Welcome to UKCP Bulletin 15

These Bulletins are a quick and effective way for the Chair and Chief Executive to report on important current items.

In this first bulletin after the traditional summer break, Andrew shares his decision to stand down as Chair and reviews progress during his time in office. David writes about an important round table meeting resulting from the NICE campaign earlier in the year.

To respond to the issues raised in this Bulletin, please email .

Andrew Samuels, UKCP Chair and David Pink, UKCP Chief Executive

From Andrew

Standing down
I have decided to stand down as UKCP Chair earlier than planned. At the Open Forum on 9 July, I said I would take only three years out of my potential four in office. Now, I plan to make the February 2012 Board meeting my last and resign formally as soon after the next Open Forum on 25 February as the election timetable permits. That will be over two years in office. It will be interesting to take stock at the Open Forum which will be both face-to-face and live online.

At July's Open Forum, I said that I aimed to get a variety of projects sufficiently advanced so that, barring something massively unexpected, they could not be stopped from coming to fruition. I believe that, for most (but, to be honest, not all) this is now the situation. Hence, in this report, I will review progress and indicate where the position is less than satisfactory.

Regulation
It's interesting how superficial support for the HPC scheme really was. We stand to do much better with the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE, soon to be Professional Standards Authority (PSA)). It has fully involved us in the construction of the system for their accreditation of voluntary registers and work there is progressing well. CHRE understand the need to make sure that anyone registered with one of its accredited registers is on the same level in employment terms as anyone registered at HPC. We know that the Department of Health is also committed to that. Any problems psychotherapy might have going forward will be due to other factors, not regulation.

Central Complaints Process
We are now committed to extending the Central Complaints Process to all individual members by the end of 2013. Special administrative arrangements are being put in place for this, including the appointment of a paid project manager. This is a revolutionary step for UKCP and I've been heartened at the degree of support, especially from quarters that have resisted centralisation in the past. We must do this or we will not pass muster at CHRE/PSA.

Strategic vision and plan
Members will be able to read the 'strategy document', as it is called, when they get the autumn issue of The Psychotherapist. A good deal of thinking has gone on, and is going on, so as to key the strategic vision into realistic financial and time frames. I think our strategic aims will serve the organisation well. They are: Improving Access to Psychotherapy, Establishing our Core Values Engaging the Membership, Securing the Future, Recognition of Psychotherapy (Employment).

Finance
The finances are on a strong footing at the moment thanks, in part, to the fee rise with which the membership has, by and large, come to terms. We are in a position to consider taking another tranche from our reserves as part of a further development budget. I remain concerned that, though having a development budget was a good idea, the low take-up of available funds indicates that we did not communicate the situation to those charged with spending money. It seems likely that the development budget will continue to focus on 'access to psychotherapy' (who gets it, who gets to train). In particular, I am hoping that a substantial sum can be allocated to get expert help in making our Find a Therapist website feature at least as good as those of our main competitors. It is not, at the time of writing.

The Board has just approved three new posts: (i) a Project Manager to take forward our plans for extending the scope of the Central Complaints process; (ii) a new Diversity, Equalities and Social Responsibilities Consultant; (iii) an experienced Policy and Parliamentary Officer to assist with our campaigning activities.

Communications
Our regular email Bulletins have been a big success as was the use of web conferencing for the last Open Forum. Over 300 members signed up for the meeting, either in the flesh or virtually. This was very heartening. We are committed to using that technology in February as well. There are signs that relations between the Regions and London are gradually improving. What gets done in the diversity area also plays into our communications work as various groupings within UKCP start to feel more recognised: disabled members, LGBT members, members who come from ethnic minority backgrounds and traditions, members for whom economic disadvantage is a consideration.

We have conducted two important surveys: on what members think of The Psychotherapist, and a far more extensive survey of members' views of what they get from UKCP and how the organisation is doing. You may remember how surprised we were that so many of you read and appreciate The Psychotherapist.

In overall terms, the results of the survey of members are encouraging. To begin with, 23% responded, which we are told is really high for something like this (as was the 48% who voted in the election for chair). About 95% said membership of UKCP was important or very important to them. Around 75% said they were satisfied or very satisfied with UKCP's offerings. Of course, one can argue endlessly about what the results mean, but it is clear that the membership at large has noticed our efforts to improve UKCP.

Diversity, equalities and social responsibility

I will list some of the innovative activities we are undertaking in this area:

• the climate change policy document is out for consultation,
• the guidance document regarding reparative/conversion therapy for homosexuals was accepted and published,
• we have support groups up and running for Black and Asian, LGBT and physically challenged members,
• we are establishing student support groups for members of minorities,
• a workgroup is devising a diversity module for OM trainings,
• we have held the first in a series of public meetings under the banner of Black Men on the Couch.

We retain links to national and international campaigns on torture, child detention, asylum/immigration, and climate change.

We do urgently need the paid diversity consultant that we have agreed to appoint.

NICE campaign
Many members sent our critique of NICE, and the way its guidelines truncate the range of acceptable research methodologies, to their MPs. Several parliamentary questions were asked and the matter was raised in an effective manner. For example, meetings were held with the Division of Clinical Psychology of the British Psychological Society and the Royal College of General Practitioners. More specifically, the campaign directly led to a productive meeting with senior players at NICE - and then to a larger (and historic) round table at which a range of academic and health experts considered the various issues raised by the campaign. People came from NICE, the clinical psychology division of the British Psychological Society, and all corners of the research and academic communities. Amazing!

While there is a long way to go, this shows what a determined campaign can achieve - in this instance, by using the civic power of our collective membership. Our effectiveness will increase following the recent paid appointment of a specialist in public affairs.

Recognition of psychotherapy
In terms of employment prospects for psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors, although we have, as yet (and inevitably given the general climate) achieved rather little, we are getting systems and processes in place that will enable to Psychotherapy in the Workplace Committee to present the case for public funding of 'real' psychotherapy. And we are beginning to fight the battle with insurance companies and providers of therapy and counselling to get UKCP membership properly recognised, at least on a par with membership of the British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapists.

Opening up of UKCP
We are ending UKCP's insularity. We are making our recognition of the European Certificate of Psychotherapy a reality. We have publicised the fact that psychotherapists who did not train with our organisational members but who have trained to the level of our standards may apply to become members. We are experimenting with mutual fee reduction schemes for members belonging to other registering bodies.

Atmosphere within the organisation
This has improved a good deal. The situation has changed since the end of 2009. We still have not sorted out how to do a consultation properly and it is noticeable that consultations remain a flashpoint - to the extent that two committees can be utterly at odds without its being clear who has the say. Perhaps the Board has not taken up its leadership role to the extent required. The problem is that, when the Board does take a stand, it can be experienced as authoritarian. Nevertheless, there do not seem now to be serious dangers of mass defections. And all this has been done against a background of ceaseless vexatious and malicious complaints to the Charities Commission, the Data Protection authorities, and other bodies. These have all been successfully managed and the organisation strengthened in terms of its integrity as a result of the process.

Leadership within UKCP
While we have not moved to a formal collective leadership model, the emergence of 'leads', who constitute the Strategic Committee, has changed the way that we do business and relate to our membership. The impact of direct elections by individual members for the main officer posts cannot be underestimated. I think our Colleges would be well advised to follow suit and let their members, not just their Organisational Member delegates, elect the officers. At the moment, the matter is not being sufficiently discussed in Colleges, maybe because it is threatening to leaderships elected hitherto solely by the delegates or, in some cases, by an executive committee from its ranks.

UKCP's leadership role
There is no doubt that in many of the areas that affect our profession, UKCP has emerged as the key psychotherapy and psychotherapeutic counselling body in this country, in terms of the provision of fresh ideas, grit, determination and strong leadership.

Could do betters
As I said at the beginning, not everything has gone well. There follows a list of those areas.

Office
The office's performance has definitely improved but things are not as they should be given the size of the staff team and the money spent on salaries. However, staff are committed and well-informed. Do we use their skills sufficiently? Perhaps the problem is that relations between the paid staff and the members who volunteer their services are so complex and ambivalent that it interferes with efficient functioning in the office. There is a growing sense that paid staff members have opinions on the issues of the day and seek to express them. Shouldn't we encourage them to develop their ideas and, if we did, might not a better dialogue emerge? But it won't if the renewal process gets snarled up again or communications from members are not speedily dealt with or information that we should really have to hand is unavailable. The standard of pro-forma replies and turnaround times needs improvement. The members own UKCP, after all.

Registers
UKCP is way too conservative regarding growing its registering and regulatory side. This is a problem in that good regulation is an evolving process, and, as regulation is a core business for us, we need to move with the times. Progress has been made, though it is often difficult work. Soon, you will hear details of a new 'Additionality of Title' scheme whereby psychotherapeutic counsellors in the Psychotherapeutic Counselling College who have done additional training and have extra experience may apply to have the additional title of 'psychotherapist'. Similarly, by the end of January, you will have had an announcement about the new Register of Psychotherapists who work with Children and Young People. Finally, in the first quarter of next year, UKCP will launch its new Register of Supervisors. All genuine and valuable advances.

However, in this 'state of the union' farewell Chair's report, I want to say again that I am concerned about the way in which sectional interests, and a lack of clarity in our systems about how to implement changes and improvements, have held us back here. I accept that my own impatience has not helped. But, as I say, regulation must not remain a static affair.

Constitution
While I don't think we should rush to change the constitution again, there is no doubt that what we inherited from the previous administration is not satisfactory. Relations between the individual members, the organisational members, the colleges, the committees and the Board are labyrinthine and difficult to hold in one's mind. Too many centres of power: Board, Psychotherapy Council, Colleges and Faculties Committee, etc, etc. The result is an overly bureaucratic organisation, obsessed with legalisms and procedural niceties, expending energy on infighting and manoeuvring. Again, I accept that I, too, have done my fair share of this. We need a constitution that uses its structures, systems and processes to enable people to respect, applaud and put into action the creativity of the Other, thereby gaining support for their own work. We definitely do not have such an environment at present. It is good that we've committed to reviewing the new 'shape' in 2012.

Personal note
I think that, when I reflect on my life, this period of running for office, building a leadership team and participating in the transformation of UKCP will have been important for me personally. I would like to thank my colleagues for their hard work and inspiring dialogue and feedback. I also want to apologise to all I have hurt, offended or appalled, whether wittingly or unwittingly.

Andrew

From David

In this Bulletin I report recent developments in one or two key areas, and say a few words about Andrew's decision to stand down in spring next year.

Reflections on Andrew's time as chair
I have enjoyed working with Andrew over the last two years and will be very sorry to see him go when he steps down next year. He will be a hard act to follow in many ways. Andrew's energy, intelligence, creativity and impatience can cause discomfort, but we have worked well together. After a very difficult election, the organisation was tearing itself apart over the issue of HPC regulation. It was an inauspicious start.

I think it is generally accepted that the situation is different today and Andrew's role in this has, obviously, been central. As you can see in this Bulletin, and in the previous ones, changes have taken place and there will be more in the future. I know that Andrew and I agree that there is still a huge amount to do to make UKCP an organisation of which all of you can be proud.

The NICE round table
Our work on NICE has been one of the areas where we have attempted to 'up our game' - not to accept someone else rules, but to dispute and change the way the game is being played, in the interests of public access to psychotherapy.

It was my pleasure to bring together the recent round table discussion of NICE's methodologies, and to facilitate the discussions over dinner. The atmosphere was one of respectful but challenging debate. Although some around the table were heavily invested in particular approaches, we were able to explore the strengths and weaknesses of different ways in which the value of psychotherapies might be evaluated in public service decision-making. While the round table debate was productive, we are a long, long way away from establishing or even identifying the components of a better NICE methodology for handling talking therapies. To my mind, the greatest value of the round table is that the people gathered demonstrated that the controversy around NICE guidelines has legitimacy and can be debated, even by the people who sit within the current RCT-dominated NICE research systems. My hope is that the round table will be seen as the start of a process where great minds from inside and outside NICE engage together to bridge the gap between narrow 'evidence-based' guidelines and the true potential therapy in the real world. More anon.

One of the next steps for our NICE work will be the New Savoy conference. In the past this conference has been much too accepting of the hegemony of CBT over all other therapy. This year we aim to have an on-stage debate with people from NICE, including the chair, Sir Michael Rawlins, about the key issues raised during our round table. UKCP members can book discounted tickets for the conference via www.healthcareconferencesuk.co.uk/psychological_therapies.

Regulation
The development of the new government's approach to 'assured' voluntary regulation continues apace (though the legislation has yet to be completed). In due course there will be a public consultation about the proposed scheme. In the meantime, Carmen Joanne Ablack from UKCP has been working with the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence to ensure that the scheme is designed in a way that suits UKCP members. Her latest report can be found at www.psychotherapy.org.uk/article1379.html. This is a vitally important development for UKCP. The regulatory work is not being taken away from us by the state, so now we really must create a professional regulatory system that will meet the expectations of the public in 2012.

David