Considering our Standards: a closer look at the BPC’s Standard 6
The BPC protects the public by holding a set of standards that all of our Registrants must meet. These standards set out how we expect our Registrants to behave professionally and we use them to help us decide the outcomes of our Fitness to Practise processes.
As of April 2025, our Standards, Conduct, Practice and Ethics document came into effect. These standards replace our BPC Code of Ethics and Ethical Guidelines document published in 2011 as the standards all Registrants must meet.
In the Considering our Standards series, we’re looking at each standard with precision from a practice-based perspective and from a regulatory angle. We’ll be talking to experts in our team to break down the importance in each Standard. In this instalment, we’re taking a closer look at: Standard 6.
Any law referred to is subject to amendments by the government, we will review this regularly to make sure what we reference is up-to-date. If you notice any out of date legislation on this page, please contact us.
Standard 6: Maintain, develop, and work within your professional knowledge & skills
What does Joanne, our Director of Professional Practice, say about Standard 6?
“It’s important that you work within your competence as a practitioner at all times. If you are considering an area of work but you’re unsure whether it falls within your competence, consult your supervisor or discuss this with colleagues.
Continual Professional Development (CPD) is key here. CPD is something that a psychoanalytic practitioner should be carrying out for life. It keeps you up-to-date in your practice and it’s essential, when practicing ethically, to keep reflecting and questioning your practice.
Practitioners are always vulnerable and fallible, throughout all stages of their career. Maintaining a strong focus on ethics as your framework, alongside regular self-reflection, will allow you to continue questioning, and therefore strengthening, your approach. In doing this, you’re less likely to do harm and you will continue to work as an ethical practitioner.”
What does Sharon, our Director of Legal, say about Standard 6?
“Registrants must work within their scope of competence and ensure they have met the BPC’s CPD requirements for registration. If a Registrant offers treatment where they have limited skills to do so, they are working beyond their scope of competence. This means they are unlikely to be able to provide safe therapy and that they increase their risk of causing harm.
Working in isolation when you’re feeling overwhelmed poses a risk to you and your patient’s wellbeing. If a patient is caused harm in your work, this could result in a Fitness to Practise process. If you’re carrying out work with a patient who challenges you, it’s important to reflect upon whether your CPD supports you enough and to make sure you’re talking to your supervisor and peers regularly.”
As a BPC Registrant, you are qualified to work within the age group specified on your profile. If you’d like to change this, you will need to train in this area and receive supervision throughout. Without this, you would be considered as working beyond your competence. The important thing is that you’re able to evidence your CPD and experience in this area and show that it is safe for you to work in this new area.
It’s also important to consider further therapy throughout any new training.
Being engaged within the profession is an important aspect of your psychoanalytic career. Working in isolation is often where things can go wrong. Growing professionally is something that takes time and happens at different stages of your career. These stages will require different types of training and engagement.
Acknowledge and discuss this in your supervision. Patients can often teach us how to help them, but it is important to reflect on any gaps in your experience and knowledge. Consider doing further CPD and seek out supervision from someone experienced in this area.
You might consider referring your patient to another practitioner but this could potentially feel harmful or rejecting for the patient, so you should do this carefully after considering the implications.
We strongly encourage Registrants to keep a clear and easily accessible record of their CPD annually. Keeping clear records will help you in completing the audit form if you’re selected and also enable you to engage closely with the CPD you have completed. If you’d like a sample template (Word document) to help you record your CPD, you can download one here.
It’s possible that a patient could complain about your scope of training and experience. They may be concerned that you’re not qualified in certain areas.
When we receive these types of complaints, we will request CPD evidence of your training. The more you can provide at this stage, the more efficiently we can process the complaint.
