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Standing Orders
FUTURE BOARD NOMINATIONS - please note an important change!
The Board of Governors, in line with its authority under Article 68 of the Memorandum and Articles of Association, has amended Standing Order 8.2 to enable the election of the Chair, Deputy Chair and Governors to be brought forward. This will allow the successful candidates more time to undertake the necessary induction, familiarise themselves with procedures and make any other personal workplace/client arrangements they need to have in place before taking up the role.
There is no change to the voting procedure - simply the timing. Members will receive nomination papers for the Chair, Deputy Chair and any Governor vacancies with their March Therapy Today mailing. The date by which nominations must reach the Company Secretary will be confirmed on the form.
There is no change to the commencement of terms of office, which shall be from the close of the Annual General Meeting at which the election results are formally declared.
A full copy of the amended Standing Order is available below.
If you have any queries, please contact jan.watson@bacp.co.uk (01455 883383).
Laurie Clarke
Chief Executive/Company Secretary
These Standing Orders are the regulations of the Association, determined by the Board of Governors under Article 68 of the Memorandum and Articles of Association.
1. Membership
These regulations cover work done by individuals and organisations in the field of counselling and psychotherapy or in the use of counselling skills.
1.1 General
1.1.1 All members, both individuals and organisations, are reminded that, on applying for admission to membership or on renewal of membership, they sign an undertaking that if admitted, and as long as they are members, they will observe the Memorandum and Articles, regulations for the time being in force and that they will be bound by the Association’s Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy and by the Association’s Ethical Guidelines for Researching Counselling and Psychotherapy where practitioners undertake research and subject to the Professional Conduct Procedure therein for the time being in force.
1.1.2 Membership includes individuals and organisations. The Board of Governors may from time to time:
- determine, add to, amend, revoke or otherwise close such classes and sub-classes of membership as are deemed necessary.
- determine the movement of members from one class or sub-class of membership to another.
- set the criteria for entry to each class or sub-class of membership.
- set entrance fees, subscriptions and other fees or payments to be made by members.
1.1.3 All members may attend and speak at a General Meeting. Members, Accredited Members, Associate and Student Members have one vote and Organisational Members have two votes. Affiliate Members do not have voting rights.
1.2 Accredited Membership MBACP (Accred)
Accredited Membership shall be open to individual Members who have achieved BACP accredited status and meet the criteria for renewal of Accreditation. Members in this category may use the designatory letters MBACP (Accred).
1.2.1 Accredited Membership MBACP (Snr. Accred)
This category of Membership shall be open to all individual Accredited Members after six years of satisfactory renewal of Accreditation. Members in this category may use the designatory letters MBACP (Snr. Accred).
1.3 Member MBACP
Membership of this category shall be open to any person who has successfully completed a one year full-time or two years part-time counselling and/or psychotherapy qualification which includes a supervised placement and have been through BACP’s vetting process. Members in this category may use the designatory letters MBACP.
1.3.1 Member (no designatory letters)
This category of Membership is closed to new applicants and consists of Members who joined the Association prior to October 2004 and had met the criteria for membership prior to this date. Members in this category may not use any designatory letters.
1.4 Associate Membership (no designatory letters)
Associate Membership is a holding category for Members who have not completed a counselling and/or psychotherapy course of one year full-time or two years part-time duration which includes plus a placement. Members in this category may not use any designatory letters.
1.5 Student Membership (no designatory letters)
Student Membership shall be open to Members attending a counselling and/or psychotherapy course with a minimum of one year full-time or two year part-time which includes a supervised placement. Members in this category may not use any designatory letters.
1.6 Affiliate Membership (no designatory letters)
Affiliate Membership is open to anyone who wants an affiliation with BACP and who is not a qualified or practising counsellor or psychotherapist. This category of Membership has no voting rights. This category may include individuals who have an interest in the profession. Members in this category may not use any designatory letters.
1.7 The Misuse of Designatory Letters
Members found to be using the designatory letters when not permitted to do so, or using them in a manner that is inconsistent with the right of use, and/or suggesting explicitly or by implication that the use of such letters represents a qualification of any kind, may be subject to the Association’s Professional Conduct Proceduresand/or have their continuing membership of the Association considered by the Board of Governors under powers derived from the Memorandum & Articles of Association. This may include the imposition of sanctions up to and including the termination of membership of BACP. BACP is the proprietor of the UK Trade Mark for the letters and any misuse thereof would constitute trade mark infringement.
2. Organisational Membership
Organisational Membership shall be open to organisations which agree to observe and adhere to the Association’s Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy. Any Organisational members that undertake research shall also agree to observe and adhere to the Association’s Ethical Guidelines for Researching Counselling and Psychotherapy. Organisational Members will be subject to the Professional Conduct Procedure for any alleged breaches of the Ethical Guidelines and will also be subject to such other membership conditions as the Board of Governors may from time to time determine. Organisational Membership shall be open to organisations which:
(a) offer counselling and/or psychotherapy services to clients; and/or
(b) offer direct services to counsellors and/or psychotherapists; and/or
(c) offer training to counsellors and/or psychotherapists; and/or
(d) have personnel who use counselling skills in the course of their work.
2.1 An Organisational Member has one nominated representative to speak and exercise two votes at BACP General Meetings and elections.
3. Honorary Status
The Board of Governors shall have the power in its sole discretion to grant honorary status to individuals or organisations not being Members of the Association upon such terms and conditions as it from time to time shall determine.
Holders of honorary status shall not be Members of the Association and shall not be entitled to any of the rights of Members (other than the rights to receive journals as determined by the Board of Governors from time to time).
The award of an honorary status may be withdrawn at any time by the Board of Governors where information is received about the person concerned which has, or could bring the reputation of counselling and/or psychotherapy and/or the name of BACP into disrepute.
4. Fellowship FBACP
Fellowship is not a Membership category but is an honour, bestowed upon successful applicants by the Board of Governors, upon Members or non members who have given distinctive service to the counselling and/or psychotherapy profession or who give or have given distinctive service to BACP. Fellowship status does not confer additional voting rights to those which derive from a person’s Membership status. Members in this category may use the designatory letters FBACP and or their appropriate membership category designatory letters. Fellows who are not members of BACP or hold a membership category with no designatory letters may use the designatory letters FBACP.
4.1 The Misuse of Designatory Letters
Members found to be using the designatory letters when not permitted to do so, or using them in a manner that is inconsistent with the right of use, and/or suggesting explicitly or by implication that the use of such letters represents a qualification of any kind, may be subject to the Association’s Professional Conduct Proceduresand/or have their continuing membership of the Association considered by the Board of Governors under powers derived from the Memorandum & Articles of Association. This may include the imposition of sanctions up to and including the termination of membership of BACP. BACP is the proprietor of the UK Trade Mark for the letters and any misuse thereof would constitute trade mark infringement.
5. Professional Conduct
5.1 The Board of Governors shall from time to time determine the regulations and procedures concerning the method by which any allegations of misconduct, civil, criminal, and disciplinary or any other action, which raises questions about a person’s continuing membership, will be considered by the Association.
5.2 It shall be for any Member or any person to bring to the attention of the Head of Professional Conduct of the Association any facts or matters, which indicates that a Member may have breached any ethical guidelines, as produced from time to time, or been subject to any civil, criminal or disciplinary action of any kind. Any such information received shall be dealt with in accordance with the relevant procedures in operation at the time of receipt.
6. Accreditation
6.1 The Board of Governors shall from time to time determine the criteria and approve the procedures for the conduct of the Association’s systems for Accreditation.
6.2 The Board of Governors may, as required, establish working group(s) to advise it on the operation, development, amendment, revocation or closure of schemes devised for the Accreditation of individuals or organisations.
6.3 The Board of Governors may from time to time establish reciprocal arrangements and/or equivalent routes to Accreditation/Registration with such other counselling and/or psychotherapy and/or other cognate professional bodies as it shall determine.
6.4 The Board of Governors shall have the right for good and sufficient reason to terminate the Accreditation/Registration of any Member provided that the Member in question, or a representative of the Member, shall have the right to be heard by the Board of Governors under any procedure set up for this purpose by the Board of Governors.
7. General Meetings
7.1 Notice of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) shall be sent by the Company Secretary to members not less than twenty-one days before the date of the meeting.
7.2 Resolutions to be considered at the AGM (other than Resolutions for amendments which are dealt with under Article 66) shall be submitted to the Company Secretary in writing by a date to be fixed by her/him not less than twenty eight days and not more than fifty six days before the date of the meeting, and shall be sent to Members not less than fourteen days before the meeting.
7.3 Resolutions, other than those proposed by the Board of Governors, shall be signed by 25 Members entitled to vote. The Proposer and Seconder must attend the AGM to present the Resolution. Amendments to Resolutions shall be accepted in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the Chair after consultation with the AGM Business Sub-Committee and the Proposer and Seconder of the Resolution.
7.4 Emergency Resolutions on matters accepted by the Chair and the AGM Business Sub-Committee as being of urgent importance to the Association may be proposed from the floor if a simple majority of those present and voting signify approval for such Emergency Debate.
7.5 An AGM Business Sub-Committee consisting of three Members of the Association, not members of the Board of Governors, shall be elected by postal vote supervised by the Company Secretary to advise on the conduct of the business of the following year’s AGM.
7.6 Nominations for the election to the AGM Business Sub-Committee shall be requested by the Company Secretary and must be returned to the Company Secretary by a date fixed by the Company Secretary. Where appropriate ballot papers shall be circulated to the membership, listing those who have been nominated, and must returned to Company Secretary not less than seven working days before the AGM. The result of the ballot shall be announced at the AGM.
7.7 The Board of Governors may, on behalf of the Membership, fill any temporary vacancy arising on the AGM Business Sub-Committee by co-option. Any Member so appointed shall hold office only until the next following AGM and shall then be available for election.
7.8 The AGM Business Sub-Committee shall allocate time to each Resolution as it thinks fit and prepare the timetable prior to the meeting.
7.9 The Proposer of a Resolution may speak for no more than five minutes and the Seconder of a Resolution for no more than two minutes. Each speaker in subsequent debate may speak for no more than three minutes.
7.10 Voting shall be by a show of voting cards. A simple majority shall be sufficient to pass a Resolution except for those seeking to amend the Articles of Association of the company (see Article 68). The Chair’s decision on whether to count the votes shall be final.
7.11 Any Member, standing and showing a voting card, may propose a move to next business. The Chair has absolute discretion to accept or refuse such a proposal. If accepted a simple majority shall determine a move to the next item on the agenda.
7.12 In the conduct of the meeting the decision of the Chair in any matter not covered by these Standing Orders shall be final.
8. Board of Governors
8.1 Election to the Board of Governors shall be in a postal ballot by single transferable vote, supervised by an appropriate external organisation appointed by the President of the Association.
8.2 Nominations for election to the Board of Governors shall be requested by the Company Secretary when sending out notice of an Annual General Meeting and must be returned proposed and seconded by voting Members, to be received by a date to be fixed by the Company Secretary not less than 20 weeks and not more than 26 weeks before the date of the meeting. Where appropriate ballot papers shall be circulated to the membership, listing those who have been nominated, and must be returned to an address designated by the Company Secretary not less than 15 weeks before the meeting. The result of the ballot shall be published in the Association’s journal and on the website and formally announced at the Annual General Meeting.
8.3 The Board of Governors shall meet at least two times a year.
8.4 The Chairs of all sub-committees will be appointed by the Board of Governors and the sub-committees will be accountable to membership via the Board of Governors. The Board of Governors will determine the procedures to be followed for the appointment of sub-committee Chairs.
8.5 All sub-committees and boards or working groups established by the Board of Governors shall have Terms of Reference, which will include the scope of their activities, their composition and the frequency of meeting (approved by the Board of Governors).
9. Divisions
9.1 Divisions may be formed within the Association at the discretion of the Board of Governors for sector interest groups in counselling and psychotherapy. The objects of Divisions shall be in accordance with the objects of the Association. A Division shall consist of at least 50 members.
9.2 Membership of a Division is optional however Members of a Division shall be Members of the Association. Members of the Association may apply to join as many Divisions as they wish.
9.3 The formation of a Division shall be provisionally when the Division’s Terms of Reference have been approved by the Board of Governors. The Division shall be formally constituted by the decision of a General Meeting of the Association. Amendments to the Terms of Reference shall be submitted to the Board of Governors for approval before coming into force.
9.4 A Division of the Association shall be named according to its broad function and approved by the Board of Governors. The description ’A Division of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy’ will appear on all documentation.
9.5 Each Division shall notify the Company Secretary in writing of the names of its Officers upon their election or appointment.
9.6 Each Division shall submit a written report of its activities to the Board of Governors at least once a year.
9.7 Each Division shall normally be financially self supporting with income and expenditure being subject to budget approval by the Board of Governors.
9.8 Each Division shall determine its own membership fee through the budget process, any changes to which shall apply from 1 April each year. Divisional fees shall be paid to the Association at its central office.
9.9 Should a Divisional Executive Committee wish to dissolve the Division, it must first consult the Board of Governors. If there is still a wish within the Division for it to be dissolved, an assenting majority vote of its total voting members is required. Dissolution is subject to ratification by a majority vote of the next General Meeting of the Association.
9.10 The Board of Governors shall have the power to propose the dissolution of a Division when it deems this to be in the best interests of the Association. Such a proposal to dissolve must first be passed by two thirds of the Board of Governors present and voting. The Division in question shall be advised in writing of the reason for the proposed action. The Division shall have until the next General Meeting of the Association (but in no case less than nine months) to effect remedial measures or otherwise bring itself into compliance with the Memorandum and Articles of Association and Standing Orders of the Association. A decision to dissolve a Division must receive a majority vote cast at a General Meeting of the Association.
9.11 In the event of a Division being dissolved, money in the Division’s account will revert to the Association’s general funds.
10. National and International Representative Bodies
10.1 The Association may include National and International representative bodies.
10.2 The objects of those bodies shall be in accordance with the objects of the Association.
10.3 The relationships of those bodies to the Association and its Divisions shall be approved by the Board of Governors.
11. United Kingdom Register of Counsellors and Psychotherapists
11.1 A Register of Counsellors and Psychotherapists may be found within the Association to include the names of those individuals who meet the criteria as determined by the Board of Governors from time to time.
11.2 The name of the Register shall be The United Kingdom Register of Counsellors and Psychotherapists or such other as the Board of Governors of the Association shall from time to time approve.
11.3 The Register will be organised in such a way as the Board of Governors shall from time to time approve.
11.4 All publications, notices and correspondence and relevant associated documentation from the United Kingdom Register of Counsellors and Psychotherapists will display the Register logo and the Association logo, company number, registered office and charity number as required by Company and Charity Law.
11.5 Registered Counsellors and Psychotherapists will have attained a standard of training, competence and experience in counselling and psychotherapy defined by the Board of Governors.
11.6 Registration fees shall be determined by the Board of Governors. Any changes to fees shall apply from 1 April each year. Fees shall be payable to the Association at its central office.