Hypnotherapy Regulatory Forum
Following a meeting in February at the Prince's Foundation for Integrated Health, the Working Group, together with UKCHO, has established the Hypnotherapy Regulatory Forum to work together to develop voluntary self-regulation.
Department of Health funding will be available to the Forum to progress this vital work and all members of the Working Group will be kept fully informed.
The full minutes of the first meeting are appended below.
Minutes of a second meeting held between representatives of The Working Group for Hypnotherapy Regulation (WGHR) and The UK Confederation of Hypnotherapy Organisations (UKCHO) held at The Prince’s Foundation for Integrated Health, London, on Wednesday 18th February 2009, at 11 a.m.
PRESENT: William Broom and Chris Forester (WGHR); John Lawrence and Peter Matthews (UKCHO); Ian Cambray-Smith (Prince’s Foundation). Ian Cambrary-Smith was in the Chair.
PREAMBLE: At the first meeting between representatives of WGHR and UKCHO, held on Tuesday 9th December 2008, it was REPORTED that The Prince’s Foundation would be willing to offer advice and support to progress the regulation of the hypnotherapy profession, provided certain criteria were met, including the establishment of a Regulatory Committee, whose membership would include a Lay Chair, together with representatives from the hypnotherapy profession. The programme of work for the Regulatory Committee would include the preparation of agreed standards for education and training, agreed codes of conduct, ethics and practice, together with the necessary procedures for discipline and grievance, and the development of a public register of hypnotherapists, who were safe and competent to practice. The programme of work would be supported financially by the Department of Health through The Prince’s Foundation.
1. REMIT & TERMS OF REFERENCE: Following discussion, it was AGREED to establish a Hypnotherapy Regulatory Forum to develop a robust and transparent structure for the regulation of the hypnotherapy profession, the Forum to consist in the WGHR and UKCHO. (List attached to Minutes in Minute Book). It was AGREED that the Minutes of all Forum meetings would be circulated and agreed by the Forum as a correct record before being made public.
It was AGREED that the issue of a single therapy model or a federal therapy model for the regulation of the hypnotherapy profession would be decided in due course, following discussion and consultation with all interested parties. It was also AGREED to remain open to the possibility of statutory regulation. The results of a survey on models of regulation, conducted by WGHR, were noted for information. (Copy of the survey attached to Minutes in the Minute Book).
2. MEMBERSHIP & REPRESENTATION: Following discussion, it was AGREED that the Forum would have equal representation, initially consisting of two representatives each from WGHR and UKCHO, with the power, acting jointly, to co-opt and establish sub-committees for particular purposes. It was also AGREED that the Forum would have a Lay Chair, appointed from a shortlist drawn up by The Prince’s Foundation.
3. PROGRAMME OF WORK: It was REPORTED that both WGHR and UKCHO had developed their own standards for education and training, a code of conduct, ethics and practice, as well a procedure for discipline and grievance, and had recently established a national public register of hypnotherapists. Further discussion and agreement would now need to take place on these issues within the Forum.
Following discussion, it was AGREED that an Education and Training Sub-Committee would be established by the Forum, with the remit to define common standards for the safe and competent practice of hypnotherapy. It was further AGREED that The Prince’s Foundation would contact Skills for Health concerning a possible review of the national occupational standards for hypnotherapy.
Following further discussion, it was AGREED to defer the issue of a common code of conduct, ethics and practice, with the necessary disciplinary and grievance procedure, until a future meeting of the Forum.
Following further discussion, it was AGREED that a single National Register of Hypnotherapists, for use by the profession and public alike, would need to be established by the Forum in due course. In the meantime, it was AGREED to establish a link between the National Registers of Hypnotherapy established by WGHR and UKCHO on their individual websites and make a statement of mutual recognition. It was also AGREED that WGHR and UKCHO would keep each other informed when the name of a hypnotherapy practitioner was removed from their respective National Registers for reasons of professional misconduct only, not for other reasons, e.g. for non payment of subscriptions)
4, FINANCE & ACCOUNTS: It was REPORTED that The Prince’s Foundation was willing to make available a grant of up to £10,000 to fund the regulation of the hypnotherapy profession, the grant to be paid in instalments of £2,500. The grant would fund the honorarium for the Lay Chair, together with the cost of meetings and the development of a website to publicise the activities of the Forum. Following discussion, it was AGREED to open a Bank Account with HSBC in the name of the Forum, with two signatories, one from WGHR and one from UKCHO, these being Christopher Forester and Peter Matthews respectively.
5. DATE OF NEXT NEETING: Following discussion, it was AGREED that Forum meetings would be held once every two months, at a time and venue to be arranged.
It was REPORTED that there was to be a meeting of the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council with professional associations on Tuesday 28th April 2009, to which both WGHR and UKCHO would be invited.
William Broom, Chris Forester (WGHR)
John Lawrence, Peter Matthews (UKCHO)
Copy to Ian Cambray-Smith (Prince’s Foundation)
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