MEMBERS
HANDBOOK
NATIONAL COUNCIL of
PSYCHOTHERAPISTS PO Box 541, Keighley, West Yorkshire BD21 9DS
0800 170 1250
www.thencp.org
NCP/ICP Members Handbook 2016
MEMBERSHIP
When joining the National Council of Psychotherapists a practitioner of any modality of
psychotherapy, hypnotherapy or coaching, or in combination, has a clear career progression
path and guidance of how to achieve all they wish in their chosen profession. The National
Council will support and encourage the member on this path but with it comes certain
professional requirements, all of which are clearly defined here.
CONTENTS
o Levels of Membership
o Member Accreditation Scheme
o Code of Conduct
o Complaints Procedure
NCP/ICP Members Handbook 2016
STUDENT MEMBERSHIP
As a student you are likely to be at the beginning of your career as a psychotherapist, coach
or hypnotherapist. It is our intention to guide and support you as you progress to full
membership and to become an accredited member of NCP.
Student membership is open to those undertaking a course that includes classroom tuition
and is at least diploma length (at least 37 credits or 370 notional study hours). Every unit
and qualification has a credit value and a level. One credit represents ten notional hours of
learning, showing how much time the average learner would take to complete the unit or
qualification. The minimum level is to be equivalent to QCF Level 4. The National Council
accredits training centres and courses to these educational standards. The NCP
management reserve the right to ask for assignment and/or casework to demonstrate a
high enough standard of practice to warrant membership.
MEMBER - MNCP
Membership is for those who have graduated from an NCP accredited diploma or suitable
alternative diploma. This qualification must be at least 37 credits or 370 notional learning
hours and at a minimum equivalent to QCF Level 4.
Membership is also available to other practising psychotherapists, counsellors, coaches and
hypnotherapists. The applicant must demonstrate their training or practice experience to
be of a standard suitable for membership.
ACCREDITED MEMBER – MNCP (Accred.)
Accreditation is for members who achieve the Accreditation Criteria laid out in this
document.
SENIOR ACCREDITED MEMBER – MNCP (Snr Accred.)
After a further six years continuous accredited membership the member may apply for
senior accreditation. They will then be able to use the letters - MNCP (Snr Accred.).
FELLOWSHIP - FNCP
Is awarded by the Governance of the NCP for outstanding contribution to their field of
expertise and/or to the NCP.
NON-PRACTISING MEMBERSHIP
NCP/ICP Members Handbook 2016
Members who are retired or no longer practice whose membership is up to date may
continue to use the letters of their practising membership with the letters (NP) attached.
e.g. MNCP(NP)
ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP
For those who are not in practice as a psychotherapist but do not fall into the other
categories.
NCP/ICP Members Handbook 2016
MEMBER ACCREDITATION SCHEME
Guidance on Progression
You can apply for accredited membership if you provide psychotherapy, hypnotherapy or
coaching to individual people, couples, groups or families and can provide satisfactory
evidence to meet all Criteria 1 to 9. (This scheme is open to all qualified members regardless
of their modality of work.)
Once accredited the member may use the letter MNCP (Accred.) and the following statement
in their professional stationery, advertising and website: "An accredited member of the
National Council of Psychotherapists."
The accreditation remains in place with continuous practice and annual proof of continuing
supervision and CPD at the qualification levels. Continuous practice includes up to one year
off in any three years.
STANDARD FOR ACCREDITED MEMBERSHIP
“To demonstrate the capacity for independent, competent, ethical practice”
In order to meet the standard for accredited membership, you must demonstrate that you
can satisfy each of the criteria that follow, which are numbered 1 to 9.
CRITERIA FOR APPLICATION
Eligibility Criteria 1-5
When you apply, and throughout the assessment process, you must be:
1. A member of the NCP
2. Covered by professional indemnity insurance
When you submit your application you must be:
3. Practising counselling, psychotherapy, hypnotherapy or coaching
4. Your training and supervised practice must meet one of the following criteria:
EITHER:
4.1 You have been awarded a qualification from a NCP accredited training course
AND have been in practice at least three years when you apply for accreditation.
In addition:
NCP/ICP Members Handbook 2016
a) Have at least 450 hours of supervised practice accumulated within three to six years
(they do not have to be consecutive years).
b) Have been supervised for at least 1 hour per month throughout the period of practice
submitted.
OR:
4.2 You have successfully completed and received an award for practitioner
training that:
a) Included at least 37 units or 370 notional learning hours at level 4.
b) Covered theory, skills, professional issues and personal development.
AND
a) Have been in practice at least three years when you apply for accreditation.
b) Have at least 450 hours of supervised practice accumulated within three to six years
(they do not have to be consecutive years.)
c) Have been supervised for at least 1 hour per month throughout the period of practice
submitted.
5. Supervision
You have an ongoing contract for counselling/psychotherapy supervision for a minimum of
1 hour per month for each month in which practice is undertaken.
Reflective Practice Criteria 6-8
6. Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
As a professional you have a responsibility to keep your skills and knowledge up to date.
The Professional Associations Research Network defines CPD as,
'any process or activity that provides added value to the capability of the professional
through the increase in knowledge, skills and personal qualities necessary for the
appropriate execution of professional and technical duties, often termed competence’.
a) CPD must be at least 30 hours per year and can be anything from reading a book
about your profession to taking a full diploma in another modality.
b) Describe a CPD activity, relevant to your area of practice that you have undertaken
in the 12 months before applying for accreditation. Provide a summary of this CPD
activity (minimum 400, maximum 600 words) and in this demonstrate how the
activity has influenced your practice.
Items 7, 8 & 9 are covered by one piece of written work of no more than 1,500
words.
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7. Self-awareness
Describe an experience or an activity which has contributed to your own self-awareness.
This should include reasons for choosing the experience or activity and show how this self-
awareness is useful in your practice.
8. Knowledge and understanding
Describe a rationale for your client work with reference to the modalities that inform your
practice. Reflect within this how you place your self-awareness within your way of working
and comment on how issues of difference and equality impact upon the therapeutic
relationship.
9. Practice & Supervision
Demonstrate how your practice is consistent with your described way of working and how
you use your self-awareness in the therapeutic relationship and how supervision enhances
your practice.
A portfolio of the above must be completed and sent to The National Council of
Psychotherapists. PO Box 541, Keighley, West Yorkshire BD21 9DS.
NCP/ICP Members Handbook 2016
CODE of CONDUCT
All Members of the National Council of Psychotherapists agree to:
1 Provide service to clients solely in those areas in which they are competent to do so and for
which they carry relevant professional indemnity insurance.
2 Remain aware of their own limitations and wherever appropriate, be prepared to refer a client
to another practitioner (regardless of discipline) who might be expected to offer suitable treatment.
3 Ensure that wherever a client is seeking assistance for the relief of physical symptoms, unless
having already done so, that the client be advised to contact a registered Medical Practitioner.
4 Confirm that they will never knowingly offer advice to a client which either conflicts with, or is
contrary to that given by, the client’s registered Medical Practitioner/s. (If they have doubts or
concerns with regard to a client’s prescribed medication, they should, always with their client’s
permission, contact the Medical Practitioner personally).
5 Accept that any client referred to them by a registered Medical Practitioner (or other relevant
agency) remains the clinical responsibility of the Medical Practitioner (or agency) and thereby agree
to keep that Medical Practitioner (or agency) suitably informed of the client’s progress.
6 Maintain strict confidentiality within the client/therapist relationship, always provided that such
confidentiality is neither inconsistent with the safety of the client, client’s family members nor other
members of the public or in contravention of the laws of the land.
7 Ensure that client notes and records be kept secure and confidential and that the uses of
computer records remain within the terms of the Data Protection Act.
8 Obtain written permission from the client (or if appropriate, the client’s parent/s or legal
guardian/s) before either recording client sessions or discussing undisguised cases with any person
whatsoever. (“Recording” in this context means any method other than the usual taking of written
National Council of
Psychotherapists PO Box 541. Keighley. BD21 9DS
0800 170 1250
www.thencp.org
NCP/ICP Members Handbook 2016
case notes. “Undisguised” in this context means cases in which material has not been sufficiently
altered in order to offer reasonable anonymity to all relevant parties).
9 Take all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of the client and any person who may be
accompanying them whilst attending their premises and during the session of therapy or coaching.
10 Ensure that their workplace and all facilities offered to both clients and their companions will
be in every respect suitable and appropriate for the service provided.
11 Refrain from using their position of trust and confidence to:
a) Exploit the client emotionally, sexually, financially or in any other way whatsoever. Should
either a sexual or financial relationship (i.e. other than the payment of session fees or the purchase
of books, tapes or other relevant products) develop between either therapist and client or members
of their respective immediate families, the therapist must immediately cease to accept fees,
terminate treatment consistent with Clause 12 below and refer the client to another suitable therapist
at the very earliest opportunity. (Clarification on dilemmas experienced by members in respect of
the foregoing may be offered by the NCP on request).
b) Touch the client in any way that may be open to misinterpretation. (Before employing tactile
hypnotic induction or deepening techniques, both an explanation should be given and permission
received from the client or parent/guardian).
12 Terminate treatment at the earliest moment consistent with the good care of the client.
13 Not permit considerations of religion, nationality, gender, marital status, age, disability, politics
or social standing to adversely influence client treatment.
14 Disclose full details of all relevant memberships, training, experience, qualifications and
appropriate avenues of complaint to clients, upon request.
15 Use no claim or title connected with the National Council or any associated Registers other
than that they are members of the National Council of Psychotherapists or associated Registers with
appropriate designated letters. (N.B. Members of the Senior Management Team of the Council shall
be further entitled to state the position held by them.)
16 Make no claim that they hold specific qualifications unless such claim can be fully
substantiated. (In the absence of appropriate medical qualifications, no Registered Member may
utilise the title “Doctor” in a manner that may mislead any member of the public to believe that they
are medically qualified and any use of this title must be clearly defined by a suitable qualifying
statement.)
NCP/ICP Members Handbook 2016
17 Explain fully to clients in advance of any treatment, the fee levels, precise terms of payment
and any charges that might be imposed for non-attendance or cancelled appointments. (Whilst not
obligatory, written material is preferable to verbal statements as this is less likely to give grounds
for misunderstanding should any dispute between client and therapist subsequently develop).
18 Present all services and products in an unambiguous manner (to include any limitations and
realistic outcomes of treatment and ensure that the client retains complete control over the decision
to purchase such services or products.
19 Conduct themselves at all times in accordance with their professional status and in such a way
as neither undermines public confidence in the process or profession of psychotherapy. To refrain
from derogatory statements, implications and/or innuendos that disparage the standing,
qualifications or character of colleagues, or that bring the NCP and/or other professional bodies in
the field into disrepute in their public statements, whether written or verbal.
20
a) Inform the NCP, in writing, of any complaint (of which they are aware) made against them;
b) Inform the NCP in writing, of any disciplinary action taken against them by any professional
body;
c) Inform the NCP, in writing, of any criminal offence of which they have been convicted.
21 Inform the NCP, in writing, of any alteration in circumstance, which would affect either their
position or ability as practitioners.
22 Notify the NCP, in writing, of any change in practice name, contact address, telephone number
or e-mail address, at the earliest convenient moment.
23 Ensure that all advertising shall comply with the British Code of Advertising Practice, accord with
the British Advertising Standards Authority and make available all such literature to the NCP on
request.
24 Where applicable, make available all relevant information requested as a result of investigation
by any appointed Complaints and Disciplinary Officer without hindrance (whether implied or actual)
or unreasonable delay and comply fully with all requirements inherent within any Complaints and
Disciplinary Procedure to which they subscribe.
25 Obtain the consent of an appropriate adult (i.e. parent or legal guardian) before conducting
treatment with clients who are either under the age of majority or are classified as having special
needs. (Wherever possible, an appropriate adult should be present during such sessions).
26 Accept that this is not a static document and that it may be altered from time to time, in
accordance with the need to ensure ongoing professionalism within the fields of psychotherapy,
hypnotherapy, coaching, counselling and Critical Incident Debriefing.
NCP/ICP Members Handbook 2016
RESEARCH ETHICS
For all practical purposes, a “research subject” should be considered synonymous with a “client” and
consequently, all relevant Clauses within the NCP “Code of Ethics” remain applicable. Of extra
importance is the need on the part of the “researcher” to:
27 Accept that all participation by “subjects” must be on a completely voluntary basis and that no
“pressure” of any type should be exerted in order to secure participation.
28 Ensure that proper consent has been obtained prior to the commencement of any research
project. This is especially so in the case of “minors” or persons with special needs.
(N.B. This does not apply where general research of a purely statistical nature is carried out).
29 Maintain complete openness and honesty with regard to both the purpose and nature of the
research being conducted.
30 Consider any potential adverse consequences to the “subject” as a result of any intended
research project.
31 Provide, where relevant, for the ongoing care of participants with regard to any adverse effects
that might arise as a consequence of and within a reasonable time period after, their
involvement within any research project.
The psychological well being of the individual subject is always more important than the
research itself.
NCP/ICP Members Handbook 2016
COMPLAINTS & DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURE
The National Council of Psychotherapists is committed to providing high quality and
responsive services at all times, both to its members and to the general public.
However, we recognise that sometimes people may not be satisfied using the services
offered by the NCP, or by its members. We have therefore set up this complaints procedure
to enable people to tell NCP clearly when and why they are not satisfied with our services
or those of our members.
The NCP maintains links with a large number of other professional psychotherapy and
hypnotherapy organisations and contact details for many others. Where a complaint against
a therapist on the NCP register is made, then notification of such complaint will also be
brought to the attention of any other organisation of which that therapist is a member. In
most cases it is a requirement of professional membership that an organisation be informed
immediately that a member has received a complaint or becomes aware that a complaint is
being brought against them.
Any NCP registered therapist found to have been dismissed from membership of any other
professional therapy or self-development related organisation on the basis of professional
misconduct might summarily be dismissed from NCP registration on those grounds alone in
the interests of public protection.
The NCP will not carry out any investigation into a complaint that is already the subject of
an investigation by another organisation. The NCP will hold such complaint on file until such
other complaint process has been completed.
What is a complaint?
A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction either written or spoken. This may concern
either how the NCP has carried out its work or a complaint about how you have been treated
by a therapist registered with the NCP. Complaints against individual members of the
National Council must be either from the client or an advocate on behalf of the client, the
client having first submitted to the Chairman a letter appointing the advocate.
National Council of
Psychotherapists PO Box 541. Keighley. BD21 9DS
0800 170 1250
www.thencp.org
NCP/ICP Members Handbook 2016
How to make a complaint - Advice for members of the public:
1. If you are unhappy with a service, or the level of service provided by the NCP, you
may wish to raise it first with the member concerned to try to resolve the matter as
quickly as possible. At all times we will try to resolve any problems as quickly and as
informally as possible.
2. If you are unhappy with a service, or the level of service, of any accredited
organisation within the NCP, then you must first raise this matter with that
organisation and follow the procedures set out by that organisation. Only when this
process has been completed will the NCP begin an investigation.
3. If you prefer, or if you wish to take the matter further, you may make a complaint
either by letter, telephone or email directly to the NCP marked “confidential”. Please
give full details of the issues you wish to raise. If you make your complaint by
telephone, you will later be asked to put it in writing.
Please ask if you need any help in making your complaint and we will try to provide it. We
also welcome the involvement of a friend or other person to support you in making your
complaint.
The NCP is committed to dealing with any complaint fully and in a fair and impartial manner.
We will also try at all times to make the procedure for dealing with your complaint as stress
free as possible for you.
All complaints are dealt with in confidence, although the NCP does use the evidence
gathered from any complaint to help improve its services. Records are kept of all complaints
and how they are handled, and this is reviewed on an annual basis by members of the
advisory board.
How will your complaint be investigated?
In most cases, your complaint will be referred to the Complaints Officer. In all cases, your complaint
will not be investigated by anyone involved in the substance of your complaint.
Receipt of your complaint will be acknowledged within ten working days.
1. You will be given the name and telephone number of the person investigating your complaint
Informed how long we expect to take to look into your complaint and when you can expect
a reply. This will vary from case to case.
2. A written report of your complaint will be prepared by the Complaints Officer outlining
the investigations and any conclusions and recommendations.
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3. These are then passed back to the NCP Secretary for action. This action (dependent
on the circumstances of each case) may be decided solely by the Complaints Officer
or in consultation with a member or members of the Senior Management Team.
These actions may include:
• No further action
• An admonishment
• An order to retrain (will be specified)
• Dismissal from the NCP
6. You will be advised of any action that NCP has taken as a result of the complaint. We
will apologise for any difficulties you have experienced in the matter.
How to appeal if you are not satisfied:
1. If you are not satisfied with our response to your complaint, you can ask to have all
of the evidence reviewed by a member or members of the Senior Management
Team who
Has/have had no previous involvement with the complaint.
2. They will be asked to prepare a report on their findings, namely:
Are they satisfied that “on the basis of the evidence available to the
Complaints Officer”, was the decision reached by the complaints officer
reasonable?
3. An appeal against a decision must be made within 21 calendar days of the
complainant being informed. It is very important to adhere to this timetable,
as no appeal will be considered by the NCP after this period has lapsed.
We will try to be as flexible as possible in dealing with your complaint to make the situation
less stressful for you. In particular, we will endeavor to keep you as fully informed as possible
throughout the course of the complaint.
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