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Level 2 Certificate in Introduction to Counselling Skills

Download a PDF at a glance guide to our Level 2 Certificate in Introduction to Counselling Skills

Introductory Summary
Qualification title: Level 2 Certificate in Introduction to Counselling Skills (ICSK-L2).
Ofqual Accreditation Number: ICSK-L2 is accredited by the Office of the Qualifications & Examinations Regulator (Ofqual) into the National Qualifications Framework (NQF). The Ofqual qualification accreditation number for ICSK-L2 is 100/2521/2.
Target candidates:

This qualification is intended for candidates who:

  • want to learn initial counselling skills to help others – either in a voluntary or an employed situation;
  • want to find out more about this field – this course won’t teach them to be a counsellor, but may help them decide whether or not they want to train as one.
Summary list of units
Unit
 Unit No Unit Title
1 M/101/5801 Using Initial Counselling Skills Safely
2 T/101/5802 Establish the Helping Interaction
3 A/101/5803 Communicate Understanding of the Other Person's Concerns
4 F/101/5804 Focus on the Other Person's Agenda
5 J/101/5805 Use Initial Counselling Skills with Self Awareness
6 L/101/5806 Use Initial Counselling Skills within the Helping Interaction
7 R/101/5807 Use Study Skills within the Learning 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 ICSK-L2 Tutor User Guide and the ICSK-L2 Candidate User Guide.

Qualification Details
External Assessment
Self Review. For further information see the ICSK-L2 Tutor User Guide.
Further information
Status of qualification:
  1. Accredited into the National Qualifications Framework by the Office of the Qualifications & Examinations Regulator (Ofqual) accreditation number 100/2521/2.*
  2. Formally supported by Skills for Health (the Sector Skills Council for the UK health sector).
  3. Attracts a Band C Programme Weighting in the LSC’s funding formula and is eligible for LSC funding.

*The Ofqual accreditation number also appears in the LSC’s on-line Learning Aims Database (which can be used to ascertain funding eligibility), except there it is called the ‘Learning Aim Number’.

Course length: 30 - 50 Guided Learning Hours (GLH): minimum 30 GLH.
Minimum age: 16 years.
Entry requirements: No previous training or experience is required.
Progression: Not applicable as ICSK-L2 is a stand alone taster course. However, progression is available to CPCAB's Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills (CSK-L2).
Assessment: Candidate Portfolio and externally-assessed Self Review.
Additional study time: Approx. 1 hour per week.
Personal counselling or therapy (for trainee): None required.
Work-place experience (for trainee): None required.
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: £38 per candidate.
Centre application for CPCAB approval to offer the qualification: Centre application fee: £119 (one-off fee).

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

A tutor support DVD with video clips and associated exercises is available to purchase from the CPCAB shop.

* 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