Add-on authorisation · not a further tier

HICS Accredited Supervisor

HAS

Humanitas Independent Counselling Society membership designation. Not a statutory registration.

The Accredited Supervisor designation authorises Accredited Senior Counsellors to supervise other members within specific approved fields. It is an add-on authorisation to Accredited Senior Counsellor status, not a standalone tier.

How to apply

This is an authorisation, not a tier. It is held alongside Accredited Senior Counsellor status, field by field, and does not replace it. The member's own counselling practice continues under the areas of competence and the obligations of that designation.

Entry criteria

Six requirements, and a named field.

  1. 01Accredited Senior Counsellor. Must hold current Accredited Senior Counsellor (HASC) status.
  2. 02Tenure. Must have held Accredited Senior Counsellor status for a minimum of one year.
  3. 03Training. Completion of a supervisor training programme recognised by HICS against its published Supervisor Training Outcomes Standard. Any recognised programme satisfies this requirement. There is no reserved provider and no mandatory gate: the Humanitas programme was the first recognised against the standard, because it built the model, and any other provider may apply against the same published criteria.
  4. 04Portfolio. A portfolio of evidence submitted and approved, demonstrating competence in the specific fields for which supervisory authorisation is sought.
  5. 05Recommendation. A letter of recommendation from the applicant's own supervisor.
  6. 06Field application. The application must specify the supervision fields sought. Authorisation is granted field by field, never as a general authorisation to supervise.

CPD

Different in content, not simply higher in volume.

Every member carries the same annual requirement: 22 points, one point to the hour. Ten are included in the membership fee and provided by HICS, the six-point HICS core and at least four points of ethics; the other twelve are earned from courses HICS has accredited or from recognised activities, and a member pays HICS nothing to have an accredited course counted.

Four of the twelve market points must be supervision-specific, sourced by the member from HICS-accredited courses or recognised activities: advanced ethics, the supervisory relationship, and managing risk in supervision.

How CPD works, in full

Supervision

Two obligations, not one.

Own counselling practice

A minimum of 3 hours per quarter on the member's own counselling practice, with additional ad hoc supervision as needed for difficult or high-risk cases. This is the same requirement as Accredited Counsellors and Accredited Senior Counsellors.

Supervisory practice

A minimum of once per quarter with a Supervisor-Supervisor, plus ad hoc as needed. This is a separate obligation covering the member's supervisory practice specifically.

Supervision fields

Authorisation is field-specific.

A supervisor authorised in one area may not supervise members working in a different area. The current fields are:

  • General practice
  • Child and adolescent counselling
  • Trauma counselling
  • Couples and relationship counselling
  • Substance use support

Additional fields may be added as HICS develops.

Staged pathway

Three stages to full supervisory authorisation.

  1. 01Peer group supervision. Lead peer group supervision sessions and discussions with equals.
  2. 02Group supervision. Facilitate group supervision sessions with lower-tier members.
  3. 03Individual supervision. Provide individual one-to-one supervision of Accredited Counsellors and Accredited Senior Counsellors.

Authorised activities

What the authorisation permits.

May do

  • Supervise Accredited Counsellors and Accredited Senior Counsellors within approved fields.
  • Facilitate mandatory group supervision sessions for lower-tier members.
  • Sign off supervised hours for Accredited Counsellor applications.
  • Charge members directly for supervision services.
  • Be listed on the HICS Approved Supervisor Directory.

The ten absolute limitations, and every condition of practice, continue to apply to the supervisory role exactly as they apply to counselling practice.

Revocation

The authorisation is revocable on its own.

A formal disciplinary investigation is triggered if a complaint is upheld against an Accredited Supervisor in their supervisory capacity.

Revocation of supervisory authorisation may occur separately from, or in addition to, membership consequences.

9.5

The correct designation, and when its use must cease

Members must use only the correct designation for their current membership category (HAC, HASC or HAS) and must cease using a designation immediately on lapse, suspension, downgrade, or revocation of the relevant membership or authorisation. A field of practice or advanced practice is recorded alongside the designation and may be stated only while it is current.