Senior accredited BACP members
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BACP’s SCoPEd transition period and our revised senior accredited membership category

We’ll shortly enter our SCoPEd transition period, which will start in February 2024 and last for two years.

Our current senior accredited membership category doesn’t align with the SCoPEd framework column C standards. During the transition period we’ll revise this membership category to ensure that it aligns with column C from 2026 onwards.

This means all existing senior accredited members will move to the accredited membership category, aligned to column B in the SCoPEd framework, at the time of their membership renewal date between February 2025 and January 2026.

You’ll still be able to:

• provide all the services you currently do
• practise competences in other SCoPEd columns providing you have the right skills, knowledge, training and experience to do so

This is in line with our existing Ethical Framework, which states that BACP members must work within the limits of their competence.

From February 2024 until February 2027, you’ll have a range of options to apply for the revised senior accredited membership category, which will enable you to promote your alignment to the SCoPEd framework column C standards within your advertising materials:

• if you have a Level 7 or equivalent counselling or psychotherapy qualification you can apply for the new revised senior accredited membership category between February 2024 and February 2026 using the temporary mechanism process
• if you don’t have a Level 7 or equivalent counselling and/or psychotherapy qualification, you’ll have the opportunity to apply for the new revised senior accredited membership category when our permanent accreditation routes are available from February 2026. This route will consider training and CPD alongside other existing skills and experience. If you meet the eligibility criteria and wish to apply via this route, it'll be free for the first twelve months

There will be no application costs associated with these options for current senior accredited members.

Current senior accredited members will not be able to promote themselves as column C therapists until they have successfully applied but will be able to continue to use the senior accredited title until their renewal date – between February 2025 and January 2026.

What happens if I’m not eligible for the revised senior accredited membership category or choose not to apply?

Those who aren’t eligible during the transition period or choose not to apply for the revised senior accredited membership category will be transferred to the accredited membership category aligned to column B at the time of their membership renewal date – between February 2025 and January 2026.

At that point you’ll no longer be able to use the membership category title of senior accredited and will become an accredited member aligned to column B. You’ll need to update your membership logo and use of any designatory letters on any advertising materials you may have.

We understand that not all our current senior accredited members will be eligible for the revised category aligned to column C of the SCoPEd framework, and that some members will want to talk to us about this. We encourage any member who is not sure what this means for them to contact us.

We held an online event on Friday 1 September to outline the temporary mechanisms that will be effective during the transition period and to answer any member questions. This is available to view on our on-demand web page. 

Looking ahead

Following the transition period, which is expected to finish in early 2026, all our membership category entry requirements will be fully aligned to the standards of the SCoPEd framework columns.

New accreditation routes to move between membership categories will be available at this point. These routes will consider training and CPD alongside other existing skills and experience. More details will be published in due course.

Specialist accreditation schemes

Some members may already hold, or be interested in obtaining, specialist accreditation schemes, such as those we currently have for supervisors and children and young people (CYP) therapists (via the old senior accreditation schemes).

We're currently revising these specialist accreditation schemes and anticipate they will reopen towards the end of 2024 for accredited and senior accredited members who currently don’t hold these and wish to apply.

Members who have these specialisms will automatically retain them via a new logo for the relevant specialist accreditation, regardless of which membership category they are in.

Please visit our SCoPEd FAQ page or contact customer services 01455 883300 if you have any questions.