1. Who took part?
Key findings
Outlining the future of
practitioner training
and development:
Key findings from the education and development project
Placement
difficulties experienced by
our student members:
„„ logistics – travel, finance
and existing commitments
„„ lack of support from the
course/professional body
„„ placement provider
demands – training stage
and previous experience
with clients
„„ limited availability of, and
competition for, places
What employers and our
Divisions told us:
„„ psychological therapy service
commissioners require competent
and qualified practitioners, and providers
that deliver a range of modalities and
interventions
„„ EAP providers require relevant post-
qualification training and experience
„„ practitioners need
specific skills to coach,
to work in private
practice, and to work
with spirituality and
children and
young people
(CYP) and
spirituality
Key recommendations:
Develop a core curriculum
which includes SSRs and
minimum teaching hours for
BACP-accredited courses
Set out a career pathway
for the counselling professions,
which includes vocational and
academic training routes to the
BACP Register
Support the development
of local/regional training
partnerships and placement
opportunities
Member recommendations
for core training curriculum:
„„ high quality supervision
„„ professional and
generic skills –
e.g. record keeping,
data protection,
case formulation
and assessment
„„ personal therapy
„„ experiential learning &
self-awareness groups
„„ understanding equality,
diversity, society & culture
Core curriculum
elements our
members view
as very important
(80% or more):
„„ development of helper skills
„„ development of professional
and ethical understanding
„„ experience of placement-based
activity
„„ understanding of the relationship
between theory and practice
„„ personal exploration and
development
Training providers’
ideal staff:student
ratios (SSRs):
2,799 BACP
members
4 BACP Divisions
1 Board 1
Employee Assistance
Programme
(EAP) provider
442
BACP
student
members
52
training/course
providers
7
Clinical
Commissioning
Groups (CCGs)
1:15
for
seminars
1:10
for personal
development and
experiential groups
1:5 for supervision groups