Professional Conduct notice / CQ

June 2025: Carolynn Quinn, Reference No 00920281 , Registrant ID 380426

The Article 12.6 Panel, consisting of […] convened on 3 April Year 2 to consider the information submitted by […] Police and the response made by Carolynn Quinn.

The Member, Carolynn Quinn, was initially notified on 19 June Year 1 that BACP had been advised by the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) at […] Safeguarding Children Partnership, and by […] Police that she had been arrested on 30 March Year 1 following an altercation in […] and subsequently charged on 31 March Year 1 […].

[…]

The Panel was provided with the following written materials:

 The information submitted by […] Police.
 […] Police press releases following the arrest and on conviction.
 The formal response submitted by the Member, including representations from her union prepared for her employers disciplinary hearing.

Allegations

The Panel is asked to consider whether the Member’s actions:

1. Have or are likely to diminish public confidence in the counselling professions;

2. Have or are likely to bring the reputation of the Association into disrepute;

3. Give good reason to believe there has been a serious breach of BACP’s Ethical Framework and whether her failure to disclose brings the reputation of the profession into disrepute.

The Panel carefully considered all the evidence submitted by […] Police together with the response received from Carolyn Quinn.

Panel’s Decision

The Article 12.6 Panel decided to implement Article 12.6 of the Articles of Association. Carolyn Quinn’s membership will be withdrawn subject to appeal. Carolyn Quinn has 14 days from the date of notification of this report to make an appeal. In the absence of an appeal notification will be given to Carolynn Quinn by the Chair of the Association with regard to the withdrawal of membership.

The reasons for the Panel’s decision are as follows:

The Panel considered the account of events put forward by the Member’s union representative in her response to the Association. However, it bore in mind that this account was prepared for her employer’s disciplinary hearing dated 28 August Year 1, and it therefore pre-dated her trial and convictions. The Panel noted also that the Member maintains her innocence but states that she was unable to appeal for financial reasons.

The Panel noted that the Member was found guilty after a trial of two offences of Assault by beating of an emergency worker. The offences related to two police officers; the Member was fined and ordered to pay compensation. The Panel found that the Member’s convictions demonstrate conduct which is incompatible with the values expected of a member of BACP. It noted that although the Member in her response refers to the impact of these events on herself and her family, she does not address the impact of her convictions on the wider counselling profession. It concluded that her actions are likely to diminish public confidence in the counselling professions and bring the reputation of the Association into disrepute.

The Panel considered also the Member’s failure to notify the Association of the charges brought against her. It noted the Member’s explanation that she had advised her employers of the charges and believed that they would notify BACP on her behalf. However, the Panel considered Paragraph 47 of the Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions 2018 which states:

“We will promptly notify this Association about any criminal charges or disciplinary procedures brought against us…”

The Panel considered that this makes it clear that it is a Member’s personal responsibility to notify the Association. The Panel found therefore that the Member’s failure to notify BACP that she had been charged with criminal offences amounted to a serious breach of the Ethical Framework.

The Panel therefore found that Carolynn Quinn’s membership of the Association should be withdrawn.

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