Core Professions List

The professions listed here have had a substantial amount of mental health training and meet accreditation requirements for knowledge and experience in mental health

If you don’t have one of these professions and fully meet these criteria, you should complete a Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes KSA Portfolio.

Core Professions List and Criteria

• Arts Therapists – Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) Registered
• Counselling – Accreditation with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (MBACP Accred),  Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP), Counselling and Psychotherapy in Scotland (COSCA), Federation of Drug and Alcohol Professionals’ National Counsellor Accreditation Certificate (FDAP NCAC) or National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (previously National Counselling Society) - Accredited Professional Registrant (PNCPS Accred)
• Medicine – Psychiatrist or General Practitioner, MBChB or MBBS, and usually PG training with membership of MRCGP, MRCP or MRCPsych
• Nurse - NMC Registered Mental Health Nurse, or NMC Registered Learning Disability Nurse
• Occupational Therapy – BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy, MSc Occupational Therapy, or Diploma of the College of Occupational Therapists (DipCOT) and HCPC Registered
• Psychotherapy/ Psychotherapeutic Counselling – United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) Registered
• Social Work – Certificate of Qualification in Social Work (CQSW), Diploma in Social Work (DipSW), MA Social Work, or BA/BSc Hons Social Work. Registered with one of four UK regulators - Social Work England (SWE), Social Care Wales (SCW), Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC) and Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) *or previously registered with HCPC
• Postgraduate Doctorate in Clinical/Counselling Psychology - Post-graduate doctorate in clinical or counselling psychology and HCPC Registered as Practitioner Psychologist
• Educational Psychology - Doctorate or Qualification in Educational Psychology Stage 2 (QEPS) - must have BPS Chartership (CPsychol) and HCPC Registration as Practitioner Psychologist
• Health Psychology – Qualification in Health Psychology Stage 2 (QHP) - must have BPS Chartership (CPsychol) and HCPC Registration as Practitioner Psychologist
• Forensic Psychology – Qualification in Forensic Psychology Stage 2 (QFP) - must have BPS Chartership (CPsychol) and HCPC Registration as Practitioner Psychologist

Core Professions prior to 1 October 2020

If you were admitted on to a Level 2 accredited course before 1 October 2020 using the criteria below, you can still apply for Accreditation without completing a KSA.

If this applies to you and you were offered a place in 2020, please keep evidence of the date you were offered a place on the course. You will need to submit it with your Level 2 Provisional Accreditation. Students admitted to any other courses after this time should use the new list.

• Arts Therapists – HCPC Registered
• Counselling – Accredited with the BACP, IACP, COSCA, or FDAP (NCAC), or Registered Member CPC
• Medicine – Psychiatrist or General Practitioner, MBChB or MBBS, and usually PG training with membership of MRCGP, MRCP or MRCPsych
• Occupational Therapy – BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy, MSc Occupational Therapy, or Dip C.O.T and HCPC Registered
• Probation Services – DipPS
• Psychotherapy / Psychotherapeutic Counselling - UKCP Registration
• Registered Nurse – Mental Health (RMN), or Learning Disability (general nursing and enrolled nursing is insufficient)
• Social Work – CQSW, DipSW or BA/BSc Hons Social Work
• Teacher of Special Education / Needs – CertEd, B.Ed, or BA/BSc with PGCE, plus additional specialist training in Special Education, with additional counselling / psychotherapy training
• Psychology – 1st degree plus a post-graduate qualification (MSc or Doctorate) in an applied area such as clinical, counselling, educational, forensic, health psychology –evidence of the applied element is required (placements etc within the training). If you have practiced as an applied psychologist in the UK, you will also be HCPC Registered as a Practitioner Psychologist.