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COAPE Code of Practice

1. COAPE Animal Behaviour Practitioners (CABPs) accept only patients referred by veterinary surgeons. Their fees do not exceed those charged by members of other helping professions with comparable experience and qualifications. The welfare of the patient and client are paramount and are not subjugated to commercial considerations. CABPs are covered by appropriate professional indemnity and public liability insurance in order to be in a position to meet any liabilities they may incur.

2. CABPs have a responsibility to their patients, their clients and to society in general. Their interventions should not knowingly cause avoidable psychological or physical distress or damage to any of these. Where such damage, or the risk of it, is unavoidable, this should be explained to and discussed with the client, so as to enable him to make an informed decision regarding the intervention.

3. CABPs interventions are assumed to be the practical applications of a scientifically based body of knowledge or resulting from proven practical experience. Where interventions are experimental, the client and referring veterinary surgeon must be fully informed. CABPs keep clients as fully informed as possible about the nature of and reasons for their interventions and about any possible risk or drawbacks of these interventions. They do not lead their clients to form unrealistic expectations of the outcome of their interventions.

4. The relationship between the CABP and his client is such that the CABP must guard against the exploitation of the client. During his interventions, he maintains a professional relationship with his client. He does not exploit the relationship for improper personal, professional or financial gain. He does not seek inappropriately to impose his own values on the client. CABPs recognise that information acquired by them about clients or patients is confidential within the limits of the law and they ensure that it is not improperly used. They ensure that, where details of cases are made public, the anonymity of the client is preserved. Photography or video or tape recordings of the clients, patients or their property are made only with the consent of the client.

5. The personal and professional conduct of CABPs is not such as to undermine public confidence in their profession or COAPE. They do not attempt to practice when unable to do so competently by reason of their physical condition or psychological state.

6. CABPs do not exploit their professional position or reputation by associating themselves with the promotion, endorsement or sale of any article whose efficacy and relevance to the profession is not supported by evidence of a standard acceptable to the profession.

7. Where CABPs employ in their profession practice workers or assistants who are not CABPs, they are responsible for ensuring that such workers conform to this COAPE Listed Animal Behaviour Practitioners Code of Practice in their dealings with the public.

8. In their public statements, CABPs maintain a professional standard comparable to that in other areas of their professional life. They do not misrepresent their activities or make unrealistic claims. They do not make assertions that are not justified by evidence and it is made clear whenever they are expressing personal opinion or speculating beyond available evidence.

9. An CABP respects the viewpoint and independence of other COAPE Listed CABP Practitioners and does not publicly denigrate their professional conduct or opinion. Where one CABP violates acceptable standards of professional conduct a COAPE CABP with reliable knowledge will take steps to resolve the matter informally or, where this is not possible, through the Partners of COAPE, or, where this is not possible, via the requested arbitration of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons/British Psychological Society.