Membership disclosure policy

All members are asked to reconfirm at renewal and reinstatement that they have read and understood the current Ethical Framework, Articles of Association, regulations, policies and procedures, Professional Conduct Procedure and the associated protocols of BACP - see Membership policies.

If your work involves research into counselling and psychotherapy, you are responsible for familiarising yourself with the Ethical Guidelines for Researching Counselling and Psychotherapy.

You are also required each year to disclose, and declare, anything that may prejudice the public’s perception of BACP or the profession, bring BACP into disrepute or compromise the standards of good practice within the profession.

Please note that disclosure of any information does not automatically exclude you from BACP membership. However, failure to disclose such information may result in a refusal or withdrawal of membership.

Payment of the subscription does not constitute acceptance of your membership renewal.

Disclosure

If you can answer ‘yes’ to any of the following statements please provide a full and comprehensive signed statement including details of the circumstances surrounding the disclosure, any mitigating factors, what steps you took to turn your life around and what you have learnt from your experiences. You should send this to our Professional Conduct department marked ‘private and confidential’.

All material information relating to your membership must be disclosed. It is your responsibility to ensure that you declare all relevant information. Any information declared may be processed under Article 12.6 of BACP’s Articles of Association to determine your continued suitability for membership of the Association. Should your membership be lapsed, any information declared may be processed under Article 12.3 of the Articles of Association.

If you have any convictions please list your unspent conviction(s) on a disclosure of criminal convictions form available to download below or by calling customer services.

Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, certain convictions will become spent after a certain amount of time. If you have been convicted of a criminal offence you must declare your unspent convictions but do not need to declare ones that are spent. For guidance on whether or not a conviction is spent please speak to the Citizens Advice Bureau or the relevant Government department.

Disclosure statements

  • Do you have a conviction which is not spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974?
  • Have you ever been struck off, erased, removed or suspended from membership of any professional body or register on the grounds of professional misconduct?
  • Have you ever been refused membership or registration by a professional body or register on the grounds of professional misconduct?
  • Have you ever been the subject of any civil claim brought against you, other disciplinary action, investigation, proceeding or enquiry?
  • Are you currently or likely to be the subject of any disciplinary action, investigation, proceeding or enquiry?
  • Is your fitness to practise impaired for any reason including health or personal circumstances?
  • Are there any other factors which could call into question your suitability for membership?

Disclosure forms

Criminal convictions disclosure form (doc)

Guidance on making disclosures (doc 0.1MB)

Fitness to practise disclosures FAQs (doc 81KB)

Conviction disclosures FAQs (doc 85KB)

This policy should be read in conjunction with BACP’s Standing Orders, Articles of Association, Register terms and conditions, Professional Conduct Procedure, other policies and Ethical Framework - see Membership policies.

BACP’s policies are subject to review and can be amended at any time. It is important that you regularly review these documents.
14 February 2023