The new CPCAB Level 5 Diploma in Counselling Children and Young People

CPCAB are delighted to offer our new Level 5 Diploma in Counselling Children and Young People (aged 11-18) from September 2021.

To register your interest and find out more including how to apply, please provide your contact details below. Andy Thorne or Terry Senior, Counselling Qualifications Professionals, will be in contact to give you more information and to support your application.

Why a new CPCAB Level 5 Diploma in Counselling Children and Young People?

As part of our commitment to developing competent counsellors in a changing and demanding professional landscape, CPCAB has acknowledged the development of competency frameworks for working with this age group, by BACP and NCPS.

In addition, over the last few years, CPCAB has noticed an increase in the number of centres seeking a Tailor Made qualification in this area because there are very few other qualifications available.

Thus a new regulated Level 5 qualification has been born!

What are the benefits?

The CPCAB Level 5 Diploma in Counselling Children and Young People offers many benefits for both centres and candidates.

Benefits for centres:

  • Provide a qualification which meets the needs of counsellors working with young people in the community eg schools, colleges, specialist agencies
  • Offers an alternative Level 5 qualification to PC-L5 and CBT-L5
  • Follow the familiar assessment structure (internal and external) of the existing Level 5’s
  • Use the current straightforward application and approval process from CPCAB
  • Enable candidates to meet professional association requirements for working with this age range
  • Gain CPCAB staff and external verifier support

Benefits for candidates:

  • Another robust Level 5 qualification, as an alternative to PCL5 or CBTL5
  • A regulated qualification specifically designed for counsellors wishing to work with children and young people
  • Acknowledgement and a formal qualification for those already working with children and young people but without specialist training
  • An entry into a range of job and career opportunities – such as school or college counsellor, specialist agency counsellor, an ‘adult’ counsellor working independently wishing to include this age range in their practice
How do I know if I my centre can run this new qualification?

Existing centres wishing to run this new Level 5 Diploma must seek approval from CPCAB in the usual way by completing an application (see our website for the generic form), supplying tutor CVs, a candidate handbook and a scheme of work. New centres will in addition need to provide evidence of processes such as a complaints procedure and internal moderation and verification processes.

You will need two tutor-assessors, who must both hold the knowledge and experience requirements set out in the CPCAB specification.

Further information

This qualification is for qualified counsellors who have completed CPCAB’s Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling (TCL4) or equivalent and wish to work with, or further their work with, CYP aged 11-18.

Candidates will be required to undertake a minimum of 60 hours of formally contracted one to one counselling with CYP of this age range, with appropriate supervision to meet professional association requirements, and 20 hours of personal counselling.

Internal assessment follows the usual Level 5 CPCAB structure – ie candidate portfolio of evidence to meet criteria and the minimum assessment requirements. External assessment is a case review of between 3000 and 3500 words.

For further questions, more information or an informal discussion please contact andrew@cpcab.co.uk or terry@cpcab.co.uk.

What’s next?

To register your interest and find out more including how to apply, please provide your contact details below: