The National Counselling Society is a not for profit organisation whose primary role is the advancement of counselling and a part of this role is the support and encouragement of all our training providers.
We believe that achieving recognition of your courses is essential, as it gives confirmation of your professional standing to both your peers and your students and gives your organisation a voice in the future of our profession.
We accredit courses that meet our Training Standards and provide core practitioner training in counselling and/or psychotherapy, equipping graduates to work with adult clients who present with a range of commonly encountered issues. This training would primarily be based on face-to-face/in-the-room training. As of 1st September 2021, following consultation with our professional colleagues, training providers and other awarding bodies, a blended approach to learning may be offered. Should training for accredited courses adopt a blended learning approach, we will require a minimum of 70% face-to-face/in-the-room tuition with up to 30% being permissible via online synchronous delivery. Asynchronous online tuition and/or distance learning is not permissible for accredited training recognition.
This version of our training standards is in effect for all courses commencing on or after 1 September 2021. For students and graduates applying for membership or registration from courses which commenced before this date, the standards under which you would be assessed for membership or registration may vary from those published on this website.
We also recognise other courses and can offer Quality Checked recognition for individual workshops, shorter foundation courses or distance learning courses or Advanced Specialist training recognition for courses that are intended to support qualified counselling practitioners to develop their knowledge and training in specialised areas of work.
Please note, a training provider member or training provider applicant may have their membership or application declined/revoked if their general conduct and behaviour (e.g. aggressive verbal communication) when dealing with the Society, their peers, or other service providers is judged to be indicative of unsuitability for service provision in line with the Society ethos.
Training Provider - Course Recognition Applications
Accredited Training Courses
For those training courses that have fully demonstrated to the Society high standards of course content and delivery, and are considered to develop students who are safe, competent and ethical to practice. You must demonstrate a commitment to the NCS Code of Ethics. Accredited recognition is granted for a period of 5 years (subject to annual renewal).
Routes to Course Accreditation
- You offer an in-depth course of counselling training and can demonstrate that the course meets our Training Standards
- You have completed the full application process (details below):
Applying for Course Accreditation
Successful completion of an NCS Accredited course is one of the Routes to becoming an Accredited Member and to being accepted on to the Society's Register.
As course accreditation can provide a route onto the Society's Accredited Register, applicants should be aware that this is a robust process which can take some months to complete.
Applicants for course accreditation will be training providers. Awarding bodies or professional organisations who wish to have their qualifications or members considered for NCS Recognition are welcome to contact the Society for an initial discussion.
The NCS approach to course accreditation is to adopt an easy to understand process for training providers which commences with an informal or initial conversation of how the course may or may not meet the Society's assessment criteria. This initial conversation enables trainers to determine which level of Society course recognition to apply for and decide whether elements of the course would need improvement to meet Society standards.
Subsequent to this initial enquiry, should the preliminary indication provide that a course may be suitable for accreditation, the formal process begins with a request for documentation and the formal assessment commences.
The NCS values the qualitative and subjective in counselling training alongside the quantified tests employed against the appropriate sets of standards. The overall determination for accreditation shall be whether or not the course under review will graduate counsellors who are safe, competent and ethical to practice.
In devising its Standards, the Society has consulted:
The Procedure
We advise all potential applicants for accreditation, of courses to first have an informal discussion with the Society in order to assist your application and help you through the process. In addition to the training standards criteria, the course will normally need to have been successfully completed by at least one cohort of students.
Following an informal discussion, training providers should complete and return the documents below:
- Complete in full Accreditation Application Form. You should, using this document as a guide, clearly signpost with specific page number(s) and document references the places where your course meets the Society's Training Standards. Writing "see attached documents" or similar will delay your application.
- Accredited training Terms and Conditions
- Direct Debit Mandate
Please send the above documents to the Society, by electronic transfer, with all requested materials and supporting evidence. All documents submitted must be page numbered, clearly labelled and submitted in lesson/module order.
Assessment will commence following receipt of payment and ALL requested evidence and documentation as per the application form.
If you are unable to submit your application electronically please contact us for assistance – standards@nationalcounsellingsociety.org.
The Process
The Society will review the materials sent to support your application and if necessary, will revert to you with any issues that need clarification or further consideration. If, after the document and application review, the Society believes your course to be suitable for accreditation, a site visit will be arranged.
At the site visit the Society will go through relevant questions related to our standards in more depth and will take the opportunity to meet with staff and possibly with students.
After the site visit our Professional Standards Committee will hold an Accreditation Panel meeting to make a decision on course accreditation. The committee may take the following action:
- Accredit the course with no further requirements
- Impose conditions before accreditation can be accepted
- Accredit the course with Action Points (steps the course provider must take within a reasonable time)
- Accredit the course with Learning Points ( steps the course provider is advised to take )
Accreditation
Following the panel's decision, and the fulfilment of any conditions, your course will be accredited and you will be formally notified. Accreditation is subject to the course meeting all criteria and is renewed on a yearly basis. The Society may make further site visits and take other reasonable measures to ensure that the standards of accreditation continue to be met.
One important condition for this process is worth mentioning to all applicants: it is important that students and potential students are not misinformed about the accreditation process or given to understand (e.g. through promotional material) that the course is likely to be accredited or will be accredited by the Society. Accreditation should only be communicated after the decision of the Professional Standards Committee.
Fee
- £450 annually per course. In addition, a one-off assessment fee of £450 will be applied for the first payment. Please note, the assessment fee is non-refundable.
Other levels of NCS recognition for courses
For those courses which do not fully meet the requirements to become an accredited course the Society offers the opportunity to have the course Quality Checked or to have Advanced Specialist Training recognition. Further details for these levels of recognition are listed below.
We advise all potential applicants for Advanced Specialist or Quality Checked training recognition of courses to first have an informal discussion with the Society in order to assist your application and help you through the process.
Quality Checked
This can be considered for individual workshops, shorter foundation courses, CPD or distance learning courses.
You must demonstrate a commitment to the NCS Code of Ethics.
For new Training Provider applications we require that courses submitted for Quality Checked recognition to have been successfully completed by at least one cohort of students. Participant feedback may be requested as part of the application process.
It must be made clear in all course materials and on course promotions (including any social media, websites etc..) that the completion of an NCS Quality Checked course alone is not a route to the Accredited Register nor does it fully equip a graduate to practice as a qualified counsellor.
Fees
- Up to 1 Day Face to Face: £100 annually per course. In addition, a one-off assessment fee of £100 will be applied.
- Between 1 Day and 50 Face to Face Hours: £150 annually per course. In addition, a one-off assessment fee of £150 will be applied.
- More than 50 Face to Face Hours: £250 annually per course. In addition, a one-off assessment fee of £250 will be applied.
Please note: assessment fees are non-refundable
If you are intending to offer your course as both an Online (synchronous) and an 'In-the-room' Training course - providing the course content and assessments are exactly the same for both only one application form need be provided. If course content/assessment process is different then each course would need to be assessed and recognised individually.
Please complete and return the NCS QC Application Form or the QC ONLINE Application Form, Quality Checked Terms and Conditions and the Direct Debit Mandate.
Please send the above documents to the Society, by electronic transfer, with all requested materials and supporting evidence. All documents submitted must be page numbered, clearly labelled and submitted in lesson/module order.
Assessment will commence following receipt of payment and ALL requested evidence and documentation as per the application form.
If you are unable to submit your application electronically please contact us for assistance – standards@nationalcounsellingsociety.org.
Advanced Specialist Training status
Specialist courses aimed at practitioners who already have a substantial amount of training/qualification may be suitable for Advanced Specialist training recognition. You must demonstrate a commitment to the NCS Code of Ethics.
The general criteria for this category is listed below:
- An Advanced Specialist course is intended for qualified and registered counsellors/psychotherapists.
- The course will be recognized by the NCS as suitable for established practitioners with a solid grounding in clinical skills and theoretical knowledge.
- The course will offer extensive support to practitioners in developing a specialist area of work, for example working with Children and Young People or Counselling Supervision.
- It will normally contain at least 50 hours of live training in-the-room or via synchronous online learning.
- It will include formal assessments which are acceptable to the Society. Examples of such can include but are not limited to: essays; case studies; examination; presentations; supervised client hours etc.
- It will normally need to have been successfully completed by at least one cohort of students.
- Providers who must make it clear, in publicity and on qualifications, that the course itself does not provide a route to registration. That requires a detailed individual application.
Fee
- £250.00 annually per course. In addition, a one-off assessment fee of £250 will be applied.
Please note, the assessment fee is non-refundable.
Please complete and return the Advanced Specialist Training Application Form, Advanced Specialist Terms and Conditions and the Direct Debit Mandate
Please send the above documents to the Society, byelectronic transfer, with all requested materials and supporting evidence. All documents submitted must be page numbered, clearly labelled and submitted in lesson/module order.
Assessment will commence following receipt of payment and ALL requested evidence and documentation as per the application form.
If you are unable to submit your application electronically please contact us for assistance – standards@nationalcounsellingsociety.org.
Advanced Specialist Training status - Working with Children and Young People (CYP)
CYP specialist training courses are aimed at qualified and registered practitioners who wish to advance their learning and experience to work with CYP. Successful completion of this training can lead to an application for the Society’s CYPT Accredited register.
Specific criterion for this category of training recognition can be found in the CYPT training standards. General criteria for this level of training recognition is listed below:
- An Advanced Specialist course is intended for qualified and registered counsellors/psychotherapists.
- The course will be recognised by the NCS as suitable for established practitioners with a solid grounding in clinical skills and theoretical knowledge.
- The course will offer extensive support to practitioners in developing a specialist knowledge in order to work with CYP.
- It will normally contain at least 50 hours of live training 'in-the-room' or via a blended approach with synchronous online learning.
- It will contain a supervised placement of at least 50 hours working with CYP.
- It will include formal assessments which are acceptable to the Society. Examples of such can include, but are not limited to: essays; case studies; examination; presentations; supervised client hours etc.
- For application, the course will normally need to have been successfully completed by at least one cohort of students.
Please also refer to the Good Practice Guidance for working with CYP to support your application.
Fee
- £250.00 annually per course. In addition, an assessment fee of £250 will be applicable per application.
Please note, the assessment fee is non-refundable.
Please complete and return the following: CYPT training course Application form, Advanced Specialist course Terms and Conditions, and the Direct Debit mandate
Please send the above documents to the Society, by electronic transfer, with all requested materials and supporting evidence. All documents submitted must be page numbered, clearly labelled and submitted in lesson/module order.
Assessment will commence following receipt of payment and ALL requested evidence and documentation as per the application form. If you are unable to submit your application electronically please contact us for assistance – standards@nationalcounsellingsociety.org.
All training providers must demonstrate a commitment to the NCS Code of Ethics.
Tutor Criteria
Qualifications
Tutors and course assessment staff are expected to have qualification levels of at least equal to, or higher than, the level of course being taught and assessed and should be able to demonstrate competency to deliver and/or assess all elements of the course. The same expectation applies to any specialisms taught.
It is desirable that tutors have obtained some form of teaching, coaching and/or mentoring qualification
Practical Experience
Tutors on any counselling course are normally expected to have some practical experience in the field of counselling. Tutors on introduction courses or courses at, or equal to, Ofqual Level 2 and Level 3, who do not have experience in the field of counselling will need to evidence how they have familiarity of the practical application of the subject matter being taught.
Tutors teaching on courses of Ofqual Level 4 and above (or courses that are equivalent to Ofqual level 4 and above), are expected to have at least three years professional counselling experience post qualification. It is also desirable that tutors on such courses have previously obtained some form of teaching, coaching and/or mentoring experience before becoming tutors on such courses.
Tutors on courses that focus on specialisms (i.e. Working with Children and Young People; Supervision etc.) are expected to have significant experience in the specialist field being taught.
The training provider needs to be able to demonstrate the suitability of every staff member employed to provide training and/or assessment services should the Society request this.
Evidence
Evidence of appropriate qualifications and practical experience would need to be included on staff CVs.
Last updated 05./05/2022
Next review date 05/05/2023