NEWS:
text of a PRESS RELEASE From The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy 19 Oct 2004.
For further information please contact Phillip Hodson 020 7794 2838 phillip@philliphdson.co.uk or Gilly White 0870 443 5243 gilly.white@bacp.co.uk
HUGE STEP TAKEN TOWARDS THE STATUTORY REGULATION OF THE TALKING THERAPIES
It shocks many to be told that there is no formal regulation of talking therapy in Britain. In fact anyone can call himself or herself a counsellor, psychotherapist, psychologist or psychoanalyst and open a practice the same day .
The public finds this a risky and undesirable state of affairs. The position is one that the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), a leading self-regulator, has long deplored.
Now, through the facilitation of BACP, new groundwork has been laid to clear a path to statutory regulation.
In an unprecedented move, the various organisations representative of the whole profession have come together and united in a course of action.
On 28 September 2004, a meeting was held of the NATIONAL ACCREDITING BODIES FOR COUNSELLING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY representing the Chairs and CEOs/Directors of all groups in the mainstream therapy spectrum, including:
ACC Association for Christian Counsellors
BABCP British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapists
BACP British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
BAPCA British Association for the Person-Centred Approach
BASRT British Association for Sexual and Relationship Therapy
BCP British Confederation of Psychotherapists
BICA British Infertility Counselling Association
BPS British Psychological Society
COSCA Counselling and Psychotherapy in Scotland
CPC Counsellors in Primary Care
ENTO Employment National Training Organisation
FDAP Federation of Drug & Alcohol Professionals (UK)
IACP Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
PTUK PLAY THERAPY UK
QCA Qualifications and Curriculum Authority
RCPsych Royal College of Psychiatrists
TSP Tavistock Society of Psychotherapists
UKAHPP UK Association for Humanistic Psychology Practitioners
UKCP UK Council for Psychotherapy
The primary objective of the meeting was to discuss the concept of a Voluntary Register for the profession and to decide the level of professional entry standards. Present were key players Rosalind Mead, Project Manager for New Professions Regulation, Department of Health (DH), and Marc Seale, the CEO/Registrar of the Health Professions Council. With their support, it now looks as though this Register will form the nucleus of Statutory Registration and Regulation, which is currently anticipated in 2008.
The meeting was active, committed and progress-orientated. In the final plenary it was clear that the group was happy that BACP continues in its role of facilitation, alongside UKCP, utilising the joint funding provided by the Department of Health to them both. The intention is therefore to facilitate and convene, with UKCP, a Working Group to create draft-working materials in this arena that can be reviewed by the group. It is anticipated that a further meeting of the group will be convened in early 2005.
Meanwhile, the Lord Alderdice Group, which has long campaigned for the stand-alone registration of Psychotherapy, disbanded itself on 8 October in recognition of this new approach.
____________________________________________________________
FOR ANY OTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT PHILLIP HODSON 020 7794 2838 phillip@philliphodson.co.uk or GILLY WHITE ON 0870 443 5243 gilly.white@bacp.co.uk.
|
