BACP: Accreditation

Accreditation is on the basis that individuals provide counselling or psychotherapy to individual people, couples, groups or families and can provide satisfactory evidence to meet all Criteria 1 to 8

STANDARD FOR ACCREDITATION

“To demonstrate the capacity for independent, competent, ethical practice”.

In order to meet the standard for accreditation, you must show that you can satisfy each of the criteria that follow, which are numbered 1 to 8.

CRITERIA FOR APPLICATION

Eligibility Criteria 1-5
When you apply and throughout the assessment process, you must be:

  1. A member of BACP.
  2. Covered by professional indemnity insurance.

    3. When you submit your application you must be:

  3. Practising counselling or psychotherapy.
  4. Your training and supervised practice:
    You must have undertaken training and supervised practice to meet one of the following criteria:

EITHER:

4.1 You have been awarded a qualification from a BACP accredited training course

AND

  1. Have been in practice at least three years when you apply for accreditation.
  2. Have at least 450 hours of supervised practice accumulated within three to six years (they do not have to be consecutive years).
  3. Of the 450 hours at least 150 of the hours of supervised practice must be after the successful completion of your BACP accredited course.
  4. Have been supervised for at least 1½ hours per month throughout the period of practice submitted

OR:

4.2 You have successfully completed and received an award for practitioner training that:

4.2.1 Included at least 450 hours of tutor contact hours.
4.2.2 Was carried out over at least two years (part-time) or one year (full-time).
4.2.3 Had a supervised placement as an integral part of the training.
4.2.4 Covered theory, skills, professional issues and personal development.

AND

  1. Have been in practice at least three years when you apply for accreditation.
  2. Have at least 450 hours of supervised practice accumulated within three to six years (they do not have to be consecutive years).
  3. Have at least 150 hours of supervised practice after you have successfully completed your practitioner training.
  4. Have been supervised for at least 1½ hours per month throughout the period of practice submitted.

OR:

4.3 You must be able to provide evidence of a combination of 10 units of training and practice which contains at least two units of training and three units of practice. One training unit is 75 hours of completed practitioner training, and one practice unit is one 12-month period in which supervised practice was undertaken.

  1. Of the practice units that you submit, at least three must have included a minimum of 150 hours of supervised practice and at least one of these units must have taken place after you successfully completed the training in the units submitted.
  2. The three most recent of the practice units must have been supervised to the level of 1½  hours per month.
  3. Training should have covered theory, skills, professional issues and personal development (a S/NVQ Level III will count for four units of training).

5. Supervision
You have an ongoing contract for counselling/psychotherapy supervision for a minimum of 1½ hours per month for each month in which practice is undertaken.

Reflective Practice Criteria 6-8

6. Continuing Professional Development (CPD)6.1 Describe a CPD activity, relevant to your area of practice that you have undertaken in the year before applying for accreditation.
6.2 Provide reason(s) for choosing the activity with reference to your practice.
6.3 Show how the activity has influenced your practice.

7. Self-awareness
7.1 Describe an experience or an activity which has contributed to your own self-awareness.
7.2 Provide a reason(s) for choosing the experience or activity.
7.3 Show how you use this self-awareness in your practice.

8.1 Knowledge and understanding
In your case material account for:
8.1.1 Describe a rationale for your client work with reference to the theory / theories that inform your practice.
8.1.2 Describe the place of your self-awareness within your way of working.
8.1.3 Describe how issues of difference and equality impact upon the therapeutic relationship.

8.2 Practice
In your case material account for:
8.2.1 How your practice is consistent with your described way of working (in 8.1.1).
8.2.2 How you use your self-awareness in the therapeutic relationship.
8.2.3 How your practice demonstrates your awareness of issues of difference and equality and the impact they have on your counselling / psychotherapy relationships.
8.2.4 Use of the BACP Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy.

8.3 Supervision
In your case material demonstrate how supervision influences your practice by:
8.3.1 Describing the awareness you have gained through reflection in and on supervision.
8.3.2 Showing how you apply that awareness in your practice.