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About the Standard for Abortion Counselling
The Standard for Abortion Counselling in New Zealand (the Standard) has been developed to ensure best practice in the provision of abortion counselling services. It is firmly grounded in Te Tiriti and health equity practice and sets expectations from the Ministry of Health – Manatū Hauora for those delivering abortion related counselling.
Topics covered in the Standard include:
- the purpose of abortion counselling
- who can provide abortion counselling
- principles to guide counsellors
- the connection with Ngā Paerewa Health and Disability Services Standard NZS 8134:2021
- the rights of people receiving abortion counselling.
Download the Standard for Abortion Counselling in New Zealand
Who can deliver abortion counselling services
A person seeking to be an abortion counsellor must:
- hold a relevant health qualification (for example, counselling or social work qualification)
- be a registered professional of an appropriate professional body and hold a current practicing certificate
- not hold any conscientious objection to abortion
- have regular professional supervision from a suitably qualified and experienced supervisor
- undertake regular professional development relevant to abortion counselling
- have a working understanding of the abortion process and the possible complications of abortion, including initial training and regular professional development of knowledge in this area
- have a working understanding of contraceptive options and services available to access contraceptive options, including initial training and regular professional development of knowledge in this area
- treat all communications between themselves and the person who is seeking abortion counselling as confidential and privileged information as per the Health Information Privacy Code 2020 (Privacy Commissioner 2020) and their relevant professional code of ethics.
See which types of practitioners can provide abortion counselling in Appendix 2 of the Standard for Abortion Counselling in New Zealand.
Training for counsellors
The first trimester abortion training package has been developed by the NZ College of Sexual and Reproductive Health (NZCSRH) and is available on the NZCSRH website. The first part of the training is about Consultation – Communication and Decision-Making and is relevant for abortion counsellors. This training is free to access.
Cultural safety
To practise in a culturally safe way, service providers and health care and support workers must acknowledge and address their own biases, attitudes, assumptions, stereotypes, prejudices, structures, and characteristics that may affect the quality of the service they provide.
Cultural safety must be part of professional development – and part of counsellors’ own scopes of practice for their relevant professional memberships or registrations. This means ensuring critically reflective supervision and continuing professional development are ongoing features of social work practice.
We advise counsellors to speak to their employer, professional college and/or member organisation about opportunities relevant for them.
Whānau participation
Whānau participation can be an important aspect of abortion counselling. As part of ensuring services are patient-centred, counsellors should have their own policies in place for whānau participation. Patients should be empowered to decide to include whānau in their counselling sessions if they choose.
Contraception training
Health practitioners will talk to the patient about their contraceptive options. The choice of contraception often depends on medical history and clinical assessment – however, abortion counsellors should be aware of different contraceptive options available.
