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Level 3 Certificate in Advanced Counselling Skills

Introductory Summary
Qualification title: Level 3 Certificate in Advanced Counselling Skills (CSK-L3).
QCA Accreditation Number: CSK-L3 is accredited into the National Qualifications Framework by the Qualifications & Curriculum Authority (QCA). The QCA's Qualification Accreditation Number for CSK-L3 is 100/4898/4.

The QCA Accreditation Number also appears in the Learning & Skills Council's on-line Learning Aims Database (which can be used to ascertain funding eligibility), except there it is called the “Learning Aim Number”.
Target candidates: This qualification is for learners who want to develop advanced counselling skills for professional helping relationships. This work involves developing or continuing a professional relationship between a helper and helpee, whereas counselling involves a contracted relationship between a counsellor and a client.

Trainees will probably be working in a helping capacity in a range of contexts. These may, for example, include personnel officers, care workers, welfare workers, teachers or pastoral care workers. All will be using counselling skills as an important adjunct to their existing skills. However, none will be working in a setting where they are required to provide therapeutic counselling with clients.

This qualification is intended for candidates who want to:

  • increase their proficiency in using counselling skills in helping relationships;
  • use counselling skills as an important element of their work as a helping professional;
  • use counselling skills to improve interpersonal communication within an organisation.
Summary list of units
Unit
 Unit No Unit Title
1 L/102/9429 Work ethically and safely in the helping process
2 F/102/9430 Work within a managed helping relationship
3 J/102/9431 Work with awareness of diversity issues in helping relationships
4 L/102/9432 Work within a user-centred approach to the helping process
5 R/102/9433 Work with self-awareness in the helping relationship
6 Y/102/9434 Work with counselling concepts and skills in the helping process
7 D/102/9435 Work with self-reflectively as part of the professional process

All of the units are based on CPCAB's model of practitioner development and proficiency.

A complete unit specification (including unit learning outcomes, unit-elements and element-criteria) is given in both the CSK-L3 Tutor User Guide and the CSK-L3 Candidate User Guide.

Qualification Details
External Assessment
Case Review of 2,000 - 2,500 words. For further information see the CSK-L3 Tutor User Guide.
Further information
Status of qualification:
  1. Accredited into the National Qualifications Framework by the Qualifications & Curriculum Authority (QCA): Accreditation Number 100/4898/4. This allows funding of eligible courses by the Learning & Skills Council (LSC).
  2. Formally supported by the Employment National Training Organisation (ENTO).
  3. CPCAB qualifications attract a Band C Programme Weighting in the LSC's funding formula and are eligible for LSC funding.
Course length: 90 - 120 Guided Learning Hours (GLH): minimum 90 GLH.
Minimum age: 19 years.
Entry requirements: Candidates must have obtained CPCAB's Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills (CSK-L2) or its APL and/or APEL equivalent.
Progression: Successful candidates may progress onto CPCAB's Level 4 Diploma in Consultancy Supervision (CSU-L4).
Recommended maximum group size: Maximum of 18 learners with one tutor, or a maximum of 24 learners with two tutors.
Assessment: Candidate Portfolio and externally-assessed written Case Review.

Candidates must pass both the internal and external assessment to receive the qualification.
Additional study time: Approx. 3 - 4 hours per week.
Personal counselling or therapy (for trainee): CPCAB recommends at least 10 hours to be completed during the life of the course, but this is not mandatory.
Work-place experience (for trainee): During the course candidates are required to use counselling skills within a minimum of four helping relationships (one of these can be a learning group member) in an employed or voluntary capacity.
Supervision Requirements: CPCAB requires a minimum of 10 hours Group Consultancy Supervision to be included as part of the course.
Staffing and other resources: Only one tutor-assessor is needed for internal assessment.

Staffing and other resources must reflect the Band C Programme Weighting factor available for this qualification.
Internal moderation and verification: Centres are required to have robust internal moderation and verification processes which are externally verified by CPCAB.
CPCAB candidate registration fee: £129 per candidate.
Centre application for CPCAB approval to offer the qualification: Centre application fee: £79 (one-off fee).

Centres can design their own training programmes (*) or use approved course material (**) written to CPCAB specifications.

* All Centre-designed courses must be submitted to CPCAB for approval before candidates can be registered. Although the delivery of courses may differ from Centre to Centre, all delivery must enable the candidates to achieve the learning outcomes specified in the units.

** Please contact CSCT on 0870 163 6900 or visit www.counsellingtraining.com for further details.
For further details contact: Tel. 01458 850350. Email: admin@cpcab.co.uk