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Student UpdateApr 2016 No. 29

Welcome to our April edition of Student Update. It's a glorious time of year, isn't it? It's all about firsts ... first time of leaving work in daylight, first time of going out without a coat, walking the dog without wellies ... and many more.

We hope you are all enjoying the spring time and looking forward to the summer months to come. It won't be long!

Open University Foundation Degree in Counselling

This is just a note to remind you that when you have completed TC-L4 (Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling) you have already completed half - 120 credits - of the OU Foundation Degree. Candidates can go on to take either of the CPCAB level 5 qualifications (worth 30 credits) or can opt to complete all the final 120 credits directly with the OU choosing distance learning modules. For more information see the Foundation Degree page on our website.

Specifications for CPCAB qualifications

If you've been a CPCAB candidate for some time, you will be familiar with the Qualification Document for each qualification, downloadable from the website. For 2016-17 these will be re-titled 'Specifications' and it's not just on a whim - it's to fit in with the terminology used by national agencies including Ofqual, Skills for Health and the Skills Funding Agency. The information you have always looked for in the Qualification Document is still there in a recognisable form and will include extra features such as TQT figures, statement of purpose and funding statement. We hope this is helpful.

Guide to funding

The funding landscape is changing for 2016-17, with some good news and some not so good.

For example, CSK-L2 will no longer meet the criteria for funding entitlement as a 'full' level 2 qualification - which has to be a minimum of 150 GLH - but on the other hand, all of our level 2 qualifications will be eligible for funding under the new 'local flexibilities' scheme. As the name implies, for these qualifications the position will vary from one area to the next; for the first year at least the allocations will be handled by the Skills Funding Agency before they are devolved to the different areas and managed according to local need.

From 16th May 2016, learners aged 19 and over will be able to apply to the Skills Funding Agency for Advanced Learner Loans for CPCAB qualifications from levels 3 to 6. This is the other good news: loans eligibility has been extended to level 6 (during 2015-16, only levels 3 and 4 were eligible).

This means that for 2016 all CPCAB qualifications will be eligible for some sort of funding in England – either local flexibility or 19+ loans. For further information see our guides to funding which are updated periodically as new information arrives.

School-based counselling

A research project into school-based counselling is looking to find 20 English secondary schools that do NOT currently have an established counselling provision for their pupils. Eligible schools will receive a high-quality professional counselling service at no cost to the school for two years. Interested schools should email peter.pearce@metanoia.ac.uk.

Free seminars

“Couple and sexual relationships in the 21st century: New challenges for partners and practitioners.”
Location: Open University campus, Camden, London. Time: 6:30-8pm

Topics:

Counselling Skills and Studies book

We're delighted to hear from Sage Publications that “Counselling Skills and Studies” - a book co-authored by our very own Traci Postings, Fiona Ballantine Dykes and Barry Kopp (with an introduction from Anthony Crouch) - is one of their bestselling titles with nearly 3,700 copies sold so far.

Counselling in Secondary Schools lecture video

Here's an informative and interesting lecture by Prof. Mick Cooper. It's called “Counselling in UK Secondary Schools: What we know, what we're doing, what we need to find out”.

Inaugural Lecture by Mick Cooper from Roehampton Media Services on Vimeo.

Providing services for transgender customers

CPCAB takes a proactive stance in terms of avoiding discrimination and seeks to follow not just the word but also the spirit of equal opportunities legislation.

We have recently become aware of a useful guidance document provided by the Government Equalities Office and you may find it worth reading if you haven't done so already. It's in very user-friendly English.

CPCAB's social media family

We are delighted to let you know that our combined social network now includes 9,000 'YouTweetFacers', having added 1,000 in the last 5 months. This is a combination of:

Humour

Therapist: “What seems to be the problem?”

Client: “Well, I, um ... I think I ... I might be a nymphomaniac.”

Therapist: “I see. Well, I'm sure I can help you. If you'd like to work with me, my fee is £50 an hour.”

Client: “That's not bad at all. How much for all night?”