This qualification is intended for candidates who have acquired the CPCAB Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling (or its APL and/or APEL equivalent) and wish to continue to develop their understanding and skills in order to:

• establish and maintain an appropriate framework for independent practice;
• practice as a senior counsellor within an agency;
• develop their proficiency to work with clients at CPCAB Service Level B2*;
• deepen their ability to work with the counselling relationship;
• develop their proficiency in one particular counselling approach;
• facilitate understanding of working in health settings;
• carry out client assessments (including identifying and referring clients with severe and complex mental health problems).

*Working with common mental health problems at this implicit level often involves the exploration and working through of ‘no-go’ areas. These are areas of personality, personal history and interpersonal relationships that are very uncomfortable for the client and have tended to be psychologically separated off and ‘left untouched’. See the PC-L5 Tutor User Guide for a description of these (and other) service levels.

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 PC-L5 Tutor User Guide and the PC-L5 Candidate User Guide.

1. Accredited into the National Qualifications Framework by the Qualifications & Examinations Regulator (Ofqual): accreditation number 100/5035/8.
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.

This age requirement is linked to Ofqual’s system for categorising qualifications.

Successful candidates may progress onto the CPCAB’s:

• Level 6 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling Supervision (TCSU-L6), provided they have acquired at least one year (part-time) of post PC-L5 supervised clinical experience prior to starting the TCSU-L6 course.
• Open University Foundation Degree in Counselling*

*To access the OU Foundation Degree, candidates need to have completed our Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling (TC-L4) and be working on either PC-L5 or our Level 5 Certificate in Cognitive Behavioural Therapeutic Skills and Theory (CBT-L5).

Candidates must pass both the internal and external assessment to receive the qualification.

At least two tutor-assessors must be involved in all aspects of internal candidate assessment.

See section 4 of the Information Summary for staff qualifications and experience.

Staffing and other resources must reflect the Band C Programme Weighting factor available for this qualification.

Centres can design their own training programmes*.

* 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.