STANDARDS OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Ensuring Standards in Education and Training

The Accredited Practitioner Register (PSA) ("Register") recognises the importance of standards in education and training. These standards ensure that members of the public, service users, or clients are provided with services founded on professional ethics and standards that prioritise health and wellbeing, and that protect them from harm or injury.

In line with these standards, the Register currently invites applications from applicants who have:

• Successfully completed the Athena Herd Foundation Level 4 Equine Assisted Services Practitioner Diploma; or
• Successfully completed and can provide proof of qualification for non–Athena Herd Foundation training in Equine Assisted Services. These must be recognised, regulated qualifications at a minimum of Level 4 on the OFQUAL (or regional UK equivalent) Regulated Qualifications Framework; or
• Successfully completed qualifications that are already recognised by the Register
• Successfully accepted for consideration under (and completed) the Certificate of Proficiency process

For all applications, proof of qualifications for other non–Equine Assisted Services practices and therapies must be provided where practitioners seek to register the provision of these services (for example, Psychotherapy or Counselling). These must be recognised, regulated qualifications at a minimum of Level 4 on the OFQUAL (or regional UK equivalent) Regulated Qualifications Framework and supported by membership of appropriate accredited registers.

Recognised Qualifications

The defining and maintaining of Standards of Education and Training is the responsibility of the Education and Training Committee. The committee is also responsible for assessing qualifications presented to the Register in line with those standards, and for deciding whether they are satisfactory.

The Register maintains a list of recognised Equine Assisted Services qualifications, which are reviewed regularly. Potential applicants are encouraged to enquire about the qualifications they hold. (The full list is linked above).

Other Qualifications

The Register is also open to applications where individual equine-related qualifications are not recognised. In these cases:

• The qualifications will need to be confirmed as suitable in standard and appropriateness. The Register's approach is defined under the framework for Defining Education Standards, or:
• Where applicants cannot meet any of the above, the Register offers a Certificate of Proficiency option.

Certificate of Proficiency

The Register recognises that there may be competent practitioners whose equine-related qualifications do not meet the requirements of the Register, or who do not hold any such qualifications. In these cases, services may be delivered based on practices and skills acquired from other modalities and supported by appropriate (non-equine) qualifications.

To accommodate such practitioners, the Register offers a Certificate of Proficiency. This can be completed to demonstrate appropriate standards of professional skills and practice that comply with the conditions of Register membership.

Continued Professional Development

The Register has defined annual levels of Continued Professional Development (CPD) that all members are expected to meet. These are outlined within the Registration Policy.