No Statutory Regulation
NO STATUTORY REGULATION! A message from our Convenor.
Dear BAPCA Member
You will no doubt have been aware of the recent debates surrounding the statutory regulation of counselling and psychotherapy through the protection of the adjectival titles. Members of BAPCA commenced a bid to counter the move (see the Open Letter (2009) on the BACPA website) as it was considered that the model of regulation being proposed by HPC was not a values congruent model with person-centred theory. Following a membership survey on regulation a motion was voted on and passed with a significant majority at the 2010 AGM to assertively oppose HPC Regulation and to actively explore alternative approaches. The BAPCA CG made the bold step of contributing £1000 of funds to support the judicial review that recently highlighted significant shortcomings in how the HPC had approach their brief. BAPCA members then initiated a second Open Letter to BACP that attracted over 300 BACP members as signatories requesting that BACP consult with members to explore possible alternatives to HPC regulation.
It is with this in mind that we are pleased to report that the Government have announced they will not pursue the previous administration’s intent for increasing the number of professions to be subject to statutory regulation. The full document from the Command Paper 'Enabling Excellence' can be viewed by following the link:
It is clear from this that the Government’s preferred position is that professions such as counselling and psychotherapy be permitted to continue to operate under voluntary registers.The registering organisations will be subject to audit by the Professional Standards Authority (formally known as the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence: (CHRE). The Alliance for Counselling and Psychotherapy have released a document setting out the current picture in more detail. However, it is clear in their statement that they intend to continue to campaign as “a counterweight was needed to the centralising, standardising and protectionist tendencies which all professions tend to exhibit, which were exemplified by, and a key driver of, the HPC project.” Click here for the full Alliance statement.
BAPCA Regulation Working Group would like to thank all members, individually and collectively, who supported the initiative to reject HPC Statutory Regulation. We will continue to work and serve in your interests seeking the best possible form of regulation for person-centred counsellor and psychotherapists and for the future accessibility to Person-centred therapy for clients.