BACP has not taken a position on the EU Referendum. As a professional body with over 40,000 members with diverse views and opinions it would be impossible and inappropriate for BACP to put forward a representative view on this complicated subject which is outside of our core business and charitable objectives.
Nevertheless, we are aware that the outcome of the Referendum is causing anxiety for some of our members, as well as the wider population including the clients we work with.
Those of you who have looked at our website recently will know that BACP launched a new strategy in April, which commits us to working to support all of our members, including those who reside outside the United Kingdom, and to promote the counselling professions across every part of the United Kingdom. As our strategy makes clear: ‘We will be alert to change and encourage innovation in a fast moving world and our policy and interventions will be informed and evidence based’.
We want to reassure our members everywhere that these core commitments remain unaffected and that BACP will robustly continue to represent and welcome the values of the counselling professions in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, within whatever national or international constitutional frameworks and structures that exist in the future following the result of the referendum.
BACP recognises and values the distinct nature of the UK constituency and its regional and geographical variations and the important contribution of the counselling professions in improving the mental health and wellbeing of our populations across all ages and in different settings and cultural contexts. Our core commitment to social justice remains fundamental to our strategy.
We will, of course, continue to keep abreast of and review the fast changing situation and if required we’ll prepare for any future legal and constitutional changes.