About the UKCP Standards Board

What is the work of the Standards Board?

The Standards Board is the forum for the wide diversity of modalities of psychotherapy and psychotherapeutic counselling represented in the UKCP.
It debates and sets standards of training and practice for the profession. The Standards Board (SB) holds the responsibility and authority for setting the generic minimum threshold standards and their respective regulatory frameworks on behalf of the UKCP and its constituent members.

The SB Chair holds lead responsibility, jointly with the UKCP Vice-Chair Regulations, for overseeing, maintaining and developing the UKCP's Regulatory Framework and the principles, standards and requirements on which the framework is founded.

The SB Chair is involved additionally in negotiating and working with Skills for Health in the project on setting the National Occupational Standards for psychotherapy across modalities.

Monitoring and Reviewing

The Standards Board oversees the monitoring and reviewing of how UKCP Member Organisations, Sections and Colleges maintain the standards of the framework and its associated documents. The reviewing responsibility is shared with Sections, Colleges and Institutional Members.

How does the Standards Board make its decisions?

The Standards Board is the central forum where all the UKCP boards, committees and executive officers with responsibility for either identifying, setting, monitoring or working with generic standards can meet and influence each other's work.

The SB Chair is a non-voting member of the UKCP Executive Committee and attends the UKCP Board of Trustees meetings in an information and advisory capacity. The SB Chair reports to the Board of Trustees regularly. The Standards Board liaises with other executive officers and UKCP staff about its actions and responsibilities.

How is the Standards Board appointed?

The Board of Trustees appoints the Chair Standards Board on behalf of the membership of UKCP. The Sections, Colleges and Institutional Members of UKCP appoint the members of the committees and boards contributing to the Standards Board.

What may happen after statutory regulation?

It is likely that the Standards Board's monitoring and reviewing function of Member Organisations will be handed over to an external regulating body under a statutory regulating system.

The operational side of the SB's activities may alter slightly post-statutory regulation.  The Standards Board will continue to pursue its core goals in relation to the Principles, Standards and Requirements for an effective and facilitating UKCP Regulatory Framework through quality assurance, control and improvement.

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