Minutes of
the 1st Aromatherapy Council (AC) Meeting
6th
December 2006
Connaught
Hall,
Present
Carol
Jordan,
Apologies
Frederick
Ray Mingay, Jean Nestor (FIH), Janetta Bensouilah, David Donovan
Welcome & Introductions
Dr
Meier highlighted that the AC is the first of the complementary therapies
within the Prince’s Foundation for Integrated Healthcare to achieve voluntary
self-regulation so we are in fact the “Flagship”. We are completely independent
and members of the Council are not here representing any professional association,
but are working as individuals for the good of the profession.
Background
For
the benefit of the new Council members, Carole Preen gave a brief history
lesson that led to the formation of the Aromatherapy Council. The AOC was
formed in 1991 (split from the BCMA) and worked to start bringing together the
various bodies representing aromatherapists and developed standards of
education and training as well as policy documents. The AOC was in fact more of
a trade association but in 1997, they started to pursue Statutory Regulation of
Aromatherapy. The ASRG (Aromatherapy Statutory Regulation Group) was formed
within the AOC and started to work with the then Prince of Wales’s Foundation
for Integrated Medicine (known as FIM). The House of Lords Report and
Government Response in 2000 and 2001 changed the focus from statutory
regulation to voluntary self-regulation and the name changed to the ARWG
(Aromatherapy Regulation Working Group). The last AOC Chairman, Joyce West,
realised that in order to bring together the parts of the profession that were
outside of the AOC and to make a real step towards achieving unity, the AOC
should be dissolved and a new body set up to unite the whole profession as
widely as possible in order to fully consult on all issues concerning the
profession as a whole. The AOC Executive agreed and the offices and the funds
from the AOC were transferred to a brand new group called the Aromatherapy
Consortium in 2002. The Consortium worked together from 2002 to 2006 and
developed all the policies in order to achieve a robust system of voluntary
self-regulation for the UK Aromatherapy Profession. This enabled the new
Aromatherapy Council to be launched on the 1st December 2006. In
addition, the National Occupational Standards (NOS) for aromatherapy were first
published in 1998 and again aromatherapy was the first to have these in place.
The NOS were revised in 2002 with big celebratory launch in
Remit of the AC
The
remit is set out in the “Aims & Objectives” of the AC’s Constitution (which
is available on the AC website) and to summarise is to maintain the VSR body
for the
Education Board
Carole
Preen explained that the Consortium had agreed to set up a separate Education
Board to maintain standards as part of the AC’s structure and it was now up to
this new Council to decide on how this should be implemented. She explained
that we should have at least one lay Council member, but preferably more and at
least two professional Council members. It is up to the group to decide on who
the Chair should be but it must be a Council member. Carole explained that she
would attend in order to facilitate the meeting, give background advice and
take the minutes but is not a Council member.
Dr.
Roberta Ramsammy,
Frances
Fewell & Viv Hinks talked about degrees and academic awards that exist
without the ability to practice afterward. They suggested that we need to liaise
with the QAA (Qualifications Assurance Agency for Higher Education) and
advising them of the registerable standards. Frances Fewell explained that
there are currently 96 university courses offering BSc’s in complementary
therapies and many include aromatherapy but they are not all necessarily
practitioner courses. It’s whether a course is registerable now that is the
important factor and students need to be advised of this fact as much confusion
exists.
We
will set an early 2007 date for the first Education Board meeting but will need
to sort out ASAP for room bookings. Carole Preen will also need to contact the
professional associations and awarding bodies and see who would like to be
invited to sit on the Board.
ACTION> Carole Preen to arrange a room booking for February 2007 and send out a
letter to associations and awarding bodies in order to see who wants to be
involved with the Education Board.
Note;
the Education Board is a sub-committee of the Aromatherapy Council. The
Education Board will be able to make recommendations to the Council, but only
the Council members can make the final decisions on policies.
Disciplinary Committees
Fiona
Dubois asked for an explanation of the purpose of the Screening Committee and
it was shown that this is the initial look at the complaint. Carole Preen
explained that this committee has to look at the nature of the complaint and
whether or not it is serious or no further action is necessary depending on
what transpires from the initial investigations. The Health & Competence Committee
was also explained as part of the Fitness to Practise procedures and that it
would be the Screening Committee that will decide which committee to action. These
committees will be overseen by Fiona Dubois, Sue Mousley, Sophie Hudson &
Kay Barnard.
Budget Review
This
was presented and it was agreed that this would be followed up and reviewed in
March with financial reports. A background on the budget was given along with
an explanation of current arrangements. These current arrangements will
continue for a period of one year or less depending on the decisions of the
Council.
ACTION> Carole Preen to advise
Honorarium
for the Lay Chair’s role agreed at £8500 per annum
PAYE
Contract – pension removed from contract and it was minuted that it will be
reviewed in 12 months and that the office manager reports to the Lay Chair and
remove Hans’s name, which may change in time.
ACTION> Revised PAYE contract to be circulated to the group for final approval
prior to Carole Preen signing it.
It
was agreed that we need a handbook for disciplinary too. Named person to report
to for complaints.
ACTION> Carole Preen to circulate a Disciplinary Handbook for group approval.
Fiona
Dubois suggested that we need something in writing for Ruth that her work for
the Council is on a contractual arrangement at £15 per hour and that it is her
responsibility to declare the income and pay any tax and NI due.
Legal status
A
discussion took place and it was suggested that as we have an employee, we
should be a company limited by guarantee. Each member would be a director. The
company would be able to declare bankruptcy but as we are not trading, this
situation should never occur. Legally it would be so much easier and cleaner if
we were a company limited by guarantee. Carole explained the insurance
proposals and will sort this out. We could limit liability to Directors at £10.
Need to have accountant to sort out registration and give out one share each.
It will also make signing leases easier etc.
ACTION> Carole Preen to circulate insurance details when received once the
company issue has been sorted, which will include a run off period of cover for
the former Consortium
ACTION> Carole Preen to contact
Lobbying
Carole
Preen explained the reasoning behind the fact that the Consortium wanted this
item on the Council’s first agenda. We have basically jumped through all the
required hoops in order to have a regulatory body in place and now want
official recognition from the NHS. This is a marketing tool as well as what the
aromatherapists want and need. Fiona Dubois felt that it is too early yet to
approach them as they cannot audit us yet for acceptance. We have also asked
private healthcare companies to recognise us. Carole explained that she had contacted
BUPA, HSA & AXA PPP Healthcare; the latter has responded congratulating us
on achieving regulation but that they will not be included aromatherapy as it
is not part of their existing policies. Frances Fewell said that all healthcare
industries are going to want to see an AC Registered aromatherapist on an
official registration list. It would seem that reflexologists are already
accepted on private healthcare lists and they have not even achieved regulation
yet, so this is very frustrating for us and unfair. Achieving official
recognition will be a really good way of getting therapists to register.
Registrants are being quality assured and this is an important point. A GP
wants to know that anyone they refer to is part of a regulatory body, they have
never had this before, but we can offer this now – a safety net which reduces
the risk to both the patient and the GP.
CRB
(Criminal Records Bureau) checks were discussed and we should get legal advice
on this. It is essential that we do have this in place in order to fully
protect the patient. ACTION>Fiona Dubois to look into putting us in
touch with a
Insurance companies – we can write and
explain about our existence and that they should perhaps be only registering
therapists who are working at the agreed national standards.
ACTION> Draft letters to be drawn up by Carole Preen and circulate to group for
approval.
APL/APEL Centres
Carole
Preen explained the background of APL/APEL Centres in detail and why they need
regular meetings. This will come under the remit of the Education Board. Carole
also explained that we have developed a system where we will never turn away aromatherapists
but if their original qualification/currency does not quite make the
registration criteria, we will take them onto the provisional register and then
help them to bridge the gap in the knowledge/skills. Bobby Ramsammy expressed
concern in our training these centres in that how did we know they would carry
out the work correctly and ethically. Frances Fewell explained that we do need
to dip-sample their work periodically to ensure they are working correctly.
ACTION>
Carole Preen to organise a March date for the next APL/APEL Centres, suggested
for Tuesday 27th March 2007. She will also send out invites to the
Centres with a fee (to cover room booking and lunch) for a central venue
(probably in
Registration options for
Aromatherapists already statutory regulated in another healthcare profession
The
suggestion was about offering statutory regulated healthcare professionals
working within the NHS a nominal fee or even free registration. Carole Preen circulated
a Consortium suggestion on this written by Viv Hinks and the outcome of the meeting
where her document was presented (attached to these minutes). It was generally
felt that aromatherapists who were making their living with aromatherapy would
be very upset by this suggestion above. Whatever happens, they must be able to
prove competency and currency. We need to have a professional identity where
aromatherapists are aromatherapists and nurses are nurses etc. We are raising
our professional status here and we cannot afford to give it away. It is
realistic that they may not want to work with us in this way. It was agreed
that everyone pays the £60.
Federal Working Party
A
background on this as presented by Dr Hans Meier. We briefly discussed the consultation
document and the results, which are available of the FIH website. He asked if
this group wanted to be part of the working party. He explained that the
Consortium was of the opinion in principal of a federal approach, because at
that time it was all very unclear as to whether this would be better for aromatherapists.
Carole Preen also reported that the Consortium had felt that it was better to
be involved in this from the beginning and be involved in the discussions and
development. The AC nominated Carole Preen with her deputy as Frances Fewell.
Carole
Preen will always have to report back to the group monthly and will have to
consult the group on any important decisions. The Council felt that no-one
person could ever be a decision maker on such a fundamental issue.
Website
Fiona
Dubois flagged up www.aromatherapy.com
and the problems that people might have getting onto that website thinking it
was ours. Perhaps when we become a limited company, we call the company the
Aromatherapy Council (UK) Ltd.
ACTION>Carole to write to the Canadian Company who own the site and ask if
they put up some sort of disclaimer and link.
Post
meeting note – the website is www.aromatherapycouncil.org
and they have been contacted. The website www.aromatherapycouncil.com is
up for renewal in February 2007 and we can try and buy it then. We do now own www.aromatherapycouncil.org.uk
and the webmaster has suggested we leave it there as there are too many other variations
and this can happen to any company.
Carole
Preen gave the office report
(attached to these minutes)
ACTION> Council members to report back suggestions for the leaflet and
Carole Preen to circulate for approval before sending them to the publishers
for a price. The leaflets are not to be sold to therapists, a free one given out to
each registrant advising that they are available and then we can discuss where
we can send them to help advertise our existence.
ACTION> Suggestions for press contacts for launch party are: Channel 5,
Evening Standard and the Body & Soul section of the Times as well as our
other press contacts.
Any other business
Carole
Preen handed a copy of an email to Sue Mousley from a midwife aromatherapist
who was concerned about the wording in the AC Code of Professional Conduct
& Ethics with regard to pregnancy & childbirth.
ACTION> Sue Mousley to provide the group with advice on a change in
wording that is more suitable.
Carole
Preen advised the AC about the impending meeting at the FIH to discuss changes
to S12(1) of the Medicines Act 1968 (You can find out more on this at the MHRA
website at www.mhra.gov.uk). This affects
the aromatherapy profession in a very big way as it is the only piece of
legislation that enables aromatherapists to give any medical advice on
essential oils after a face to face consultation. Without it, aromatherapists
cannot make any medicinal claims for treatments or blends and would be reduced
to being “stress relievers” only. This affects regulation and education as well
as professional practice.
ACTION> Carole Preen to attend this meeting with Viv Hinks
at FIH and report back to the group at the next meeting or earlier if necessary.
Carole
Preen also advised the AC that the Consortium had asked her to send a letter to
Balens insurance group highlighting a complaint they had received about
internal use of essential oils and therapists being able to obtain insurance.
This actually has a large impact on S12(1) also.
ACTION> Carole Preen to wait on the outcome of the MHRA presentation in
January and wait for further instructions from the group once more information
is available. Carole explained that she had already invited Dr. Bob
Stephen from Penny Price Aromatherapy to be a co-opted member on the new
Education Board on instruction from the Consortium as he has the most knowledge
on Aromatic Medicine.
Dates of future meetings
Aromatherapy Council (The Bamforth
Room, Connaught Hall,
13th
March 2007
10th
July 2007
18th
September 2007
4th
December 2007 (AGM)
Education Board (The Woburn Room,
Connaught Hall,
13th
February 2007
APL/APEL Centre Meeting (Blenhelm
Suite, Windmill Village Hotel owned by the
27th
March 2007 (Cost of £50 per person, includes full refreshments and hot fork
buffet)
How VSR and the AC register would affect aromatherapy health carers already regulated by statutory regulation
Nov 2005-11-29
At the September ARWP meeting it was decided that I would consider this aspect of regulation and registration. I discussed this with several people including nurse/ aromatherapist practitioners and members of the RCN complementary therapy forum. This is the result of the discussion.
Nurses employed as nurse/aromatherapist should be titled as such and there would not be a conflict of regulatory title, but it is therefore extremely important that health carers with aromatherapy in their role have this clearly stated in their job description and title.
It was generally felt that practising aromatherapists should belong to a professional aromatherapy body regardless of whether they are also nursing (or other e.g. physiotherapists), The RCN encourages best practice and as such encourages membership of a relevant professional association. They will therefore agree to adhere to all of the codes and ethics therein, when practising aromatherapy.
There is however a feeling about the costs that are implicit in registration, as professional health carers will also be paying to be on other active registers, such as the NMC (Nursing and Midwife Council). Cost will be an issue for any members needing dual registration.
A suggestion could be a specific section of the register, with a reduced cost. Of course in the event of an aromatherapy disciplinary action there would have to be liaison across the disciplines and professional registering bodies. And both registering bodies would have to agree to collaboration. It is possible that inappropriate professional behaviour would be cross-professional, such as breach of trust/ confidentiality, but it could be specific for example using unsafe essential oils for the client. It would have to be agreed which professional registering body took action, but as the primary registering body would be having the larger amount of subscription fees this may also be a factor.
This is just a starting point as collaboration and further discussion is needed.
Minutes of ARWP said in this respect:
“5.
Office
Administration/Registrar Report
Aromatherapy Council Meeting
6th December 2006
1. Website
The
website is up and running at www.aromatherapycouncil.co.uk
and the email address is info@aromatherapycouncil.co.uk
There
are several pages, including downloads for all policy documents and application
forms. The website is useful for the public, aromatherapists and students,
including people who are looking to train in aromatherapy. The NOS and CC can
also be obtained. I have already received many emails saying how easy it is to
navigate.
2. Register
Registration
applications are coming in fairly consistently. I currently have around 250
waiting to be processed. We need 2,200 in order to meet our target. The press
release announcing regulation and the national register has currently been
printed in the IFPA Journal, Essentially Oils newsletter, Positive Health and
Today’s Therapist Magazine. I know it will appear in the IFA Magazine this
month as well as in CAM Magazine. The RCN will send it out in their
Complementary Forum Newsletter in January and I know some of the Spa magazines
also have it scheduled for January issues.
We
cannot be complacent about reaching aromatherapists and advising the importance
of registration. The register has only been open for 6 days at this time, so
there is plenty of time. We do need confirmation from the NHS that this is the
register they will recommend and that you need to be AC Registered in order to
work in the NHS. This needs to be a main goal. I emailed NHS Direct, NHS
Careers and BUPA to update their website regarding AC Registered
Aromatherapists.
3. Launch Party
As
most of you know, this is at Portcullis House in the Attlee Suite on the 19th
December. I am still waiting for some people to confirm their acceptance of
their invitation, but so far I have 45 acceptances and I know the Parliamentary
Group is also in receipt of quite a number. The room holds 150 and my list
contained 95 invites. Some people have asked to bring partners, but until after
we know the joint number next week or so, I cannot say if there is room as yet.
4. Leaflet
This
was developed by me in liaison with PFIH. Do we want such a leaflet and how
will we use it. Should we sell it for therapists to use of give them away?
5. Future promotional work
Brainstorming
on future areas to target. The public need to know we exist and to only use AC
Registered Aromatherapists for their protection but the register will not be
ready until early January when I have finished processing the bulk of the
applications.
Carole
Preen
6th
December 2006