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Accredited registers update 

About Accredited Registers

Accredited Registers strategic review

Our strategic review concluded in July 2021. As part of the review, we consulted publicly on the future shape of the Accredited Registers programme in early 2020. We also published the report of the consultation. We received strong support for taking great account of the effectiveness of treatments offered by those on the voluntary registers we accredit.

To achieve this, in July we introduced a new ‘public interest test’ into our Standards for Accredited Registers. This will allow us to weigh up whether the benefits of activities outweigh the risks. We have also introduced a more proportionate assessment cycle of once every three years instead of annually, and a revised fees model that has enabled the programme to achieve financial sustainability this year.

We hope that these changes will make sure the programme continues to provide a proportionate regulatory solution for roles not subject to statutory regulation. Our focus for the rest of the year will be working with UK Government, employers and commissioners to embed the programme within workforce planning and recruitment.

Changes to Registers accredited

In July 2021, the Society of Homeopaths withdrew from the programme. The Society’s accreditation had been suspended for 12 months on 11 January 2021 after failing to meet Conditions that had been imposed in October 2020. The Society and its registrants will no longer be able to display our Quality Mark.

We are assessing six new applications for accreditation for Registers from the: UK Society for Behavioural Analysis, Institute of Trichologists, British Psychological Society, British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, National Council of Psychotherapists, and the Rehabilitation Workers Professional Network. The roles registered provide support in areas including mental health and vision rehabilitation for blind and partially sighted people.

Enhancing safeguarding arrangements

We are working with the Disclosure and Barring Service to develop a pilot of enhanced safeguarding checks for Registers. The aim is to make sure that Accredited Registers can access an appropriate level of criminal record checks for their registrants. We are planning to begin a pilot of enhanced DBS checks later this year, and will be engaging within Scotland and Northern Ireland to explore parallel arrangements.