Students taking part in a landmark project which fully funds postgraduate psychotherapeutic training within NHS services have now started their third and final year.

The three-year NHS Pathways project, launched by five of the SCoPEd partners in collaboration with NHS Talking Therapies, continues to deliver on its promise of providing fully funded postgraduate training in psychotherapeutic counselling within NHS services in England.

Expanding access and enhancing collaboration

Year two of the NHS Pathways project saw continued progress in delivering high-quality training to future therapists. The project, which began with the launch of three postgraduate courses in September 2022, has provided training in person-centred experiential counselling for depression, dynamic interpersonal therapy and couples therapy for depression to 46 students.

Year one of the pilot delivered a foundational course and years two and three are a postgraduate diploma. The training offered through this pilot programme is aligned with the Scope of Practice and Education (SCoPEd) framework and accredited by five of the six SCoPEd partners, with the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) acting as the lead accrediting body.

The five partners involved in the project are:

• Association of Christians in Counselling and Linked Professions (ACC)
• British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
• British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC)
• National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS)
• UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)

This significant initiative is not only about expanding the range of therapies available within the NHS, but also about fostering inclusivity and accessibility within the counselling and psychotherapy profession. By offering fully funded training, the project starts to break down financial barriers that have historically limited access to advanced qualifications.

Diversifying the workforce

By providing fully funded training pathways, the pilot programme hopes to make these fields more accessible to individuals from varied ethnic backgrounds who may have previously faced obstacles to entering psychotherapy and counselling training.
The success of this pilot programme could pave the way for additional funded training pathways, reinforcing the SCoPEd partnership’s collaboration with NHS decision-makers and expanding opportunities for affiliated training providers to support the growth of NHS services.

Quality assurance

A key element of the NHS Pathways project has been the establishment of a quality assurance committee, comprising members from across the five SCoPEd partners. The committee has played a vital role in overseeing accreditation, ensuring that standards are upheld and addressing any concerns that have arisen during the training process.

As part of the year two assessment, in-person visits to each of the three training providers were carried out. The three courses must meet the National Curriculum for High Intensity Psychotherapeutic Counselling within NHS Talking Therapies requirements, the specific modality learning outcomes and SCoPEd framework column B standards. All three courses were found to meet these standards.

Looking ahead

The successful completion of year two takes the NHS Pathways project one step closer to achieving its long-term goals. These include not only improving the accessibility of psychotherapeutic training but also creating more pathways for funded training opportunities within the NHS.

Paul Buckley, independent chair of the SCoPEd partners, said: ‘As we move into the third and final year of the pilot, the partners remain committed to supporting the professional development of future therapists, enhancing the diversity and inclusivity of the workforce and ultimately improving the range of therapeutic options available to patients and clients within the NHS.

‘Looking ahead, the pilot programme not only addresses these goals but promotes a wider array of therapeutic approaches beyond CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) and enhanced patient choice. The project lays the groundwork for future initiatives to harness the opportunities arising from the growing demand for mental health services, the recent announcement of increased funding and the outcomes expected from the NHS 10-Year Plan.

‘We hope that the successes of the pilot project will ensure that the NHS rolls out further opportunities for funded training across the four nations. This would enable additional students to enter the NHS workforce and would allow different training organisations to pitch to provide the funded training.’

About SCoPEd

The Scope of Practice and Education (SCoPEd) framework is a shared standards framework, developed by six Professional Standards Authority accredited bodies, which represent approximately 75,000 counsellors and psychotherapists.

It transparently sets out the core training, practice and competence requirements for counsellors and psychotherapists working with adults.

The organisations signed up to the SCoPEd framework are:

ACC: Association of Christians in Counselling
BACP: British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
BPC: British Psychoanalytic Council
HGI: Human Givens Institute
NCPS: National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society
UKCP: UK Council for Psychotherapy