Guidelines for Good Practice in Pastoral Care
Workshop aim
All ACC registered counsellors comply with our standards and adhere to our ethics and practice. If you are looking to see if a particular counsellor is registered with us, please use Check ACC register.
The theme of ACC’s national conference 2024 is “Rooted”, drawing from the apostle Paul’s encouragement to the Ephesians (verses 3:17-19). We recognise the various changes, challenges and opportunities at the present time and want to provide a space where members and delegates are invited and encouraged to remember that we gain strength through being rooted and established in God’s love. Likewise, as practitioners, strength comes from being rooted and established in the knowledge and skills of our profession and pastoral roles.
We invite you to join us in September to learn and grow together in faith and professional development.
Find out moreACC’s registered and accredited counsellors/psychotherapists are recognised within the professional counselling/psychotherapy world as having achieved the appropriate education, skill, and knowledge to be able to practice safely in all settings. Our levels of membership map to the Scope of Practice and Education (SCoPEd) competency framework developed by six Professional Standards Authority accredited bodies, including ACC, BACP, and UKCP which represent over 75,000 counsellors and psychotherapists. ACC members are employed in the same way as other professional counsellors/psychotherapists, for example, the NHS, schools and universities, prisons, employee assistance services and private counselling/psychotherapy services. ACC members’ unique value is ensuring that clients have choice in selecting a counsellor or psychotherapist who shares, values and respects religious faith and spirituality. Importantly, ACC members work with people of all faiths and none, without discrimination, and within a code of ethics and practice.
As an example of the value of providing a service that is open to all, delivered by counsellors who are Christian, NHS England and NHS Improvement commissioned ACC to provide a counselling service to their employees between 2021 and 2023.
We are committed to promoting quality pastoral care through our training resources which enable:
Each resource is interactive, raising questions, encouraging the sharing of experience, embracing discussion, developing skills where appropriate and using scripture and prayer.
Find out more...Workshop aim
In his letter to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul encouraged those in the
churches who were facing difficulties and prayed that, “…you, being
rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the
Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is
the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses
knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of
God.” (Ephesians 3:17-19)
The purpose of this training is to help churches to set up and run a safe and effective pastoral care team. It is suitable for church members and leaders seeking practical information to assist them in setting up and running a pastoral team within a church context.
ACC have recently been receiving an increased number of enquiries relating to a company called Carflo, which has a website address similar to that of ACC. ACC have no connection or affiliation with Carflo and should you wish to contact them, the website is www.theacc.co.uk
ACC note that the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) has taken the decision to withdraw its signature from the Memorandum of Understanding on Conversion Therapy in the UK v2 (MoU) and its membership of the Coalition Against Conversion Therapy. You can read the UKCP statement in full here. ACC will be asking for a discussion with the coalition about the concerns that have led UKCP to this decision.
The six SCoPEd partners are providing this update on the important work currently underway with regards to the SCoPEd framework implementation, governance and impact assessment.