The SCoPEd framework
The Scope of Practice and Education (SCoPEd) framework is a collaboratively developed competence framework that maps the core training, practice and competency requirements for counsellors, psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors working with adults. It provides a clear, transparent structure that supports public understanding, professional mobility and high standards across the profession.
Who developed the SCoPEd framework?
The SCoPEd framework was jointly created by six Professional Standards Authority (PSA) accredited organisations:
- UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
- Association of Christians in Counselling and Linked Professions (ACC)
- British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
- British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC)
- National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS)
- Human Givens Institute (HGI).
These organisations have now formalised their collaboration under the Partnership of Counselling and Psychotherapy Bodies (PCPB).
What does the framework do?
The framework describes the minimum core competences expected at each level of counselling and psychotherapy practice, organised into three columns – A, B and C. It establishes shared standards designed to help raise qualification levels across the profession. By outlining the breadth of skills, knowledge and training held by members and registrants of PCPB partners, such as UKCP, it offers greater transparency. Overall, it supports a clearer, more consistent understanding of counselling and psychotherapy, helping to build confidence and trust among clients, employers, commissioners and the wider public.
How do UKCP members align with the SCoPEd framework?
All full clinical UKCP registrants are automatically aligned to the appropriate SCoPEd column. You do not need to take any action to be aligned to a column.
- All UKCP psychotherapeutic counsellors are automatically aligned to SCoPEd column B.
- All UKCP psychotherapists are automatically aligned to SCoPEd column C.
This automatic alignment reflects the recognised standards of training and competence already required for UKCP membership, which exceed the minimum expectations for the relevant SCoPEd column. No additional evidence, assessment or application is needed.
If you are a psychotherapeutic counsellor (column B) and want to become a psychotherapist (column C), there are pathways available to you.
To achieve the necessary standards for column C, you must either:
- access a top-up psychotherapy diploma, or
- contact your training provider or another accrediting organisation and demonstrate how you've continued learning and developing to meet the adult psychotherapy standards of education and training (SETs) for your relevant UKCP college.
You can find out more about this here.
Why the SCoPEd framework matters and its benefits
The SCoPEd framework is now being implemented across all partners of PCPB. The framework gives everyone – practitioners, clients and the public – a shared understanding of what training and skills therapists have. It also helps employers, service commissioners (such as the NHS), policymakers and others in the sector better recognise the depth and value of psychotherapeutic training and practice.
Benefits of the framework include:
1. Clarity and transparency
Registrants now benefit from a clear, shared understanding of training, experience and professional competence across all PCPB partners. This strengthens trust and makes it easier for clients, employers and commissioners to understand the roles and capabilities of different practitioners.
By providing a common language for training, experience and competence, it helps navigate the different membership terms used by professional bodies – such as registered, qualified or accredited –- and reduces the confusion this can create. This clarity supports safer practice and more consistent expectations for clients, employers, commissioners and practitioners.
2. Mobility across the profession
The SCoPEd framework introduces agreed mechanisms that allow practitioners to move between columns where appropriate. This supports smoother career progression and enables members to build on their skills and training in a more structured and consistent way across different organisations.
3. Improved public understanding
A single competence framework enhances public awareness of what counsellors and psychotherapists do, how they are trained and what clients can expect. This helps build confidence in the profession and supports people in making informed choices about their needs and therapeutic care.
4. Continued development of professional standards
The PCPB continues to refine and develop the SCoPEd framework so it remains current, relevant and reflective of evolving professional standards. This ensures the profession continues to grow, strengthen and adapt to the needs of clients and society.
With clearer standards, a consistent, sector-wide structure and a common language across the profession, opportunities for professional progression and paid employment become easier to access and navigate. This helps ensure a more diverse, supported workforce, where practitioners can thrive at every stage of their career.
FAQs
SCoPEd is a shared competence framework developed by six professional bodies (including UKCP), through the Partnership of Counselling and Psychotherapy Bodies (PCPB). It sets out the training, practice and competency requirements for counsellors and psychotherapists working with adults.
UKCP adopted the SCoPEd framework as a shared, sector wide structure that helps ensure counselling and psychotherapy are better understood, trusted and recognised across the UK. The framework was developed collaboratively by six professional bodies to create a clear, consistent way of describing training, competence and scope of practice across the profession. This shared approach supports the long term vision of improving public understanding and strengthening confidence in the psychotherapy and counselling.
All current UKCP psychotherapeutic counsellors and psychotherapists have been automatically aligned to the appropriate SCoPEd column. You don’t need to submit any extra evidence or complete any additional assessment.
All UKCP psychotherapeutic counsellors are automatically aligned to column B and all UKCP psychotherapists are automatically aligned to column C. These alignments reflect the existing standards of training and competence within UKCP membership.
Yes. Pathways are in place to support members in column B who wish to move to column C in the future. You can find out more on this page.
Students and trainees are not aligned to the SCoPEd framework. Alignment happens only when you become eligible for full clinical membership. All UKCP accredited trainings are mapped to column B (for psychotherapeutic counsellors) and or column C (for psychotherapists).
No. Your professional title and scope of practice remain the same. The framework simply maps existing standards and helps clarify and align them across the wider profession.
No. Clients continue to choose a therapist based on their needs, preferences and the therapeutic approach that suits them. The SCoPEd framework simply helps improve public understanding of practitioners’ training and competence.
The framework gives clients clearer information about the training and competencies of therapists. This helps people make informed decisions about the support that is right for them.
You can find further information, updates and resources on the Partnership of Counselling and Psychotherapy (PCPB) website.
(Published date: June 2026)
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