Membership Categories and Criteria for Membership
UPCA has a number of categories of membership. Members usually join us when they first begin training on a UPCA Accredited Training Programme and become Student members, when they begin a placement or clinical practice they upgrade their membership and become a Trainee member of UPCA. When they complete the theoretical part of their training, members can apply to become Non-Accredited Clinical members.
Finally, when all of the supervised client hours and other practice elements have been completed and the member has fully qualified and graduated, they apply to become Accredited Clinical Members. Accredited members can also apply to be registered with UKCP at this point.
UPCA Register of Supervisors
As you may be aware, UPCA Council has been reviewing the requirements for its register of supervisors who are also eligible to appear on the UKCP list of supervisors. We hope to bring you more information about how to apply to become a registered supervisor soon.
How to Pay your Membership Fees
Membership Category Annual Fees
- Student membership = £21.00
- Trainee membership = £45.00
- Clinical membership = £75.00
- Upgrade* from student to trainee = £24
- Upgrade* from trainee to clinical = £30.00
(*Within the same membership year that the student/trainee fee has already been paid) - Non-clinical Associate membership = £21.00
- Re-joining fee = £46.50
(If your membership has lapsed/cancelled and you apply to re-join, you must pay back missed years at the rates above plus the re-joining fee.)
When you complete an application form, it is important to ensure you complete the payment section, giving us a payment reference. Please use your surname, initials, membership number (if known) and the date of payment. This enables us to trace your payment.
If you use online banking, you can pay your membership fees directly to UPCA’s bank account by Bank Transfer (BACS). Simply select ‘make a payment’ and fill in the amount to pay and enter:
UPCA Account Number: 40241253 and Sort Code: 20-35-27
You can also set up a standing order to pay your fees at the beginning of each membership year, which commences 1st September and runs until 31st August.
*Remember to add your payment reference
We will send you a receipt with your certificate of membership.
You can also make a payment at a branch of your bank over the counter by filling in the payment slip with the amount and make the payment out to:
UPCA, Account Number: 40241253 and Sort Code: 20-35-27
*Remember to add your payment reference
Members who reside outside the UK can make Non-UK Transfers using IBAN, you may have to go to a branch of your bank to do this and there may be a charge.
IBAN No: GB93 BARC 2035 2740 2412 53 SWIFTBIC: BARCGB22
Annual membership fees are based on the academic year and are calculated in advance for the year from 1st September to 31st August the following year. Once in membership, reminders are sent out every July by email for the forthcoming year. Your membership renewal is therefore due no later than 1st September each year and NOT on the anniversary of your last payment in the preceding year, if you paid later than 1st September.
UPCA Bursary and Hardship Fund
The UPCA Bursary and Hardship Fund is there to support members studying and training to be psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors or UPCA members (post-training) who may need financial assistance.
If you are unwaged or experiencing financial hardship, please contact us sending a completed UPCA Hardship Bursary form to contactupca@gmail.com with details of your circumstances for our consideration.
Applications will be considered as quickly as possible by the UPCA Bursary and Hardship Committee. If successful the administrator will contact you asking for bank details to transfer the amount awarded and in the case of a bursary, to inform the course leader. The maximum amount awarded is £300.
CPD and Annual Renewal of Membership Guidelines
The fundamental intention underpinning all CPD activity is protection of the public through the maintenance and improvement of professional standards.
UPCA clinical members are required to keep a portfolio of evidence of the CPD activities they undertake (for example, certificates of attendance, links to online resources, references to books and articles etc) demonstrating that relevant clinical professional development has been maintained and that clinical practice is up-to-date.
As part of the annual membership renewal process a CPD declaration needs to be completed and signed (an electronic signature is acceptable) confirming:
Client Contact Hours
- Each week (normally a recommended minimum of 4 client contact hours per week for the first five years of practice)*.
*if you have not met the client requirement please explain your reasons on your renewal form.
Number and Frequency of Supervision Hours
- Prior to accreditation members working towards their 450 hours clinical practice must have supervision at a minimum ratio of 1:6 hours of supervision to client hours.
- Post accreditation, a minimum of 1.5 hours supervision per month is required. Members with high or complex caseloads should consider additional supervision to the minimum requirement.
Group, Peer and Online Supervision for qualified and trainee members
Group Supervision-Qualified practitioners
- Group hours count in the same way as one to one supervision
Peer supervision hours
- Peer supervision hours only count for qualified practitioners
Group Supervision-Trainees
- For members in training, group supervision must be facilitated supervision. In the latter case, the trainee must be learning from, and contributing to, the supervision of the group as a whole.
UPCA does not differentiate between online or in-person Supervision
Personal Therapy
- Continued personal therapy is recommended in the first years of clinical practice.
UPCA does not differentiate between online or in-person personal therapy.
50 Hours CPD Activity
50 hours is a minimum guideline not including practice hours
e.g. client contact hours.
Items that could be included as part of the CPD activity are:
- In person or online core training meetings, for example workshops/seminars providing development across other models
- Training meetings
- Experiences outside the consulting room that contribute to new ways of thinking about/engaging in clinical work
- Complementary professional activities for example, research, writing, reading, spiritual practice, self-care practice
- Clinical Supervision, Peer supervision and Group supervision.
Indemnity Insurance
- A copy of your professional indemnity insurance certificate to evidence cover for the previous 12 months.
Note: *CPD Evidence (e.g. certificates; minutes etc) copies are not required as part of the annual renewal process however please retain originals in your CPD portfolio as you may be requested to submit this documentation during a random audit process or during your 5-yearly re-accreditation assessment by UPCA.
*UPCA requires its clinical members to undertake a minimum of 50 hours of CPD activities per year (in line with current UKCP requirements for a minimum 250 hours over 5 years).
CPD Audit
It is a condition of membership that all clinical members are audited once every five years, to demonstrate they that have met the UKCP requirement for 250 hours of CPD. For the members selected, the audit serves the dual purpose of meeting the requirements of the UKCP 5-yearly re-accreditation for UKCP Registration. The audit is conducted in the Spring of each year. If you have been selected for audit you will be sent an audit notice with details of the additional CPD information and evidence required.
You will be required to include confirmation of your supervision and a copy of your indemnity insurance certificate for the period of the audit. We will send you a copy of your last renewal form to assist you.
Your audit submission will be checked as complete before being sent to a UPCA assessor (usually a member of UPCA Council).
You will be notified by email of the outcome of the audit.
Breaks in Practice or Training
Members have an ethical responsibility for considering their fitness to practice and may in some circumstances decide that they need to take a break from practice. UPCA takes the view that the situation of each individual will be different and that the needs of those requiring a break in practice will be considered on a case-by-case basis. However, mechanisms need to be in place that ensure that UPCA have adequate information and records as part of their responsibility to patients and the individual practitioner.
The procedures for breaks in practice are as follows:
1. Notification of a Break in Practice
- Members are required to notify UPCA of any interruption, of over 3
months, from their practice. - Depending on circumstances this may need to be done prospectively or retrospectively. A form is available for recording this intention along with any mitigating circumstance.
- Members will be required to complete a summary of their CPD plans while on a break from practice, there is form available on request for this purpose. However UPCA also recognises that some situations may mean it is not possible to undertake CPD and again the member needs to inform UPCA of this.
2. Maintaining Membership
- During a break from practice members are required to maintain their membership status and pay their membership fees.
3. Notification of Return to Practice
- The member should notify UPCA when they are ready to return to practice, they will be required to complete a summary of their CPD plan for that year of practice. A form is available for this.
- Where there has been a break from practice for a period of up to 18 months, and where appropriate CPD has not been possible, members would normally be required to provide evidence of structured / verifiable CPD or alternative / equivalent retraining, undertaken over a period of 6-12 months.
- Where there has been a break from practice of more than 18 months members would normally be required to provide evidence of structured / verifiable CPD or alternative / equivalent retraining, undertaken over a period of 12-18 months.
- For further information on annual CPD requirements please go to: Maintaining Your Membership
Breaks in Training
When a student member takes an interruption from training and concurrent break from supervised practice, approved by their training institution, this is regarded as a break in training. The student will not be liable for membership fees during this period, provided the programme leader informs UPCA about the break.
Please ask your programme leader to contact us in these circumstances to temporarily suspend your membership. When you return to training, please contact us to renew your membership.
Relationship between UKCP and UPCA
UPCA is an organisational member* and accrediting body of UKCP. Membership of UPCA and UKCP are interdependent. Students of UPCA courses leading to a psychotherapy or psychotherapeutic counselling qualification and UKCP registration, must join UPCA at the commencement of training as a Student member and remain a member in the appropriate category of membership throughout training and clinical practice period until all UPCA requirements for Accredited Clinical membership and UKCP Registration have been met.
Members should be aware that if their UPCA membership lapses, their UKCP membership will also be lapsed.
As an Accredited Clinical member, you must continue to maintain UPCA membership by renewing annually. If UPCA membership lapses, UKCP registration will also be lapsed.
Student members of a UPCA course leading to a psychotherapy or psychotherapeutic counselling qualification/UKCP registration, may also additionally apply to join UKCP as a Student member or Trainee member, if required by their university or placement/employer.
How to Join UKCP
Student Member
To apply, please go to; Join us | UKCP (psychotherapy.org.uk) to complete an online application form for student membership. There is no annual fee for student membership of UKCP.
Once UKCP have received your completed application form and payment information, they will verify your details with your organisational member* UPCA, who holds details of your eligibility.
This will usually take around 7-10 working days.
Are you eligible?
You are eligible for free UKCP student membership if you are on a training course with a UKCP-registered organisational member, such as UPCA, which leads to a psychotherapy or psychotherapeutic counselling qualification and UKCP registration.
Student membership is of UKCP is available up to the point when you enter into any clinical practice. At that point, you should become both a UPCA and a UKCP trainee member.
Trainee Member
To apply, please go to; Join us | UKCP (psychotherapy.org.uk) to complete an online application form for trainee membership. There is an annual fee for trainee membership of UKCP.
Once UKCP have received your completed application form and payment information, they will verify your details with your organisational member* UPCA, who holds details of your eligibility.
This will usually take around 7-10 working days.
Are you eligible?
To be eligible for UKCP trainee member status you must belong to a UKCP-registered organisation, such as UPCA. You must also be in the process of completing a training course and undertaking the required clinical practice hours with a UKCP organisational member*. In the case of UPCA each University has its own processes for contracting with placement agencies over clinical supervision.
To apply, please go to; Join us | UKCP (psychotherapy.org.uk) to complete an online application form for trainee membership.
Once UKCP have received your completed application form and payment information, they will verify your details with UPCA as your organisational member*, who holds details of your eligibility. This will usually take around 7-10 working days.
Non-accredited Clinical Members of UPCA
On graduating trainee members of UPCA, who have further outstanding requirements for accreditation are required to take up Non-Accredited Clinical membership of UPCA.
UPCA members in this category are not yet entitled to apply to UKCP for entry onto the UKCP register. There is no UKCP equivalent of Non-accredited clinical membership, UKCP regards Non-accredited clinical members of UPCA as Trainee members.
To apply to UKCP, please go to; Join us | UKCP (psychotherapy.org.uk) to complete an online application form for trainee membership. There is a fee for trainee membership of UKCP. (see p. 3 below)
Once UKCP have received your completed application form and payment information, they will verify your details with UPCA as your organisational member*, who holds details of your eligibility. This will usually take around 7-10 working days.
Registered Member of UKCP
Accredited Clinical Members of UPCA can join UKCP as a Full Clinical Member and apply to join the UKCP National Register. If you have fully completed your training and are already a member of a UKCP organisation, such as UPCA, you can apply to join the UKCP Register online at; Join us | UKCP (psychotherapy.org.uk)
Once you have completed your application form and payment information, UKCP will verify your details with your organisational member*. This will usually take around 7-10 working days.
Are you eligible?
This membership category is open to graduates from UPCA accredited, psychotherapy and psychotherapeutic counselling training programmes. Graduates will have completed all requirements of the programme and training, and fulfilled the necessary criteria for registration as either a psychotherapeutic counsellor or a psychotherapist. Consequently, these members are entitled to apply to UKCP for entry onto the relevant sections of the UKCP register.
Payment
Details of UKCP membership fees can be found on the UKCP website in; JOIN US FAQs at; Membership FAQs | UKCP (psychotherapy.org.uk)
Annual Renewal of Membership of UKCP and UPCA
Please note all UKCP members/registrants are required to remain in membership of their organisational member (i.e. UPCA). If you cancel or lapse your UPCA membership at any time, your UKCP membership will also lapse/be cancelled.
The UPCA membership year runs from 1st September to 31st August each year. You will receive a renewal reminder by email from UPCA every year in July. Payment is due by 1st September every year and not on the anniversary of the last payment.
UKCP membership and fees are additional to, and separate from UPCA membership, UKCP will also send you a reminder every August for membership year 1st October to 30th September.
If you have any questions about UPCA membership please contact: