PSA publishes assessments for Accredited Registers implementing SCoPEd

The SCoPEd framework outlines minimum core training, practice, and competence requirements for counsellors and psychotherapists working with adults. You can find out more here.

We recognise that there are a range of views about the SCoPEd framework. Our role was not to judge its overall value or desirability, but to assess whether changes introduced by each Register remain consistent with our Standards. Our focus remains on ensuring public protection, maintaining confidence, and upholding high professional standards

The SCoPEd framework was developed by six Accredited Registers for counselling and psychotherapy to set out minimum core training, practice and competence requirements, structured across three columns. Its developers describe it as a tool to clarify competencies, support workforce planning, assist public understanding, and promote safe and competent practice. We did not assess whether the framework itself is the most appropriate model for the relevant professions. Instead, we assessed how each Accredited Register’s implementation of SCoPEd affects their ongoing compliance with our Standards.

In line with our legal duties, we also considered the likely impact of changes on those registered or eligible to register, employers, and service users, including people who share protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010.

The PSA oversees the Accredited Registers programme for health and social care roles not covered by statutory regulation. We assess whether registers meet our Standards for Accredited Registers. These standards ensure Accredited Registers: work in the public interest, set and uphold appropriate professional standards, manage complaints and concerns appropriately, and promote equality, diversity and inclusion.

Once accreditation has been granted, an Accredited Register must tell us of any significant changes it has made, or plans to make, that may affect whether it meets our Standards for Accredited Registers.

We assess changes against our Standards and invite stakeholders to share their experiences as part of the assessment process. 

We then publish a report summarising the feedback and the effect of the change on the Standards and ongoing accreditation. 

We made two adaptations to our process. We held a combined Share Your Experience and made the decision to publish our reports simultaneously for all six of the Accredited Registers because the changes were planned and made in partnership. Otherwise, we followed our process.

We received nearly 200 responses to our request for people to share their experiences. The published reports summarise what we heard across all registers and for each register.

For each Accredited Register we have found that our Standards were either unaffected or continue to be met by the changes. This means we have not imposed any conditions on ongoing accreditation. However, we have made some recommendations which are intended to support further development of the SCoPEd framework and understanding of it. In particular, we thought people who shared their experiences would benefit from more information about the support available to them from the Accredited Registers. 

This was a significant change across multiple Accredited Registers and our notification of change process normally only considers one set of changes for one register at a time. The effects were different in each case, and so too was the feedback that we received through the Share Your Experience process. We also received a significant number of responses from stakeholders that took time to process in detail and then match to the evidence we received about the changes that started development some years ago. 

We wanted to think carefully about the feedback we heard and whether or not our Standards continued to be met. We also wanted to publish all our reports at the same time so that we were as transparent as possible about our findings and the reasons for them. 

A recommendation can be issued when our Standards, and the underpinning 78 minimum requirements, are met but we think we can drive improvement to the way that an Accredited Register operates. We follow up on recommendations in each annual assessment of an Accredited Register. If recommendations are not met, we can consider whether they should become conditions. 

Conditions can only be applied if our Standards and minimum requirements are not met. Conditions must be met by a particular deadline that we set. If conditions are not met we can consider re-issuing them, or suspending or withdrawing accreditation. 

We know that some registrants for some Accredited Registers have been asked to go through an assessment process to remain in certain categories and this has been unsettling.  We have seen evidence that, over time, the affected Accredited Registers have introduced support to their registrants and that further measures will be introduced in some instances.  If you are in this situation, please contact your Accredited Register to discuss the options for support that are available now or will become available before the framework moves to full implementation.

You can find more information from each Accredited Register and the Partnership’s website: PCPB - Partnership of Counselling and Psychotherapy Bodies