Participant Information Sheet

Please take time to read the following information carefully; if there is anything that is not clear or that you would like more information about then please do ask the researcher.

Who is the researcher and what is the research about?

Anna Chippendale is childless due to both circumstance and loss, and a student on the MSc course in Integrative Counselling & Psychotherapy looking to explore experiences of involuntary and voluntary childless trainee counsellors, psychotherapists and recently qualified practitioners during their training process.

The research is supervised by Dr Stephen Roberts (Senior Lecturer) from Birmingham Newman University (Counselling, Psychotherapy and Talking Therapy Subject Area) and has been approved by the Research Ethics Committee.

What does participation involve?

Participation will involve an interview of semi structured questions (either remote or face to face) of approximately 30-50 minutes length. (You will need to complete a consent form to confirm that you agree to participate).

Who can participate?

Participation in this study is invited from childless/childfree trainees on BACP/UKCP accredited courses at any stage of study, or recently qualified BACP/UKCP accredited therapists who have qualified within the last 5 years. Participants must identify as permanently either involuntary or voluntary childless which will remain for their lifespan. Participants must be fluent English speakers and of any gender, female, male or non-binary.

How will the data be used?

Interviews will be audio-recorded, and the researchers will type up the interviews for analysis. The transcribed interviews will be anonymised (i.e., any information that can identify you will be removed) and used for research purposes. Extracts from the interview may be quoted in any publications and conference presentations arising from the research. The demographic data for all participants will be complied into a table and reported in any publications or presentations arising from this research.

In accordance with the Data Protection Act (2018) transcripts will be stored in password protected files. Recordings of face-to-face and remote interviews will be stored on password protected devices and destroyed at the end of the research.

Privacy Statement

At Newman University we respect the dignity and worth of each individual and this includes the way we treat personal information collected for research purposes. We encourage you to read the ‘Privacy Notice for Research Participants’. Available from: https://www.newman.ac.uk/knowledge-base/privacy-notice-for-research-participants/

Confidentiality

The information you provide will be treated confidentially and personally identifiable information will be removed.

Can I withdraw from the research?

If you decide you want to withdraw from this research after taking part in the interview, please contact Anna Chippendale. Please note that there are certain points beyond which it will not be possible to withdraw your participation from this study (for instance when the researcher has published the findings from this study). Therefore, it is a good idea to contact the researcher within 2 weeks of participation if you wish to withdraw your data.

If you are interested in taking part or have any additional questions, please contact Anna Chippendale