Accreditation guidelines
Criteria Guidelines for Accredited Executive Coach Membership
Application Process for Executive Coach Accreditation
Benefits of Accredited Membership
Criteria Guidelines for Associate Membership (Working towards Accreditation)
Application Process for Associate Membership
Criteria Guidelines for Accreditation of Executive Coach Supervisors
Application Process for Accreditation
Corporate Buyers of Coaching
Invited Members
Criteria Guidelines for Accredited Executive Coach Membership.
APECS defines ‘Executive’ as: a person who has a level of leadership responsibility (financial / operational/ people) and/or responsibility for policy formulation and/or who makes a senior level individual contribution in the organisation.
Applicants for Accredited Executive Coach membership need to demonstrate extensive one–to–one executive coaching experience over at least five years. As a guide, extensive is taken to mean, for example, not normally less than 40% of a full–time portfolio. They are required to provide portfolio evidence to include:
- professional training together with a formal, recognised qualification (e.g. BPS Chartered Status, UKCP, BACP or equivalent in the country where the applicant qualified) in psychology, psychotherapy or counselling; OR portfolio evidence of an equivalent level of psychological knowledge and understanding relevant to the coaching context;
- understanding and application of ethical and boundary management considerations in coaching;
- significant (i.e. a minimum of five years) executive business experience personally (e.g. line management and/or consultancy) in addition to experience as an Executive Coach;
- applicants will also have to articulate, as required, the detailed rationale/ philosophy of their practice and model of working;
- evidence of and commitment to ongoing professional and personal development including self-awareness and supervision;
- Demonstration of a contribution to the Executive Coaching profession, for example:
- Published articles
- Conference presentations
- Research
- Design and facilitation of coaching workshops
- reflection on professional practice and evaluation of professional practice;
- acceptance of and intention to abide by APECS’ Ethical Guidelines;
- an undertaking to comply with any U.K. or E.U. requirements or those governing the geographic area in which they work;
- applicants will be required to provide references from 2 referees and a statement from their supervisor confirming supervisory arrangements; and
- professional liability insurance of at least £1 million (or monetary equivalent) specifically referring to Executive Coaching
Application Process for Executive Coach Accreditation
- Individual requests the application form from Membership Secretary
- Applicant completes application form and returns original plus two copies with payment of £150.00 to Membership Secretary
- Membership Secretary passes the completed application form to the Accreditation Panel (AP)
- AP reviews the application and decides that:
- a) it may meet accreditation criteria;
- b) it is likely to fall into the "Associate Member working towards accreditation" category; and
- c) it does not meet the requirements for accreditation.
- Membership Secretary communicates AP’s decision to applicant (no appeal against ‘c’ above)
- If a) above applicant is informed by Membership Secretary and submits payment of £250.00 for the next stage
- Next stage Accreditation Dialogue (AD) is arranged and either:
- a) applicant passes to “Accredited” membership category or “Associate Member working towards accreditation” category; or
- b) applicant does not meet the criteria for one or either category.
- Membership Secretary communicates outcome to applicant who may appeal to the AP (against b) above) who will sit as an Appeals Committee excluding any AP Member who has been involved in processing the application to date.
- Assuming applicant wishes to proceed to the appropriate category, a further £150.00 for Accredited status (or £100.00 for Associate Member status for those who do not yet meet the Accreditation Criteria) in respect of the annual membership fee for the 12 months commencing 1st of the following calendar month is payable. This will be renewable 12 months from the date of acceptance.
- Those who, as a result of the accreditation application process, fall into the “Associate Member working towards accreditation” category may re-apply for accreditation not sooner than 12 months from the decision date on the previous application. This application will be subject to a further payment of £150.00.
Benefits of Accredited Membership
- Accreditation recognised by our Corporate Members that is by over 20 major business buyers of Executive Coaching and Supervision.
- Your own personal page on the APECS website accessible by all our corporate members.
- Access to monthly professional development events at reduced fee.
- Licensed use of the APECS logo showing your name and accredited status.
- Posting on website of articles etc. you have written (subject to moderator).
Criteria Guidelines for Associate Membership (Working towards Accreditation)
APECS defines ‘Executive’ as: a person who has a level of leadership responsibility (financial/operational/people) and/or responsibility for policy formulation and/or who makes a senior level individual contribution in the organisation.
Applicants for Associate Membership (working towards accreditation) need to demonstrate extensive one–to–one Executive Coaching experience over at least two years. As a guide, ‘extensive’ is taken to mean, for example, not less than 20% of a full–time portfolio (for example one day per week); not less than four clients a month or fifteen clients over a period of a year. Their application form needs to show:
- professional training relevant to Executive Coaching. If the training or development is not coach specific, it must be shown to be relevant to Executive Coaching and to inform your practice as an Executive Coach;
- understanding and application of ethical and boundary management considerations in coaching;
- a minimum of three years executive business experience personally (eg line management and/or consultancy) in addition to experience as an Executive Coach (*Executive is defined above);
- where they are on their journey to meet full accreditation requirements in due course. An outline is required of background and development with respect to either or both of the following requirements:
- APECS Accredited Executive Coaches are required to have professional training together with a formal, recognised qualification (e.g. BPS Chartered Status, UKCP, BACP or the equivalent in the country where the applicant qualified) in psychology, psychotherapy or counselling; or
- portfolio evidence of an equivalent level of applied psychological knowledge and understanding relevan to the Executive Coaching context.
- evidence of and commitment to ongoing professional and personal development including self-awareness and supervision;
- acceptance of and intention to abide by APECS’ Ethical Guidleines, in particular point 2 which, for this purpose, requires the Associate Member to agree a development plan with his/her supervisor at the beginning of the associate membership and on annual renewal. APECS reserves the right to review this document with the Associate Member;
- an undertaking to comply with any U.K. or E.U. requirements or those governing the geographic area in which they work;
- an annual statement will be required by APEC, signed by the Associate Member’s supervisor certifying that in his/her view the Associate Member is coaching in a competent and ethical manner; and
- professional liability insurance of at least £1 million (or monetary equivalent) specifically referring to Executive Coaching.
Application Process for Associate Membership
- Individual requests the Application form from Membership Secretary.
- Applicant completes the application form and returns the original plus two copies with payment of £50.00.
- Membership Secretary passes the completed application form to the Accreditation Panel (AP).
- The AP reviews the application and decides as below to:
- a) indicate that this meets the criteria for Associate Membership; and
- b) reject the application as falling too far short to take further.
- Membership Secretary communicates the decision to the applicant. There is no appeal against b) above.
- Assuming the applicant wishes to proceed to Associate Membership, a further payment £100.00 in respect of the annual membership fee for the 12 months commencing 1st of the following calendar month is payable. This will be renewable 12 months from the date of acceptance.
Criteria Guidelines for Accreditation of Executive Coach Supervisors
Applicants for accredited Executive Coach Supervisor need to demonstrate executive coach experience over at least five years and Executive Coach Supervision for a minimum of two years. Normally they will have engaged with 2-3 supervisees per year to a minimum of 25 hours per year. They will normally be expected to be APECS Accredited Executive Coaches. They are required to provide portfolio evidence to include:
- training in supervision;
- understanding and application of ethical and boundary management considerations in executive coaching supervision;
- applicants will also have to articulate, as required, the detailed rationale/philosophy of their practice and model of working as an Executive Coach Supervisor;
- evidence of and commitment to ongoing professional and personal development including self-awareness and supervision;
- Demonstration of a contribution to the Executive Coaching profession, for example:
- Published articles;
- Conference presentations;
- Research; and
- Design and facilitation of coaching supervision workshops.
- reflection on professional practice and evaluation of professional practice;
- acceptance of and intention to abide by APECS’ Ethical Guidelines;
- an undertaking to comply with any U.K. or E.U. requirements or those governing the geographic area in which they work;
- applicants will be required to provide references from 2 referees and a statement from their supervisor confirming supervisory arrangements; and
- professional liability insurance of at least £1 million (or monetary equivalent), specifically referring to Executive Coaching Supervision.
Application Process for Accreditation
- Individual requests the application form from Membership Secretary.
- Applicant completes application form and returns original plus two copies with payment of £150.00 to Membership Secretary.
- Membership Secretary passes the completed application form to the Supervision Accreditation Panel (SAP).
- SAP reviews the application and decides that:
- a) the application may meet accreditation criteria; and
- b) the application at this time, not meet the requirements for accreditation.
- Membership Secretary communicates SAP’s decision to applicant (no appeal against ‘b’ above).
- If a) above, applicant is asked to submit payment of £250.00 for the next stage.
- Next stage Accreditation Dialogue (AD) is arranged and either:
- a) the applicant passes to ‘Accredited’ membership category; or
- b) the applicant does not meet the criteria.
- Membership Secretary communicates outcome to applicant who may appeal against b) above to the SAP who will sit as an Appeals Committee excluding any SAP member who has been involved in processing the application to date.
- Assuming applicant wishes to proceed to the accreditation category of Executive Coach Supervisor, a further £150.00 in respect of the annual membership fee for the 12 months commencing 1st of the following calendar month is payable. This will be renewable 12 months from the date of acceptance.
Other Categories of Membership:
Corporate Buyers of Coaching
You are invited to invest in the professionalisation of the coaching industry.
The cost of Corporate Membership is currently £2000.00 per annum.
As a Corporate Member of APECS you will have the opportunity to:
- nominate two of your senior colleagues to participate free of charge in APECS’ stimulating events programme (excluding annual conference);
- attend at a reduced rate, twice yearly half day ‘Masterclasses’;
- learn from and with other Corporate Members who are at the leading edge in the use of Executive Coaches and Supervisors of executive coaching together with the practitioner members themselves via the APECS events and website;
- contribute to the development of professional standards of coaching and supervision in your industry;
- have access via your password to the details of APECS Accredited Executive Coaches and Supervisors of Executive Coaches listed on the APECS website;
- influence the direction of research and contribute to the field of Executive Coaching and Supervision and have access to research findings;
- have access to good practice in meeting with APECS Accredited Executive Coaches & Supervisors via our events and website;
- have your own named APECS Director who you can liaise with re queries, requests, to give feedback etc; and
- by separate fee negotiation, and only available to Corporate Member organisations, have the APECS seal on your internal coach selection training and supervision processes if they meet the APECS good practice standards.
Invited Members
E.g Consultants/Academics researching the field of coaching and supervision and providing advisory and implementation services with regard to the coaching industry/profession.