Withdrawal policy
We reserve the right to withdraw a member’s membership for reasons other than professional conduct related matters. This policy details the more specific reasons BACP may withdraw your membership. For information regarding how your membership may be reinstated after it has been withdrawn, refer to the Reinstatement of withdrawn membership policy.
All members, of every category of membership need to be concerned with the maintenance of good practice within the profession and commit themselves to practising according to the Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions and the Professional Conduct Procedure documents which set out the standards or professional conduct to which members must adhere.
We may end your membership, and stop providing services or products and end our agreement, with immediate effect. Any product or services linked to your membership will stop at the same time ie therapist directory entry.
If we don’t exercise rights that we have against you straight away, we can still do so later.
Reasons for withdrawing membership
BACP’s Articles of Association detail some of the overarching reasons members may cease to be a member or have their membership withdrawn (Article 12) unless the Board of Governors determines otherwise.
Some more practical examples of why we may withdraw membership are:
- if a member is unsuccessful in attaining registered member status (Article 12.5(h)(i)(k))
- if a member is unsuccessful in passing the Certificate of Proficiency (after three attempts) (Article 12.5(h)(i)(k))
- if a member is unsuccessful in passing the Register audit (Article 12.5(i)(j)(k))
- if a member is subsequently found to be ineligible for a membership category (Article 12.5 (a))
- you give us false or misleading information at any time (Article 12.5 (a))
- you inappropriately let someone else use your membership or associated products and services (Article 12.4)
These examples are not exhaustive and merely demonstrate some circumstances that may result in the withdrawal of membership.
Immediate withdrawal
We may also end or withdraw membership immediately (and stop providing services and products) if we have reasonable grounds for thinking that you have done any of the following:
- you have put us in a position where we might break a law, regulation, code or other duty that applies to us if we continue your membership
- you behave in a threatening or abusive manner to our staff
- we believe that maintaining your membership might expose us to action or censure from any regulator or law enforcement agency.
(This list is not exhaustive.)
Subject to the Articles of Association a member may be removed from membership if found guilty of a disciplinary offence. The procedure for dealing with complaints against members is specified in the Professional Conduct Procedure. Such terms shall include the right to a fair hearing, the right to representation, and a right of appeal.
Other products and services
On ending of membership all benefits, products and services will cease and you will not be entitled to access these.
Members are advised that BACP may also, in certain circumstances, reassess the membership category of any member whose membership was withdrawn.
Refunds
If membership is ended for any reason no refund of membership subscriptions, products or services will be made.
This policy should be read in conjunction with BACP’s Standing Orders, Articles of Association, Register terms and conditions, Professional Conduct Procedure and Ethical Framework - see Membership policies.
BACP’s policies are subject to review and can be amended at any time. It is important that you regularly review these documents.
11 September 2017