Members' Information

To use the Members’ Directory: Once logged onto the Member’s area, click on ‘Members’ on the top of the page next to the ‘Log out’ box. The Member’s list is displayed. To find a specific member, type their name into the search box at the top right and their entry will be displayed.

To update your entry please click on the Profile box near the top right hand side. Under your name is an Edit Profile button. If you change your name or contact details  please can you also contact National Office with these changes so mailing lists etc can be updated.

BSCAH recommends that members do not use testimonials on their websites as they are too easily open to abuse and generally considered unprofessional.

BSCAH does have a logo available for use on member’s websites that is obtainable from National Office.

All officers and members of Council should:

• Carry out their designated duties diligently, including updating information on the website
• Comply with the Bye Laws, Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Society
• Treat colleagues with respect, maintain appropriate communication and work as a team

Exec Committee
Comprising the Principal Officers: President, Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary and Chair of Ac & Ac

• The Principal Officers will work together and with Council and its subcommittees
• The committee meets as and when required (e-mail, tele-conferencing or face to face)
• Supports and advises individual Principal Officers in their work
• Make executive decisions that do not warrant consulting Council; such decisions taken will be reported to Council
• Major decisions will involve consulting Council by email if it will not wait until the next Council meeting

Each Principal Officer has prime responsibility in defined areas:

President
Role: To take an overview and lend his/her experience whenever appropriate and requested.
Duties:

• Chair the AGM
• Represent the position of the Society with outside agencies where necessary.
• Perform or delegate the appraisal of the National Secretary
• Mediate in internal difficulties

Chair
Role: To chair Council meetings (where he/she has a right to express his/her opinion on Council matters).
Duties:

• Take an active part in strategy and planning of the Society’s activities and development
• Facilitate Council team work
• Discuss and agree agenda drawn up by Hon Sec for Council meetings
• Represent Society position where appropriate
• Address the Council meetings and the AGM

Hon Sec
Role: To contribute to Society development with a major role in organisation and delivery of Society business.
Duties:

• Line manager for National Secretary
• Responsible for the operation and administration of the Society; specifically National Office and the membership database
• Clearing responsibility for membership applications – will refer unusual cases to Ac & Ac
• Handle or oversee correspondence and enquiries
• Prepare papers for Council meetings and the AGM
• Organise the venue for Council meetings
• Report to Council and to AGM

Hon Treasurer
Role: To be responsible for financial probity and budgeting for the National Society.
Duties:

• Preparation of annual accounts
• Ensure compliance with charitable status and company registration requirements
• Verify and approve all expense claims
• Present financial report to Council and AGM
• Handle funding requests
• Oversee the collection of membership fees and the distribution of capitation to the Branches
• Make recommendation to Council about the level of membership fees (usually at autumn Council meeting), ensuring compliance with direct debit rules
• Pay the National Secretary for work done and oversee National Office expenditure
• Report to Council and to AGM

Academic & Accreditation Committee (Ac & Ac)
Role: To maintain academic standards; supervise accreditation procedures and the referral list.
Duties:

• Ensure training courses cover the core curriculum (documents and observers)
• Review core curriculum from time to time
• Advise on membership eligibility issues
• Approve requests for diploma conversions
• Advise Council on all academic matters
• Receive briefs from Council and report back to Council

Chair of Ac & Ac
Duties:

• Chair the Ac & Ac meetings
• Provide reports to Council and to the AGM
• Make recommendations to Council
• Implement the decisions of the Ac & Ac Committee
• Circulate information to the Committee members e.g. by e-mail
• Bring membership queries to the Committee for consideration
• Respond to external enquiries
• Oversee the maintenance of the Referral List
• Check that applicants for Accreditation have fulfilled the criteria
• Maintain the list of Assessors and arrange any continuing training
• Review applications for accreditation and allocate to appropriate assessors

Communications Officer:    
Role: To deal with (social) media matters on behalf of the Society; to raise the profile of BSCAH and to disseminate information regarding training.
Duties:

• To give first line response to media enquiries and to deal with or re-direct these as appropriate
• To endeavour to be proactive and to encourage other members to be as pro-active as possible in writing articles, cases etc for publication

ESH/ISH Representative: 
Role: To be responsible for keeping BSCAH informed of all relevant information and developments pertaining to ESH and ISH.
Duties

• To attend all relevant meetings in order to represent BSCAH and to act in BSCAH's best interests as agreed in advance with the BSCAH Council. (In the event of issues arising at CoR meetings where it is not possible to discuss in advance, to take a responsible view)
• To ensure BSCAH has a voice and vote in all relevant matters.

In return, representatives should receive financial support where appropriate, e.g. travel expenses, membership fees and congress fees.

Newsletter Editor  
Role: To edit and prepare the newsletter for printing and arrange for its distribution.
Duties:

• Encourage and collate contributions
• Write the editorial
• Liaise with the National Secretary
• Prepare the print master in a suitable format for printing
• Send to National Secretary by designated deadline dates; otherwise arrange printing and distribution
• Report to Council and AGM

Web master  
Role: To maintain the website in a current status.
Duties:

• Teach designated others how to maintain and update certain pages
• Remain a resource for designated others
• Upload material as and when requested by council
• Ensure the website is functioning correctly at all times
• Provide a link to the web designers (Consort Design)
• Report to Council meetings and AGM

Branch Secretaries / Representatives:
Role: To support their Branch as locally agreed.
Duties:  

• produce their Branch report for Council and for the AGM
• submit income and expenditure accounts to National Office
• maintain their respective web site pages with guidance from the web master

Ethical Officer:
Role: Handle issues pertaining to ethical matters and code of conduct on behalf of Council
Duties:

• Receive enquiries, correspondence, and requests on ethical matters and respond
• Handle complaints about members and convene a Committee as and when required for individual cases
• Maintain confidentiality according to the nature of the case.
• Keep Chair of Council informed regarding significant matters.
• Deal with minor or informal matters on an ad hoc discretionary basis, being ready to share with colleagues if necessary.
• Carry out tasks requested by Council or AGM
• Report to Council meetings and AGM

National Secretary:
Role: To support the Society in his/her given role
Duties: As determined in the Job Description

MPS (Minimum £575 for a private specialist rate) www.medicalprotection.org/uk in conjunction with the medical defence union (MDU).
www.the-mdu.com

To be able to continue as a GP (and do locum work) there is a reduced MPS/MDU premium which also covers for therapy/hypnotherapy.

Balens Ltd
www.balens.co.uk
Balens Ltd, Bridge House, Portland Road, Malvern, Worcestershire, WR14 2TA
Direct Dial:01684 581883
Affinity Department: 01684 580771
Main Office: 01684 893006
E: info@balens.co.uk 
Claims out of hours: 07918 941 497

The British Society of Clinical and Academic Hypnosis are pleased to be working alongside Balens to provide a bespoke insurance scheme for its members. Balens are a well-established, fourth generation family business who specialise in providing insurance cover for Holistic therapists and Health & Wellbeing practitioners and organisations. Balens have always regarded claims support, quality cover and personal service as their main strengths. 

Balens have devised a policy specifically for individuals who are members of The British Society of Clinical and Academic Hypnosis.

Balens policies can cover a number of different activities subject to you holding a suitable qualification. Please note if your qualification was obtained solely online or via distance learning please contact Balens for further guidance.

Premiums:

Full member/practitioner premiums are £57.33 (inclusive of insurance premium tax and fees) for a limit of liability of £4,000,000 or £70.64 (inclusive of insurance premium tax and fees) for a limit of liability of £6,000,000. The Student premium is £20.33 for a limit of liability of £4,000,000.

What does the policy cover?

The policy will cover Professional, Public & Products Liability:

• The policy provides a limit of liability of £4,000,000 or £6,000,000. This limit is per section and applies to any one claim, for an unlimited number of claims in the policy year for professional liability and public liability. This limit is in the aggregate for claims relating to products liability. Legal Defence costs are covered in addition to the limit of liability and are unlimited.
• The policy is on a claims occurring basis with a difference. The policy will cover claims that occurred during the policy period irrespective of when the claim is made, meaning that you are protected for claims that may arise later down the line providing the work was carried out during the period of insurance.  We include an upgrade of cover feature on the Zurich Policy that protects you against the effects of inflation, and rising court awards. This cover is a pioneering hybrid offering the advantages of a claims occurring policy with features normally only found on a claims made policy, but with none of the disadvantages, particularly around the issue of discontinuing cover and possibly being uninsured later on if a claim is discovered. This is a major improvement on what is often available through other insurers. Further information about this is available on our website www.balens.co.uk
• The policy will cover you to practice in the UK, cover is also included for temporary trips abroad (please note exclusions apply).

The policy also includes a Legal Protection policy:

• Cover for legal defence costs against criminal allegations.
• Pre-disciplinary and Disciplinary Hearings cover.
• Jury service and court attendance cover.
• Tax protection cover relating to a tax enquiry, an employer compliance dispute and/or VAT dispute.
• Unlimited access to legal and tax helplines.
• Counselling service.
• The policy provides a limit of liability of £100,000 per claim.

For further information on the policy cover please view our Key Points document and policy wordings: www.balens.co.uk/BalensKeyPointsDocumentCombinedLiability.pdf

How do I take out the policy?

1. Download a copy of the Declaration form from this webpage and complete and return to Balens Ltd along with copies of your qualifications.
2. Contact Balens for a quote. Balens will be happy to send you a copy of the Declaration Form for you to complete and return by email or post.

Contact information for Balens Ltd:

Contact by phone – 01684 580771 or by email – info@balens.co.uk

If you have any questions or if you would like to discuss the cover available please do not hesitate to contact Balens.

 Main features and remittance slip 

  Key points document

 Terms of business

Towergate Professional Risks
Towergate House
2 County Gate
Staceys Street
Maidstone
Kent ME14 1ST
T: 0113 3919555

Operate a scheme for Counsellors, Psychotherapists and Hypnotherapists
£107-150 per annum for up to £5m claim.
Quote can be had by completing their online form www.towergateprofessionalrisks.co.uk

Available from Wiley at http://eu.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1119057272.html - new discount code available to members is SSA16 – which will  give members a 20% discount off either the paperback or hardback.

Ethical Chair Practice and Procedures. A guide for Members

A supplement to the ‘Making a Complaint’ procedure

Sadly the commonest task for the Ethical Chair is involvement with complaints by members about each other.  However it is reassuring that complaints involving patients are rare. The Ethical Chair can be used as a sounding board, or to facilitate resolution of a difficulty. Sometimes a formal complaint may be made.

When raising a matter with the Ethical Chair please:

Be EXPLICIT
Are you running a dilemma past without formality?
Are you seeking opinion, suggestions, or action?
Are you making a formal complaint?
(Formal complaints should normally be made via National Office and would be recorded there. Sometimes sensitive cases may be raised directly with the Ethical Chair.)

Be SPECIFIC
What action, behaviour, or information do you regard as an ethical issue?
If possible, mention your hopes or expectations.

Please RESPOND
The Ethical Chair is likely to request further clarification or discuss initial impression and proposed action. It is very difficult to proceed without timely communications from complainant and subject.

Agree CLOSURE
Indicate whether you accept the response or action, and whether the matter can be considered closed. Be realistic about possible outcomes, one or both parties sometimes remain dissatisfied.

In dealing with a case the ETHICAL CHAIR WILL:
Endeavour to keep all parties informed in a manner which inspires confidence and aspires to safeguard the subject, uphold the Society’s reputation, and satisfy the complainant.

CONFIDENTIALITY, DISCLOSURE, and ANONYMITY
Along the way all parties will be advised what might be disclosed and to whom, and professional confidentiality will be maintained. National Office would normally have a record of the original complaint and a brief summary of the outcome. Other documents are kept by Ethical Chair and whoever is privy to them, and may be destroyed or passed on to the next Ethical Chair at the discretion of the current Ethical Chair. In complex or serious cases the Ethical Chair will convene an Ethical sub-committee. The Ethical Chair would choose one to three appropriate colleagues.

Council members can claim ‘reasonable’ travel expenses when attending Council meetings. If distance entails a very early start (before 7am) then an overnight stay and subsistence can be claimed. Subsistence is usually around £20 a day. Lunch is provided at the meeting.

Any expenditure over and above this should have prior approval from the Hon Treasurer.

Expenses incurred whilst running one day workshops for BSCAH may also be claimed using this form.

Completed claim forms can be e-mailed FAO Dr Ann Williamson at natoffice@bscah.co.uk or posted to Hollybank House, Lees Road, Mossley, Lancs. OL5 0PL.

An expense claim form can be downloaded here.

All BSCAH members may now apply to be on the BSCAH Referral List.

Each July those on the Referral List will be sent a link to a form which needs to be completed in order to remain on the list. You will receive an automated email reminder when this is due and be directed to complete the form online which will automatically renew your name on the referral list for the next year. Unfortunately, as this is an automated system, failure to respond will mean that your name is suspended from the list until this is done. If you have any queries please contact National Office (natoffice@bscah.co.uk).

As good practice anyone working with hypnosis should keep up-to-date by reading, attending meetings etc. Although we do not ask for evidence, it is expected that those on the referral list should complete a minimum of 5 hours per year of hypnosis-related continuing professional development. This could include reading, writing a paper, teaching, giving a talk or presentation, attending Branch meetings, workshops or Annual Conference by BSCAH, BSMDH (Scotland), RSM Section, ESH or ISH. Other meetings may be included with prior approval by Ac & Ac.

If you wish you can keep a record of your CPD online, log in to your account, and follow the “Update your details” instructions

If you are working with patients it is important that you do not work in complete isolation and feel that you have some support. Supervision may merely consist of the occasional telephone chat about a case with a colleague rather than formal one to one paid supervision (depending on circumstances), but everyone should set up a contact for use when necessary.

If any of your details change then please remember to update your profile and if you do not wish your telephone number(s) to be displayed on the referral list please leave blank when you update your details on the website. .

If you have a problem with a patient or a query relating to hypnosis that you would like to chat to a colleague about, here is a list of experienced BSCAH members happy to be contacted for mentorship/supervision:

Mets & South

• Leon Gevertz                     leongevertz13@gmail.com
• David Kraft                          dmjkraftesq@yahoo.co.uk
• Christina Liossi                   cliossi@soton.ac.uk
• Peter Naish                         p.naish@open.ac.uk

Northern

• Claire Hebblewhite         claire.hebblewhite@hey.nhs.uk
• Jacky Owens                     jackyowens19@gmail.com
• Dan Round                          dround@theretreatyork.org.uk
• Gillian Smith                       gmsmith53@icloud.com
• Grahame Smith                 grahamedsmith@doctors.org.uk

Lancs & Cheshire

• Mike Capek                        m.capek@icloud.com
• Ann Williamson                 ann@annwilliamson.co.uk
• Phyllis Alden                     phyllis.alden@icloud.com