Following our recent telephone conversations, my visit to you is agreed for (DATE) and it would be wise to clarify the parameters of my involvement with you. I have agreed to work for a fee of ..... (Cheque for £.... already received balancing cheque for £.... received today payable to "Behaviour Change Consultancy") there are no other charges or expenses connected with my involvement with you.

Today's consultation is followed by six weeks of daily phone support finishing on the (DATE) and then weekly support (any days or weeks missed by my non-availability can be added to this date and should I fall seriously ill or be otherwise unable to support you the fee will be refunded pro-rata)   Parents should need to be committed to phone each day even when things begin to go well and they feel there is "nothing to report". The most effective training is often accomplished on these calmer days.

Confidentiality & Media interest
All matters discussed as well as the fact that you have engaged my services will be kept, by me, entirely confidential.   Your work with me is solely to change your children's behaviour, any association or contact with or from media companies or projects of your own that have not been agreed by me will result in immediate termination of my work without refund and possible legal recourse.

Not an easy process
If you work with me you will have to accept that your child(ren) are as trapped by their child behaviour as you are. It is sometimes difficult to accept that the solution to a problem that you have been struggling with for some time is located solely within the responses that you have been previously using. Since no parent has direct access to their children's behaviour, it follows that you can only modify your children's child behaviour through what you do and say, and this, if you want them to change, has to change. The speed of success you achieve will be directly related to your ability to consistently control your own behaviour. It is inefficient (and not fair) to ask your children to control and change their child behaviour when you are not consistently in control of yours.

If you continue with responses that are, in my view, ultimately damaging* to your children you need to be prepared to be told this strongly on the phone. (* "Damaging" is not an carelessly chosen word. See ibi.org.uk). I strive not to gratuitously offend the sensibilities of parents but I believe my near 100% success rate is based on "telling it at it is". Therefore should you, following a difficult phone interaction, decide not to continue with my services (in the past, two clients have made this decision) then any partial refund of fee will be entirely at my discretion.

Serious Mental or Child Behaviour Disorders
If you feel that your own or your children's difficulties are primarily to do with their or your own internal mental or emotional state and are not to do with your skill in handling behaviour, then do not choose the Child Behaviour Change Consultancy. Serious mental or emotional problems could endanger you or your children if you follow my methods. You will also need to sign the separate Disclaimer document making it clear that you understand that I do not accept responsibility for any serious adverse occurrence that might be deemed to have stemmed from your attempts to implement advice received.

Coaching Others
When the strategies that we discuss together begin to work, and this can often happen very quickly, clients are often tempted to recommend their strategies to their children's teachers or to their friends and colleagues. I would strongly urge you not to do this. Your strategies were designed for you to change your current responses at home and are combined with careful explanation and on-going daily support; without this they are unlikely to work for others.

Children are Time-Consuming
I do not see it as my role to make your children less time-consuming, only to put you in control of the time you spend with them. It is not reasonable for you to expect, even a teenager, to fully understand how busy your life is and therefore to need less attention. The amount of time that a particular child needs cannot be defined objectively.

Experience
My work with you is based on extensive experience, I claim no other qualification to give you advice than years of working with teachers and parents to change the child behaviour of classes and siblings and years of discussions with youngsters about their child behaviour and its change.

Agree these terms
It is important that before we begin, you sign this document and indicate your willingness to accept my involvement with your family on the basis described here (and in the disclaimer document). These documents will form the basis of our working relationship. I will be the only Consultant working with you.

Evaluation
I always evaluate the work that I do - so I need a commitment from you that you will complete a simple evaluation process when the intervention is complete.

Warwick Dyer….……….…….……….for Child Behaviour Change Consultancy

We have read and accept all the points made in this document and agree to be bound by its terms.

I confirm that no other person or agency has legal guardianship of any of the children concerned



Signed__________________________            Signed__________________________


Printed_________________________            Printed__________________________


Relationship to child___________                        Relationship to child____________


Behaviour Change Consultancy 24 Rochdale, Harold Road, London, SE19 3TF
0208 653 9768       0845 430 5340

Although all of my paying clients have found my suggestions helpful (only three of all my previous clients did not go on to complete their interventions successfully), there will always be circumstances particular to your children (whom I usually never actually see) of which I am not aware. I work solely on the information given to me by you and do not do any observations to see what is happening for myself. This, and the fact that my skills are practically acquired - I have many years of experience but no formal qualifications in this area - leaves a large possibility for misunderstanding and error and must leave the responsibility for whatever happens within your family during and following my involvement entirely with you as your children's parents.

By signing this document you are stating that you have told me about all the previous medical/professional involvement with your child(ren) and that these professionals have been informed about my involvement with you and are happy that your child(ren)'s child behaviour can be safely handled with the use of rewards and sanctions (punishments). I do not accept responsibility for any adverse occurrence that might be deemed to have stemmed from your attempts to implement advice received from me. You will have to accept all responsibility for any and all outcomes that result from your decision to use, or not use, suggestions I have made. I agree to suggest alternative strategies or augment strategies that you have used in the past. I agree also to discuss your implementation of the strategies. It is your responsibility to make up your own mind whether or not any strategy suggested by me is likely to be effective and whether it is safe to use as circumstances change.

Parents of children with serious, violent, intimidatory child behaviour are often advised by Child Psychiatrists to always avoid confrontation this might mean giving the child what it wants. This advice could prevent a serious violent act from occurring. Where a child is seriously disturbed this may well be the best current advice.

If the problems are merely associated with child behaviour management issues then others think that without confronting aggressively the way to proceed is to not to accede to demands that are not in the best interests of the child or demands that are aggressively or rudely made. This view holds that this will prevent even more serious child behaviour developing in the future. However, as we have already said, for a seriously disturbed child the Child Psychiatrist's advice may often be the safest and best option.

I work with you only on the assurance given to me by you that you have sought professional advice and that you have been advised that none of your children are seriously disturbed and that they are in need of, and can cope with, changes in "behaviour management".

You need to make sure that you have received and will continue to receive the best professional advice as your intervention with the children proceeds so that you and I can be sure none of your children are seriously disturbed.

Although, to date, there has never been a serious adverse outcome from any of my interventions, since I never actually see the children of the parents with whom I work and rely entirely on second hand accounts of what is happening between you and your children I am never, and can never be, considered accountable for their or your emotional or physical safety or for any subsequent adverse outcome.

Please sign and indicate that you accept my involvement with your family on the nil liability basis described here. Although I have years of experience I have no medical or psychological qualification and you must keep this fact firmly in mind and always consider for yourself your children's emotional and physical well-being and safety (and your own) and make entirely your own decisions about what is the best way to respond to your children during and following all our conversations. This document is intended to act as a disclaimer and, if you sign it, you waive all rights to any legal redress for any adverse outcome that you might wish to claim in the future to have resulted from my involvement with your family and is intended to specify that you take complete responsibility for all outcomes that result from your decision to accept advice from me.

We (I) have read and accept all the points made in this document and agree to be bound by its terms. I confirm that no other person or agency has legal guardianship of any of the children concerned



Signed__________________________            Signed__________________________


Printed_________________________            Printed__________________________


Relationship to child___________                        Relationship to child____________


Behaviour Change Consultancy 24 Rochdale, Harold Road, London, SE19 3TF
0208 653 9768       0845 430 5340