Our current senior accredited membership category doesn’t align with the SCoPEd framework column C standards. During the transition period we’ll revise this membership category to ensure that it aligns with column C from 2026 onwards. 

This means all existing senior accredited members will move to the accredited membership category, aligned to column B in the SCoPEd framework at the time of their annual membership renewal date between February 2025 and January 2026. 

You’ll still be able to: 

  • provide all the services you currently do 
  • practise competences in other SCoPEd columns providing you have the right skills, knowledge, training and experience to do so 

This is in line with our existing Ethical Framework, which states that BACP members must work within the limits of their competence. 

If you wish to apply for our revised senior accredited membership category, which will enable you to promote your alignment to column C of the SCoPEd framework within your advertising materials, you’ll have a range of options to do so: 

  • if you have a Level 7 or equivalent counselling and/or psychotherapy qualification you can apply for the new revised senior accredited membership category between now and February 2026 using the temporary accreditation mechanism process. You'll need to meet our revised senior accredited member eligibility criteria and complete our new application form which can be found on our senior accredited membership page.  

You’ll need to provide details including:

    • evidence that you have a Level 7 or equivalent counselling or psychotherapy qualification

    • evidence of personal therapy or personal development work you have engaged in that has contributed to self-awareness and is applicable to therapeutic practice 

    • a personal statement giving evidence against a range of criteria that reflect the different competences within the SCoPEd framework, and 

    • a Supervisor’s statement

Visit our senior accredited membership page for more information. 

There will be no application cost associated for current senior accredited members. 

  • if you don’t have a Level 7 or equivalent counselling and/or psychotherapy qualification, you’ll have the opportunity to apply for our new revised senior accredited membership category when our permanent accreditation routes become available from February 2026. This route will consider training and CPD alongside other existing skills and experience. If you meet the eligibility criteria and wish to apply, it'll be free to do so, for the first twelve months (From February 2026 until February 2027).  

If you are a BACP current senior accredited member and also a UKCP or BPC member and are aligned to column C of the SCoPEd framework with one of those partners please contact our customer services team for more information about the process to move to our revised senior accredited membership category, if you wish to. 

Current senior accredited members will not be able to promote themselves as SCoPEd column C therapists unless you have received confirmation that your application for the new senior accredited category has been successful. 

Once you receive this confirmation, you can promote your alignment to column C of the SCoPEd framework within your advertising materials.  

Please visit our applying for senior accreditation FAQ page or BACP’s SCoPEd implementation period FAQs for more information,  

You can also view our SCoPEd: Transition period: what does it mean to members event which took place on 1 September 2023, which outlined the temporary accreditation mechanisms. This is available to view on our on-demand web page.  

What happens if I’m not eligible for the revised senior accredited membership category or choose not to apply?

Those who aren’t eligible during the transition period or choose not to apply for the revised senior accredited membership category will be transferred to the accredited membership category aligned to column B of the SCoPEd framework at the time of their membership renewal date – between February 2025 and January 2026. 
 
At that point you’ll no longer be able to use the membership category title of senior accredited and will become an accredited member aligned to column B. You’ll need to update your membership logo and use of any designatory letters on any advertising materials you may have. 

We understand that not all our current senior accredited members will be eligible for the revised category aligned to column C of the SCoPEd framework, and that some members will want to talk to us about this. We encourage any member who is not sure what this means for them to contact our customer services team on 01455 883300. 

What about specialist accreditation schemes

Some members may already hold, or be interested in obtaining, specialist accreditation schemes, such as those we currently have for supervisors and children and young people (CYP) therapists (via the old senior accreditation schemes). 

These are currently paused as we’re revising these schemes to align them with our competence frameworks. We’ll update members with further details in due course. 

Members who have these specialisms will automatically retain them for the relevant specialist accreditation, regardless of which membership category they are in. 

Please visit our specialist accreditation schemes FAQs  or contact us.

Looking ahead

Following the SCoPEd transition period, which is expected to finish in early 2026, all our membership categories will be fully aligned to the SCoPEd framework columns. 

New accreditation schemes with new routes to move between membership categories will be available at this point. These routes will consider training and CPD alongside other existing skills and experience. More details will be published in due course. 

Visit our SCoPEd FAQ page or contact customer services on 01455 883300 if you have any questions. 

See also