exceeds the practitioner’s capacity, training and competence. Where appropriate, the practitioner must seek referral to a suitably qualified person. The ethical practitioner will be clear about the limits of their responsibilities, as well as what they need to maintain a good practice and take care of themselves. Practitioners should ensure that they are medically, physically and psychologically fit to practise.

14. If concerned about their competence in particular situations practitioners should bear in mind that much is learned from new experience and, used as instructed, Upledger CranioSacral Therapy techniques and dialoguing procedures are intrinsically safe. However, they should also be able to discern when to ask for help or to refer.

15. When involved in referral, practitioners will be careful:

    a) to provide adequate information to the referee practitioner together with clear terms of reference, preferably in writing, especially if referring outside their own practice

    b) to be clear with their patient about the purpose and expectations of referring them

    c) in situations that are especially sensitive, in writing as well as verbally to make clear to the patient why a referral is considered necessary

    d) when receiving referral to be mindful of its terms, not to exceed them without the consent of the referrer, and to give adequate feedback to the referrer

16. Members should advise the Secretary immediately they become aware of the possibility of any complaint or action arising that could lead to a claim against their insurers (whether or not insured through the Society), damage to their reputation or disqualification from membership. This will place the Society in the best position to give appropriate support. The same applies to any intimation of criminal proceedings (whether or not connected with their practice) against the Member.

17. The Society will endeavour to deal sympathetically and fairly with any reasonable concern or complaint about any member brought to its attention. Concerns/complaints about members who are not yet qualified cannot be dealt with formally, but the Society will endeavour to do so informally. It is the duty of members of the Society to inform clients of their status - qualified/network/student before treating them.

The amendments to this code from the original version were put forward by the Board and passed by CSS members at the 2015 AGM.

+ Complaints Procedure

If a member of the public, after receiving treatment from a member of the Cranio Sacral Society, feels they have a reason to make a complaint then we have the procedure below in place that should be followed. Should this be the case please read the following:

1. The information which you give to the Society will remain confidential, unless:

a) you give your permission in writing to approach the member.

b) the CSS or Upledger Institute UK has to disclose the information to comply with the law.

2. You may wish to log a complaint without further action being taken. At various times, the CSS may request that you reconsider your refusal to take action. This situation may arise if further information or incidents are made known from other sources.

Should you wish to take further action at any time you may approach the CSS.

3. The CSS may use the information indirectly to be more vigilant with regard to the member being complained about, e.g. on courses or in study groups.

4. Please be aware that unless you are prepared to have your name released to the therapist we cannot process your complaint.

If you wish to proceed with your complaint, please complete parts one and two of the form you can download by clicking the button below. Make sure both parts are signed and return it to the Secretary, The Cranio Sacral Society, 196 Surrenden Road, Brighton, BN1 6NN.

Download the complaints form here.

+ Rules and Procedures

THE PROCEDURES AND RULES OF THE CRANIO SACRAL SOCIETY

THE AIMS OF THE CRANIO SACRAL SOCIETY ARE:

1. To promote Upledger CranioSacral Therapy by facilitating regular contact and exchange of information amongst Members, and between the company and other professions, bodies and individuals, including the general public.
2. By any appropriate means, to encourage the continued development and understanding of Upledger CranioSacral Therapy.
3. To set and maintain standards of qualification and practice in Upledger CranioSacral Therapy in The British Isles including Eire, and in any other territories as may be appropriate.

SECTION ONE: THE PROCEDURES

1 RESPONSIBILITY OF MEMBERS All members shall be expected to further the objectives, interests and influence of the Society to the best of their ability. .

2 THE STATUS OF THE SOCIETY

The Cranio Sacral society has been set up as a company limited by guarantee and not having a share capital under the Companies Acts 1985 to 1989. The words and expressions defined in the Company’s Articles of Association shall have the same meaning in these rules unless the context states or requires otherwise.

3 THE ROLE OF THE BOARD

The directors will manage the business of the Society. From time to time, the directors will make such rules as they believe necessary for the proper conduct and management of the Society. These include:-

• i) the admission and classification of Members of the Company
• ii) the rights and privileges of such Members
• iii) conditions of membership
• iv) the terms on which Members may resign or have their membership terminated
• v) entrance fees, subscriptions or other fees and payments to be made by members
• vi) the conduct of the members of the Society in relation to one another, and to the public, and generally all matters which are related to the Rules of the Society

4 RULES AND BYE-LAWS

4.1 Directors shall bring to the notice of the Society all rules and bye-laws made by them in the running of the Company.

4.2 Society, in general meeting, shall have the power to alter or repeal rules or bye-laws, and to make additions to them.

5 GENERAL MEETINGS AND RESOLUTIONS

5.1 The Annual General Meeting (AGM) The AGM shall be held in the Spring of each year after the membership of the Society has been determined for the forthcoming year. Members will normally be given a minimum of a clear twenty one days notice of this meeting. Notice of the AGM shall also be given to all Members, all directors and to the auditors of the Society’s accounts.

5.2 Extraordinary General Meetings All other meetings which involve the membership shall be called Extraordinary General Meetings. Members shall be given fourteen days notice of such meetings unless Paragraph 5.3 applies.

5.3 Meetings called at shorter notice A general meeting may be called at shorter notice if it is agreed:

i) in the case of an Annual General Meeting, by all the members who are entitled to vote at the AGM ii) in the case of any other General Meeting, by a 95% majority in the number of members who have the right to attend and vote, (assuming one member has one vote).

6 FREQUENCY OF MEETINGS

6.1 The Board will call meetings of the members as appropriate or:-

6.2 On the request of Members the board will call an Extraordinary General Meeting which will be convened within eight weeks of the request being made.

7 THE QUORUM FOR GENERAL MEETINGS

7.1 A quorum is five people entitled to vote on the business being transacted. Each must be a Member of the Society or a proxy for a member. No business shall be transacted at any meeting unless a quorum is present.

7.2 If a quorum is not present at a meeting within half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting, the meeting will be reconvened at the same time and place in the following week or at such a time as the directors may determine.

8 THE PASSING OF RESOLUTIONS

8.1 Only Members of the Society shall be eligible to vote in resolutions or in elections for officials of the Society. Each Member will have one vote per resolution.

8.2 At any meeting a resolution shall be decided by a show of hands. A poll may be carried out if requested before the meeting or on the declaration of the result of the show of hands. A poll may be demanded by:

• i) the Chair
• ii) at least two Members who have the right to vote at the meeting
• iii) by a Member or Members representing not less than one tenth of the total voting rights of all the members having the right to vote at the meeting.
• iv) The poll will be carried out at the direction of the Chair who may appoint scrutineers (who need not be members).

9 PROXY VOTES

Any Member who is entitled to vote at a General Meeting shall be entitled to appoint another person as his/her proxy to attend and vote instead of him/her and any proxy shall have the same right as the Member to speak at the meeting.

10 FREQUENCY OF MEETINGS

The Board shall meet not less than twice during the financial year for the despatch of business of the CSS.

11 DECISION MAKING AT BOARD MEETINGS A majority of votes shall decide questions arising. Each director will have one vote. A meeting will be quorate when there are three Board members present unless the number of directors on the Board declines to two.

12 RECORDS OF MEETINGS

12.1The Board will keep minutes to be made of all meetings which will include:

the names of all persons present at each meeting a record of all resolutions and proceedings of each meeting

12.2 All minutes will be signed by the Chair of the Society. One copy will be kept at Society’s headquarters and a second copy will be kept with the Secretary of the CSS.

13 ACCOUNTS

The board shall prepare a statement of accounts annually. These accounts shall be examined and certified for the correctness of the statement set out by a duly qualified auditor appointed by the Board. This authority will be confirmed by members at each AGM.

14 THE BOARD’S EXPENSES

The directors may be paid all travelling, hotel and other expenses properly incurred by them in connection with their attendance at general meetings, meetings of directors, or committees of directors or in the general discharge of their duties.

15 THE APPOINTMENT OF DIRECTORS

15.1 The maximum and minimum number of directors may be determined from time to time by ordinary resolution. The minimum number of directors will always be one and there shall be no maximum number.

15.2 If the number of directors at any time be one, a sole director shall have the authority to exercise the powers and discretions as laid down in the Memorandum and Articles of the Society.

15.3 The directors may appoint a person who is willing to act as a director, either to fill a vacancy or as an additional director, provided that the appointment does not cause the number of directors to exceed the number of directors determined in 15.1

15.4 If a person is to be appointed as a director at any general meeting, he/she must:

• i) be recommended by the directors
• or:-
• ii) not less than fourteen and not more than thirty five clear days before the date appointed for the General Meeting, written notice must be received by the Society of the intention to propose a person for appointment. The notice must be signed by a Member qualified to vote at the meeting together with a notice signed by the person nominated which indicates his/her willingness to be appointed.

SECTION TWO: THE RULES OF MEMBERSHIP

1 CATEGORIES OF MEMBERSHIP

There will be four categories of membership: Network Membership, Qualified Membership, Associate Membership and Student Membership.

1.1 Network Membership Network Membership will be available to all those who have successfully completed Upledger CSTI and who are already in possession of Professional Indemnity Insurance.

1.2 Qualified Membership Qualified Membership is open to those who have successfully completed Upledger CSTI and CSTII, SERI and SERII, Advanced I and Techniques Certification.

1.3 Associate Membership Associate Membership is open to retired practitioners, non-practitioners and those who support Upledger CranioSacral Therapy. It is also open to those who have successfully completed an approved Upledger Introductory course.

1.4 Student Membership Student Membership is open to those who are currently preparing for their Upledger studies by undertaking the Training from Scratch programme, and who are in possession of student insurance.

2 INSURANCE

Members will be expected to provide evidence of their insurability to practise CranioSacral Therapy.

3 CERTIFICATE OF MEMBERSHIP AND USE OF LETTERS

All categories of membership will receive an appropriate membership certificate. Only Qualified Members may use the letters MCSS after their name. Network members may use the post-nominal letters CSS.

4 APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP

4.1 Application for membership will be through completion of one of the Society’s membership application forms and sending it to the Board at the Society’s headquarters for approval.

4.2 No persons shall be admitted as a member to the Society unless he/she is approved by the Board.

4.3 The Board reserves the right to request an application interview and to refuse membership of the Society without giving reason.

5 HONORARY MEMBERSHIP

To be awarded by the Board in recognition of extraordinary service to the Society.

6 CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR QUALIFIED MEMBERS

Qualified Members are required to maintain their qualification by engaging in regular CPD or continuing professional development activities. They must carry out a minimum of 24 hours over two years.

7 SUBSCRIPTIONS (INCLUDING THOSE RESIDENT IN THE UK AND OVERSEAS)

7.1 Annual Subscription

The annual subscription to the Society shall be determined by the Board on the advice of the Treasurer. The Board may modify the annual subscription of any member, to a sum which is, in its judgement, appropriate in the circumstances.

7.2 Payment of Subscription

The membership year will run for 12 months from the time the fee is paid. Members will pay an annual subscription which will auto-renew via the website, if that is how they paid.

8 TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP

8.1 Termination of Membership may occur as follows:

• a member may at any time withdraw from the Society by giving notice in writing to the Board. The membership subscription will not be refunded in total or in any part.
• a Member whose subscription is fourteen days or more in arrears shall not be entitled to vote at any of the Society’s meetings. At the discretion of the Board, the Member may have his/her membership terminated immediately.
• through termination of membership by the board as a result of the Member being found responsible for professional misconduct. (See Code of Ethics and Section 9 below).
• membership shall not be transferable and shall cease on the death of a Member. .

9 COMPLAINTS AND DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES

9.1 A complaint may be lodged with the Board about the conduct of any Member of the Society which adversely affects the interests of Upledger CranioSacral Therapy or the Cranio Sacral Society.

9.2 The Board may, at its discretion, either conduct a full investigation, or appoint a committee to investigate the substance of the complaint.

9.3 The results of any investigation shall be conveyed in writing to the Member concerned with any steps which need to be taken. The results of the investigation will also be communicated to the complainant.

9.4 Any Member against whom an investigation is carried out may appeal in writing to the board within fourteen days of receipt of the Board’s decision.

9.5 When all investigations have been carried out to the Board’s satisfaction, including consideration of appeal, the Board will make the final decision and no future appeals will be heard after this time.

+ Articles of Association

Please click here to read our Articles of Association.