First of all you must become a member of ACC and once accepted you can access the accreditation procedures and forms by logging in as a member.
The detailed criteria for accreditation at all levels are available here. At all levels there is a specified amount of training and supervised practice required, a case study, references and the need to produce specific logs as evidence.
The current set of application forms for accreditation can be found here. It is important to read them and the additional documentation carefully before filling them out.
No…& Yes!. There is no time limit for the training and supervised practice hours; however the case study must be from the last year of practice and references must be current.
ACC accepts elements of accreditation from registered members of BACP, COSCA and UKCP. We also accept registered counsellors who are also accredited with BACIP. (BACIP does not hold an Accredited Register approved by the Professional Standards Authority, therefore you must also be registered with ACC, BACP, UKCP, or COSCA). This is called our “Joint Accreditation” route. There are three basic requirements for entry via this method: a copy of the accreditation certificate already held, a church leader’s reference if the training is not ACC recognised, a 2000 to 3000 words essay entitled ‘How my faith informs my practice’. We are continuing to assess other organisations’ accreditation systems. Please let us know if there are any that you would like us to assess.
This is available on the ACC web site or in hard copy from Head Office or click here Ethics and Practice Framework
Yes. Membership must be current when you apply and subsequently maintained.
New accreditations last until your membership renewal date.
Yes. Remember you must be a current ACC member to be accredited.
No.
No. Accreditation is a separate process.
No.
There is no time limit but you will need to have accumulated ACC’s specified amounts of training and supervised practice.
Yes. You will need to be able to provide examples from the last year of practice.
Yes.
Yes, but we would expect you to have been with your supervisor for at least 6 months and be able to produce a case study from the last year of practice.
ACC does not accept distance learning courses for training to be a counsellor i.e. at the level 4 diploma basic entry level. However, it does accept distance learning courses as part of your broader training portfolio.
Yes. Most recognised face to face diploma courses include an assessed placement as an important part of a counsellor’s development.
Counselling practice and supervision logs – templates and samples of which can be found here – and relevant training certificates.
No. Achieving a diploma is part of the way to accreditation. Experience needs to be accumulated and if the training course is not ACC recognised then an essay will also be required.
ACC asks for photocopies of all relevant certificates and we reserve the right to contact training providers for confirmation that the training has been undertaken. Evidence is needed for your initial accreditation.
You will need to obtain the appropriate certificate(s) from your training provider.
The training provider should be able to answer this question but if there is any doubt information is available via the ACC office.
Yes, but it will need to be approved by a recognised UK educational establishment. If this is so, the applicant will need to submit a 2000 word essay entitled ‘How my faith informs my practice’ in addition to the normal criteria.
Potentially yes. Each training portfolio will be assessed individually. Initially a transcript of the course content would be required and should be sent to the Director of Counselling, who will give an early indication of comparative educational value.
ACC needs to see counselling logs for the last year and a signed summary sheet for the rest of the hours. The summary should be signed by the appropriate supervisor or agency Director.
Yes, provided it was supervised.
Yes, however a letter explaining any break(s) would be required.
Yes and you can also view our policy on Counselling with Technology published September 2012.
Yes, as long as there is an understanding that both counsellors are equal in the sessions or you are the lead counsellor.
Yes, if you are the facilitator but ACC would like to see a balance of 1 to 1 work in an applicant’s portfolio.
This will be in proportion to the level of counselling that you do. You can check this out from ACC Supervision Guidelines
Yes. Please consult the ACC’s Supervision Guidelines for details as to how these hours can be counted.
Yes.
Yes. However please refer also to Supervision Guidelines to check whether there are any policy updates with regard to the use of technology for supervision.
Yes, practitioners are asked to see supervision guidelines which should not fall below the prescribed minimum. This can found in our Supervision Guidelines section 3.
You, the counsellor’s methods of practice and what counselling tools you used. It is not about the client.
A case study submission must be taken from the last year of practice.
All case study material should be kept anonymous but we do not need you to obtain written permission from the client.
The format for a case study submission is included in the accreditation application forms and can be viewed in the Members Area of the website. The suggested word counts can be in prose or bullet points as long as assessors can make sense of the submission.
No, but applicants should cover all elements mentioned in the case study format.
Yes, as long as it adequately covers the elements mentioned in the case study format.
Yes, the assessors are all experienced and have a wide understanding of many modalities. If a case should arise where the model is not known then ACC will source a competent, modality-specific individual to help with the assessment.
The guideline is there because the assessors believe that an adequate case can be presented using the numbers outlined. If the case study is too long, too short or does not reach the required standard, the Accreditation Committee reserves the right to ask for a re-submission.
Yes. In the first instance to the Director of Counselling who will review your application, take appropriate professional advice and then refer it back to the Committee. If you are not satisfied with the outcome, an appeal can be made to the Board via the Chair.
For supervised practice hours ACC does not specify that work should be done with adults. Our preference is that there is a balance of both. Ethically, you should be appropriately trained, competent and/or properly supported in whichever field you work.
If you are successful, your name will appear in the next issue of Accord and you will be asked whether you want to be listed on the ‘Find a counsellor’ part of the ACC web site.
The bulk of the file is shredded and only salient summary sheets are retained for future reference.
Workshops are available free of charge on request via the UK Network representatives. There is also a workshop offered at the ACC National conference.
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