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The ACP

The Association of Child Psychotherapists is the professional organisation for Child Psychotherapy in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1949. The Association recognises and monitors five trainings in Child & Adolescent Psychotherapy. Those accepted as clinical Trainees by any of these trainings are eligible for student membership of the Association; Child Psychotherapists who have qualified in one ot those trainings are eligible for full membership of the Association, and are able to work as autonomous professionals within the NHS.

International Aspects
The ACP is the designated Authority for the recognition of qualifications of Child and Adolescent Psychotherapists from EU countries wishing to work in the UK. The ACP's Outline for Training Courses, which lays down training standards, has become a blueprint for countries setting up trainings in Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy. The ACP has links with European psychotherapeutic organisations through the European Sector (EFPP), of which it is a founder member. Membership of the ACP is recognised in most areas of the world as a qualification to practice in the field of child and adolescent psychotherapy, and ACP members currently work in almost 20 countries worldwide.

Principal Objectives

• to maintain standards and ethics within the profession
• to monitor, develop and protect training standards and curriculum in the Training Schools
• to increase the availability of psychotherapy for children and adolescents within public services, particularly the NHS
• to maintain continuing professional and clinical development of its members
• to safeguard the interests of the membership

Membership
There are at present more than 760 members of the Association.

The Association offers an annually updated register of the professional addresses of its members, which is effectively a worldwide map of the availability of pychotherapy for children and adolescents, as well as being a referral network. It publishes a comprehensive monthly guide to employment opportunities in psychotherapeutic work with children and adolescents in the UK. Scientific Meetings and the ACP Annual Conference are a forum for the sharing of clinical and theoretical perspectives, and its Journal is highly respected and increasingly widely read in the UK and abroad.

Trainee membership
Trainee membership entitles trainees to attend Scientific Meetings and the Annual Conference, to receive the Journal of Child Psychotherapy and the Bulletin and the Register of Members, and to vote in the elections for office and on constitutional change. There is a member of the Executive of the Association who has a specific responsibility for liaison with Trainees.

Structure of the Association
The Executive Committee is the governing body of the A.C.P. It is composed of the four elected officers of the Association (Chairperson, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and Office Liaison) and nine elected members. Ex-officio members include the Chair of the Training Council, the Convenor of the Assessors Panel and the Editors of the Journal and Bulletin. Each member of the Executive has responsibility for chairing a sub-committee of the Executive, or for some other area of responsibility.

The Training Council is responsible for all matters related to training. It safeguards the standards laid down in the Outline of Training, recognises new trainings, and determines the principles that govern the selection of students for training.
Please see following document for ACP Quality Standards for Training

The Membership Sub Committee will subsume the functions of the selection sub-committee, rule 5 sub-committee, as well as deal with issues of qualification, of trainees, administer the register and categories of membership, oversee relationsips with European bodies in so far as they impact on the ACP's role as a designated authority, oversee ACP members records of continuous professional development and post qualifying training.

The Assessors Panel comprises a number of experienced Child Psychotherapists who attend Appointment Panels for NHS and other public sector appointments. This is in accordance with conditions laid down by the Department of Health. The role of the Assessor is to ensure, on behalf of the profession, that appointees are professionally competent to undertake the requirements of the job, and that terms and conditions of employment are appropriate to it.

The Ethics Committee considers and adjudicates complaints from the public, within the context of the Association's disciplinary procedures, and advises the Association on relevant ethical and professional matters.

The Programme Planning Committee arranges scientific meetings, topics and speakers and is responsible for planning and organising the Annual Conference.

Journal of Child Psychotherapy is the scientific journal of the Association. Please click on the 'Journal' link at the top of the page to find out more.

The Bulletin is a monthly internal publication which contains a diary of relevant events, articles, reviews and items of interest by members, and publishes advertisements for NHS and other Child Psychotherapy posts. It is the sole medium for comprehensive job vacancy listings. There is an Editorial Board which works with the Editors to publish the Bulletin. Short articles and news items are welcomed from all members of the Association. Applications from interested Trainees to join the Bulletin Board are always welcomed.

The ACP has representatives who work with Young Minds, the National Children's Bureau, the Association for Child Psychology and Psychiatry, the UKCP, and the BCP.

There are several other Committees and Sub-Committees. The Association encourages members at all levels of experience to become involved in the running of the Association.