IAPT Accreditation Advice (Jan 2012) - IT Shared Services

IAPT Accreditation Advice
INTRODUCTION
Purpose
This advice provides an overview of the accreditation requirements for IAPT education and
training courses and the procedures whereby individual practitioners can register their
competences in delivering IAPT therapies.
1. IAPT therapies include:
NICE approved low and high intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapies 1 together with
additional IAPT approved therapies for depression which include 2 :
• Brief Dynamic Psychotherapy, developed as Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy for
Depression (DIT)
• Counselling for Depression (CfD)
• Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)
• Behavioural Couple Therapy, developed as Couple Therapy for Depression
(CTD)
Working closely with the relevant professional bodies concerned, a robust framework of
accreditation procedures has been established for each of the training programmes
developed so far. This advice identifies the relevant professional bodies involved in the
accreditation of IAPT approved therapies and summarises their accreditation requirements.
Accreditation requirements cover three areas: 1; Education and training programmes
provided by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), 2; The qualifications and professional
experience of individual practitioners, and 3; The qualifications and professional experience
of therapy supervisors.
Audiences
2. The advice is intended primarily for commissioners of either psychological therapy services
or education and training programmes 3 . As highlighted in “Equity and excellence: liberating
the NHS” (July 2010), professional bodies have a major role in identifying the quality
1 See http://www.iapt.nhs.uk/workforce/.
2 For further information on these approved therapies see http://www.iapt.nhs. uk/workforce/high-intensity and
http://www.iapt.nhs.uk/ news/which-talking-therapy-for-depression/
3 This document should be read in conjunction with the Guidance for Commissioning IAPT Training 2011/12 –
2014/15 (available at http://www.iapt.nhs.uk/workforce/iapt-education-training-and-development/) which outlines
the role of Multi Professional Education and Training (MPET) funding in relation to IAPT
1

standards that should guide the commissioning of services and the training, qualifications
and experience of the workforce employed within these services.
3. This advice should also be of use to HEIs, individual practitioners and therapists. Similarly,
mental health charities and individual patients or clients might also find the information
helpful in identifying therapists who have been trained on an IAPT commissioned course and
whether they have joined a voluntary register indicating the nature of their training and
possibly, in some cases, fitness to practice.
Accreditation and professional bodies
4. Both psychotherapy and psychological therapies are not yet subject to statutory regulation,
despite there having been widely publicised discussions between professional bodies and
the previous government. Nevertheless, many therapists are subject to regulation since they
are members of healthcare professions regulated by the General Medical Council (GMC),
the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) or the Healthcare Professions Council (HPC).
Hence medical practitioners, nurses, psychologists, social workers and other registered
practitioners who practice psychotherapy are subject to statutory regulation, whereas many
other psychotherapists and counsellors who are not members of these professions are not.
However, there are many professional bodies associated with these practitioners who offer
voluntary registers which many therapists join and hence are subject to registration and
accreditation.
5. Prior to the IAPT programme, relevant professional bodies 4 had extensive accreditation
procedures for existing psychological therapies training programmes. Modifications to these
procedures have been implemented to encompass the specific requirements of the IAPT
national curricula and their training programmes.
Course Accreditation
6. The main focus has been on course accreditation whereby each IAPT training programme
hosted within an HEI has had its curriculum and teaching materials scrutinised, its staffing
and resources judged as appropriate, and its management and governance structures
reviewed, including interfaces with trainees, supervisors, local NHS services and service
users. The scrutiny process, in particular, determines that the course is delivered
consistently with the national curricula as agreed and laid down for IAPT.
7. IAPT training is a joint initiative between HEIs and clinical services, with key aspects of the
training (such as observing skilled therapists in practice and regular supervision) being
delivered by the IAPT services that partner the HEIs. For this reason, the services in which
IAPT trainees are trained and supervised are also required to meet certain IAPT quality
standards (See ‘IAPT Implementation Plan: National guidelines for regional delivery’; in
particular Chapter 4, ‘Characteristics of an IAPT Service’ and Annex A: ‘Criteria for training
provider selection’; http://www.iapt.nhs.uk/silo/files/implementation-plan-national-guidelinesfor-regional-delivery.pdf).
4 BACP; British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy: BABCP; British Association of Cognitive
and Behavioural Psychotherapy: BPC; British Psychoanalytic Council: BPS; British Psychological Society:
BSCPS; British Society of Couple Psychotherapists and Counsellors: IPTUK; Interpersonal Therapy UK:
UKCP; United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy: HPC; Health Professions Council
2

8. Decisions to accredit a programme are arrived at after a detailed examination of the course’s
documentation and procedures, including those that rely on partnership with services. The
examination usually includes a visit to the programme by a team of experts (i.e. therapists
and trainers), with meetings between trainees, senior HEI managers, Regional IAPT Leads,
and representatives from supervisors, local NHS services and the SHA.
9. Programmes have to meet conditions before they are fully accredited. Once these are met,
the period of accreditation can be for a number of years, and renewed annually assuming
the programme has not experienced major changes or been subject to complaints. The
period for which a course is accredited varies for each professional body. The professional
bodies have a list of all IAPT courses currently accredited on their respective websites.
Details of complaints processes, against courses or individuals, can also be found on the
professional body’s website.
Individual Accreditation
10. In addition to course accreditation, some professional bodies also offer individual
accreditation for IAPT practitioners. There are many reasons why individual accreditation is
offered including:
• Newly qualified therapists having to gain additional experience before being fully
recognised as competent to practice in IAPT services (e.g. BABCP),
• Some practitioners having been employed as Psychological Well-being Practitioners
(PWPs) in IAPT services on the basis of prior experience and training as graduate
mental health workers, and who wish to register their new PWP role,
• Where practitioners have benefited from top-up or continuing professional
development (CPD) IAPT training, or have previously trained on a relevant and
professionally accredited training course for an IAPT recognised psychological
therapy, but prior to the implementation of IAPT as a mode of delivery of
psychological therapy.
11. In such cases, individual therapists have to prove that they have successfully completed a
relevant training course, supply a portfolio or log of clinical work and additional training, and
usually have supervisors’ reports or references. Once a practitioner gains individual
accreditation status, their individual name is usually recorded on a voluntary register,
available for inspection on the website of the respective professional body.
12. Most professional bodies require practitioners to renew their registration annually or be reaccredited
on a regular basis. It is usual to require evidence of ongoing supervision and CPD
during the renewal period. Services employing IAPT practitioners should ensure that they
are able to meet these renewal or re-accreditation requirements. One approach is to ensure
that they provide access to regular supervision and CPD, to ensure that practitioners meet
the requirements for either annual renewal or re-accreditation. Services can also require
that practitioners are individually accredited with appropriate organisations before they are
appointed by ensuring that such requirements are included in person specifications and job
descriptions.
13. Some professional bodies will also deal with complaints against registrants and deal with
fitness to practice cases. However, the responsibility for registration and fitness to practice
for nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists, and some other professions usually falls to the
3

elevant healthcare regulatory body (e.g. HPC, GMC, NMC). Since not all practitioners will
be voluntarily registered with a relevant professional body, employers should ensure that all
IAPT practitioners/therapists agree to abide by an appropriate Code of Ethical Conduct and
Behaviour, as part of their contract of employment 5 .
14. Given that many psychological therapists, including those working in IAPT services are not
statutorily regulated but subject only to voluntary registration, services need to consider how
they can encourage their practitioners to become accredited and remain registered with the
relevant professional bodies that have developed IAPT relevant accreditations. Employers
also have a responsibility to ensure that staff operate within their clinical governance
standards.
15. In summary, both course and practitioner accreditation provides the assurances to
commissioners and the public that training programmes have met the required quality
standards, and that the services commissioned have employed a suitably trained workforce.
There are numerous psychotherapy organisations offering training in psychotherapy, and it is
essential that IAPT services employ those practitioners whose training or equivalent
experience has been recognised by the relevant professional body.
ACCREDITATION OF IAPT PROGRAMMES 6
Low intensity CBT and PWP courses
16. Psychological Well-being Practitioner (PWP) courses are accredited by the British
Psychological Society. The accreditation process involves representatives of PWP courses,
which have received full accreditation for five years. Further information is provided on the
BPS website 7 . There are two schemes of individual practitioner accreditation offered by both
BABCP and the BPS. The BPS offers a voluntary register of psychology graduates who have
successfully completed an accredited PWP programme. A more extensive scheme of
individual practitioner accreditation is offered by BABCP, which is not restricted to just
psychology graduates, as is the case for the BPS, but is open to all PWPs and also to
people who may have been employed as a PWP initially in IAPT services and before the
training was available 8 . These latter individuals have usually done a top-up PWP training
consisting of the first two modules of the national PWP curriculum. Requirements for
supervisors are detailed by both BPS and BABCP.
High Intensity CBT courses
5 See the example supervision agreement provided by the BABCP at Annex 1 of:
http://www.iapt.nhs.uk/silo/files/ethical-codes-for-non-professionally-affiliated-staff-.doc
6 We have signposted readers for further information to the relevant websites of the professional bodies
involved. However, these sites may be updated, and the address modified from time to time by the
professional bodies involved. If you are unable to access any of the addresses within this guidance,
please contact the professional body directly for guidance.
7 http://www.bps.org.uk/careers-education-training/accredited-courses-trainingprogrammes/psychological-wellbeing-practition
8 http://www.babcp.com/Accreditation/PWP/PWP_Accreditation.aspx
4

17. High intensity CBT courses are accredited by BABCP 9 . Visiting accreditation teams will have
IAPT advisors and course staff/trainees from other IAPT training programmes, as well as
BABCP accreditation officers.
18. Newly qualified graduates from High Intensity IAPT CBT courses are only provisionally
accredited in their first 12 months following qualification. Again, there are two schemes of
individual practitioner accreditation. An extensive scheme is offered by BABCP and is
summarised on its website 10 .
19. Further information about supervision in IAPT services and competency requirements for
supervisors is available at http://www.iapt.nhs.uk/workforce/supervisors/.
20. The BPS also operates a register of HPC registered Chartered Psychologists who have
successfully completed an accredited High Intensity IAPT CBT course (available to view at
http://www.bps.org.uk/psychology-public/find-psychologist/get-directory/iapt-registerapplications/improving-access-psycho).
Brief Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy for Depression (DIT) 11
21. The British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC) is now acting as a fully functioning accrediting
organisation and has recently approved the ‘Anna Freud Centre and The Tavistock and
Portman NHS Foundation Trust’ as an accredited training provider for DIT. Accreditation will
examine the 4-day DIT course, one additional day for IAPT, and the end of course role-play.
Trainees have to pass all elements, including the role-play to go forward to become
practitioners, and then subsequently and successfully complete two supervised case studies.
22. For new providers to become an accredited DIT training provider, training establishments
need a course leader who has shadowed an accredited DIT course, and a DIT accredited
practitioner to co-lead the first course. Further information is available from the BPC
website 12 .
Counselling for Depression (CfD)
23. Accreditation for CfD is through the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
(BACP). Successful completion of an appropriately commissioned CfD course, including the
practice hours, can be counted towards the training and practice criteria of an application for
accreditation as a BACP accredited counsellor/ psychotherapist or for an application as a
BACP accredited Supervisor of counsellors/ psychotherapists.
9 See http://www.babcp.com/Accreditation/Course/IAPT_Course_Accreditation.aspx
10 See http://www.babcp.com/Accreditation/Practitioner/Practitioner_Accreditation.aspx and also
http://www.iapt.nhs.uk/silo/files/iaptbabcp-pwp-statement-august-2011-final.pdf
11 The training programmes for all four IAPT modalities in addition to CBT, have been designed to deliver
their associated competence frameworks and national curricula. In addition, the relevant professional
bodies have been developing or adapting their existing accreditation processes. With the commissioning
of further training places across the modalities as described in Talking Therapies: A four Year Plan of
Action, further work will be required to monitor how courses are meeting the combined requirements for
accreditation and quality assurance for IAPT service delivery and the relevant professional body.
12 http://www.psychoanalytic-council.org/main/index.phppage=15952
5

24. For counsellors who are already accredited members of BACP, successful completion of a
commissioned CfD course would be accepted as evidence of meeting CPD requirements for
their annual renewal of accreditation. A new category of sector specific Senior Accreditation
in IAPT High-Intensity Counselling has been developed and is being launched by BACP in
2011.
25. BACP has developed a quality assurance procedure for CPD training programmes. The
associated award is designed to reassure trainees about the quality standards and relevance
of the CPD activity on offer. This award would be applicable to the CfD training programme.
26. Successful accreditation is conditional upon training providers being able to demonstrate that
they have reached the required standard. An application in the form of a portfolio of evidence
is submitted for scrutiny to the BACP Professional Standards Department. Assessment
includes the recruitment and selection of trainers, trainee selection criteria, supervision
arrangements and adherence to course content. BACP CPD endorsement entitles course
providers to use the BACP logo when issuing a certificate to trainees who successfully
complete both training and practice elements of CfD training
(http://www.bacp.co.uk/accreditation/).
Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depression (IPT)
26. Interpersonal Psychotherapy UK (IPTUK) is the accrediting body. A formal course
accreditation is under discussion. Contact should be made with IPTUK for details
(http://www.interpersonalpsychotherapy.org.uk/).
27. Clinical groups who have evolved as trainers share materials. Existing courses have begun
to link with HEIs (in London, Edinburgh and Surrey) and a formal transparent process is
being developed by IPTUK. This will be paper-based to provide evidence for accreditation.
Currently there is only one course provider for IPTUK/IAPT.
28. Accreditation of new IPT/IAPT training providers will require trainers to have completed an
IPTUK recognised course and completed supervisor level accreditation with an IPTUK
accredited supervisor. Existing IPTUK trainers must demonstrate capacity to deliver training
in compliance with the IAPT training and supervision protocol. Novice IPT trainers must
shadow one round of IPT IAPT training prior to delivering the training independently.
29. All new IPT/IAPT training providers will be asked to submit a course outline and programme
of supervision to IPTUK, to be assessed against the IAPT national curriculum and training
protocol. Details of accredited courses and supervisors are available at
http://www.interpersonalpsychotherapy.org.uk/.
Couple Therapy for Depression (CTD)
30. The British Society of Couple Psychotherapists and Counsellors (BSCPC) is the lead
accrediting body for Couple Therapy for Depression practitioners, supervisors and training
6

courses. They offer a comprehensive approach to the accreditation of courses, practitioners
and supervisors 13 ).
31. Accreditation as a Practitioner
This is determined by successful completion of the two elements of the Practitioner Training;
an accredited training course that delivers the IAPT curriculum, and successful completion of
2 Couple Therapy for Depression cases. Successful completion of each of these elements
results in certification and the right to be listed as an Accredited Couple Therapy for
Depression IAPT Practitioner on the BSCPC website. There is no obligation to apply for
Membership of the BSCPC, but practitioners will be expected to be registered with their
usual registering bodies (BABCP, BACP, BPS, HPC, etc), and adhere to their professional
development standards.
32. Accreditation as a Supervisor
This is determined by successful completion of the three elements of the Supervision
Training; the supervisors training course, successful completion of a further two Couple
Therapy for Depression cases, and a consultation exercise. Supervisors can then apply to
have their names listed as an Accredited Couple Therapy for Depression IAPT Supervisor
on the BSCPC website. As with Practitioners, there is no obligation to apply for membership
of the BSCPC, but supervisors will be expected to be registered with their usual registering
bodies (BABCP, BACP, BPS, HPC, etc), and adhere to their professional development
standards.
33. Accreditation of Training Courses
BSCPC will assess training and grant Provisional and Full accreditation. Provisional
accreditation is designed for proposed training and is designed to help training providers
reach the required standards. Proposed trainings that are granted Provisional accreditation
will be able to recruit trainees. Once they evidence that they meet the required standards
they will be granted Full accreditation. Further details of the requirements for Provisional and
Full accreditation are provided on the IAPT pages of the BSCPC website 11 .
34. Training courses will be granted Provisional accreditation for a maximum of 2 years, before it
has to be re-applied for. They will be expected to achieve Full accreditation with their first
cohort of training participants. Full accreditation will last for 4 years, or until there are
substantial changes in the training that would make it inappropriate for automatic
accreditation to continue (such as a significant change in trainers or supervisors used, or a
change in the Curriculum).
Summary
35. A key feature of IAPT services is the provision of well-trained therapists who can evidence
that their training has been directed at acquiring and demonstrating the skills and
competences underpinning psychological therapies as recommended by NICE. Training
programmes have been developed covering those competencies recognised as essential to
professional practice in IAPT services. To ensure that trainees benefit from training courses
of a suitable standard, practitioners and courses are subject to stringent accreditation
processes.
13 http://www.bscpcnew.com/index.phpoption=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=8&Itemid=32
7

36. Given that psychological therapists per se are not subject to statutory regulation, it is
important that commissioners are aware of their responsibilities in relation to voluntary
schemes of accreditation offered by the relevant professional bodies in order to provide a
level of assurance for the public against incompetence or malpractice.
IAPT National Team
January 2012
8