As part of our ongoing commitment to keeping you updated and informed about the SCoPEd project, we鈥檒l be sharing updates with you on a more regular basis. We鈥檝e listened to your feedback and appreciate many members want to hear more from us in relation to the project.

This year, we鈥檒l be introducing a regular SCoPEd section in Therapy Today and we鈥檒l be ensuring that every month there鈥檒l be a dedicated SCoPEd update within one of our all-member eBulletins.

We鈥檙e also updating our SCoPEd web-pages to ensure that information about the project is visual, consistent and up to date, so make sure you keep checking back for updates.

Working together as a project group

Since we last updated you, the wider SCoPEd project group has been working collaboratively and meeting regularly to continue to develop the framework.

It鈥檚 quite a momentous time for SCoPEd as the project group has developed from working together as three partners to seven in recent months.

This is a huge step forward not only for SCoPEd, but the profession, that we鈥檙e able to work together in such a positive and collaborative way.

As a project group, we鈥檙e negotiating the challenges that naturally come with collaboration and we鈥檝e spoken to our partners about how they鈥檝e found being part of the group so far.

The Association of Christian Counsellors (ACC) said: 鈥淲e are pleased to be involved in the SCoPEd project and collaborate with other professional membership organisations to bring clearer understanding of our work as counsellors and psychotherapists for the benefit of all. It has been a pleasure to meet and discuss with other partners since we joined recently and we are looking forward to further working together.鈥�

Some of our partners have also outlined why they wanted to be involved in the SCoPEd project.

The Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP) said: 鈥淭he ACP is the main professional body and accredited register for Child and Adolescent Psychotherapists in the UK. Our members are trained and qualified to practice from ages 0 to 25.

"Our work, therefore, overlaps with the SCoPEd framework in relation to young people aged 18 to 25. Our interest in being part of the SCoPEd project is to represent the skills and competences required to work with this age group and ensure the specific contribution of ACP Child and Adolescent Psychotherapists is recognised.

"We are also pleased to have the opportunity to collaborate with our colleagues in the counselling and psychotherapy professions.鈥�

For the British Psychoanalytic Council (BCP) the benefit to the profession and its clients, drives their involvement in the project.

They said: 鈥淭he BCP is proud to be collaborating with our SCoPEd partners, being able to focus on what unites rather than divides us. We have joined together to improve access for patients and clients and enable them to get the help they need.

"We are committed to advocating for and promoting patient and client choice and are passionate about what our profession stands for 鈥� a united force for good.

"The research conducted so far shows that the majority of BPC Registrants are behind this process and, as such, we are committed to the progress of this initiative.鈥�

Additionally, the Human Givens Institute (HGI) are looking to bring some of the broader modalities into the conversations, and said: 鈥淭he Human Givens Institute continues to be active participants in the SCoPEd Framework, both on the SCoPEd Oversight Committee and the Technical Group.

"One thing we would like to see the framework reflecting more accurately are the broader modalities of psychotherapy and counselling.

"In addition, as part of ongoing good practice, we are in the process of refreshing our evidence and practice for training Human Givens therapists and their ongoing practice.

"As part of that we are keen to do this alongside the SCoPEd review in tandem. We will put the final framework to our members as part of the process of adopting it or not.鈥�

For the National Counselling Society (NCS), the purpose of their involvement is to ensure that the voices and concerns of their members are heard within the discussions.

鈥淭he NCS has our members' support to be involved in the SCoPEd project in order to see whether substantive positive change can be made to the final shape of the framework, whether the substantive concerns about the project raised by our members can be addressed, and to ensure that any employment opportunities which may arise from SCoPEd won't be missed.

"Our members will have the final vote as to whether, and how, to adopt any final draft of the framework. We have so far found the group to be open to feedback, and hope that to continue as the project progresses. We are happy to be working with our colleagues across the broad spectrum of counselling and psychotherapy.鈥�

Finally, the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) has also confirmed their commitment to the project for the benefit of the profession, saying: 鈥淭he UKCP is committed to SCoPEd and to working with our fellow accredited registers on its progress.

"Not only will SCoPEd demystify the process of finding a therapist, and provide a clear mark of quality assurance and guard against the biggest threat to public safety 鈥� the practice of unqualified therapists 鈥� it will make it easier to communicate to policymakers exactly what psychotherapists and counsellors do.

"The existing lack of clarity has been a major obstacle to promoting the unique values of psychotherapy and counselling, which in turn has made it harder to achieve our policy goals around increased access.鈥�

We鈥檒l continue to update you on the progress of the project as we move forward.

Governance structure for the SCoPEd Oversight Committee

As part of the new Governance structure for the project, the original Steering Group has been replaced by the SCoPEd Oversight Committee (SOC). This includes the CEO from each partner as well as an independent chair, experts by experience (EBE) to ensure the client voice is brought into the conversations and an observer from the Professional Standards Agency (PSA).

We鈥檙e now in the process of recruiting the independent chair and EBE roles, which will complete the group and aid the project in moving forward. All partners will be participating and fully involved in the recruitment process. We hope to be able to update you further in the coming weeks.

Engaging with our members and stakeholders

Last November we held a dedicated webinar for our Accredited Courses, where we were able to discuss SCoPEd, answer questions and give some clarity around areas of concern. During the webinar we received over 60 questions in relation to training and courses, so we鈥檝e updated the SCoPEd FAQs to include these. We鈥檒l be holding a similar webinar for our Accredited Services later this month and will update the FAQs with any questions that arise from this webinar too.

We鈥檙e also recording a special podcast with Counselling Tutor, which is due to be aired during February half term. Counselling Tutor will be asking members of their Facebook community to send in their questions for us and we鈥檒l try and get through as many as we can during the recording. We鈥檒l ensure that links to this recording are available for our members so keep an eye on our eBulletins and social media channels.