BACP Supervision Strategy 2005-2008 and Action Plan 2005-2006

1. Strategy Statement 2005-8

1.1  BACP is committed to providing a leading role in the field of practitioner¹ supervision.²

1.2  BACP believes that supervision can positively contribute to the maintenance and development of ethical professional practice.

1.3  BACP acknowledges that a practitioner’s need for and take-up of supervision is likely to change over their working life, according to a wide range of personal, practice and professional factors.

1.4  BACP acknowledges the importance of recognising the diversity of individuals and contexts within counselling, psychotherapy, supervision and training.

1.5  BACP recognises that different approaches may adopt differing attitudes and practices with regard to practitioner supervision.

1.6  BACP believes that the activity and function of ’supervision’, within counselling, psychotherapy and the wider helping field, requires research in order to critically comprehend and appropriately challenge its identity, validity, role, responsibility and scope;

1.7  BACP is committed to developing appropriate standards in training and the accreditation of courses and supervisors.

1.8  BACP is committed to researching supervision and contributing to the body of professional knowledge on supervision.

1.9  BACP will review its Supervision Strategy every three years.

2. Action Plan

To effect BACP’s Supervision Strategy, a plan of action for 2005-6 is required in order to:

2.1  develop a formally constituted Supervision Forum (the forum originates from the Supervision Working Party, initiated in November 2004 to explore supervision);

2.2  develop and promote the Supervision Forum’s³ work;

2.3  develop effective ways of consulting with and involving all relevant staff, volunteers, membership and external stakeholders⁴ in developing BACP’S leading role in supervision practice, training and research;

2.4  support the development of an appropriate research remit and associated tasks, in partnership with BACP’s Heads of Research, Standards and Conduct and other relevant stakeholders;

2.5  organise Regional events to involve membership in developing BACP’s supervision remit;

2.6  support the creation of consistent and reliable procedures and practices, in consultation with relevant staff, volunteers and stakeholders, in order for the above actions to be brought about;

2.7  the Action Plan will be reviewed annually by the Supervision Forum in consultation with relevant BACP staff, volunteers, membership and appropriate external stakeholders. A progress report will be produced and disseminated widely.

The Supervision Forum will first review the Action Plan in June 2006 and a forward plan will be devised, in consultation with relevant BACP staff and volunteers, membership and appropriate external stakeholders.

LG/SWP June 2005

¹The term practitioner is used here consistent with its generic usage in BACP’s Ethical Framework, where it denotes a broad range of helping roles.

²The term supervision is used here as a generic term to denote a professional activity and relationship that may be termed or conceived differently in different professional groups, including counselling, psychotherapy, coaching and mentoring. For the purposes of this document then, supervision is defined as the reflexive exploration and development of helping practice, in a supportive yet challenging context, involving individuals in the role(s) of supervisee and supervisor. BACP acknowledges the need to research this term and its associated role activities.

³The group comprises members of the Professional Standards (PSC) and PCC committees, as well as experienced practitioners who hold professional standing in their field. From this initial working group, the Supervision Forum has evolved. As appropriate, individuals and organisations with expert skills and knowledge will also be consulted to progress the work and remit of the group.

⁴The word stakeholder refers to anybody who has an investment or involvement with supervision.