25/02/2026
Consent doesn’t end at intake — especially when you’re working with children and young people.
The 2025 guidance from the Australian Psychological Society reframes something many of us were trained to treat as procedural:
👉 Consent is not static. It’s developmental.
When working with young clients:
• Legal consent from a parent isn’t the whole picture
• Assent is ethical, not symbolic
• Capacity evolves — sometimes quickly
• Confidentiality conversations must be revisited over time
The real question isn’t just, “Do we have consent?”
It’s: “Does this young person understand, and are they meaningfully participating?”
As cognitive maturity, autonomy, and family dynamics shift, so too should our consent conversations.
Are you revisiting confidentiality as adolescents grow?
Are you documenting capacity and competing interests clearly?
Are you prepared when a young person asks, “Will you tell my mum?”
Our latest blog, Consent Is Not Static: Working With Children and Young People, explores what the 2025 guidance means in everyday practice — and why consent is an ongoing ethical relationship, not a form signed months ago.
If you’d like to deepen your understanding of the updated Code of Competencies and professional obligations, we offer targeted trainings designed to support you.
🔎 Learn more about the Code of Competencies and read the full article here: https://findasupervisor.com.au/resources/consent-is-not-static-working-with-children-and-young-people