Statutory Regulation What will it mean for me?

The White Paper: Trust Assurance and Safety The Regulation of Health Professionals in the 21st Century “7.2 The Government is planning to introduce statutory regulation for applied psychologists, psychotherapists and counsellors and other psychological therapists…” “7.16 Psychologists, psychotherapists and counsellors will be regulated by the Health Professions Council following that Council’s rigorous process of assessing their regulatory needs and ensuring that its system is capable of accommodating them. This will be the first priority for future regulation.”

The DH Agenda To regulate applied psychologists, counsellors, psychotherapists and other psychological therapists in the United Kingdom as soon as possible. To link competencies to counsellors and psychotherapists roles as a basis for the regulation for the psychological therapies.

In what council will we be regulated? The White Paper states that we will be regulated in the Health Professions Council. The Government rejected the professions’ proposal for a Psychological Professions Council. The HPC currently regulates 13 professions including: Arts Therapists, Dieticians, Orthoptists, Physiotherapists and Radiographers.

HPC criteria for entry for new professions Apply a defined body of knowledge. Practice based on evidence of efficacy. Have defined routes of entry to the profession. Have independently assessed entry qualifications. Entry to the register is by completion of an approved qualification; approved by the HPC. Historically these are all HE qualifications.

Current Training Provision in Counselling and Psychotherapy Approximately 430 courses delivered across three sectors – HE, FE and private providers. No single standard or qualification. A significant number of courses, especially in psychotherapy with no formally recognised award or external quality assurance.

IAPT – Improving Access to Psychological Therapies October 2007 the Government has given £170 million over the next three years to develop centres delivering low and high intensity evidence based therapy in England. July 2007, £200,000 each for 11 new Pathfinder sites, one in each Strategic Health Authority. Most are working with existing services, several of which are voluntary sector organisations £3.7 million spent on first two sites at Doncaster and Newham since 2005.

What is Statutory Regulation? Statutory Regulation means that a profession is regulated by an independent council. Regulation is by protected title, e.g. counsellor. This means that only people on the statutory register can legally use that title. The regulatory council has the power to put people on the register and remove them from it. The council sets the criteria for registration – usually a qualification it has approved.

What is the scope of Statutory Regulation? Will this apply only to people only working in or for the Health Service? No. Regulation applies to everyone, wherever you work, if you use the protected title. I work as a volunteer therapist – will I be regulated? Yes. It applies to everyone.

Will I lose my job if I can’t register? It is not illegal to call yourself by an unregulated name. Unregistered chiropodists call themselves ‘foot healthcare specialists’. The HPC want to avoid this happening with any other profession. If your job description uses a protected title then you will have to register to do that job. To use the title when unregistered is a criminal offence.

How will I get on the Register?

Transfer from an existing voluntary register Will being accredited help? In the past, Regulatory Councils have allowed people on the registers of Professional Associations to transfer onto the Statutory Register on payment of the fee. If this happens then it is very likely that all BACP accredited members would be able to voluntarily transfer to the statutory register.

Approved Qualifications How do I know if my course is or will be an Approved Qualification? At the moment we do not know which qualifications will be approved. We do know that they must have external quality assurance systems and award a formal qualification. The HPC approves qualifications in the University sector for the 13 professions it regulates.

Grandparenting Route A grandparenting route is usually open to 2 – 3 years after the register opens for people who do not have an approved qualification. HPC criteria require someone to have worked wholly or mainly for 3 out of the last 5 years legally in the profession, or if ‘part time’, 6 out of the last 10 years. HPC defines ‘part time’ as 17 hours or less per week. The grandparenting process may include the assessment of case studies. The fee is £400 non-returnable.

Professional certificate of competence HPC at present accepts a professional certificate of competence for biomedical scientists.

What will it cost? The fee for new registrants who have completed an approved qualification is £50 scrutiny fee and a registration renewal fee of £36 for the first two years of registration. The annual registration fee is £72. The grandparenting fee is £400 non-returnable.

When will it happen? The DH has stated that it plans to start the formal legislative processes of regulation in the Health Professions Council towards the end of 2008 or the beginning of 2009. The statutory register would open approximately 18 months later. Counselling and psychotherapy therefore are likely to be regulated in 2010-2011.

What is BACP doing for me? BACP, with the other professional bodies, is meeting with Ministers to discuss the following: Regulation in a Health Council when 70% of the occupational field do not work in health. The position of voluntary workers and organisations. The HPC grandparenting criteria for part time workers. Approved qualifications.

What is BACP doing for me? Working to develop a core curriculum to form the basis for approved qualifications. Working with Skills for Health in their project to develop competencies for the psychological therapies.