Welcome

Welcome back, everyone at the start of another academic year. We hope it holds the right amount of challenges for you and many rewards as well!

At CPCAB we are celebrating 21 years of our qualifications, which have been described as “life changing’ ... it's an inspiring thought. We've seen many changes along the way, met our own fair share of challenges and are proud to count so many of you as friends.

As part of the celebrations, CPCAB staff will be spending an ‘awayday’ together next Tuesday, 30th September, so there will be no telephone support on that day. We hope you'll be able to manage without us for one day! And look forward to returning to our desks even better prepared to do our best for you all.

Changes

We're very fortunate here at CPCAB in that virtually all of our staff have been with us for many years. There can't be many organisations of our size who can rely upon so much stability and loyalty within its team. From time to time, though, job roles change to some extent and this can offer people new challenges and keep things fresh.

Some significant changes are about to take place in ‘the Lilac Room’ this weekend, after our External Verifier training day here at Head Office. From next week, Traci Postings will take on an enhanced role as Qualification Development Manager as well as Qualification Leader for all level 2 and 3 counselling qualifications including Substance misuse. She will also continue her role as Qualification leader for the Coaching qualifications.

Barry Kopp will be taking on the role of Senior Verifier, supported by Jackie Rice, and together they will run the Verification Service. Barry will also continue his role as Qualification Leader for Tailor-made Qualifications. Jackie will be playing a key role in ensuring that there is a seamless transition in the changeover period.

Levels 5 and 6 qualifications

Level 5 and 6 tutors may notice that the date for November examinations is later than usual this year. This change was introduced in response to feedback from tutors and candidates who found the time between announcement of the summer results and the re-sit dates made it difficult to produce a new case review. We hope you appreciate this small change. Please also see the item below regarding re-sits.

Re-sits

This is a gentle reminder that arrangements for re-sits must be put in place by tutors, not by candidates direct. At every assessment window we receive a number of calls from candidates: it's understandable that they can be anxious to get on with things but it does mean that we have to spend time explaining the processes to them and your co-operation would be much appreciated.

External assessment dates for 2014-15 can be found on our website. Re-sits must be booked by emailing Marina.

Counselling Skills & Studies: a new book from CPCAB published by SAGE

Exclusive 25% discount for CPCAB students and tutors - UK14AF77 at checkout on SAGE's website, www.sagepub.co.uk.

Packed full of inspirational activities and written in a supportive conversational style Counselling Skills & Studies is a book for anyone wanting to learn counselling skills or embarking on their first stage of training to become a counsellor.

Written by CPCAB authors Fiona Ballantine Dykes, Barry Kopp and Traci Postings, with an introduction by Anthony Crouch, it provides you with an ideal “way in”, showing you what counselling is all about.

The book is in three parts:

Part 1: Counselling Skills introduces students to the underpinning knowledge and practical tools needed to develop a range of helping skills for use in a variety of helping roles, showing them what it means to work safely and ethically.

Part 2: Counselling Studies helps students take their understanding further by considering in detail important theories and professional issues, preparing them for work as a professional counsellor.

Part 3: Counselling Study Skills offers practical advice, and hints and tips to help students make the best start on their counselling portfolio, including journal and essay writing skills, research skills and how to get inspired and overcome blocks to their learning.

“This book is the ultimate reference tool – like having a tutor present outside the classroom! It's the book I've been waiting for – for 20 years!”

Nigel Cooper-Fowkes
Counselling Co-ordinator, Vision West Nottinghamshire College

“This book speaks wise words, in an engaging, practical and conversational style. It provides essential information, covers all the basics with clarity, whilst also stretching readers to think more deeply and consider their own responses to questions and answers. It will be an excellent resource for all counselling learners (and their tutors) where ever they are training.”

Sally Openshaw

“Counselling Skills and Counselling Studies is written by a team from CPCAB (Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body), the largest Awarding Organisation for counselling and counselling skills courses in the UK. This book will be especially useful, if not essential for students on CPCAB courses as it clearly explains the model of counselling taught in all courses. The third section provides clear and helpful guidance to any student on the specific study skills needed in counselling courses. The question and answer format guides readers to issues they may not have thought about. The entire book is written in clear accessible language and avoids psychobabble and jargon.”

Sally Aldridge
Fellow of BACP

Please note that 'Counselling Skills and Studies', whilst helpful, is not a requirement for any candidate studying for any CPCAB qualification.

Understanding Substance Misuse CPD workshop

“Understanding Substance Misuse” is the title of a two-day CPD workshop that we'll be running over the weekend of Nov. 29th and 30th at CPCAB HQ, Somerset.

It will provide the knowledge and understanding needed for tutors to deliver the associated (CPCAB) qualification, and will also be useful for practitioners, students and anyone with an interest in the field of substance misuse.

For more information and a booking form see our website.

University of Warwick MA in Counselling and Psychotherapy

This new qualification may be of interest to tutors and Level 5 students with requisite experience: please note that CPCAB has no link with the University of Warwick so if you would like to know more, please contact them direct.

For more information read this pdf.

Feedback from tutors

As you know, we regularly seek feedback from tutors and candidates on various aspects of our service. The replies you give are extremely helpful to us in our drive to ensure continuous improvement and we are always grateful to you for taking time out of your busy lives to share your thoughts.

From time to time feedback requests prompt some thought-provoking comments. A selection of these is available here, together with CPCAB responses which we hope you will find helpful.

Humour

The tutor told the applicant that she would need to do some voluntary work as part of the course. 'Voluntary work?' she replied. 'I wouldn't do that if you paid me!'

Husband: “My wife's redecorating our house, but painting everything gold. What's going on?”
Therapist: “Hmm, looks like she has a gilt complex.”