Best wishes to all our centres

As we come to the end of an unsettled and sometimes difficult year, it’s hard to believe that a whole year has gone by since our message to you in July last year. We’ve been struggling to keep up to date with changes, actual or suggested, in regulation, funding and qualification structure to name just a few.

As always we will continue to endeavour to stay at the forefront of future developments, to increase the security of the fields of counselling and counselling training and to pass on information to you all at the first opportunity. In the meantime, we send you all best wishes for a healthy and relaxing summer with, if possible, some sunshine!

National Training Awards

Our Head of Qualifications, Fiona Ballantine Dykes, has recently been invited to be a judge on the panel for this year's National Training Awards. 'The National Training Awards aim to raise awareness and inspire others to invest in learning and development as a route to becoming world class and able to compete in today´s global economy. NTA winners are exemplars of training and development in the UK; they are committed to exceptional training that has real benefits for business, communities and individuals.' (www.nationaltrainingawards.com)

Fiona is looking forward to the experience and appreciates the opportunity to represent CPCAB on a wider stage.

Standardisation days 2008-2009

The list of dates for 2008/09 follows. A booking form is included; please make sure you use the form and let Jackie know which level of exercises you would like to attend during the day, so she can keep printing to a minimum and hopefully save a few trees!

Jackie is, as you all know, hard-working and normally patient but she's been tearing her hair out in recent weeks in the quest to find suitable venues for next year's standardisation training days. London venues have been particularly difficult to find. We're delighted to be able to say that she’s succeeded, but if any tutors out there have any suggestions for good venues we could use in the future we’d be very grateful to hear from you.

Venues should be big enough for up to 100 people to gather together, with break-out rooms for individual sessions. We should be able to make our presentations without too much noise disturbance and if the venue is able to provide a tasty lunch that would be much appreciated! Needless to say, our budget is strictly limited, but if you know of anywhere that might fit the bill, please email us on jackie@cpcab.co.uk.

Venues and dates for standardisation training 2008-09

Location	Venue	Date
Manchester	St Thomas Centre, Ardwick	Saturday 4th October 2008
Bristol	BAWA	Saturday 11th October 2008
London	The Resource Centre	Friday 24th October 2008
London	The Resource Centre	Saturday 8th November 2008
Northern Ireland	Northern Regional College - Cafe Lamont	Friday 14th November 2008
Birmingham	BVSC	Saturday 7th February 2009

Click on any of the venues above to see a google map of their location.

UKCP

We’re pleased to tell you that Jan Mojsa, our Principal Verifier, has been elected Honorary Secretary of the Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy section of UKCP. At the current time of changes, she is delighted to be more centrally involved in the section's work.

External Assessment dates for 2008-2009

Results are published during the weeks beginning on the following dates:

Qualification	Date of EA	Date of results
ELSK-L2* and LSK-L2*	01/12/08 09/03/09 08/06/09 17/08/09	26/01/09 20/04/09 06/07/09 14/09/09
ICSK-L2	01/12/08 09/03/09 08/06/09 17/08/09	26/01/09 20/04/09 06/07/09 14/09/09
CSK-L2	12/01/09 27/04/09 29/06/09	16/03/09 08/06/09 01/09/09
CSK-L3	12/01/09 29/06/09	09/02/09 01/09/09
CST-L3	26/01/09 11/05/09 29/06/09	23/03/09 15/06/09 01/09/09
TC-L4 Stage 1	06/10/08 12/01/09 11/05/09	N/A
TC-L4 Stage 2	10/11/08 02/02/09 08/06/09	12/01/09 20/04/09 01/09/09
PC-L5	24/11/08 18/05/09	15/01/09 22/06/09
CBT-L5	18/05/09	22/06/09
TCSU-L6	18/05/09	22/06/09

*Independent Verification.

Please note the following:

For candidates requiring reasonable adjustments in external assessment, please ensure that the application for reasonable adjustments form (CR3), is sent to CPCAB no later than 8 weeks prior to the external assessment. Copies of this form (with guidance notes) are available from both the CPCAB website and the Tutor CD or from marina@cpcab.co.uk.
In order to minimise workload at centres, all re-sits have now been integrated into the main external assessment dates. Simply send - to Marina Richards (mrichards@cpcab.co.uk) - the names of candidates re-sitting 8 weeks prior to the next external assessment date.
A centre may only register for an external assessment re-sit candidates who are predicted to be assessed as proficient in the internal assessment. This re-sit must take place at the next CPCAB specified external assessment date and will be charged as follows:

Qualification	Fee
ELSK-L2 and LSK-L2	£29
ICSK-L2	£29
CSK-L2 and CST-L3	£59
TC-L4	£149
CSK-L3	£89
CBT-L5	£149
PC-L5	£149
TCSU-L6	£149

Candidates who are assessed as not proficient at their re-sit are not usually recommended to undertake a second re-sit. However under certain conditions this may be considered by CPCAB.

The important thing is to put together a strong argument, backed up by solid evidence. We have learned that these points carry a lot of weight:

a record of high retention. Look back at previous registration figures, including completion and pass rates. A clear and continuing need for this training in your area is a very convincing argument;
a record of progression on to employment in a health related field. Are your former students out there in placements? Do you have figures to back you up? Stress the importance of ensuring wider participation in the community, especially in relation to promoting mental health;
the college's role in meeting the PSA (Public Sector Agreement) targets for the local LSC;
counselling - particularly the introduction to initial skills - being part of the college's 'entitlement' provision;
the contribution that these courses might make toward the acquisition of Key Skills, including 'communication', working with others' and 'self development'.
the Government’s own stated prioritizing of mental health issues . The press release here (click for link) first appeared in February 2008 and by itself creates a convincing argument. The Layard Report is easily accessed via the internet. You could also go to the NIMHE website and read the report on promoting mental health in BME communities. And the Department for Work and Pensions issued a press release on 27th November 2007 outlining the impact of mental health issues on absenteeism, together with a programme of initiatives designed to offer some support. To read the release follow this link: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/mediacentre/pressreleases/2007/nov/drc057-271107.asp.

There is also much to be gained by identifying the agencies used by your diploma students in the area and getting their WRITTEN support for the continuing provision of the full range of counselling courses.

Finally, we have heard from centres who have been able to overturn LSC decisions as a direct result of putting together a strong argument, so don’t assume that any situation is hopeless.

Counselling Training - The Way Ahead

The Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, April 2008
The skies were blue on a sunny Saturday in April when delegates, speakers and staff gathered in the beautiful surroundings of the Royal Agricultural College in Circencester for CPCA's first conference specifically for counselling trainers. The day was packed with talks and activities and included time to network with friends old and new, particularly at the end of the day when fruit juice and Pimm’s helped provide a real cocktail party atmosphere!

The morning began with keynote speaker Michael Soth, who is well respected in the field. He provided a stimulating and challenging presentation, liberally laced with humour. His talk was followed by a range of workshops, experiential and creative, covering a range of areas of interest, including creative approaches to teaching counselling, funding, working with diversity and many more.

Some of the success of the day was due to the timing of the event, coming as it did at a time of great change and uncertainty in the world of counselling and counselling training. Whether you are for or against the proposed changes in regulation, for example, the debate in the afternoon was lively and provocative; a great antidote to the inevitable slowing down we all felt after a busy morning and a generous lunch.

There was also time to share some of CPCAB’s new developments with delegates, particularly the world’s first internet TV channel specifically devoted to counselling. The Counselling Channel, which will officially go 'live' in October this year, includes a video of highlights of the conference - to view this and other features log on to www.counsellingchannel.tv.

Our thanks go to all of you who attended. It was wonderful to meet you and spend time with you. Your feedback at the end of the day was particularly valuable and will help us to plan future events. We hope you all went home feeling that you’d gained something from the day and look forward to seeing you again before too long.

"Very nice to see you on Saturday – an excellent conference and a real tribute to CPCAB's position in the field" (quote from delegate)

CPCAB's conference team

"It was good to meet you!"

L to R (standing): Dr Anthony Crouch, Gill Baker, Fiona Ballantine Dykes, Traci Postings, Vic Rigby, Maureen Moore, Marina Richards, Steve Spraggon, Trudy Berry, Clare Bewley, Jackie Collier, Guna Powell, Mary Priest-Cobern, Tim Knock
(kneeling) Niall O'Loingsigh, Steve Johnson (Howden Insurance, official sponsor)

Counselling tutors needed - urgent message

Bournemouth & Poole College seek to appoint an experienced counselling tutor with effect from September 2008. Salary within the range of £19,588 to £31,287. Closing date for applications is Friday, 8th August 2008.

If you are a tutor with experience of CPCAB qualifications and qualified to teach up to level 4, please contact the HR department without delay on 01202 205202 (24 hours) for an application form, or email jobs@thecollege.co.uk. Further details are available on the college website www.thecollege.co.uk/jobs

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