UDCNSLNG - BSc (Hons) Counselling

The BSc (Hons) Counselling focuses on wellbeing via a biopsychosocial and cross-cultural perspective where counselling skills have been applied across the lifespan. A balance between working with mental health and long-term conditions with reference to the NHS 5- year plan is a critical foundation guiding component to this course ensuring that students are kept up to date with health care practices. Further, students will develop their competencies in conducting research and analysis in counselling.

The BSc (Hons) Counselling course offers an opportunity to obtain an academic degree and a professional qualification. The BSc (Hons) Counselling meets the QAA counselling and psychotherapy benchmark statements including setting and maintaining academic standards and quality (QAA, 2013). Further, the standards of education and training are designed to meet the proficiency required for a British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) registered counsellor. This course will enable students to develop skills and knowledge in each of the core areas in counselling including cognitive, behavioural, humanistic and psychodynamic counselling. Additionally, the course will enhance students’ communications and IT skills relevant to counselling; develop students’ research skills and their ethical awareness in this discipline and to develop students’ problem-solving skills. Focus on students will include their ‘ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing’ (QAA, 2013, p.6). This will include power point presentations, written assignments and examinations and also skills such as ‘the ability to articulate principal concepts and arguments; to give and receive feedback, and to include self-reflection in written and practitioner communications where appropriate’ (ibid).

Assessment and teaching methods are diversified in order to demonstrate competency in a wide range of academic and counselling skills. A scaffolding and student-centred approach to learning and skills development will be used. Students will be encouraged to be actively involved in their own learning practices and to use the available resources to support this (e.g. use of technology-online resources). Since the course has been developed with a view to students working in healthcare/industry acquiring skills in reflexive practice, time management and the ability to work in groups/teams will be part of the student training and assessment.

Students will also be expected to carry out independent scholarly and empirical research in the theories and principles of counselling and to demonstrate the intellectual skills required to evaluate theory and research in counselling and its application. Research methods and a final year research dissertation will assess the student’s competencies in this area. Further, the course has a research focus aimed at supporting an evidence base in counselling. The BACP emphasises the importance of research to support and promote good counselling practice and to evidence its healthcare applicability via a sociocultural perspective. Many counselling courses do not provide research methods and/or data collection research dissertations in their training, necessary to promote and develop this discipline.

Access to online learning resources will include lectures (e.g. lecture capture), module, and assessment details on weblearn. A PASS scheme will be available to students throughout their studies to boost their academic success and to encourage students to feel more integrated. Students will be encouraged to attend university-based enhancement weeks, in order to support learning practices and transferable skills. Additionally, an academic tutor and mentor will be available to provide additional academic support.

London Metropolitan University’s library has a wide range of books, journals, and other online resources, various study rooms, and zones, to support students throughout their studies. Mentors will also be available to offer advice and support on student assessment.

The moment students start this course they will be encouraged to apply for BACP student membership. Students may be required to ‘shadow’ or work in an administrative role in healthcare prior to developing their trainee counselling skills. Role play, audio recording and filmed counselling will be part of their training along with developing reflexive practice. As a student member of the BACP students would be encouraged to attend conferences and to access the additional support services the BACP has, such as journals and student placement and job searches. On completion of this course, students will be eligible for individual membership. Therefore, students would be expected to graduate with a supervised placement of at least 100 client contact hours. Following completion of the course, graduates can undergo a certificate of proficiency test via the BACP towards obtaining MBACP membership. The course provides 450hrs of counselling tutor contact, and therefore along with a certificate of proficiency and continuing counselling practice towards 450hrs of client contact will enable graduates to achieve MBACP accreditation.

London Metropolitan University will aim to facilitate student placement with a list of organisations. However, it is the student’s responsibility to secure their placement. Students must secure a placement by level 5, otherwise they will not be able to continue. London Metropolitan University would aim to develop a collaborative relationship with students’ placements. Ideally the placement provides clinical supervision - if this is not the case the student will have to obtain independent supervision from a MBACP registered counsellor at their cost. London Metropolitan University will have a list of suitable organisations for students to contact, but placement and supervision organisation will be the responsibility of the student. If a placement cannot be secured by level 5, students will be advised to consider taking an alternative course. This would all be discussed at the initial interview.

This course has been designed in accordance to the BACP, CQC, NHS and NICE guidelines. In addition to students developing counselling and coaching skills, students will be versed with safeguarding matters, psycho-pharmaceutical matters, risk assessment and risk management, all of which are now critical in healthcare. Diverse modules have been developed which incorporate both healthcare aimed at increasing students’ skills set and employment opportunities.

Clinical healthcare such as mental health and health psychology (e.g. living with long term illness) across the lifespan via a biocultural and psychosocial perspective will be included.
Further, an understanding of specialised populations with (or without) complex needs such as prisoners, those with disabilities and/or learning difficulties, end-of-life considerations, BAME groups, dual diagnosed and those with enduring mental health problems will be integrated into the curriculum.

London Metropolitan University offers a substantial amount of support to students during and after their studies. The employability factor for this course is potentially quite high - a career and employability service is also available.

Bringing this together and working within the social justice framework at LMU, an inclusivity-based learning community model has been employed which has supported commonly shared goals between students, staff, and external agencies with an emphasis on reciprocal learning and reflection. Reflection has been based on the role double consciousness has in reflexive practice which has been incorporated throughout the teaching and learning in the course and permeates throughout student’s training. Double consciousness sets a framework for understanding the position of oppressed people in an oppressive world and details the role ‘the dual self’ plays in this context. This term has evolved into the exploration of the dynamics of gender, ethnicity, and duality in ourselves with its subsequent application to counselling practice and beyond.

Inclusivity based on double consciousness during reflection aims to encourage creativity, confidence, resilience, and ethical and social behaviour. Indeed, a primary goal has been to train students to become competent counsellors by developing their knowledge-base and counselling practitioner skills.
This has been aimed at developing students engagement and counselling competency, to potentiate student and LMU excellence in support of fair outcomes.

(1) To provide a specialist programme in counselling in accordance with the QAA counselling and psychotherapy benchmark statements and BACP (a prerequisite for progression to full BACP membership) guidelines.
(2) To develop skills and knowledge in each of the core areas in counselling (e.g. cognitive, behavioural, humanistic and psychodynamic) and to ensure that students develop a thorough understanding of these core areas and are aware of the conceptual and historical context for current theory and knowledge within each of these areas
(3) To develop students counselling skills and core practitioner competencies in accordance with the BACP.
(4) To promote and develop effective and ethical integrative counselling for the well-being of service users in varying healthcare and work based (industry) settings.
(5) To engage in a wide range of assessment and teaching methods in order to demonstrate competency in both academic and counselling.
(6) To acquire and develop competencies in conducting research and analysis in counselling
(7) To develop a working knowledge of safeguarding matters, psycho-pharmaceutical considerations and risk assessment and risk management in healthcare
(8) To develop an understanding of specialised populations with (or without) complex needs such as prisoners, those with disabilities and/or learning difficulties, end of life considerations, BAME groups, LGBQIA+ groups, dual diagnosed/co-morbid and those with enduring mental health problems

1. Demonstrate confidence, resilience, ambition and creativity and will act as inclusive, collaborative and socially responsible practitioners/professionals in their discipline.

2. Deploy accurately established techniques of analysis and enquiry within counselling

3. Devise and sustain arguments, and/or to solve problems, using ideas and techniques, some of which are at the forefront of counselling;

4. Describe and comment upon particular aspects of current research, or equivalent advanced scholarship, in counselling, recognising the uncertainty, ambiguity and limits of knowledge;

5. Manage their own learning, and to make use of scholarly reviews and primary sources, (for example, refereed research articles and/or original materials appropriate to counselling).

6. Apply the methods and techniques that they have learned to review, consolidate, extend and apply their knowledge and understanding, and to initiate and carry out projects;

7. Critically evaluate arguments, assumptions, abstract concepts and data (that may be incomplete), to make judgements, and to frame appropriate questions to achieve a solution - or identify a range of solutions - to a problem;

8. Communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialist and non-specialist audiences;

9. Exercise initiative and personal responsibility, including decision-making in complex and unpredictable contexts;

10. Undertake appropriate further training of a professional or equivalent nature

QAA benchmark statements counselling and psychotherapy (2013)
https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/subject-benchmark-statements/subject-benchmark-statement-counselling-psychotherapy.pdf

The BSc (Hons) Counselling comprises a number of core components that run throughout the programme. These consist of research methods; counselling practice skills workshops and placement; critical reflective practice and core counselling and coaching theory. Both a student-centred and scaffolding approach will build on students’ skills set by developing on the previous year.

The theoretical underpinnings of counselling run throughout all modules with a particular focus on core modules including for example introduction to counselling skills, counselling across the lifespan and brief interventions.

Placement support offers students a series of problem-based learning exercises aimed at developing their listening, counselling and reflexive skills. Counselling placement is central to students three year-long core training which incorporates up to 100 hrs of placement. Students are encouraged to develop their transferable counselling skills and theoretical understanding of the different counselling modalities both in University and counselling practice where assessment includes both a counselling case report and a counselling practice ethics review.

In practice, the standards of proficiency will ‘broadly’ cover the following areas:-
● Professional autonomy and accountability
● Professional relationships
● Ethical counselling practices including supervision
● Knowledge, understanding and skills
● Ability to work with a multidisciplinary health care team

The placement assessment will be monitored throughout the students’ studies and will include logs, confirmation of supervision and counselling competency achievements. These will become part of the students’ placement assessment. Further, ethical considerations in practice and good working practices will be addressed shortly after the student commences their studies as well as developing their counselling skills (see level-4 modules). A learning agreement will be a contract developed between the placement host, trainee and academic ‘supervisor’ in order to ensure that all learning outcomes are identified.

As an adjunct to good working practices a year-long module targeting ethical conduct and safeguarding has been designed in accordance with CQC regulations, making sure that students are familiarised with child and adult safeguarding, risk assessment and management and good working ethical practices. Reflection on the developing self also supports counselling and ethical conduct which is seen as a central throughout the programme.

Students can expect to gain competency in research skills which commence through the programme in preparation for their research dissertation related to counselling. Students are supported throughout this process and encouraged to publish on completion.

To support student learning a continuous and mixed assessment approach is utilised using both formative and summative assessments. A balance between role play, transferable counselling skills, counselling and academic understanding based on counselling case studies will be used along with critical reflexive practice. The volume, timing and nature of assessment will enable students to demonstrate the extent to which they have achieved the intended learning outcomes.

Assessment and feedback practices are informed by reflection, consideration of professional practice, and subject-specific and educational scholarship. Feedback on assessment is timely, constructive and developmental. Marking assessments and for moderating marks will be clearly articulated and consistently operated by those involved in the assessment process.

Potential applicants will be encouraged to secure a placement as soon as possible and will be informed that they are responsible for securing the placement and organising clinical supervision. London Metropolitan University will aim to develop a collaborative relationship with students’ placements. A suitable placement would include charities, refugees, health and social health care settings and business settings.

There are 3 one year-long placement modules. A learning agreement will be a contract developed between the placement host, trainee and academic ‘supervisor’ which will be submitted to the university as part of the students’ professional skills study log.

Some students will already be in a suitable placement. Those who are not will be supported in obtaining one. However, students will be responsible for securing a placement. Trainees will need to demonstrate experiential working through placement for 1-3 years. Students will have to complete 100hrs of counselling.

Students will be discouraged from working with vulnerable groups with complex needs who have not been pre-assessed for counselling suitability with a trainee. Students will not be permitted to have private clients.

Whilst student placements are being established, London Met will liaise with these organisations to develop future possibilities with these healthcare et al providers.

Flexible. Range between 4 to 6 years - where credits would be calculated tailored to the needs of the student.

Student membership of the BACP is a condition on this course. Students are expected to attend at least 70% of the teaching on this course.

Fitness to Practise Procedures – Counselling

Fitness to practise therefore represents a standard that is essentially about protecting the public from those who are not fit to practise or whose behaviour impacts on public protection or confidence. Where fitness to practise is ’impaired’ this means that there are concerns about a practitioner’s ability to practise safely and effectively, which may mean that they should not be permitted to practice or should be limited in what they are allowed to do.

To enable fairness and consistency in the assessment of fitness to practise within the training context, it is important to give due consideration to the practitioner’s trainee status and the appropriateness of the work in relation to their level of experience. For example, a trainee may not be ‘fit to practise’ with a high-risk patient with specific medical needs; however, their general standard of proficiency may be appropriate for that stage of training. This kind of scenario can be contrasted with a trainee who, for example:

• is frequently late for or misses appointments with clients or their supervisor
• seems to have persistent difficulty building working alliances with or retaining clients, or maintaining appropriate professional boundaries
• seems to have a difficulty understanding or implementing basic features of the model of therapy they used
• seems to struggle to manage the practical and/or emotional demands of their role
These kinds of characteristics may indicate more fundamental problems with a trainee’s fitness to practise, particularly if they persist in response to feedback and support, or appear to be evident across a number of different placements, as this would clearly fall below the standards expected of
a member of the profession. Similarly, the HCPC suggest that a practitioner’s fitness to practise would normally be regarded as impaired if there was evidence of the following kinds of behaviour:
• serious or persistent failure to meet standards;
• reckless or deliberate acts;
• hiding mistakes or trying to block their investigation;
• sexual misconduct or indecency (including any involvement in child pornography);
• improper relationships with service users;
• failure to respect the autonomy of service users;
• violence or threatening behaviour;
• dishonesty, fraud or an abuse of trust;
• exploitation of a vulnerable person;
• substance abuse or misuse;
• health problems which the registrant has not addressed, and which may affect the safety of service users; and
• other, equally serious, activities which undermine public confidence in the relevant profession.

All trainees are assessed on fitness to practise during their application and intervention for the course as well as through training workshops and ongoing academic supervision. Further information regarding the HCPC’s position and policies regarding fitness to practise can be found at http://www.hpc-uk.org/complaints/fitnesstopractise/

Obviously it is also important for supervisors to take into account the limits of a trainee’s competence and experience to ensure that they only take on work for which they are adequately prepared. The Placements Coordinator will also consider the suitability of a placement for a trainee in relation to the complexity/difficulty of the roles when advising trainees and approving placements. We do also of course recognise the importance of the supervisor’s contextual knowledge of the trainee’s practise and their own clinical judgement in evaluation of particular aspects of a trainee’s practise. However, we would expect placement supervisors to recognise the kinds of minimum standards outlined here and to let us and the trainee know if they have any questions or concerns about whether a trainee is meeting them.

a. Policy

a.1 London Metropolitan University recognises that in conferring certain academic awards that lead to a professional qualification or registration, it has a duty to ensure the fitness of students for practise and registration. As a result students on courses leading to such awards have certain obligations and responsibilities that go beyond those of other students. In ensuring that it abides by its duties in these respects it may not be possible for the University on every occasion to respect students’ confidentiality.

a.2 Fitness to Practise Regulations are necessary: a.2.1 To comply with the requirements of the regulators which accredit the courses; a.2.2 To protect clients and service users with whom the student may come into contact during the training; a.2.3 To show that students are fit to practise their future profession and have developed the requisite professional attitudes and behaviours; a.2.4 To ensure that students do not invest the time and money in qualifying for a career which they are not suited for;

a.3 The aim of this document is to give effect to these principles and obligations, and to provide a procedural framework through which possible issues can be addressed.

a.4 These Regulations enable investigation of a number of areas to be undertaken via a single process: a.4.1 Admissions (in Part d); a.4.2 Continuing Fitness (in part E); and a.4.3 Return to Studies (in part F).

a.5 Reasonable adjustments will be made to this procedure so that a disabled complainant is not substantially disadvantaged by the procedure.

b. Definitions and Interpretations

b.1 The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) defines ‘fit to practise’ as practitioners having the skills, knowledge, character and health to do their job safely and effectively and in the context of these Procedures this is in relation to: b.1.1 A student starting a particular Professional Course; or b.1.2 A student continuing with her/his current Professional Course; or b.1.3 A student’s return to her/his current Professional Course; b.1.4 Where the student’s behaviour or health means they are in breach of, or cannot comply with, the code of conduct/ethics issued by the Regulator and/or the University; b.1.5 Causes a serious or persistent concern about the possibility that they will: b.1.5.1
In virtue of their behaviour or practise, put at risk clients, patients, the public, other students, staff or themselves; b.1.5.2 Damage the trust in the relevant profession; b.1.5.3 Fail to maintain high standards of personal conduct, honesty and integrity and in so doing fall outside of the legal and/or ethical boundaries of the profession; b.1.5.4 Fail to act in the best interests, or respect the confidentiality, of clients, service users etc. that they may come into contact with;

b.2 Professional Course means a course of academic study that leads to professional qualification or registration.

b.3 Regulator means the professional body which accredits the course;

b.4 A reference in these regulations to a particular office-holder includes that officer-holder’s deputy or nominee.

b.5 Any period expressed as a period of days shall mean clear working days and shall exclude the days by which the period is calculated.

b.6 Applicant means any person who has applied or is considering applying to study on a course at the University or a person to whom an offer (whether conditional or unconditional) of a place to study at the University has been made, whether or not that offer has been accepted.

b.7 Any notice or other communication under this Procedure required to be in writing may be sent
by email.

b.8 “Authorised Staff Member” means a member of academic staff who teaches on a professionally accredited course other than the course for which the student is registered.

b.9 A Friend means a person, who shall normally be a member of staff or student of the University, appointed by a student to assist him or her in the conduct of his or her case at a hearing.

c. General Provisions

c.1 Fitness to practise is separate from and additional to fitness to study, or allegations of academic or other misconduct. A student is not exempt from these regulations simply because they have been subject to fitness to study or misconduct proceedings arising out of the same set of facts or circumstances.

c.2 The University will take into account relevant legislation such as the Data Protection Act, the Mental Health Act, the Mental Capacity Act, the Human Rights Act and the Equality Act when making decisions under these regulations.

See Course Handbook for full deatils

The development of graduate skills will be articulated to students as they progress through the programme through tutor, peer and institution-based feedback enabling them to reflect on their achievement based on the evidence available. At each level identified modules (e.g. PC4011, PC5007 and PC6010) will contain activities and opportunities for students to reflect on their learning process and personal development. Students will be encouraged to develop their personal portfolio, to critically review their learning experiences, set their future personal and academic goals and evaluate their progress towards these goals. Employability skills are included in the curriculum counselling training and University based support strategies including employability and career advice and the fast forward festival etc In the final year project (PC6P01), supervisors will initially assist supervisees with the clarifying of the terms of the project, and ethical considerations as well as establishing a timetable for the research and subsequent meetings, directed background reading as well as report format and writing and statistical analysis.

To endorse inclusivity, the course has embraced the theoretical underpinnings of a ‘whole person approach’ to teaching and learning practices. Indeed, how the curriculum has been developed, assessed, reviewed, and taught has aimed to be congruent with the diversity of the student population. Part of this has focused on how wellbeing, faith formation, and co-curricular involvement have been aimed at promoting academic excellence. Reflection has been based on the role double consciousness has in reflexive practice which has been incorporated throughout the teaching and learning in the course and permeates throughout student’s training. Double consciousness sets a framework for understanding the position of oppressed people in an oppressive world and details the role ‘the dual self’ plays in this context. This term has evolved into the exploration of the dynamics of gender, ethnicity, and duality in ourselves with its subsequent application to counselling practice and beyond. Inclusivity based on double consciousness during reflection aims to encourage creativity, confidence, resilience, and ethical and social behaviour.

The course endorses a student-centred and scaffolding approach that will build on students’ skills set by developing on the previous level. Indeed, the BSc (Hons) Counselling comprises a number of core components that run throughout the programme. These consist of research methods; counselling practice skills workshops and placement; critical reflective practice and core counselling theory. The volume, timing, and nature of the assessment will enable students to demonstrate the extent to which they have achieved the intended learning outcomes. Assessment and feedback practices are informed by reflection, consideration of professional practice, and subject-specific and educational scholarship. Feedback on assessment is timely, constructive and developmental. Marking assessments and for moderating marks will be clearly articulated and consistently operated by those involved in the assessment process aimed at supporting students reflective learning and development planning.

CQC guidelines, NICE guidelines, NHS – 5 year plan
https://www.england.nhs.uk/five-year-forward-view/
http://www.cqc.org.uk/

On completion of this course, students would be eligible to apply for individual counselling membership. This greatly increases the student’s chances of being employed following their studies. Becoming a student member of the BACP at the commencement of their studies will aim to facilitate student placement. Being versed in safeguarding, risk assessment/management and being affiliated with the BACP makes this course CQC compliant and this will facilitate and support increased placement and employability opportunities.

In healthcare such as charities and NHS providers. Since students would be versed with working with diverse groups from varying socio-cultural and sexuality based backgrounds, drug and alcohol, child/adolescent, complex psychopathology and neuroscience (incorporated in coaching, communication and interventions) has been included, the diverse and integrative nature of this course has been aimed at enabling students to develop and apply a broader range of skills thus increasing employment opportunities. Students may also progress to postgraduate studies.

You’ll develop transferable skills such as report writing, teamwork, time management, organisation, IT and numeracy skills, which are valued by employers in a huge range of industries.

Since this is a practitioner course, you could be employed by your current placement or choose an alternative work environment. This may be in a private, university, school, college or NHS practice.

On completion of this degree you can also continue on to postgraduate study.

In addition to the University's standard entry requirements, you should have:

• a minimum of grades BCC in three A levels or a minimum of grades BC in at least two A levels in academic or business subjects (or a minimum of 104 UCAS points from an equivalent Level 3 qualification, eg BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma/Diploma; or Advanced Diploma; or Progression Diploma; or Access to HE Diploma with 60 credits)
• English Language and Mathematics GCSE at grade C/grade 4 or above (or equivalent)
• a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
• successfully passed a fitness to practice interview at the University

Applicants with relevant professional qualifications or extensive professional experience will also be considered on a case by case basis.

Entry from appropriate foundation and access courses will also be considered.

If you don’t have traditional qualifications or can’t meet the entry requirements for this undergraduate degree, applicants may still be able to gain entry by completing the first year of our Psychology (including foundation year) BSc.

International students and English language requirements

Due to statutory requirements, we are not able to offer sponsorship under the Student visa route for this course. We will be happy to consider those falling into this category for an alternative suitable course on request. Overseas nationals may be considered for admission who already hold an alternative visa in a suitable category or have been granted permission to remain in the UK indefinitely, but please note that an additional international enhanced police check will be required.