Accreditation Guidance and Application Forms for Partnership and Affiliate Organisations

THIS GUIDANCE IS ALSO ATTACHED AS A MS WORD DOCUMENT

LAST UPDATED: 9.5.25

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accreditation Guidance for Partnership

and Affiliate Organisations

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The purpose of this document is to provide guidance to organisations wishing to develop and maintain a therapeutic environment through the practice of psychodynamic organisational thinking via accredited trainings. Trainings may be for staff teams within an organisation or externally as part of outreach activity to other organisations.

APPCIOS accredits training material on the basis that training courses are informed by and include psychoanalytic organisational principles which are congruent with the APPCIOS modality and APPCIOS’ portfolio approach to Psychodynamic Organisational Therapy (POT) training.

 

CONTENTS:

1. A brief description of APPCIOS.
2. The APPCIOS modality.
3. The portfolio approach to Psychodynamic Organisational Therapy training.
4. APPCIOS accreditation.
5. Who might be interested in seeking accreditation.
6. The difference between Partnership and Affiliate options offered.
7. Benefits available to organisations through accreditation.
8. Protocols, expectations and relationship between APPCIOS and Partnership/Affiliate organisations, including liaison and quality assurance monitoring.
9. How to make an application for Partnership or Affiliate accreditation.
10. Accreditation fees.
11. Appendix

 

1. A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF APPCIOS.

APPCIOS is: - The Association for Psychodynamic Practice and Counselling in Organisational Settings and is a member institute of the British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC). The BPC is the leading professional association for the psychoanalytic profession and maintains a Professional Standards Authority accredited Register.

APPCIOS provides a home for anyone who uses psychodynamic understanding in their everyday work or who wants to make sense of the emotions that pervade the workplace, politics and society, through an interest in psychoanalysis and in how the unconscious shapes our lives. Our membership and online community: https://psychodynamicthinking.info includes experienced and respected psychoanalytic and psychodynamic clinicians. 

APPCIOS works with individuals, groups and a range of organisations to promote an interest in, and understanding of, psychodynamic organisational thinking and practice to support professional development of staff teams and healthier, better functioning, organisations. APPCIOS supports organisations to develop and deliver accredited trainings that contribute to achieving this end.

 

2. THE APPCIOS MODALITY.

Psychodynamic Organisational Therapy (POT) focuses on the overlap between the unconscious dynamics of organisations and of individuals. This is an application of psychoanalytic thinking that differs from that practised by psychoanalytic clinicians trained to work with individual patients within the consulting room, although it shares the same theoretical base.

POT offers an understanding of how the internal worlds of the many individuals who staff an organisation, and the internal worlds of their clients, intersect and impact upon one another; and of the complexity of the consequent dynamics.

APPCIOS promotes:

• A cognitive and experiential understanding of psychodynamic principles as they apply to the internal world of the individual;
• A cognitive and experiential understanding of psychodynamic organisational dynamics;
• Personal experience of integrating and applying these bodies of knowledge for therapeutic purposes within organisational settings.

 

3. PORTFOLIO TRAINING.

The APPCIOS portfolio approach to POT training makes it different from other psychoanalytic trainings by being individualised and incremental. The portfolios of applicants for full membership of APPCIOS must evidence knowledge, understanding, personal experience and the therapeutic application of the areas outlined above in an integrated way within organisational settings.

It is important to note that APPCIOS accredits a range of trainings that cover one or more of the required areas outlined above. It is the responsibility of individual applicants for full membership to demonstrate they have met all three requirements within their portfolio, not the accredited trainings themselves.

Trainees are assessed against APPCIOS’s standardised criteria which align with the British Psychoanalytic Council’s registration to practise as a Psychodynamic Organisational Therapist.  More information can be found in the Psychodynamic Organisational Therapist Portfolio Training Handbook.

 

4. APPCIOS ACCREDITATION

• As a Member Organisation of the British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC), APPCIOS provides Partnership and Affiliate organisations with a kite mark of quality assurance that demonstrates their commitment to the use of psychodynamic thinking and learning.
• APPCIOS works closely with its Partnership and Affiliate organisations through regular liaison, support, advice and guidance.
• All participants of accredited trainings are automatically eligible to join APPCIOS as an ASSOCIATE MEMBER and can apply for SENIOR ASSOCIATE or FULL MEMBERSHIP (see Appendix 4 for further information).
• Further benefits are listed below.

 

5. WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN SEEKING ACCREDITATION?

Any individual or group interested in providing training in psychodynamic organisational thinking, particularly to staff groups working with vulnerable client groups.

 

6. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PARTNERSHIP AND AFFILIATE OPTIONS OF ACCREDITATION OFFERED.

A Partnership Organisation:

Is one which hosts a bespoke APPCIOS accredited training delivered by a trainer (either internal or external) who is a FULL MEMBER of APPCIOS or a SENIOR ASSOCIATE MEMBER under intensive supervision, and who provides ongoing consultation and training to its staff. Trainings may be a combination of short and long term components, such as learning on a specific focus/topic/theme, or long term on a rolling basis such as ongoing Work Discussion Groups. A Partnership Organisation that has developed its psychodynamic thinking over time may wish to apply for Affiliated Organisation status (see criteria below).

The Partnership Organisation Accreditation application form can be found in Appendix 1.

 

An Affiliate Organisation:

Is one that provides in-house training through its own employed staff who have become FULL or SENIOR ASSOCIATE MEMBERS of APPCIOS.

To become an APPCIOS Affiliate the organisation must fulfil the following criteria:

1. The organisation is committed to developing and maintaining a therapeutic environment through the practice of psychodynamic organisational thinking. We expect this to be evidenced through a confirmatory statement from the senior leadership of the organisation.
2. The organisation provides in-house training and/or external trainings which have been or are eligible to be accredited by APPCIOS, and have been doing so for a minimum of four years.  We expect this to be evidenced through previous APPCIOS accreditation of in-house/external trainings/courses.  
3. The practice and modality of psychodynamic organisational therapy is fully supported by the senior leadership of the organisation, and all members of staff are likewise expected to support this endeavour.
4. This practice is supervised and led by at least one clinician who is either:
   1. A FULL MEMBER of APPCIOS with at least five years’ post-qualification experience, or who is under regular supervision by an APPCIOS approved supervisor;
   2. or by a SENIOR ASSOCIATE MEMBER of APPCIOS under regular intensive supervision by an APPCIOS approved supervisor. 

We expect this to be evidenced through confirmatory statements from the Training Lead(s) and their supervisors (where applicable).  

5. The organisation has given due consideration to succession planning; we would expect that at least three other members of staff are eligible for FULL MEMBERSHIP or SENIOR ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP of APPCIOS, and that others are planning to attain equivalent membership status.   We expect this to be evidenced through the provision of names and qualifications of these members of staff, and confirmatory statements if required.

 

The Affiliate Organisation application form can be found in Appendix 2.

 

7. BENEFITS AVAILABLE TO ORGANISATIONS THROUGH ACCREDITATION.

• APPCIOS offers an incremental portfolio approach to the learning journey of individual members and staff teams of Partnership/Affiliate Organisations. 
• Free ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP of APPCIOS for all trainees whilst they are actively engaged in accredited training courses.
• Partnership/Affiliate Organisations have the use of a free dedicated and private room, and the use of public rooms, on the Psychodynamic Thinking Community Website - https://psychodynamicthinking.info/
  • To publicise the organisation’s work
  • To store documents for access by trainees
  • To hold records of joint committee meetings
  • To hold records of liaison meetings for oversight by the BPC's External Examiner.
  • To access discussion groups on the APPCIOS Community Site
  • To publicise events through our mailing lists (of 800 - 1,000 account holders)
• Partnership and Affiliate Organisations may
  • Send members to APPCIOS-run Group Relations Conferences
  • Make referrals to our online low-fee therapeutic services
  • Seek advice from our Ethics Committee.

 

8. PROTOCOLS, EXPECTATIONS AND RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN APPCIOS AND PARTNERSHIP/AFFILIATE ORGANSATIONS, INCLUDING LIAISON AND QUALITY ASSURANCE MONITORING

• Accreditation is awarded on the basis that trainings are informed by and include psychoanalytic organisational principles which are congruent with the APPCIOS modality and APPCIOS’s POT training (Psychodynamic Organisational Training).
• There is an expectation that the training lead for Affiliate Organisations meet with their appointed APPCIOS Accreditation Committee Member for liaison at least three times a year, so that APPCIOS can keep an overview of accredited courses, offer support and consultation, and establish mutual benefits. Training leads will also be expected to complete an annual audit questionnaire to assist this process. Please see the guidelines for liaison meetings in Appendix 3 below. 
• The training lead for Affiliate Organisations or the trainer providing courses for a Partnership Organisation must be either a FULL MEMBER or SENIOR ASSOCIATE MEMBER of APPCIOS. If they are a SENIOR ASSOCIATE MEMBER, they must be in intensive supervision (a minimum of fortnightly meetings) with an approved APPCIOS supervisor.
• For Affiliate Organisations any staff involved in running an external training course must be supervised by the organisation’s training lead or by another approved APPCIOS supervisor.
• All participants engaged on an accredited training are eligible for membership. Usually, initial membership will be at either ASSOICATE or SENIOR ASSOCIATE level, but graduates can build a portfolio of recommended training that will allow them to apply for FULL MEMBERSHIP. Guidelines for INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP of APPCIOS can be found in Appendix 4 below.

 

9. HOW TO MAKE AN APPLICATION FOR PARTNERSHIP OR AFFILIATE ACCREDITATION

Consultation on Developing New Training Courses

If your organisation is interested is developing a bespoke training which can then be accredited by APPCIOS, please get in touch with the APPCIOS administrator using this email address:  admin@appcios.info

The administrator will arrange for a member of our Training Accreditation Sub-Committee to contact you for an informal discussion via Zoom, to think with you about your organisation and how APPCIOS can help you set up a training.

 

Existing Trainings

If your organisation already has an established training that you think could be accredited by APPCIOS, please get in touch with the APPCIOS administrator using this email address:  admin@appcios.info

The administrator will arrange for a member of our Accreditation Sub-Committee to contact you for an informal discussion via Zoom.

Should you wish to proceed and are not already a member of APPCIOS, you will be asked to join.  This is not an arduous process.   The first thing you will be asked to do is to send your full CV to our Registrar at: admin@appcios.com. The Registrar will forward this to the Admissions Mentoring team who will guide you through completing the relevant documentation (see Appendix 4).

The next step is that one of our Accreditation Sub-Committee will be appointed to consult to you on shaping the training to APPCIOS requirements.  They will advise and guide you through the process of completing the appropriate Accreditation Application Form [Please see Appendix 1 or 2 below] and help you complete and submit a formal outline of the course or training. You may be asked to pay a small fee per hour for this service.

The finalised application form will be reviewed by the Accreditation Sub-Committee for approval.  On approval you will receive a letter confirming this.

 

10. ACCREDITATION FEES

• A Partnership Organisation usually pays an annual fee to APPCIOS directly.  The fee will be negotiated depending on the size of the organisation, but is usually between £1000 - £6000 a year.  Alternatively, a Partnership Organisation using an external consultant may pay them directly for the training they deliver. The external consultant then pays a fee to APPCIOS for the training to be accredited. The fee is usually 15% of what they are paid by the Partner Organisation.
• An Affiliate Organisation pays an annual fee to APPCIOS directly.  The fee will be negotiated depending on the size of the organisation, but is usually between £2000 -   £6000 a year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11. APPENDIX

 

Appendix 1

Partnership Training Accreditation Application Form

Date of Application Submission:

 

Name of Organisation:

(with email address)

 

About your organisation:

Provide some brief context about your organisation.

Provide information about your organisation’s interest in psychoanalytic/psychodynamic thinking and practice.

 

 

Name and Qualifications of Training Course Leader(s):

Must be either Full Member or Senior Associate Member of APPCIOS

Please include job role and any relevant qualifications/professional registrations

 

 

Name of the training you would like APPCIOS to accredit:

Please include some information about the target audience and whether the training is short or long in duration.

 

 

1. Aims

Please provide the key aims of the training and explain how will promote:

1. Psychodynamic/Psychoanalytic thinking and practice within practitioners’ existing professional identities;
2. Working self-reflectively, through the quality of the relationships;
3. A fuller understanding of the unconscious dynamics of an organisation and of the groups and individuals within it.

Learning outcomes

1. 1. Include how are these are psychodynamically/psychoanalytically informed?
   2. How will the learning outcomes be assessed/evaluated by the course leader/s?

 

 

 

How will the training be delivered?

i.e. teaching methods, time frame/number of sessions, anticipated group numbers, face to face/online/hybrid.

 

 

 

Supervision arrangements for trainers/facilitators;

i.e. APPCIOS approved supervisor of weekly/fortnightly supervision

 

 

Psychodynamic references  -

Please give 3-4 relevant psychoanalytic references that inform the training.

Please provide these in a formal citation format: ie Author (Date) publication title. City, Publisher. (Pages – if appropriate)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appendix 2

Affiliate Organisation Application Form

 

Please provide the following details:

 

 

Name of Organisation

(With website address)

 

 

Name of Senior Leadership Member(s)

(With contact details)

 

 

Date of Application

 

 

Name of Training Lead(s)

(APPCIOS member(s) in charge of delivering in-house/external trainings)

 

• Full Member (with date of qualification)

 

• Senior Associate Member

 

(Please give details of professional qualifications, and of their current roles within the organisation, and provide contact details).

 

 

*Name and contact details of APPCIOS liaison officer

 

 

 

*Name and contact details of APPCIOS consultant/supervisor if applicable

 

 

 

 

*(We will approach them for confirmatory references)

 

When were your in-house/external trainings established?  Give month and year if possible.

 

 

 

 

Has this training/these trainings been judged eligible for accreditation by APPCIOS?

(If so, please provide date of accreditation and name and contact details of the APPCIOS officer to whom the application for accreditation was made).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Names and contact details of APPCIOS members within the organisation

(Please give names and contact details of at least three other members of the organisation who hold APPCIOS membership, with details of their levels of membership and professional qualifications, and their current roles within the organisaton). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Confirmatory statement from the Senior Leadership of the Organisation.

 

Please provide a statement from the Head of the Organisation (if different from the Training Lead) to confirm that:

 

1. S/he has read and agreed your application, and fully supports it;
2. S/he is committed to developing and maintaining a therapeutic environment through the practice of psychodynamic organisational thinking;
3. S/he is committed to encouraging all staff members to engage in self-reflective practice;
4. S/he has given due consideration to succession planning through encouraging senior members of staff to acquire Full or Senior Associate APPCIOS Membership;
5. S/he has agreed the negotiated cost of affiliation, and engages to pay this subvention on a yearly basis.

 

 

Please provide any additional information you would wish us to consider.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appendix 3

Guidelines for Liaison Meeting Discussions between APPCIOS and Accredited Organisation appointed Individuals

This agenda is not exhaustive – it is for guidance and discussion. 

• Dynamics of the student group.
• Dynamics of the staff group.
• Quality of external therapists/counsellors or of reflective group facilitators. 
• Ongoing assessment of students - and any problems with them individually.
• Employment opportunities for alumni.
• CPD opportunities for alumni.
• Use of the Community Site.
• Relationship with APPCIOS.
• Any concerns.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appendix 4

Individual Membership Guidelines

APPCIOS has three categories of membership:

ASSOCIATE: requires that a member has a minimum of a years’ experience and learning in each of the areas. This and the following categories of membership provide full access to the APPCIOS professional community.

SENIOR ASSOCIATE: requires that a member has at least 2 years’ experience in each of the learning areas and offers the opportunity to progress toward full membership. Admission requires a level of work equivalent to graduate standard. These members are eligible to become trainees with the British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC).

FULL:  requires substantial experience and skill at a sophisticated level in each of the above areas and leads to inclusion in the APPCIOS professional public register and eligibility for accreditation by the BPC as a Psychodynamic Organisational Therapist. These qualifications are recognised by the Professional Standards Authority. Admission requires post graduate level standard.

The category of membership offered will depend on the length, level, and depth of training and professional experience of the applicant, as evidenced in a detailed CV. This should demonstrate attainment in each of the five designated areas of knowledge and experience:

 • Academic ability and knowledge of Psychoanalytic theory Psychoanalytic concepts and their application to professional practice. Psychoanalytic theory relating to human development across the lifespan, with reference to a particular age group or specialism where appropriate. Psychoanalytic theory relating to the functioning of groups and organisations.

• Experience of work discussion and supervision Participation in regular work-discussion seminars led by psychoanalytically trained clinicians. Regular psychodynamic supervision in the workplace or provided by a psychodynamic or psychoanalytic external consultant. In-house group supervision provided by a psychodynamic/psychoanalytic practitioner. Supervision modules within an APPCIOS recognised or accredited course.

• Experiential learning about the psychodynamic functioning of groups and organisations Group Relations conferences and events. Participation in groups/workshops/discussions facilitated by a psychodynamic organisational consultant/therapist. Work discussion groups with an organisational focus facilitated by a psychodynamic or psychoanalytic consultant. In-house group experiential dynamics experiential meetings facilitated by a psychodynamic or psychoanalytic consultant.

• Personal development and self-reflective work Personal psychoanalytic psychotherapy/psychoanalysis (BPC registered) or psychoanalytically oriented experiential group work (BPC/ACP/Full members of APPCIOS) lasting at least two years, once weekly or more. Reflective supervision within the workplace facilitated by a psychodynamic or psychoanalytic consultant. Therapeutic supervision (particularly if personal therapy experience has not been undertaken) from an APPCIOS approved therapeutic supervisor. Group therapy from an approved psychoanalytic psychotherapist. Self-reflective work discussion groups facilitated by a psychodynamic or psychoanalytic consultant.

• Experience of supervised formal or informal counselling in a workplace setting Supervised formal or informal individual counselling in an organisational setting, including relevant training. Experience of receiving supervision or consultancy in other roles, such as therapist, supervisor, manager, or consultant.