registration commit ee provides supportive guidance in assisting unsuccessful applicants with alternative options for future development and re-application for registration. 256 continuing professional development (CPD) submissions
were requested for review this year, with 37 of these still required from members. Again if members are light in terms of CPD hours or systemic development activity the commit ee off ers support and advises members on how they can meet these requirements to maintain UKCP registration. In Nov 2018 the CPD policy was updated by the commit ee to
included that it is “strongly advised” that registrants have their own professional indemnity insurance. T is previous “requirement” was reviewed in line with UKCP and AFT board guidance. AFT are required to inform UKCP of any registrants who
may not be deemed of good standing. We are also required to inform UKCP when AFT membership is not renewed and when the CPD processes are not engaged in, or when not submit ed as requested. Again the commit ee off ers guidance and support in these cases before contacting UKCP. T e registration commit ee has two whole-day face-to-face
meetings a year and six ninety minute telephone conferences a year. People can join the commit ee, as detailed below. Some members also meet a couple of times a year at the AFT offi ce in Warrington, to work together in processing the CPD submissions. Members are reimbursed for their expenses. However the main ‘recompense’ in my experience of my time with the commit ee, is the sharing of knowledge, experience, creativity and developments in the fi eld, plus the generosity of collaboration, energy, spirit and grace, which permeates throughout the work we do together. Over the next 12 months we will also be continuing to:
• Review and provide further guidance on supervision requirements in relation to receiving supervision by audio and visual communication methods.
• Work with the Family T erapy Association of Ireland regarding collaborative working to support cross board registration in relation to the UK and Ireland, particularly in the light of Brexit developments.
• Contribute to the review of AFT training requirements. • Liaise with UKCP in relation to their review of registration requirements for retiring members.
• Collaborate with the various AFT and UKCP commit ees in relation to registration issues.
• Communicate the work we do on behalf of AFT to the membership. We are a very warm and welcoming group and would love to
have new members to join and enrich our connections and learning together. Membership of the commit ee is open to current or past UKCP-registered systemic family psychotherapists who are AFT members and who have experience as systemic facilitators, teachers and/or supervisors. If you are interested it would be great to hear from you. I would be happy to talk with you about the roles. I will be at the AGM and AFT conference if anyone would like to discuss the registration commit ee. If you would like to join us, please send us your expression of interest, contact details and a brief CV to Melanie Wood at admin@aſt
.org.uk.
Gary Robinson, chair of the AFT registration committee
62
Professional aff airs committee report
Chair: Dr Melissa Juliet Adams Members of committee: Gill Goodwillie, Caroline Dalal, Stuart Delve, David Pentecost, Ian Lea, Lorraine Davies-Smith, Matthew Ghanda, Tracey Woodcock, Victoria Sharman (Aspens rep.) Retiring members during the year: None Purpose: To oversee, monitor and review professional standards and other professional issues. We provide, when feasible, national assessors for recruitment. We also respond to queries from employees, independent practitioners, employers, and the public. We promote systemic and family therapy whenever possible.
Review of activities over the past 12 months a. Over the year we have reviewed and produced a number of policy documents: 1. Recommended Standards for the Employment of Family and Systemic Psychotherapists and Family Therapists. The focus is upon terms and conditions of service and includes reference to Training, Grading Structure, Supervision, Registration and Continuing Professional Development requirements.
2. Considerations for Employers and Commissioners. The aim is to clarify diff erent terms, qualifi cations and considerations for employers and commissioners. It includes a description of family and systemic psychotherapy, for what diffi culties and whom across the lifecycle, networks and organisations, it is eff ective. It provides levels of training and qualifi cations. There are sections on AFT membership; systemic practitioners at the intermediate level; clarity of terminology and legal context; supervision and CPD requirements; AFT support and useful documents for employers.
3. Guidelines for the Use of Technology in Therapy. The advice and guidance should be mindful and read alongside an employers’ guidelines, stipulations, and recommendations and be compliant with data protection. Our guidelines include reference to identifi cation of and management of risk, social media, ethics and learning needs.
4. We forwarded a contribution to our own ethics committee for the review of the UKCP Ethics Guidelines.
b. Examples of issues: 1. There has been a concern about directories with individuals presenting themselves as family therapists, who do not have qualifi cation and UKCP registration. We communicated with UKCP and subsequently Martin Pollecoff , the chair of UKCP and wrote to all UKCP-subscribed directorates requesting they check members’ profi les. We have suggested further that Martin write similarly to other organisations.
2. Contributing to AFT Review of Training, one of our proposals is to consider post-training modules to expand our repertoire of skills.
3. With the increase of digital technology, both within public services, online practice, and independent practice, there are concerns that clients may record family sessions unbeknown to the therapist and/or other family members, and therefore without prior consent. There is also the concern for confi dentiality. We considered whether it would be wise to draw up a contract of confi dentiality at the onset stipulating information is not shared via social media. However, whilst the therapist is bound by confi dentiality, clients are not. It was
Context 164, August 2019
Reports from the chairs of AFT committees
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