Jan 2012 No. 37

In this Update

Humour

The Good Samaritan (updated)
A poor man, victim of a violent mugging, lay broken and battered on the pavement. First to come along was a well-dressed businessman. He saw the victim, looked away and crossed to the other side

Next was an elderly lady. She stared at the prone figure for a while, then shook her head and crossed to the other side.

Finally a counsellor came by. He didn’t cross to the other side. Instead he examined the bleeding man closely. His expression was sorrowful. Eventually he said, sadly … ‘Whoever did this … really needs help …’

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Important! Please read this update on the funding situation

The Skills Funding Agency (SFA) – now an Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) - has been consulting on changes to public funding policy. An announcement detailing these changes is expected in early February.

Our understanding is that the SFA’s intention is to ‘open up’ more of the QCF to be eligible for public funding/ FE loans based on government priorities and individual entitlement. This will be a move away from only funding a limited number of qualifications that meet very strict parameters. While CPCAB cannot give any definite undertaking about how these changes will affect our qualifications at this stage, we are very optimistic that this will mean that our key qualifications will go on ‘the list’ and will appear on LARA.

Some centres have been confused in thinking that because our qualifications are not on LARA they are not on the QCF. This is not the case. All CPCAB qualifications are on the QCF and have been since 2010. However, being on LARA will make it easier for those CPCAB candidates that are eligible to compete for the limited funding that is available and potentially for FE loans too.

We will keep you posted but in the meantime we STRONGLY urge you to hold off making any decision about changing provision until the new funding regime has been published.

The service we offer is unique and specialist. Our qualifications are the only regulated qualifications on the QCF that are underpinned by a practitioner model that reflects the latest common factors research on what makes counselling effective.

Please do not hesitate to contact CPCAB if you have any questions.

A time of change …

As Update ‘goes to press’ the sun is shining and there are clear signs of spring on the way. We hope you enjoyed your festive season and your year has started well.

At CPCAB the year ended on a bittersweet note when we said farewell not only to Maureen Moore (who wrote about her forthcoming retirement in September’s Update), but also to Jan Mojsa, our Principal Verifier, who has left us to concentrate on other areas of her life. Jan became part of CPCAB in its very early days and has been an inspiration to us all. Those of you who have spent any time at all with Jan will know that as well as a powerful spiritual core, she also has an outrageous sense of humour. Jan is one of those rare characters who could reduce us all to helpless laughter just by assuming a pose - she will be tremendously missed. She will be concentrating on completing her work for her PhD, keeping up her private practice and travelling the world both for pleasure and as part of her counselling research. Wherever she travels though, she will always be in our hearts.

Of course life must go on, and the loss of these two key members of staff came at a time when the new General Conditions of Regulation were making us shift our focus in subtle ways. It was a good time, therefore, for a few changes …

Understanding Substance Misuse (USM-L2) - tutor workshop

Places are still available in the USM-L2 tutor’s workshop in Ballymena, N.Ireland on the 29th/30th March. The cost for the two days is £100 per delegate, which includes lunch and refreshments (though not overnight accommodation). If you’re interested please email Jackie Collier for further information or download the booking form here.

Tutor CVs and admin contacts

A gentle reminder to all tutors that it’s important to keep your contact details up to date, not least so we can send you important updates, such as the funding announcement at the top of this newsletter. An admin contacts form (CR4) is included with your tutor CDs, in the admin section, or downloadable from the CPCAB website here. It’s also vital to keep your CV up to date - a tutor CV template is also downloadable from www.cpcab.co.uk/downloads/docs/tutor_cv_proforma.doc or email jackie@cpcab.co.uk and she will be happy to send you a copy. Many thanks.

Counselling studies: The benefits of training – an informational slideshow

We have created a ‘slideshow’ presentation (in PowerPoint format) about counselling studies and the associated CPCAB qualification (Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Studies). The presentation can be downloaded from here and includes three short videos. It aims to help prospective students:

To help boost your centre’s student recruitment, you might make use of the slideshow in any of the following ways:

External assessment dates 2012-2013

Qualification Date of EA Date of results
ELSK-L2*,
LSK-L2* and USM-L2*
19/11/2012
04/03/2013
10/06/2013
12/08/2013
21/01/2013
15/04/2013
01/07/2013
09/09/2013
ICSK-L2
Date when CPCAB needs to receive CRC lists.
19/11/2012
04/03/2013
10/06/2013
12/08/2013
21/01/2013
15/04/2013
01/07/2013
09/09/2013
CSK-L2 14/01/2013
22/04/2013
08/07/2013
18/02/2013
03/06/2013
02/09/2013
CST-L3 28/01/2013
29/04/2013
08/07/2013
04/03/2013
10/06/2013
02/09/2013
TC-L4 Stage 1 Role play/audio recording:
01/10/2012 - 19/10/2012
07/01/2013 - 25/01/2013
29/04/2013 - 17/05/2013
N/A
TC-L4 Stage 2 Review papers:
22/10/2012
28/01/2013
20/05/2013

07/01/2013
25/03/2013
02/09/2013
PC-L5 08/10/2012
24/06/2013
10/12/2012
02/09/2013
CBT-L5 08/10/2012
24/06/2013
10/12/2012
02/09/2013
TCSU-L6 08/10/2012
24/06/2013
10/12/2012
02/09/2013

*Independent Verification.

CPCAB’s internet presence: how does it benefit training centres?

Currently we maintain and/or sponsor:

Near future

In the near future we plan to extend our online provision. For example:

Longer term

In the longer term we aim to establish an online ‘Counselling Learning Zone’ – containing a wide variety of tools to assist with both course delivery and learning, together with a large number of informational ‘items’ in digital format (video, audio, written, pictorial etc).

New fees from September 2012

Our new fee structure – which is effective from 1st September 2012 – is set out below:

Qualification Initial qualification
approval fee
Candidate
registration fee
Re-sit fee Appeals1
ELSK-L2 £99 £46 N/A N/A
LSK-L2 £99 £46 N/A N/A
USM-L2 £99 £46 N/A N/A
ICSK-L2 £129 £46 N/A N/A
CSK-L2 £159 £134 £84 £134
CST-L3 £159 £134 £84 £134
TC-L4 £249 Year 1: £249
Year 2: £249
£189 £249
PC-L5 £249 £249 £189 £249
CBT-L5 £249 £249 £189 £249
TCSU-L6 £249 £249 £189 £249

There are no additional group, external assessment and verification, certification or external assessment feedback fees. As part of the centre recognition process for all new centres there is a mandatory induction visit for which expenses only are charged. Candidate registration fees above apply to the UK only. For overseas charges please contact CPCAB. Additional fees will be charged for the following:

Victor Rigby
Head of Business and Development
January 2012

Regulation update

The government is opposed to the statutory regulation of counselling and psychotherapy and has abandoned plans to regulate the profession via the HPC (Health Professions Council). However they are keen on voluntary registration and have charged CHRE (Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence) with developing a system for achieving this.

The CHRE will be re-named the Professional Standards Authority (for Health and Social Care) and is in the process of agreeing standards for organisations wishing to establish Assured Voluntary Registers (AVRs). CHRE will pilot their quality assurance scheme this year with a view to launching it more widely in November 2012.

Although this is not a statutory system it is almost certain that practitioners will need to be on an AVR to work in the public sector. There is no limit on the number of AVRs that might be approved and is it clear that there will be several in our field.

CPCAB has attended the CHRE workshops as an interested party and is exploring the possibility of either becoming a register holder ourselves or entering into a partnership to establish a register. Our aim would be to provide a clear, direct and inexpensive route for candidates with CPCAB qualifications to join an AVR. We will keep you updated on developments.

Somerset scenes

As well as being CPCAB's Graphic Designer and IT Co-ordinator, Steve Spraggon is also a landscape photographer with a wonderful collection of pictures of Somerset and the south west. Visit Steve’s website www.spraggonphotography.co.uk to see his photos of the atmospheric Somerset Levels in which the CPCAB offices are located. You'll soon see why we love working in this quiet but beautiful part of the world!