2.1     To promote high standards of clinical and ethical practice in the following modalities: Psychotherapeutic work with individual adults; Psychotherapeutic work with couples; Psychotherapeutic work with children and young people; Psychotherapeutic work with families.

2.2    To promote dialogue and collaboration among and between the different approaches to Psychotherapeutic Counselling.

2.3    To promote and assist in the promotion of, high standards of training in Psychotherapeutic counselling.

2.4    To promote research and education in the theory and practice of Psychotherapeutic counselling.

2.5    To promote the training of Supervisors and Trainers in approaches to Psychotherapeutic counselling.

2.6 To create a Register of qualified Psychotherapeutic Counsellors, Supervisors and Trainers.

In furtherance of the above aims UKAPC shall:

2.7 Encourage the exchange and understanding of the different theoretical and practical approaches to Psychotherapeutic counselling through publications, workshops and conferences.

2.8 Support the aims and objectives of other counselling and psychotherapy organisations within the UK and support discussion and collaboration on issues of mutual interest and concern.

2.9 To do all such things as shall further the above aims.

3 Membership

UKAPC is a Federation of Member Organisations which have equality of status and representation and which are committed to the UKAPC Mission Statement.

3.1 Organisational Membership. Membership is open to organisations which support the aims and objectives of UKAPC and which fulfil the formal requirements for membership under one of the five categories of membership: Full Membership; Provisional Membership; Associate Membership, and Institutional Membership.

All applications for Membership shall be submitted to the Administrative Officer who will forward them to a sub-committee of the Governing Board for scrutiny. Acceptance will be by a two-thirds vote at the Board. On acceptance, the Full Member organisation will henceforth:

pay an annual fee as agreed by the Governing Board for the administrative expenses of the organisation;
have the right to have one vote at each meeting of the Governing Board;
be eligible for such of its graduates who fulfil the UKAPC registration requirements to be entered on the UKAPC Register.

3.2 Individual Membership. Individuals may be registered as students or as members of a current Member Organisation. They will:

have access to the full UKAPC website;
be entitled to say they are UKAPC registered for purposes of employment;
attend UKAPC conferences at discounted rates;
be eligible to represent their organisations on the Governing Board and at the Annual General Meeting, or other General Meetings.

4 The Governing Board

4.1 Composition of the Governing Board.

The Governing Board will consist of the following categories:

4.2 Up to two lay members who shall not hold any qualifications in counselling, psychotherapeutic counselling or psychotherapy

4.3 Up to two representatives of the organisations that are Full Organisational Members of UKAPC.

4.4 Officers of UKAPC with formally designated roles, who are elected from the Full Organisational Members at each AGM by a simple majority vote. The Officers are responsible for the production of policies which are agreed by the GB and for their implementation. An Annual Report shall be presented to the GB and there will be a progress up-date at each GB meeting.

4.5 The Governing Board shall constitute committees and working parties with agreed terms of reference as required. It may also co-opt up to three persons from among Full Member Organisations, either for specific tasks or to fulfil a casual vacancy until the next Annual General Meeting.

5 Duties of the Governing Board

5.1 The Governing Board shall carry out the decisions and policies of UKAPC agreed by the Annual General Meeting.

5.2 A quorum of the Governing Board shall be one third of the membership of the Board plus one, of whom at least one should be an Officer.

5.3 The Governing Board shall meet at least four times a year. In addition it shall convene the Annual General Meeting and such other meetings as required.

5.4 The Governing Board is responsible for the oversight and management of any staff appointed, whether paid or voluntary, that may be appointed by UKAPC to carry out its business.

5.5 Tenure of office: Officers and Members shall resign each year and may offer themselves for re-election until they have served five years consecutively. This does not include tenure as an Officer, and no Officer may serve for more than four years consecutively. It is the responsibility of the Board to ensure that Members and Officers resign in rotation to ensure that a minimum of one sixth of Board Members are renewed each year. This rotation system shall be introduced at the first relevant point where an individual Officer or Member has served their full term. If no replacements are available, tenure may be extended a year at a time subject to the approval of the Annual General Meeting.

5.6 The Governing Board shall include the Registrar as a non-voting member.

6 Meetings of the Governing Board

6.1 Meetings shall be called by the Chair giving at least 30 days formal notice in writing to all Member Organisations. The Board must meet at least twice a year.

6.2 Member organisations may submit items for the agenda by notifying the Chair in writing normally at least five weeks before the meeting and such properly notified items must appear on the agenda.

6.3 An Extraordinary General Meeting shall be called either by decision of the Governing Board, or within 16 weeks of 40% of the Full Member Organisations notifying the Chair in writing of their wish for such a meeting.

7 Annual General Meeting

7.1 One general meeting each year shall be the Annual General Meeting and this shall take place within 15 months of the previous Annual General Meeting.

7.2 This meeting will consider reports from Officers and the chairs of any subcommittees and working parties.

7.3 The Accounts must be presented and adopted and auditors agreed.

7.4 The Annual General Meeting shall consider motions submitted by the Governing Board and from the Member Organisations that are full members of UKAPC.

7.5 The Annual General Meeting shall approve the level of Member Organisations’ individual subscriptions to UKAPC, as suggested by the Treasurer and after discussion at a Governing Board meeting.

7.6 The agenda will be distributed at least 14 days prior to the AGM and there will be no AOB.

8 Voting Rights and Procedures

8.1 Voting rights will be reserved for organisations in Full Organisational Membership on the basis of one vote for each organisation.

8.2 Provisional Members, Associate and Institutional Members will have participant non-voting rights but cannot stand, nominate, second the nominations of others or be elected to the Governing Board, the Committees or Offices of UKAPC.

9 Review of Membership

9.1 The Governing Board shall review the grounds for membership of

UKAPC as defined by the constitution of each of the member organisations not less than once every five years and report the outcome of such reviews to the Annual General Meeting.

9.2 If a complaint is received about a Member Organisation, and this complaint is upheld a report shall be made to the Annual General Meeting about the complaint and its resolution. If it has not been resolved, the Member Organisation may have its membership terminated by resolution of the AGM.

9.3 If a complaint is received and upheld against any member or officer of the GB, they shall forthwith resign.

9.4 If an individual member takes out a complaint against their Member Organisation, the Governing Board shall investigate any such complaint and take such action as is deemed appropriate. UKAPC shall have in place a procedure for arbitration of such disputes between individual members and their Member Organisations, and between Member Organisations, as fall under the UKAPC regulations.

10 Amendment to the Constitution

This constitution is intended to develop in accordance with the evolution of the organisation.

The duly adopted Constitution may be amended only if motions proposing such amendments are agreed by a two-thirds majority of the Annual General Meeting.

11 Termination of UKAPC

UKAPC may be terminated at a General Meeting if the motion proposing it receives a two thirds majority of the votes cast. Following such a decision any monies, goods or property owned by UKAPC shall, after the satisfaction of all proper debts and liabilities, be transferred to an organisation with similar aims, or to a charity determined by the Governing Board or to the organisations which were previously its members.

Page Updated: 13/07/2008