Core Professions

Before you apply for Provisional Accreditation, you must have met all our criteria for CBT training. This includes having a BABCP recognised professional background in mental health. We call this Core Profession. 

If you don't have a prior mental health profession listed below or you don't fully meet the criteria, we also recognise equivalent training and experience in mental health through KSA - The Alternative to Core Profession.

Whether you have a Core Profession or complete a KSA portfolio, you must still also apply for Provisional Accreditation to become accredited. You must have worked accountably in your core professional, KSA or other mental health role for at least twelve months before applying. 

What if I trained abroad? This section of our Getting Accredited FAQs will help you work out which route to take if your core professional training was overseas.

What if I lapse my Core Professional Registration or Accreditation? We advise you to maintain your registration or accreditation with your core professional body. This is because CBT is not a state registered profession and you may prefer to stay under a statutory body, or you might need it for future job roles. However you can still apply for Accreditation with us as long as you have evidence of having held that registration if it has lapsed.  Giving up your core professional registration later will not affect any accredited status with us and you can continue to apply for Full Accreditation and annual Reaccreditation. The only exception to this would be if the lapse is due to disciplinary reasons, in which case you should let us know.

Core Profession review

In 2019 our Practitioner and Accreditation Committee commissioned a thorough review of the Core Profession criteria to ensure that they all meet the equivalent standards. Following this, they published an updated list which now applies to all applicants.  The only exception to this is if you were accepted on to a Level 2 accredited course before 1st October 2020 with one of the old criteria for your Core Profession. In this case, you can still apply for Accreditation without completing a KSA.  

If you were already accredited or had an application in process before this date, you will not be affected by this change.

Core Professions list and criteria - valid from 1st October 2020

If you don't have a profession listed here, or you don't meet all the requirements, please complete a KSA as an alternative to Core Profession - we can only accept exactly the professions and qualifications below.

• Arts Therapists – HCPC Registered
• Counselling – Accreditation with the BACP, IACP, COSCA, or FDAP (NCAC) -  Registration with these organisations isn't sufficient
• Medicine – Psychiatrist or General Practitioner, MBChB or MBBS, and usually PG training with membership of MRCGP, MRCP or MRCPsych
• Occupational Therapy – BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy, MSc Occupational Therapy, or Dip C.O.T and HCPC Registered
• Psychotherapy/ Psychotherapeutic Counselling - UKCP Registration
• Registered Nurse – Mental Health (RMN), or Learning Disability (General Nursing and Enrolled Nursing is insufficient)
• Social Work – CQSW, DipSW, MA Social Work, or BA/BSc Hons Social Work. Registered with one of four UK regulators - Social Work England (SWE), Social Care Wales (SCW), Northern Ireland Social CareCouncil (NISCC) and Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC)
• Postgraduate Doctorate in Clinical/Counselling Psychology - accredited by the British Psychological Society and HCPC Registered as Practitioner Psychologist
• Educational Psychology - Doctorate or QEPS - must have BPS Chartership (CPsychol) and HCPC Registration as Practitioner Psychologist
• Health Psychology - QHP stage 2 - must have BPS Chartership (CPsychol) and HCPC Registration as Practitioner Psychologist
• Forensic Psychology - QFP stage 2 - must have BPS Chartership (CPsychol) and HCPC Registration as Practitioner Psychologist

Summary of Changes (from 1st October 2020)

Psychology

The following are the updated criteria for Psychology Core Professions 

• Postgraduate Doctorate in Clinical/Counselling Psychology - accredited by the British Psychological Society and HCPC Registered as Practitioner Psychologist
• Educational Psychology - Doctorate or QEPS - must have BPS Chartership (CPsychol) and HCPC Registration as Practitioner Psychologist
• Health Psychology - QHP stage 2 - must have BPS Chartership (CPsychol) and HCPC Registration as Practitioner Psychologist
• Forensic Psychology - QFP stage 2 - must have BPS Chartership (CPsychol) and HCPC Registration as Practitioner Psychologist

• All other psychology qualifications or Charterships - please complete KSA 

Other professions

• Probation Service - please complete KSA
• Teacher of Special Education/Needs - please complete KSA
• Counselling - CPC only - please complete KSA - all other listed counselling accreditations will still be accepted as Core Profession
• Social Work – CQSW, DipSW, MA Social Work, or BA/BSc Hons Social Work. Registered with one of four UK regulators - Social Work England, Social Care Wales (SCW), Northern Ireland Social CareCouncil (NISCC) and Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC)

Core Professions list and criteria - valid prior to 1st October 2020

• Core Professions list and criteria - prior to 1st October 2020

Questions?

Please contact accreditation@babcp.com