Procedure for Processing Applications for Registration

– UKAHPP Register of Humanistic Psychotherapists and Psychotherapeutic Counsellors –

Introduction

This procedure applies to applications for all categories of registration and is to be read in conjunction with the criteria for UKAHPP Registration and Accreditation and entry to the UKAHPP Register of Humanistic Psychotherapists and Psychotherapeutic Counsellors (the Register).

Responsibility for processing applications for entry to the Register is delegated to the Membership Committee.

UKAHPP Registration is open to Psychotherapists and Psychotherapeutic Counsellors working with adults in the UK only. UKAHPP members living and working overseas cannot be included on the register unless they can evidence that they are resident and practising as a Psychotherapists or Psychotherapeutic Counsellor in the UK for 5 consecutive months of each calendar year.

The Membership Committee will process applications from ex-registrants in accordance with the published criteria.

Administration
1. Applications are received and acknowledged by the UKAHPP Administrator.
2. All applications will be processed online unless an alternative arrangement is deemed necessary.
3. The UKAHPP Administrator will download application forms and supporting documents and forward in an encrypted format to the Membership Secretary.
4. All correspondence and documents relating to an application will be held by the UKAHPP Administrator in accordance with Data Protection requirements. In order to accommodate re-application, documents relating to unsuccessful applications will be deleted from UKAHPP’s records 18 months following the application submission date.
5. All correspondence from the Membership Committee will be sent from the UKAHPP Membership Secretary (even if the post is vacant) via the UKAHPP Administrator. There will be no direct communication, email or otherwise, between the Membership Committee and applicants.
6. The UKAHPP Administrator will allocate a reference number to each application which will be included in email ‘subject windows’ and all correspondence between the UKAHPP Administrator, Membership Committee and the Registrar.
7. The UKAHPP Administrator will check that application forms have been completed in full and signed and ensure that supporting documents such as certificates, supervisor reports and professional indemnity insurance are attached, in accordance with published requirements. Incomplete application forms will be returned to the applicant with an outline of omissions. Applications will not be processed further until all omissions have been submitted – fees will be held until such time.
8. After being processed by the Membership Committee for entry to the register, applications for Higher Accredited registered Membership will be forwarded to the Accreditation Committee for verification of Higher Accredited criteria.
Membership Committee – Verification
1. The Membership Secretary is responsible for progressing applications through the Membership Committee and will maintain a record of all applications, successful and otherwise, which will be periodically cross referenced with the UKAHPP Administrator’s records and the public Register.
2. The Membership Committee will meet a minimum of 4 times per year via teleconference and supplemented with email and telephone communication as necessary.
3. Applications will be processed for verification by the Membership Committee as a whole or allocated to small groups in accordance with demand.
4. Additional members with specialist knowledge may be co-opted on to the Membership Committee for verification purposes as necessary.
5. Verification ensures that information and evidence provided by an applicant complies with published registration requirements. This may include checks with training providers, awarding bodies, employers, other professional organisations, supervisors and the applicant’s website.
6. An applicant may be requested via the UKAHPP Administrator to submit additional information about training, work experience, supervision, complaints, convictions etc as necessary.
7. Although it is the responsibility of the applicant to evidence how their application complies with published requirements, the Membership Committee reserves the right to make direct contact with training providers, supervisors, personal therapist, other register holders etc as deemed necessary.
8. The Membership Committee will complete ‘Verification Form’ for each application.
9. The Membership Secretary may conduct additional checks if any irregularities or concerns are raised by a verifier. Serious irregularities will be reported to the UKAHPP General Secretary for consideration under the UKAHPP Complaints Procedure.
10. The Membership Secretary is responsible for notifying the UKAHPP Registrar in writing, with a copy to the UKAHPP Administrator, of the of the Membership Committee’s decision to accept Ordinary Member applications and approve entry on to the Register.
11. Copies of the Verification Form, Application Form and other relevant documentation deemed necessary, will be forwarded to the UKAHPP Registrar who will to conduct additional Quality Assurance Checks.
12. The outcome of the verification process will not be communicated to the applicant until the Registrar has conducted additional Quality Assurance Checks and has confirmed with the Membership Secretary and UKAHPP Administrator in writing that the applicant’s name has been included on the Register.
13. If additional quality assurance checks give rise to any concerns, indiscretions or anomalies, the UKAHPP Registrar will notify the Membership Secretary. The applicants name will NOT be entered on the Register and their application will be held by the Membership Committee pending additional verification.
14. The UKAHPP Registrar will inform the General Secretary of any serious irregularities for possible investigation under the UKAHPP Complaints Procedure.
15. The UKAHPP Registrar will communicate with other voluntary and statutory register holders as necessary.
16. UKAHPP Registration and Accreditation cannot be awarded until any concerns, indiscretions or anomalies have been fully addressed and no longer give rise to concern about the applicant’s name being included on the UKAHPP Register.
17. The Membership Secretary via the UKAHPP Administrator is responsible for notifying applicants of the outcome of the verification process.
18. The UKAHPP Administrator will send a UKAHPP Membership Welcome Pack (as PDF documents) to successful applicants containing:
  - A letter from the UKAHPP Registrar affirming entry on to the Register
  - A dated Annual Accreditation/Registration Certificate
  - Policy for Representing UKAHPP Membership, Registration and Accreditation – with supplementary information about using the PSA name and logo.
  - UKAHPP Continual Professional Development Policy.
  - Data Protection Requirements
  - Requirement to complete an Annual Notification of Practice and Registration Renewal Declaration Form.
19. The Membership Secretary will not forward any documentation to the Accreditation Committee for Higher Accreditation verification until the applicant’s name on the Register.
20. Once additional criteria have been met, an applicant awarded Ordinary Registered Membership may apply for Accredited Registered Membership using the Accredited Registered Membership Enhancement Application Form available on the UKAHPP website.
Unsuccessful Applications
1. The Membership Secretary, via the UKAHPP Administrator, is responsible for providing unsuccessful applicants with an outline of how their application does not meet the published registration criteria.
2. Unsuccessful applications with minor criteria omissions will be given 8 weeks, which may be extended on request at the Membership Secretary’s discretion, to allow the applicant to submit evidence as to how criteria omissions have been complied with.
3. If evidence of criteria omissions is not submitted within in the given deadline the application will be closed.
4. In the case of substantive omissions the applicant will be provided with an outline of omissions, how their application failed to meet the published registration criteria and of UKAHPP’s re-submission policy. The application will then be closed.
5. Applications can be re-submitted 12 months after the original submission date.
Review Meeting
1. Unsuccessful applicants may submit a request to the Membership Secretary for their application to be reviewed if they can provide documentary evidence as to how criteria omissions outlined in the notification letter have been complied with.
2. The Membership Secretary will acknowledge receipt of review requests normally within 7 days of receipt.
3. The Membership Secretary will convene a full meeting of the Membership Committee (face-to-face or teleconference) normally within 60 days of the review request.
4. Membership Committee members who were involved in the original verification decision, will provide the full committee with an outline of how they reached their decision and will then withdraw from the Review Meeting and will have no further involvement in the decision to re-instate the application or not.
5. The Registrar will not attend the Review Meeting and any concerns they may have alerted the Membership Committee about will be put forward by the Membership Secretary or their nominated deputy.
6. Membership Committee members will make a decision to re-instate an application or not on a one person one vote basis with the Membership Secretary or their deputy (who will Chair the meeting) exercising a casting vote if necessary.
7. If the Membership Committee’s ability to conduct a fair review is compromised the Membership Secretary will ask the Accreditation Committee Chair to convene a Review Meeting with senior members of the Accreditation Committee will experience of processing Accreditation Applications.
8. The Membership Secretary will write to the applicant outlining the outcome of the review and the Membership Committee’s decision to:
  - Uphold the original decision that the application does not comply with published requirements
  - Request submission of additional evidence of compliance with published requirements, within a specified deadline after which the application will be closed.
  - Reverse the original decision and forward the application to the UKAHPP Registrar for inclusion on the register pending quality assurance checks.
9. The decision of the Review Meeting will be final.
Restoration of Registration
1. If UKAHPP Registration was ‘terminated’ under the UKAHPP Complaints Procedure, they may submit an application for re-entry to the Register not less than three years after the ‘termination’ date. Applications for re-entry to the Register following ‘termination’ are required to submit:
  - A statement demonstrating learning about the issues resulting in their termination.
  - A report from a Registered Supervisor with UKAHPP Psychotherapist or Psychotherapeutic Counsellor Accreditation in support of their re-registration
2. The application will be assessed by a special committee prior to normal verification. The committee will include:
  - UKAHPP Membership Secretary – or their deputy
  - UKAHPP Ethics Committee Chair or their deputy
  - UKAHPP Registrar – or their deputy
  - Two UKAHPP Registered Members
  - Additional Members with special knowledge may be co-opted as necessary
3. In addition to standard requirements, the committee may apply special conditions on the ex-registrant’s practice if restoration of membership is approved.
4. An ex-registrant can make one application for re-registration in any 12 month period.
Resignations
1. Resignations from the register (including membership – unless the member requests Associate Membership) must be made in writing to the General Secretary who will inform the Registrar. The resigning member is requested to return to the UKAHPP Administrator Accreditation, Registration and Membership certificates.
2. Resignations are not valid until accepted by the Board of Directors and cannot be accepted if the registrant’s practice is the subject of a complaint. The UKAHPP Complaints Procedure has provision for hearing complaints against ex-registrants if they were on the register at the time of an alleged complaint.
3. For public information purposes, the name of resigned and deceased registrants will be included on the publicly available register for 1 year.