ACC Board Meeting Wednesday 23 November 2016
Venue: Skype
(Meeting commenced at 9.30am)
In attendance: Peter Barraclough, Sue Monkton-Rickett, David Depledge, Tony Ruddle, Phil Weare,
Teresa Onions (Pastoral Care section), Chris Williams.
Apologies:
Trevor Summerlin, Marlene Forsythe-Gidharry, Julia Everett.
The meeting opened with thoughts for the day led by Tony based on Psalm 34v8 on praise.
Title
The changes to Board and Exec were discussed. Tony explained that Julia Everett was standing down
from the Board but will continue her regional duties. TS has taken sabbatical leave from Board until
after the Conference. DD is standing down from the Board at AGM. TO has tendered her resignation,
effective from April 2017. A formal job offer has been made to Kathy Spooner (KS) as the incoming
Director of Counselling, and ACC is waiting for her response. Prayers of praise and then intecercession
followed and especially for Julie Timm’s situation.
Minutes of the previous meeting and maters arising not covered on the agenda version on
Livedrive.
Minutes were accepted as an accurate representation of the meeting.
Matters arising that will not be covered elsewhere in the agenda – none.
Standing items
From the RAP meeting the previous Friday – their report was noted: they are seeking a third lay
member, and preparing for the renewal of ACC’s accredited register. Given that KS is based in Surrey,
the Registrar in Coventry and the other RAP members are in Yorkshire, it is probable that more RAP
meetings will be held by Skype. The full Risk Matrix will have its annual review at the next Board
meeting. Our register renewal is due on 26th May 2017.
Items of public engagement to be circulated to PW. SMR to circulate a spreadsheet to Board
members to add information where they, individually, have mentioned ACC, for example CJW’s
involvement in the MoU. Need for a survey of our members and affiliates to ensure that we involve
our stakeholders. A mini-survey at conference. Meeting point is a part of the engagement strategy.
Finance
Income from counsellor membership has not grown, but membership is nearly maintained at previous
level. Income from affiliates reduced by about £5,000 because a number have not renewed.
More EPC booklets have been sold, but they have not reached their target.
A new approach is recommended, targeting organisations at a higher level, so that we can run more
PCUK training courses.
At the end of 2016, our income is forecast to be £13,000 under budget. However, because our
expenditure was a similar amount under budget, ACC should break even with a tiny surplus of £239.
The finances of Pastoral Care have improved during 2016, and, Pastoral Care is tasked with breaking
even, and contributing to the fixed costs by the end of 2017.
TR said that if ACC were to appoint an additional Chief Executive, it would add a minimum of £25,000
a year to ACC’s costs. In that circumstance SMR stated ACC’s turnover would need to rise to £210,000
– £220,000.
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Succession planning opportunities include Conference 2017 and recruiting Board members outside of
ACC, via the Global Connections website.
Cashflow: cash £113,000 in the bank, with creditors, including £72,000 for conference attendees. This
leaves £50,953 for disposal, giving ACC with a balance over contingency of £2,953.
Budget for 2017: our risk is that in 2017, there would be a proportion of members who do not join the
register. The best case scenario would be a loss of £65 per head if they became PCUK members, while
the worst case scenario is to lose all of their membership fees. For example, if we lose 100 counselling
members, the impact would be £12,000.
Expected that the amount raised from RPCC will go up HTB and Chelmsford Diocese will pay the levy
for the courses they will run.
Deficit of £8,978 is expected for next year, though we are confident of raising at least that through
Conference 2017. If our expectations on Conference income are reached, it should lead to a budgeted
surplus for the year of £6,022.
CJW: we need to promote that the public are attracted to counsellors who are on the register. Some
of his supervisees report that they are receiving more referrals via ACC’s Find a Counsellor, rather
than BACP’s similar facility.
DD showed the Health Professions Council leaflet. To ask Graham Mockler at conference what PSA is
doing to promote accredited registers.
Scottish Network is not active, Dave Thomson proposed that the balance of £2,000 is brought back
into the central pot because there is the risk that there would be no signatories to the account in
future. SMR suggested we could legitimately use it to promote the regions. The Midlands and East
Anglia account, holding £2,500 could be brought back into the central ACC account. It was agreed
that, where a committee ceases to exist, the money is brought back into the central ACC account.
Operations and Communications
PW introduced the document prepared by himself and TR on a statement of values for ACC as an
organisation as a basis for:
 Raising the profile of ACC by providing inspiration on the significant contribution that ACC
members make to communities, and by ACC’s high professional standards and respect for all
individuals
 Guiding the manner in which we (Board, Exec, staff and volunteers) spend our treasure, time
and talents in helping ACC to achieve financial security, its’ objectives and thereby to make a
difference to members, clients, affiliated organisations and communities.
Board agreed to the statement of values in principle, with PW to liaise with Board members for their
individual contributions in the near future. The objective would be to distribute the statement of
values at Conference 2017.
Following discussion at Exec, TO has revised the job description and person specification for the
Director of Pastoral Care position. From these, an advert has been drafted in similar format to the
recent advert for the Director of Pastoral Care. Feedback from Board members on this draft advert
are needed by 5pm on Thursday 24th November to enable us to keep to the following timetable:
Advertising of Director of Pastoral Care position on PCUK/ACC website and on Global Connections
website, followed by social media: 25 November
Deadline for return of applications: 5pm on Thursday 22 December
Interviews: 9 or 11 January
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Start date: to be negotiated, but not later than Tuesday 18 April.
TR to email PW Teresa’s letter to all ACC members so that it can go out on Thursday morning to
everybody on our database.
Facilities at Momus Boulevard
PW thanked the staff team for their support in two significant acts. The first was the removal of 20-30
boxes of redundant paperwork that were posing a fire risk in the attic. The second was for their hard
work in repainting the meeting room, making it a more pleasant place to hold job interviews,
meetings – and it raised staff morale.
Revisions to Data Protection legislation
PW briefly introduced the proposals outlined under EU regulations. SMR offered to email Global
Connections to ask if they could let us have the guidance and documentation they have given to their
members.
Director of Pastoral Care
Teresa explained that her passion for Pastoral Care had not diminished, but her availability has. Board
members thanked Teresa for her hard work, her tremendous achievements, and that it has been a
pleasure working with her.
TR will be informing the network champions, regional trainers and the networks of Teresa’s decision
later today.
Strategic Plan
TO to liaise with SMR about finance and people resources for the plan for the next three years. The
Board approved this in principle and awaits budget proposals for this strategic plan, to reference
admin costs and contribution to premises etc. PW to look at whether there is resource in the current
form in the office that we could do any growth work (for pastoral care as well as the counselling
aspects of the organisation).
Strapline
Board said the new strapline excellent and approved the new strapline, in use with the stand-alone
logo and swirl as below:
Development of Networks
TO proposed that we work towards very localised networks through Pastoral Pals and Pastoral Hubs.
Board agreed that they are happy to move in this direction.
Meeting Point
The proposals were presented to Board. In the next week, if Board members can be available for any
of the time slots at Meeting Point, please email TO.
Complaints process for sole affiliates
These are not accountable to another body, so the complaints process would be useful for the sole
affiliate to handle a complaint against them, rather than an individual employee or volunteer. These
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are the same as ACC’s complaints process, with minor adaptations. The pre-hearing panel would be
able to look at these complaints. The general principle of these documents was considered, with
some tidying up that members of a tribunal panel would specifically be involved with pastoral care.
TO volunteered to revise this process into a shorter document.
Memorandum of Understanding
CJW has suggested to the MoU group that it uses the following as a definition of ‘Conversion
Therapy’:
“For the purposes of this document ’Conversion Therapy’ is an umbrella term for a therapeutic
approach, or any model or individual viewpoint that demonstrates an assumption that any sexual
orientation or gender identity is inherently preferable to any other, and which attempts to bring
about a change of sexual orientation or gender identity, or seeks to supress an individual’s
expression of sexual orientation or gender identity on that basis.”
TR thanked CJW for his hard work on this and his success in influencing members of the consortium in
agreeing on the wording.
The organisations who are agreeing to sign up are:- UKCP, NCS, BABCP, BPS, BPC, COSRT, Pink
Therapy. However, BACP and RCP are declining to sign up to MOU2 but reserve their position as
signatories of MOU 1 to adhere to the original Memorandum whilst their Boards consider their
stance. All organisations have assented to a press release to be drawn up by the Communications subgroup and pre-circulated.
CJW would circulate the final report to ACC Board and Exec members so that they can give their
individual decisions on whether to accept or reject the document.
A press release will be produced, and this will be circulated to ACC members on that same day. CJW
to ask the MoU on what date the general statement will be made, and following that, it would be
good to have sight of the press release by this. Expect interest from Premier so we can explain our
position (perhaps PB?).
Counselling update
Supervision guidelines
Board members asked to read after the meeting and let TR have their comments.
Restoration guidelines
Agreed, so they can be put forward to PSA after consideration with the new Director of Counselling.
Glasgow Institute
Decision that this online course is acceptable for CPD, but not for qualifying training with a diploma.
Board agreed that ACC would ask them to put onto the website a note that the course is not
acceptable to ACC.
Self-harm
This organisation would like to join ACC. It provides online counselling of young people who self-harm.
DD to meet with their representative Ruth Ayres to explore this with them, and if anything more were
to come of it, ACC would need a more detailed investigation.
Kathy Spooner
A formal exchange of letters is currently in progress. The start date and initial number of days per
week is currently being negotiated by SMR and TR. Other options included taking some of the weight
off of Tony and Sue so they could help with the Renewal of our licence with PSA, perhaps with HB
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doing more work on the database, and EA doing more on the website – with appropriate supervision
(PW and TR).
Executive Chair Report
Conference
Staff changes at the Hayes meant they had no corporate memory of how the premises were used in
the past. Emails from the Hayes had explained the pricing for Wednesday night. However, when EA
uploaded the delegates, it was discovered that the Hayes had hired out the Wednesday to a youth
workers conference. Their Director of Operations has proved helpful latterly. We have six disabled
rooms for the Wednesday night.
An email went out on 22 November to delegates who had booked Wednesday night to give them
options, including a refund or alternative accommodation at a Best Western hotel.
The Derbyshire room is not available on Wednesday morning, but two other large rooms are
available, and capable of holding 300 people. TR to visit in December to tour the facilities available at
the Hayes.
Training sessions from for courses have been cancelled at the tutors’ request. There are a couple of
other courses that are at risk because they have a low number of bookings.
A general email to members – 6 weeks to go, along the lines of “Don’t miss out…”, and a similar
follow-up 4 weeks beforehand.
PSA document on regulation rethinking
All Board members to review this document and let TR have any questions that we should put to PSA.
Overseas members
Send names of overseas members to DD so he can look at where they are based and when the joined
us. In addition it was discussed whether DD could provide a list of organisations signed up to ACC
Europe, so that TR can add a question on the application form, that if overseas asking whether they
have approached the ACC in the country where they now live. This is part of our agreement with ACC
Europe. DD suggested that this might be difficult to manage as there often many changes.
There was Board only Time to discuss other financial matters which were agreed relating to salaries
and budgeting. SMR to action.
Date of Next meeting: February 15th via Skype
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