New! Foundation Degree in Counselling

CPCAB, in partnership with the Open University, has developed a Foundation Degree in Counselling. The degree combines CPCAB’s expertise and specialist knowledge of the field with the Open University’s expertise and experience in delivering flexible learning.

The Foundation Degree requires candidates to complete 240 credit points in total. This is made up of 150 credit points derived from CPCAB work-based qualifications delivered in Further Education Colleges or in private training centres:

and 90 credit points from Open University knowledge-based modules.

The entry requirements for the CPCAB Level 4 Diploma are:

CPCAB Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills (CSK-L2) or its equivalent plus
CPCAB Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Studies (CST-L3) or its equivalent.

The Open University has launched a new Introduction to Counselling Course (D171) which is equivalent to CPCAB’s Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Studies (CST-L3). This will be accepted as entry for the Level 4 Diploma along with CPCAB’s Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills or equivalent.

The 90 credit points from the OU knowledge-based modules are gained from:

The mandatory module (30 points) which will be presented for the first time in May 2010 and
The additional 60 points which must be taken from a combination of the following OU psychology or mental health options:

DSE 212 Exploring psychology (60 points)
ED 209 Child development (60 points)
K225 Diverse perspectives on mental health (30 points)
K272 Challenging ideas in mental health (30 points)
K260 Death and dying (30 points)

The workbased and the knowledge based components can be taken in any order to suit the convenience of the candidate. In other words candidates may do all or some OU modules before the CPCAB qualifications or the other way around.

Frequently Asked Questions

Read our answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the Foundation Degree.

Further Information

For further information about the Foundation Degree in Counselling please visit www3.open.ac.uk/courses/bin/p12.dll?Q01G14

To keep up-to-date with new information about the Foundation Degree in Counselling please send an email to clare@cpcab.co.uk.

New DVDs

Our qualifications: at a glance

Award in Effective Listening Skills (ELSK-L2)
This qualification is intended for candidates who wish to develop their listening skills in order to:

improve communication;
improve existing work roles;
enhance personal relationships;
improve collegial relationships within workplace teams;
enhance helping relationships;
promote better community relations.

Award in Listening Support Skills (LSK-L2)
This qualification is intended for candidates who wish to use listening support skills in any of the following:

Peer Support work;
as an important element of work as a helping professional;
to improve work relations by supporting colleagues at work;
to work with helping relationships;
to support service users;
to support the roles of para-professionals and volunteers drawn from the local community;
to enhance community relations.

Level 2 Award in Understanding Substance Misuse (USM-L2)
This qualification is intended for candidates who wish to develop their knowledge of substance misuse in order to:

raise awareness of substance misuse and its consequences;
raise awareness of the effects of substances, including alcohol;
improve people’s understanding of substance misuse;
improve existing work roles with people involved in substance misuse;
extend the knowledge of the workforce supporting people involved in substance misuse;
contribute to the workforce involved in preventing substance misuse.

Certificate in Introduction to Counselling Skills (ICSK-L2)
This qualification is for learners who want to learn initial counselling skills to help and support others, either in a voluntary or employed capacity. It won't teach them to be a counsellor, but it may help them decide whether or not they want to train as one.

Certificate in Counselling Skills (CSK-L2)
This qualification is for learners who want to learn counselling skills to help and support others, either in a voluntary or employed capacity. It will not teach them to be counsellors, but it will give them useful skills which will be useful in a variety of roles and may help them decide whether or not they want to train as a counsellor.

Certificate in Counselling Studies (CST-L3)
This qualification is for learners who have already acquired some counselling skills and now want to continue their training. It will not teach learners to be counsellors, but it will prepare them to undertake workplace experience as trainee counsellors.

Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling (TC-L4)
This qualification is intended for candidates who want to train to become a counsellor working in a counselling service agency. There are many different agencies and many types of associated counselling services, but all agencies should provide the trainee with a service framework that includes both a line manager and clinical supervision.

Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling (PC-L5)
This qualification is for learners who want to train to become Independent Practitioners and/or Senior Counsellors working in a counselling service agency. All agencies should provide the trainee with a service framework that includes both line management and clinical supervision. Successful completion of this course means that the trainees will be able to work as an independent, professional counselling practitioner and/or provide a therapeutic counselling service within the context of an agency's service framework.

Certificate in Cognitive Behavioural Therapeutic Skills and Theory (CBT-L5)
This qualification is intended for candidates who want to develop CBT skills and theory as an integral part of their counselling work.

Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling Supervision (TCSU-L6)
This qualification is intended for candidates who want to learn the skills to provide clinical supervision for counselling practitioners who are working with clients at Service Levels A and B (see the Tutor User Guide for a description of these and other Service Levels).

Regulation debate

Keep up to date with the regulation debate by reading our updates

We're interested in hearing your thoughts and comments on this subject so please send them to admin@cpcab.co.uk.

For tutors

What makes CPCAB different from - and in our opinion better than - other awarding bodies offering counselling qualifications?

You can read the latest news from CPCAB in Update.

The value of CPCAB qualifications

Many tutors are asking questions about the status and value of CPCAB qualifications in the new regulated future particularly in the face of rumours that only HE qualifications or those courses accredited by professional bodies will be recognised or acceptable as part of any grand parenting arrangements or as a recognised training route in the future. Read more...

Funding advice

Read CPCAB's advice regarding changes in the allocation of funding for vocational qualifications

External Assessment

You can now see the External Assessment dates, Standardisation Training dates and Fee structure for 2008-09 online.

For Learners

New to CPCAB? Our FAQs for Learners section aims to answer your questions.

If you're interested in gaining a CPCAB qualification use our centre finder to find out where your nearest CPCAB approved centre is.