Pathway to excellence: foundations and priorities for change
Good governance is essential to the success of an organisation and to the impact it achieves. It enables an organisation to focus on its strategic direction, effectiveness and culture, while managing risk, protecting its resources and promoting its integrity and reputation. Importantly, it ensures that an organisation is accountable to those affected by its work, and that their voices help to shape it.
The governance review presents UKCP with an opportunity to meet its statutory and regulatory obligations while simultaneously providing a space and a voice for all members to play a full part in shaping and creating it. In short, good governance is in the best interests of UKCP's members, the profession and the public.
Governance that takes account of the unique characteristics and strengths of UKCP
- continuing to hold a space for and to support the culture of community and belonging created by members
- retaining and improving mechanisms for members to help shape the strategic direction of UKCP
- being able to hold together and support a rich diversity of therapeutic modalities, voices, thoughts and approaches in a vast sector
- supporting the central role of psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors in setting high standards and in assessing whether those standards are met.
Ten priorities for change
Following a detailed review of UKCP's governance and extensive engagement with members and others, 10 key priorities have emerged to shape UKCP's governance into the future. They build on the unique strengths and culture that have defined UKCP since its founding – and we welcome your views on them.
The priorities are set out in full in the document below, along with the context and reasoning behind each one. In summary, they are:
A governance framework that is legally compliant, manages risk effectively and is fit for the future
1. The rules setting out how UKCP is run must follow the law and work well in practice.
2. UKCP's governance arrangements must be no more complex than necessary.
3. There needs to be a clearer system of who is authorised to make decisions, so there are better oversight and accountability, and people understand how decisions are made.
4. Governance arrangements should be as agile and flexible as possible so they can be adapted to meet future needs and developments.
A governance framework that supports fair, ethical and well-informed decisions in the public interest
5. The governance framework must support decisions being well informed and made in the best interests of UKCP and the public.
6. The governance of UKCP's regulatory work must be demonstrably independent and focused on public protection and confidence.
7. UKCP's governance must be fair, inclusive and reflect the different people UKCP serves.
Approaching governance relationally by inviting input from key people with an interest in UKCP to influence its strategy, policies and effectiveness
8. Members must be given meaningful opportunities to input their views and experiences when important strategy and policy decisions are made.
9. In addition to members, the views of people, including those who use member services must be considered when important strategic and policy decisions are made.
10. There should be clear and transparent ways in which members can gauge the effectiveness of UKCP in advancing its charitable and strategic aims.
Read the documents
You can read our full findings or a summary of them by downloading the documents below:
Have your say
We would like to hear your views on the priorities for change. You can feed back in one or more of the following ways:
- Complete our online survey.
- Join the discussion at the UKCP Conference, 19-20 June 2026.
- Attend an online meeting of the members forum on 19 September 2026 – details will be sent via member update nearer the time.
- Committee chairs and college leads will be invited to attend a dedicated online meeting. Invitations will be sent directly.
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