Accredited Course Recognition
Courses that provide core practitioner training in counselling & psychotherapy, equipping graduates to work with adult clients who present with a range of commonly encountered issues.
Accredited Plus
Courses must meet our Standards of Training and Education that include SCoPEd Column A and B competencies.
Successful graduates will be able to apply to join our Accredited Register. Accredited Plus courses are also a route to Accredited Professional Registrant membership once all other remaining criteria for this membership has been met.
Advanced Professional Course Recognition
Training courses aimed at qualified counsellors & psychotherapists who wish to enhance their theoretical knowledge and clinical skills.
Advanced Specialist Course Recognition
Course aimed at qualified counsellors & psychotherapists who wish to advance their learning and experience in particular fields of work.
Quality Checked Course Recognition
This type of course recognition can be considered for individual workshops, shorter foundation courses or CPD.
Quality Checked Online or Distance Learning Course Recognition
Courses that are synchronous online or via distance learning. This can be considered for individual workshops, shorter foundation courses or CPD.
Course recognition requirements
As holders of a Register accredited by the Professional Standards Authority, we have a duty to ensure that those training courses which offer a route to registration are fit for purpose. We therefore keep our Training Standards for Accredited courses under review. Standards of entry to the Register are benchmarked against Ofqual levels or their equivalents.
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.
The NCPS values both qualitative and subjective aspects of counselling training, in addition to quantified tests based on appropriate standards. By considering both qualitative and quantitative aspects, the NCPS aims to ensure that the accredited courses provide a comprehensive and well-rounded education for future counsellors. This approach supports the development of ethical and proficient professionals in the field of counselling.
The overall determination for accreditation shall be whether the course under review will graduate counsellors who are safe, competent and ethical to practise.
- Safe - graduates can conduct counselling without causing harm to their clients
- Competent - graduates have the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively support their clients
- Ethical - graduates adhere to professional and ethical guidelines in their practice.
Counsellors trained in these programmes meet the requirements to provide effective and ethical counselling services.
Successful completion of an NCPS Accredited course is one of the routes to being accepted onto the Society's Register and becoming an Accredited Registrant Member.
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.
1. If you wish to submit your course for assessment then we welcome you to contact us via standards@ncps.com to arrange an initial, informal discussion. This initial conversation will enable us to determine if the course would meet the Society’s training standards and therefore an application could be submitted.
2. Following the informal discussion, training providers should follow instructions in the 'How to Apply for Course Recognition' section below.
3. Assessment will commence following receipt of all documentation and full payment.
If you are unable to submit your application electronically, please contact us for assistance at standards@ncps.com
4. 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 students and observe teaching and experiential work.
5. After the site visit our Professional Standards Committee will hold an Accreditation Panel meeting to decide 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).
6. 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 yearly. The Society may make further site visits and take other reasonable measures to ensure that the standards of accreditation continue to be met.
Fees
- £450 annually per course. In addition, a one-off assessment fee of £450 will be applied for the first payment.
Please note: assessment fees are non-refundable.
Accredited course recognition is subject to a re-accreditation assessment every 5 years. A nominal fee is applied to support the assessment work that is required for this.
Accredited Plus training recognition is offered to courses that meet the relevant Training Standards providing core practitioner training for counselling and/or psychotherapy and demonstrate teaching that supports the competencies for SCoPEd Column A and B. These courses equip graduates to work with adult clients presenting with a broad range of commonly-encountered issues.
The NCPS values both qualitative and subjective aspects of counselling training, in addition to quantified tests based on appropriate standards. By considering both qualitative and quantitative aspects, the NCPS aims to ensure that the accredited courses provide a comprehensive and well-rounded education for future counsellors. This approach supports the development of ethical and proficient professionals in the field of counselling.
The overall determination for accreditation shall be whether the course under review will graduate counsellors who are safe, competent and ethical to practise.
- Safe - graduates can conduct counselling without causing harm to their clients
- Competent - graduates have the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively support their clients
- Ethical - graduates adhere to professional and ethical guidelines in their practice.
Counsellors trained in these programmes meet the requirements to provide effective and ethical counselling services.
Successful completion of an NCPS Accredited Plus course is one of the routes to being accepted onto the Society's Register and becoming an Accredited Registrant Member. Accredited Plus courses are also a route to Accredited Professional Registrant membership once all other remaining criteria for this membership have been met.
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.
1. If you wish to submit your course for assessment then we welcome you to contact us via standards@ncps.com to arrange an initial, informal discussion. This initial conversation will enable us to determine if the course would meet the Society’s training standards and therefore an application could be submitted.
2. Following the informal discussion, training providers should then follow instructions in the 'How to Apply for Course Recognition' section below.
3. Assessment will commence following receipt of all documentation and full payment.
If you are unable to submit your application electronically, please contact us for assistance at standards@ncps.com
4. 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 Accredited Plus training recognition, 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 students and observe teaching and experiential work.
5. After the site visit our Professional Standards Committee will hold an Accreditation Panel meeting to decide 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).
6. Following the panel's decision and the fulfilment of any conditions, your course will be offered Accredited Plus recognition, and you will be formally notified. Accredited Plus course recognition is subject to the course meeting all criteria and is renewed yearly. The Society may make further site visits and take other reasonable measures to ensure that the standards of course recognition continue to be met.
Fees
- £550 annually per course. In addition, a one-off assessment fee of £550 will be applied for the first payment.
Please note: assessment fees are non-refundable.
Accredited Plus course recognition is subject to a re-accreditation assessment every 5 years. A nominal fee is applied to support the assessment work that is required for this.
Advanced Professional training courses are aimed at qualified practitioners, registered as Accredited Registrants MNCPS (Acc.) or equivalent, who wish to enhance their theoretical knowledge and clinical skills in order to evidence criteria required for Accredited Professional Registrant PNCPS (Acc). membership.
These post-qualifying courses must meet our Training Standards to enable trainees to evidence the competencies and guided learning/tutor contact hours required for this grade, which is mapped to SCoPEd column B.
Fees
- £250 annually per course. In addition, a one-off assessment fee of £250 will be applied for the first payment.
Please note: assessment fees are non-refundable.
Advanced Specialist training courses are aimed at qualified and registered practitioners who wish to advance their learning and experience in particular fields of work.
The general criteria for this category recognition are listed below:
- The course will offer extensive support to practitioners in developing a specialist area of work by providing a solid grounding in clinical skills and theoretical knowledge for the specialism. For example, a course that focuses on working with Children and Young People, Relationship Therapy or Counselling Supervision
- It will normally contain at least 50 hours of live training in the room or a blend of such with synchronous online learning. Distance learning courses are not accepted
- It will include formal (summative) assessments, which are acceptable to the NCPS. Examples of such can include, but are not limited to, essays, case studies, examinations, presentations, supervised client hours etc
- It will normally need to have been completed by at least one cohort of students
- The course will be delivered by qualified practitioners who have significant experience in the specialist field being taught
- Providers must make it clear, in the publicity and on qualifications, that courses with Advanced Specialist recognition do not provide a route to the NCPS Accredited Register.
Training Providers must demonstrate a commitment to the NCPS Code of Ethics to support course recognition.
Fees
- £250 annually per course. In addition, a one-off assessment fee of £250 will be applied.
Please note: assessment fees are non-refundable.
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. This type of course recognition can be considered for individual workshops, shorter foundation courses or CPD.
To apply for Quality Checked course recognition the course must have been completed by at least one cohort of students (*participant feedback may be required as part of the application process).
It must be made clear in all course materials and on course promotions (including any social media, website etc) that the completion of an NCPS Quality Checked course alone is not a route to the Accredited Register nor does it fully equip a participant/graduate to practise as a qualified counsellor.
Training Providers must demonstrate a commitment to the NCPS Code of Ethics to support course recognition.
Fees
- Up to 1 Day: £100 annually per course. In addition, a one-off assessment fee of £100 will be applied
- Between 1 Day and 50 hours: £150 annually per course. In addition, a one-off assessment fee of £150 will be applied
- More than 50 hours: £250 annually per course. In addition, a one-off assessment fee of £250 will be applied
- Distance learning: £150 annually per course. In addition, a one-off assessment fee of £150 will be applied.
Please note: assessment fees are non-refundable.
Recognised Qualification Scheme
CPCAB Qualifications Awarded NCPS Recognised Qualification Status
The Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body (CPCAB) is proud to announce that key counselling qualifications have been officially awarded Recognised Qualification status by the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS). This is a major endorsement that underscores the quality, credibility and professional value of CPCAB's qualifications.
This recognition applies to the CPCAB Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills (CSK-L2), Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Studies (CST-L3), and Level 3 Certificate in Applied Counselling Studies (CAST-L3), confirming these qualifications as industry-aligned and meeting professional training standards. Additionally, the CPCAB Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling (TC-L4) has achieved NCPS Recognised Professional Qualification status, signifying the highest standard of professional training and offering graduates a streamlined pathway to NCPS Accredited Registrant Membership.
A Commitment to Excellence in Counselling Training
This recognition is part of CPCAB and NCPS’s ongoing commitment to raising the standards of counselling education and ensuring that trainees receive qualifications that hold real value in the profession. By achieving this milestone, CPCAB qualifications continue to offer learners a trusted, high-quality training route into counselling practice.
Strengthening the Future of Counselling
This latest recognition reinforces the strong partnership between CPCAB and NCPS, reflecting their shared dedication to high-quality counselling training and the professionalisation of the sector.
“We are proud to be working with NCPS to show the continued value and relevance of the CPCAB counselling training progression pathway. Alongside NCPS we are committed to ensuring that trainee counsellors receive the best possible training and professional opportunities,” added Kelly Budd, CPSO of CPCAB. “This recognition gives learners and training providers confidence in the quality of CPCAB qualifications and affirms the importance of live-taught relational training in equipping learners with the ability to work safely and effectively with clients.”
Kate Mahoney, Head of Training Services and Professional Standards at NCPS added: “We are thrilled to launch this new recognition scheme with CPCAB. Working together strengthens our shared commitment to excellence in education and training to support high-quality counselling and psychotherapy training at all stages of students’ journey towards becoming qualified practitioners. We look forward to communicating with CPCAB centres to explain the benefits of NCPS accredited training recognition.”
About CPCAB
CPCAB is the leading awarding body in counselling and psychotherapy, setting rigorous standards for training providers and ensuring that learners are equipped with the essential skills required for professional practice.
About NCPS
The NCPS is a professional membership body that promotes high standards of counselling and psychotherapy, ensuring public protection and supporting practitioners to achieve and maintain high professional standards.
Specialist training
Children and Young People (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. The general criteria for this level of training recognition are listed below:
- An Advanced Specialist course is intended for qualified and registered counsellors/psychotherapists.
- The course will be recognised by the NCPS 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 specialist knowledge 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, examinations, presentations, supervised client hours etc.
- For application, the course will normally need to have been completed by at least one cohort of students.
Please also refer to the CYP Competency Framework to support your application.
Fees
£250.00 annually per course. In addition, an assessment fee of £250 will be applicable per application.
Please login or join us here to apply for course recognition.
All training providers must demonstrate a commitment to the NCPS Code of Ethics.
Additional information
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.
Tutors should obtain 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 of 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.
