Ethics and standards

Our mission, vision and values

ESP is a recognised, accessible service and model, which endeavors to:
“Provide a supportive, safe space to learn, grow and heal together”

Our vision aligns well with our values:
“Inspiring hope, peace, and fulfillment for the greater good in our world”

Our core values are our guidelines:

• Accessibility
• Inclusivity
• Compassion
• Safety
• Fairness

Which flow through our ethical culture:

• We are considerate to all beings & form of life (human, animal & nature)
• We are respectful & accepting of others’ choices, beliefs, values, culture
• We acknowledge the importance of safety, awareness & openness
• We deeply regard individuals’ confidentiality, privacy & consent
• We value individuality, differentiation & diversity
• We are grateful for all opportunities of learning, growth & healing
• We regard well-being as a healthy state of holism which is deserved by all

Our way with horses, animals, and humans is founded on Compassionate Relationship:

Deep mutual regard for self and others, through open invitation & listening, request & reflect, consideration & consent, attuning to and responding to yes & no communications, boundaries, spacial, and all other needs.

Service delivery

ESP Services are required to:

1. Remain within the competency scope of modalities offered and professionally qualified in. (i.e. if the practitioner is not professionally qualified/licensed in psychotherapy or counseling – this may not be included in the service delivery).
2. Remain within Equine Supported Programs’ facilitation and competency scope, (i.e. ‘Shared Experiential Learning, Growth & Healing’ within ESP’S facilitation format).
3. Mounted experiences on horses (and any other animal) are required to remain within the Equine Supported Programs’ facilitation scope.(i.e. are offered as gentle, led experiences – supporting the person to feel ‘lifted, held & carried’ by the horse); and may only be offered where the practitioner/facilitator is appropriately qualified and insured for mounted experiences.

ESP Practitioners / Facilitators are responsible for:

1. Clearly and correctly representing themselves within Equine Supported Programs’ facilitation and certification competencies and requirements.
2. Providing clarity about cost, booking and cancelation procedures, program/session content, accessibility, duration, and facilitation processes for services provided.
3. Referring clients to appropriate/useful resources and specialist service providers when needed and/or out of the scope of practice.
4. Providing services that are professionally supportive and loyal to their clients’ needs.
5. Assessing and monitoring the facilitation, service delivery, environmental setting, and client/horse/animal/nature/practitioner dynamic(s) to comply with and suit the needs of all (as best can).
6. Fostering a collaborative, rather than competitive ethos with other service providers and practitioners; with a respectful, non-harming portrayal when referencing to others (in person, online, in writing).

Client, practitioner and facilitator welfare

ESP Practitioners and Facilitators are responsible for:

1. ‍Assessing and acquiring appropriate, suitable clients for services provided, within their competency and qualification scope.
2. ‍Practicing appropriate self-care during and beyond sessions/services, through the ability to monitor self-needs; and may not offer services were influenced by alcohol, narcotics, or are physically / emotionally / psychologically ‘unwell’ – as per professional advice.
3. ‍Complying with professional development requirements according to their professional qualifications and association memberships.
4. ‍Complying with de-briefing / supervision requirements according to their professional qualifications and association memberships.
5. ‍First Aid planning and practice: required to have at least 1 trained/certified First Aid Officer present during services delivered; as well as an appropriate First Aid Kit – within clear view, reach, and knowledge of others.
6. ‍Obtaining a current, Working with Children/and or Vulnerable People license/and or Police Check (whichever is the current state regulation requirement, where services are being provided) for all practitioners, facilitators, volunteers, etc.
7. ‍Obtaining current, professional indemnity / public liability insurance policy(s) for modalities practiced and complying with specific insurance requirements.
8. ‍Providing a suitable ‘Release & Waiver of Liability’ agreement for clients to understand and sign – along with a Medical/Personal Information and Emergency contacts form to complete prior to engaging in service activities.
9. ‍Being familiar with and adhering to council and OH&S requirements/regulations according to their services and practice.
10. ‍Being familiar with and adhering to all law-abiding requirements/regulations.
11. ‍Being familiar with and adhering to mandatory reporting requirements/regulations.
12. ‍Keeping and maintaining client Information / case-notes in compliance with modality and professional qualification requirements and handling confidentiality ethics.
13. ‍Adhering to confidentiality and consent ethics, with deep respect and ‘safety’ for all regard.
14. ‍Seeking consent for publications of images or quotes or context in sessions (and beyond).
15. ‍Providing and practicing risk management guidelines for accidents, incidents, fire, flood, intense weather, or natural disaster safety and/or emergencies.
16. ‍Providing appropriate ‘safety with horses / animals / nature & humans’ guidelines for practitioners / facilitators / volunteers and clients.
17. ‍Ensuring the horse(s) / animal(s) are deemed safe and appropriate for individualised, client interactions, through appropriate assessment, ongoing monitoring, and management.
18. ‍Ensuring the practice/service delivery environmental setting and equipment used are deemed safe and appropriate for individualised client interactions, through appropriate assessment, ongoing monitoring, and management.
19. ‍Mindfully representing themselves in social settings (including social media) with respect to their practice/service ethics.

ESP Practitioners / Facilitators are encouraged to:

1. Seek regular, collaborative support from colleagues.
2. Gain ‘up-to-date’ knowledge/training which is trauma-informed and relevant to services provided (at least 2 times per year).
3. Attend regular supervision/debriefing which is supportive of services provided (at least 4 times per year).
4. Gain ongoing, appropriate horse/animal/nature knowledge, training, awareness, and safety, which is relevant for services provided (at least 2 times per year).
5. Gain ongoing, appropriate knowledge/training, which is relevant to any complimentary, professional services provided as part of ESP service delivery (ie Naturopathy, Massage, Energy Healing, etc) (at least 2 times per year and according to professional association/training requirements).
6. Attend credible, personal development/psychotherapeutic/counseling support for personal/professional self-care (at least 4 times per year).

Animal welfare

ESP Practitioners and Facilitators are required to have at least 1200 life experience hours (personal/professional) with animals they are offering interactive activities with, and are required to provide a ‘statement of truth’ identifying and listing their life experience with each ‘type’ of animal they are offering services with. *as an example, 1200 hours may look like approx. 1.5 hours/day over 2 years.

Practitioners and facilitators are responsible for gaining appropriate knowledge/training/understanding of horses/animals’ basic and flourishing (thriving) needs.

And therefore provide horses and animals with:

• Access to other horses, or animals of their social choosing.
• Access to appropriate stimulation choices. (i.e. interesting changes in environment, activities which engage play and learn etc.)
• Appropriate, manure/urine free spaces for movement, nutrition, and rest/recovery.
• Continuous, appropriate drinking water.
• Access to appropriate shelter from weather conditions.
• Regular, personal connection time with practitioner/facilitator.
• Appropriate intervention/support/care when needed (ie vet, hoof care, dentist, parasite management, first aid, body-therapy, etc.).
• Training and handling methods, which are encouraging and unharmful (i.e. does not engage any form of physical or emotional abuse, harm, or coercion).
• Appropriate and maintained equipment being used (ie head-collars, saddles, rugs, animal first aid kit, leashes, animal coats, etc).
• Appropriate and maintained fencing and structures in horses/animals’ environment (ie sheds, water basins, feed structures, kennels, beds, travel equipment, etc.).

During service delivery (and beyond) ESP practitioners and facilitators are responsible for horses/animals’ holistic welfare and individual needs, through:

Having the ability to attune to, understand, monitor, and manage:

• Horses/animals’ body language, facial expressions, and behavioral communications (both subtle and gross).
• Horses/animals’ physical, emotional, social, environmental, cognitive, and instinctive presentations.

Providing adequate spaces, settings, and circumstances that allow horses/animals choice, through their ability to:

• move away from a person, object, or other horse/animal, etc.
• at least sight access others in their herd or social family.
• access water (and fiber-food, if horse or herd animal).
• access shelter from weather conditions.
• express, through body language and movement.
• process, rest, and recover.

Considerately supporting others (clients, volunteers, carers) to engage compassionately, (through deep, mutual regard) with horses/animals they are interacting with.

Interactive nature aspect and care

Practitioners and Facilitators are required to have at least 1200 life experience hours (personal/professional) with ‘nature aspect’ they are offering interactive activities with, and are required to provide a ‘statement of truth’ identifying and listing their life experience with each ‘type’  of ‘nature aspect’ they are offering services with. *as an example, 1200 hours may look like approx. 1.5 hours/day over 2 years.

Practitioners and facilitators are responsible for gaining appropriate knowledge/training/understanding of ‘nature aspect’

With respectful consideration to:

• Nature, natural processes & environmental care ethics.
• Individuals’ abilities, hopes, and personal outcome needs.
• Individuals’ holistic safety and coping / comfort needs.
• Spaces, settings, circumstances, interactive tactile ‘tools & equipment’ and information which enhance the ‘nature aspect’ of the experience.
• When combining horses and/or other animals with ‘nature aspect’ being mindful of the added environmental changes, needs, responses, and reactions which may take place.

Practitioners and facilitators are required to remain within their scope of professional competence and be appropriately insured for ‘nature aspect’ services they are providing.

i.e. if the practitioner/facilitator is offering a nature walk on an unmarked forest track, out of phone range and is not professionally trained, qualified, and insured to do this – this would be out of their professional scope; however if the practitioner/facilitator is offering a gentle walk on marked tracks with a friendly pet dog (have a first aid kit and charged mobile phone handy); or are engaging a little gardening with another – noticing smells of herbs and types of insects, etc. on a familiar property – this is more likely to be within their scope of experiential ‘nature aspect’ learning, growth & healing.

For clarity about ‘nature aspect’ professional scope of competence, practitioners and facilitators are required to seek appropriate advice from their professional indemnity insurer and/or training advisor and/or professional association.

References

Information sourced from:

• AABAT (AustralianAssociation for Bush Adventure Therapy)
• AAII (Animal Assisted Intervention International) Standards of Practice
• ATL (Animal Therapies Ltd.)
• Australian Counselling Association Code of Ethics and Practice
• Equine Psychotherapy Institute (EPI) Values and Code of Ethics
• Equine Connection Ethics
• IAHAIO White Paper & ‘One Health’ concept
• Path International Ethics & Standards.