ACC Board Meeting Wednesday 20th April 2016
Venue: via Skype
(Meeting commenced at 9.30 am until 1.30pm)
In attendance:
Sue Monckton-Rickett, Tony Ruddle, Peter Barraclough, Amanda Georgiou (part), Chris Williams, David Crabb, Phil Weare, David Depledge, Teresa Onions (part)
Apologies:
The meeting began with open prayer time led by Sue.
Minutes of Board meeting of 14th March 2016Minutes of previous meeting accepted.
Matters arising:
Near miss process: letter to counsellors and affiliates was amended to say that a near-miss complaint “…will not be held against an individual or organisation or used for any other purpose.”
The following questions are to be put to the next RAP committee:
AG: whether ACC can guarantee that a near-miss would not be treated as a complaint if there is a subsequent complaint?
SMR: if a complaint was received, would we not take into account any reporting of near misses?
DD: whether individuals are going to be able to admit to issues without there being a guarantee that no action would be taken?
Policy on Websites of ACC & PCUK Networks: PW to adapt the draft and circulate for approval. After approval, to be circulated to Network committees to provide guidance.
Director visits to affiliates to talk about the ACC Accredited Register: TR has visited one, and has arranged a visit to Spurriergate. SMR has visited Willows and Pilgrim’s Hall – for both agencies, all of their counsellors are already part of a professional body. However, both agencies are trying to get their counsellors to transfer to ACC. CJW has been emailing and chasing Oasis with a view to visiting them.
Individual approach: TR has written on a personal basis to his own friends to encourage them to join PCUK and a possible donation on the way. DC put out 60 packs from his own ministry base to local churches in the town and villages. After the recent North-East Network event, TR signed up a new member for ACC. TR agreed to forward his letter to other Board members in case it is of use to them in contacting their friends.
CEOs: joint action on getting universities and colleagues to put ACC on a joint footing with BACP. Still being worked on.
Training for staff: TR conducted a day’s training on database and CMS. Useful suggestions for improvements to the database and website have been taken up.
Guidance for staff if they receive distressing calls. PW to work out the best time and come back to SMR on best afternoon before an Exec/Board to come to HO and provide training.
Over-hyped claims by counsellors on Find A Counsellor guidance: HQ office staff informed.
Checking of useful links on website: Board members to look at these before the next Board meeting.
Director of Counselling
ACC’s Accredited Register has been re-accredited with a condition that the complaints procedure regarding ACC, its Board or committees is published on the website.
PSA have agreed to extend the deadline in 2017 for re-accreditation. This avoids a clash with the January 2017 conference.
Rick Borge, Accreditation Manager, is leaving PSA in May to take up a new role elsewhere.
Routes of entry to the ACC Register
Experience/grandparenting route: expression of interest form to be sent out by the end of April. Expression of interest form created by AG to go to PW by the beginning of week beginning 25 April. The more detailed form by the end of that week.
Affiliates route: similar procedure, with additional endorsement by affiliates can ride on the back of the experience. Route. Publicity needs to be headed up by the Board. AG to work with a Board member in preparing the letter. To go to the lead person in the affiliate (email address and a named person).
Student route: work to go under way in May/June with the aim of being emailed around in September.
Accreditation and Registration Committee
Now has three assessors. Official written vote of thanks to be conveyed to the committee by TR to show appreciation of their work.
To recruit more members of the committee, AG to draft an email to the training affiliates, and follow them up by personal phone calls.
Training and Development Group
Expressions of interest in joining the group from: Kathrine Hill, Lyn Smailes and Bill Merrington. HB is developing a job description for members.
Network Forum
At a meeting of the Network Champions, they assessed the feedback from a survey of the Networks. They will be working on improving three aspects of the relationship between ACC/PCUK and the Networks on:
· Marketing
· Membership
· Communication
Executive Chair report
Proposal to Pregnancy Centres Network was agreed by Board. Proposal was: “ACC recognise the important and valuable work that Pregnancy Crisis Centres around the UK provide to clients in distress. ACC is delighted that Pregnancy Centres Network has become a Pastoral Care UK Affiliate as they establish their strategy and future vision. We both look forward to a long and beneficial relationship.”
Board vacancies
Heather Churchill and Irene Davies to be approached as Board members.
Board to approach each of the Network Committees and to ask them to nominate someone to sit on the Board. The Board recognised that it should have a Board member to represent the Networks.
Global Connections to put out an advert for a Board member. DD and PW to work on this. Four vacancies on Board – advertise generally.
AGM to be on 8 July at Willows Swindon. Need to ask for Board nominations. SMR and PW to work on this. PB and CJW gave apologies.
Complaints policy against ACC itself
This must be publicised on the website. Amendments were made to the draft and agreed by Board. PW to print, date and set a date for a future review in 3 years. PW to bring this to the attention of the staff team.
Counselling Directory
The fact that CD will accept ACC members is to be communicated to members at the same time as the outcome of discussions with Aviva, who do not feature ACC on its list of approved counselling organisations.
Director of Pastoral Care
TO emphasised the importance of having a Board member to represent the Networks.
Spring Harvest: as many enquiries were about counselling as well as pastoral care. For future festivals, it would be good to create a more visual exhibition stand. Spring Harvest was an excellent opportunity to promote ACC & PCUK, with individuals taking large amounts of information, and this reflects on the quality of our materials. There was a fantastic attendance at the training event.
At Spring Harvest, an organisation called Four Refugees that assists refugees, is trying to access people trained in trauma counselling, and to equip and train churches to pastorally care for refugees. Agreed SMR to contact Four Refugees.
Director of Finance
The growth in membership is not to any extent that we hoped it would be. There is a backlog of people with outstanding membership who are excluded from the figures. We need to continue to think of ways we can grow, or in the medium term, increase income so that we can buy time to increase membership.
TR to circulate the personal letter that he has sent to his friends.
Ideas for increasing the profile of ACC & PCUK included:
· Sheila Crabb to run a session at June Board meeting to explain how Facebook works, and write an article in Accord magazine
· Recruitment of student members
· Possible YouTube channel featuring five-minute videos* also to highlight the value and benefits of belonging to ACC and its Register.
· Speakers at local churches to explain why Christian counselling is so important (and the possibility of a donation for the work of PCUK or ACC?)
· Contact BABCP for advice on videos
· Contact Jonathan Clark to check on the possibility of a series of short interview programmes or five-minute talks*
*Topics include: anxiety, depression, trauma, bereavement, relationships.
Director of Operations and Head of Communications
Significant cost reduction made on postage by the termination of the contract with Royal Mail for a daily collection from Head Office. Much of the annual cost of £900+ was saved.
ACC Confidentiality Policy: amended and approved
ACC Data Protection Policy: approved subject to any comments received.
Two additional policies need to be developed by ACC:
1. Child protection and vulnerable adults: TR to forward to PW the Baptist Church policies for PW & HB to develop
2. Money Laundering: SMR to develop
ACC Public Engagement Policy: please read between now and the May meeting and filter any questions to PW so the meeting can deal quickly with any amendments.
MOU
Committee is moving towards consensus. A more definitive MOU2 is expected after the forthcoming meeting. CJW was thanked for his hard work.
TR to explore with Fiona Sherburn what would be appropriate to provide in a Perspectives Day on transgender issues. This day would be run by head office, rather than a Network.
Date of next meetings
23 May via Skype 9-10am
8 June 2016 (to approve accounts) at HQ
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