The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC) and the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) have welcomed the Department of Health consultation Promoting professionalism, reforming regulation.

The consultation was an important opportunity to comment on the future of the regulatory environment and the fundamental issue of public protection. Currently, BACP, BPC and UKCP have registers accredited by the Professional Standards Authority and have in place robust professional conduct procedures.

Through our responses to the Department of Health, we:

  • support regulators working more closely together
  • agree that any regulatory changes should further the objective of improving standards and public protection
  • urge the Department of Health to involve professional bodies in the regulatory reform work as we possess vital professional expertise
  • support upstream prevention and proportionate responses to professional conduct issues
  • will continue to progress our own work in defining standards for the profession alongside the work of the Department of Health.

Through our formal partnership, the Collaboration of Counselling and Psychotherapy Professions (CCPP) we committed to continue to safeguard the public by effectively regulating the counselling and psychotherapy profession and we will continue to work together to ensure that we take an active part in responding to any regulatory developments.

You can read our individual responses below.

BACP's response to the Department of Health consultation on professional regulation (0.11MB)

BPC's response

UKCP's response