REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 05034324 (England and Wales)

REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1185487

Report of the Trustees and

Unaudited Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2026

for

The British Psychoanalytic Council

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Report of the Trustees

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Independent Examiner's Report

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Statement of Financial Activities

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Balance Sheet

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Cash Flow Statement

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Notes to the Cash Flow Statement

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Notes to the Financial Statements

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The trustees who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2026. The trustees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019).

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

Objectives and aims

The Council became a Charity on 25th September 2019.

The charitable company's objectives are:

- to advance the health of the public through the maintenance and regulation of professional standards and clinical practice in psychoanalytic and psychodynamic psychotherapy and counselling, and through the promotion and accreditation of training,

- to advance education in and of psychoanalytic and psychodynamic psychotherapy and counselling and its theoretical underpinnings through, but not limited to, the promotion of research and publication of the useful results thereof; and advancing knowledge and understanding of the theory and practice of psychoanalysis and psychoanalytically informed therapies.

Significant activities

The charitable company's objectives are to advance the health of the public through the maintenance and regulation of professional standards and clinical practice in psychoanalytic and psychodynamic psychotherapy and counselling, and through the promotion and accreditation of training, to advance education in and of psychoanalytic and psychodynamic psychotherapy and counselling and its theoretical underpinnings through, but not limited to, the promotion of research and publication of the useful results thereof; and advancing knowledge and understanding of the theory and practice of psychoanalysis and psychoanalytically informed therapies.

The British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC) supports safe, psychoanalytic therapy. It protects the public by accrediting high-quality trainings, holding a public Register of qualified psychoanalytic clinicians and investigating concerns. The BPC is a UK based regulator with a strong, psychoanalytic focus and is made up of Member Institutions which are training institutions and professional associations in their own right.

The BPC is a Professional Standards Authority (PSA) accredited register. The PSA is overseen by the UK Parliament. PSA accredited registers help the public access better care by ensuring that the registered health practitioners are competent and trustworthy. As an accredited register BPC ensures that the information it provides is clear and helps the public to make informed choices about the therapy BPC's Registrants offer.

The BPC accredits the trainings of its Member Institutions, ensuring that they meet BPC's training standards. An individual who qualifies from one of these trainings, or equivalent, is then eligible for entry into the BPC's register. BPC registration is governed by a range of fitness to practise requirements including the Standards of Conduct, Practice and Ethics, continuing professional development and fitness to practise procedures.

In addition to BPC's accredited trainings it also "kite marks" a number of trainings that are psychoanalytic in their formulation but do not, on their own, enable practitioners to appear on the BPC register. Practitioners completing these trainings can appear on the BPC public rosters. The charity currently "kite-marks" Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy (DIT), Mentalisation Based Therapy (MBT), Transference Focused Psychotherapy (TFP), Counselling Children and Young People in Education and Community Settings and Time-limited Adolescent Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (TAPP).

The BPC has a vision of a society that recognises and values human relationships and the use of psychoanalytic theories of mind to support emotional wellbeing, good mental health, and effective social policy to create a better society.

The charity's mission is to advance the health of the public though the promotion of the highest clinical standards of training and clinical practice of psychoanalytic and psychodynamic psychotherapy and psychodynamic counselling; and advance the education of psychoanalytic theories of mind. Many of the charity's Registrants are also senior consultant psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, academics, and leading figures in the field of mental health, both nationally and internationally.

Public benefit

The Trustees confirm their compliance with the duty to have due regard to the Public Benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission when reviewing the Charity's aims and objectives in planning future activities.

Volunteers

The BPC has a number of volunteers which sit on its various committees which offer advice and support to the Trustees, the Chief Executive and other team members. These volunteers are predominantly clinicians and practitioners in psychoanalysis, psychoanalytic, and psychodynamic psychotherapy and counselling.

A pool of volunteers from across the psychoanalytic and psychodynamic psychotherapy profession provide content for its termly print publication and its e-newsletters.

ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

Charitable activities

The Trustees were pleased to launch the organisation's new three-year strategy (2025 - 2028) in April 2025; which is an opportunity to build on the successes of the last few years whilst also implementing ambitious new objectives. The new strategy includes the following objectives:

1. Support our Registrants to be competent and provide safe psychoanalytic therapy

2. Uphold confidence in the profession

3. Promote the work we do

4. Clarify and refine how we work with Member Institutions

5. Ensure we remain relevant to our stakeholders

6. Support our people

The Board remain grateful to the staff team and to the volunteers that enable the BPC to carry out the important work of protecting the public.

People

Whilst the majority of the team has remained consistent during the financial year 2025 - 2026, there has been a higher than expected turnover in a couple of roles. The fixed term Senior Paralegal finished with the organisation in June 2025, with the two subsequent hires receiving offers of training contracts elsewhere. The Senior Leadership Team has subsequently reviewed the role and is pleased to have a new Senior Paralegal starting with the organisation in April 2026.

The BPC's Membership Officer who had been in post since 2023 finished with the organisation in September 2025, and the team and Board are very thankful for all of Amy's hard work. There was a Membership Officer temporarily in place between October and January, with the new Membership Officer Francis starting in March 2026. The BPC welcomes Francis who has joined at a particularly busy time for the membership team. The team continues to support the membership function to ensure a smooth as possible transition during this time.

The Board is also pleased to have welcomed three new trustees in the period of April 2025 to March 2026; Joao Botas, Asim Butt and Ben Lloyd. The Board are grateful for their commitment and varied expertise.

Membership

During this financial year, there was one change to the Member Institutions of the BPC with the North of England Association of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapists joining the British Psychotherapy Foundation in May 2025. The following organisations remained a Member Institution during 2025 - 2026:

Anna Freud

Association for Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy in the Public Sector

Association for Psychodynamic Practice and Counselling in Organisational Settings

Association of Jungian Analysts

Birkbeck Counselling Association

British Psychoanalytic Association

British Psychoanalytical Society / The Institute of Psychoanalysis

British Psychotherapy Foundation

Enfield Counselling Service

Forensic Psychotherapy Society

Foundation for Psychotherapy and Counselling

Gloucestershire Counselling Service

Manor House Centre for Psychotherapy and Counselling

Northern Ireland Psychoanalytic Society

Scottish Association of Psychoanalytical Psychotherapists

Severnside Institute for Psychotherapy

Society of Analytical Psychology

Tavistock Relationships

Tavistock Society of Psychotherapists

Wessex Counselling and Psychotherapy

West Midlands Institute of Psychotherapy

By the close of the financial year, the BPC increased the number of Registrants listed on the accredited public register to 2099 across the various categories (full registration, newly qualified, supervisory/teaching, NHS only, pre-retired and deferred). This is an increase of 17 since March of the previous year. 158 of these Registrants were new to the BPC, and of these new Registrants, 82 were newly qualified. This is important not only to ensure diversity within the register but also puts the organisation in a good position for maintaining sustainability going forwards.

The BPC is pleased to have launched a new, formal trainee membership in July 2025. This membership is designed for those on BPC accredited courses so the BPC can better support them as they begin to carve out their unique psychoanalytic paths. It is also an opportunity for the BPC to be more strongly connected to trainees and to the future of the profession. The organisation has worked hard to maintain an affordable fee of £10 per year. As of the end of March 2026, 314 trainees had signed up to the new membership category which is an excellent start. The BPC will continue to grow this membership over the coming years.

The organisation has valued continued contact with retired Registrants, and now has 21 people in the retired membership category.

Individuals who have completed a BPC 'kite marked' training such as Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy (DIT), Mentalisation Based Treatment (MBT), Counselling Children and Young People in Education and Community Settings (CCYP), Time-limited Adolescent Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (TAPP) or Transference-focused Psychotherapy (TFP) are eligible to be added to the BPC kitemarked roster on the website. The kite marked roster has increased from 244 individuals to 255 during this period.

The Scholars' Network, at the end of March 2026, had a total of 55 people.

Education

Between April 2025 and March 2026, the BPC carried out two full reaccreditation site visits to trainings plus four accreditation visits of new trainings, two reaccreditations of kitemarked training courses, and one accreditation of a new kitemarked course.

In April the British Psychotherapy Foundation's new training in Couple Psychodynamic Psychotherapy was visited by a team led by Jan McGregor Hepburn and Wessex Counselling's kitemarked training in counselling children and young people was reaccredited by a team led by Sally Beeken. In May the British Psychotherapy Foundation's new training in Parent Infant Psychotherapy was visited by a team led by Sally Beeken, and in July the British Psychotherapy Foundation's training in adult Psychodynamic Psychotherapy was visited by a team led by Nicola Chadd.

In November the British Psychoanalytical Society's new training in child psychoanalysis was visited by a team led by Sally Beeken, Catalyst Counselling's new training in psychodynamic counselling was also visited by a team led by Sally Beeken and the kitemarked training in transference focused psychotherapy was visited by a team led by Rob Clacey.

In December the Tavistock's new kitemarked training in trauma therapy was visited by a team led by Cameron Brown, and in March 2026 Birkbeck College's training in psychodynamic counselling with adults and psychodynamic counselling with children and adolescents was visited by a team led by Sally Beeken.

All visits were conducted in person, but with some people from the training organisations attending online. All accreditations and reaccreditations were for a period of five years. Planning has taken place to develop a way of assessing a Member Institution without an active training.

Committees

Board of Trustees

Between April 2025 and March 2026 the BPC Board met 7 times. 6 of these were Board meetings and one was an all-day strategy meeting. As of March 2026, the Board is comprised of 10 Trustees (7 clinical and 3 lay).

The Board discussed a significant number of topics throughout the year, notably the outcomes of Fitness to Practise processes, the communications strategy, the investment policy and implementation plan, a review of the fields on the public Register, cyber security and the new trainee membership. During the September strategy day, the Board had the opportunity to undertake a detailed review of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing the organisation. They also considered the newly developed media messages.

Further information about matters discussed at BPC Board meetings can be found in the public summaries on the website here.

Registration Committee

The Registration Committee is chaired by the BPC Registrar Sally Beeken, and there is one new member, Emma Higgs, APPCIOS member and child psychotherapist.

The committee met ten times on Zoom for their regular meetings and held one Away Day in October in person. They planned and discussed the reaccreditation visits and continued to review training criteria documents and look at potential new trainings. The committee has developed new documentation for accreditation and reaccreditation visits, and guidance for training therapy. It is developing new guidance for the deselection training therapists and supervisors. A small working party met with various people, including academics and trainees, about the use of AI in training and a report is in draft form.

Professional Standards Committee

The committee has a new Chair; Liz Hamlin has been a member for many years and has taken over from Jan McGregor Hepburn. The Trustees thank Jan for her excellent and sustained work as Chair over many years. There is also a new committee member, Sarah Sanger, bringing the membership to seven. The Committee is supported by the staff team who are central to the committee and undertake a lot of the administrative work.

In the last year, as usual, much of the work of the committee was in conducting the regular CPD audit of Registrants, joined by two members of the BPC Board and the Head of Professional Practice. Overall, most Registrants do plenty of thoughtful and appropriate CPD; much more than the minimum required but sometimes further detail and consideration is needed. The Committee continues to refine the Registration renewal and CPD return forms. The Committee also consider CPD exemption requests, which are dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

Professional standards issues discussed during the year include safeguarding and the BPC's guidance, working online, old age, illness and retirement and trends in fitness to practise cases.

Ethics Committee

The Ethics Committee is a representative committee in the BPC, in that all Member Institutions are able to nominate a representative to attend, the great majority of which do so. Staff representatives include the Chief Executive Officer, the Head of Regulation, the Head of Professional Practice, the Head of Policy and Public Affairs and the Head of Operations, with minutes taken by the Administrative Support Officer. The Committee has met three times in this period, in June and November 2025 and February 2026.

The Committee has discussed issues arising from published fitness to practise determinations and is looking at the role of the MI Ethics Committee.

It is also a forum where ethical issues from the Member Institutions can be brought and discussed, for example issues relating to online working.

The Committee has also worked with the Head of Policy and Public Affairs to keep abreast of and have a clear view on proposed legislative changes which could affect the profession, such as the proposed ban on conversion practices and the possibility of statutory regulation.

Sexual and Gender Diversity Committee

The Committee has met three times this year, on 19th May and 24th November 2025, and once in person on 1st March 2026.

Joao Botas continues to represent the Committee on the BPC Board. As reported last year, Joao and another member of the Committee, Serena Heller, joined a working party set up by the Voluntary Regulators' Group which the BPC had convened, to identify guidelines for good practice in work with gender questioning and gender diverse people. This was necessary in order to prepare for the much-heralded legislation to ban conversion therapy for sexual and gender minorities.

The Committee had proposed an event in which a Chinese psychoanalytic candidate who is also a member of the LGBTQI community, described their experience as a queer psychoanalytic therapist in the Republic of China, however unfortunately it was not possible for the BPC to hold this event due to lack of resources.

When the Committee met recently there was anxiety expressed that the current events in the US, where a hostile climate of opinion against LGBTQI communities is developing, may have some impact on the UK.

Scholars Committee

The Scholars Committee of the British Psychoanalytic Council established in 2016, supports and promotes the Scholars' Network of the BPC - a branch of the institution designed to recognise those members of the psychoanalytical community who have made important contributions to the field through academic achievements, such as research projects, teaching, publications and public outreach, via organisational achievements and through the media.

Initially created to acknowledge British academics who have distinguished themselves as psychoanalytical scholars, the Scholars Committee, with the encouragement and approval of the Board of Trustees, expanded its membership options in 2024. The Scholars' Network now welcomes the inclusion of outstanding academics from all over the world, as well as clinically trained scholars registered with the BPC and trainee academic associates who have already undertaken important research on a range of psychoanalytical topics. Currently, the Scholars Committee considers applications for the following membership categories: Scholars, Clinician Scholars, International Scholars, Associate Scholars, and Honorary Scholars, in addition to the continued recognition of our inaugural Foundation Scholars.

The Committee are pleased with the new membership applications coming in. Up until the end of the March, there were a total of 55 people in the Network, with 16 new members in 2025 - 2026. The Committee hope that with further BPC Scholar related activities, the membership can increase further.

The Scholars Committee continues to provide not only support for the various categories of scholar members but also remains committed to the promotion of The Scholars' Study - a regular e-newsletter offered to members.

The Scholars Committee co-sponsors the monograph series on Psychoanalysis and Popular Culture, co-edited by Professor Caroline Bainbridge and Professor Candida Yates, for the publisher Routledge, part of the Taylor and Francis Group.

Professor Candida Yates of the Scholars Committee is finalising the production of the podcast Psychocultural, in partnership with the BPC, and is in discussion with the Communications Manager about the best timing for its release. The podcast applies a psychocultural approach to discuss the meanings of some key words and themes that are currently in wide circulation in culture, politics and society. The first season has seven episodes and will complement the content of the BPC magazine New Associations.

Until recently, the Scholars' Committee has been under the excellent chairmanship of Professor Brett Kahr, supported by its committee members: Dr Jacob Johanssen, Dr Ruth Llewellyn, Dr Theodora Thomadaki, Professor Neil Vickers and Professor Candida Yates. The Trustees would like to acknowledge all the work Professor Kahr undertook to establish the Scholars' Network, and his contribution to that role will be greatly missed. The BPC are now planning the appointment of a new Chair to provide leadership going forward.

The Scholars Committee continues to welcome applications from psychoanalytical scholars and looks forward to future collaborations with fellow psychoanalytical academics, researchers and clinicians.

Communications

Whilst the BPC continues to grow social media followers on X, Facebook and LinkedIn, this is not necessarily the most effective communications method. The most effective comms tools for the BPC are all in-house. This is really positive as these tools are much more within the BPC's control. The BPC's eNewsletter remains to be the most effective way to communicate with our community and our website's traffic and usage is continually growing. Event attendance for CPD Events remains very healthy and direct mailings are often the best tool to market this and increase ticket sales.

Some of the campaigns the BPC has promoted during April 2025 - March 2026 include:

- New Issues of New Associations

- Our renewal period

- My Psychoanalytic Story interview series

- Freud's birthday

- Launch of Trainee Membership

- World Suicide Prevention Day

The BPC Executive are committed to increasing engagement. This includes:

- Promoting our online event calendar and online jobs board

- Promoting inclusion in the monthly eNewsletter, which has prompted a sharp increase in requests to be included in the eNewsletter, from Registrants and MIs.

- Featuring many of our Registrants in ad hoc interviews and My Psychoanalytic Story interviews for the website

- Working with the Scholars Committee to increase engagement with their community through development of their tri-annual Scholars Study eNewsletter.

- Inviting many members and Registrants to write for the flagship magazine New Associations that's sent out to our professional community three times a year in print and online.

- Featuring early careers news items, events and opportunities in our Foundations eNewsletter sent out to our Trainees and Newly Qualified Registrants.

- Updating our website with information relevant to those in our profession and in the regulatory world.

The BPC has worked increasingly closely with other organisations on a number of initiatives, including:

- The Talking Therapies Tast Force (BPC, UK Council for Psychotherapy, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, The Royal College of Psychiatrists, the Society for Psychotherapy Research UK Chapter, and the Association for Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy.)

- PCPB Partnership consisting of ACC, BACP, Human Givens, NCS, UKCP

- Networking/sharing best practice and advice with BACP and UKCP.

The current New Associations editorial board continued to operate with the new co-editors of the magazine: Emmanuelle Smith and Noreen Giffney, previously long-term board members. Editorial Board members consist of Deborah Wright, Candida Yates, Marita Vyrgioti and reviews editor, Lydia Prior. Usman Zafar stepped down from the Board in December 2025 and is thanked for his contributions. The editors will soon be running their second workshop in the summer of 2026 around how to write about clinical work in an engaging way but with confidentiality practices in mind. The most recent editions of New Associations was distributed to 2,108 individuals.

Web Analytics Snapshot April 2025 - March 2026

Web Sessions:

Total: 138,004

By Web Search: 102,004

Direct Visit: 27,665

Social Media: 1,297

Web Users:

Total: 86,985

By Web Search: 66,152

Direct Visit: 16,917

Social Media: 637

Average time per web session: 1m 23s

Most visited page: Our Register - Find a Therapist

Web Takeaways

Average viewer time is high by industry standards, which is a positive indicator that our website is a valuable and high-quality resource for its visitors.

The most popular pages on the BPC website remain consistent, which are the: find a therapist Register, training courses directory and professional support for Registrants. The webpage for BPC Registrants to renew is popular during the BPC renewal period where the average time spent on it is 8 minutes. It's positive to see the core functions as a business are frequently used and explored by Registrants and the general public. It's also positive to see that Registrants take their Registration and renewal with the BPC as a regulator seriously.

During this period, the organisation has spent a lot of time updating and adding copy to areas of the website around therapy regulation in the UK as well as what to expect when looking for and being in therapy. These changes reflected the high importance placed on safety when it comes to finding a therapist that's appropriately qualified and experienced to meet each patient where they are. It's positive to see that the 'Registrants & Members' and 'Thinking about Therapy' sections remain in the top 10 most visit pages, amassing over 13.5k visits in this time.

Regulation

Total enquiries for this period: 27

Enquiries are matters which relate to the Fitness to Practise process but are not yet formal complaints. Out of the 27 enquiries 19 went on to become formal complaints for further investigation.

There were 3 Fitness to Practise Committee Hearings during this period. 1 of these matters resulted in a sanction of 12-month suspension and the other 2 resulted in sanctions of withdrawal from the register. All 3 of these matters were subject to Interim Orders as imposed by the Interim Order Committee and were reviewed every 6 months.

There are currently 13 live complaints with 2 matters being referred by the Screening Committee (in December 2025 and February 2026 respectively) to the Fitness to Practise Committee.

There has been a reduction in the number of enquiries and formal complaints since the last financial year. The Fitness to Practise process was updated in early 2025 with key changes to allow for informal advice to be provided at Acceptance Stage and case closures for lack of evidence at Investigation stage.

Events

The BPC held 3 successful events during the period of April 2025 and March 2026. The BPC links the events calendar to the BPC Standards of Conduct, Practice and Ethics, as well as themes that arise from complaints. There is a focus on 'upstream regulation' within these events; to support trainees and Registrants around topics and provide resources that will help to reduce incidents that lead to complaints.

Duty of Candour - Protecting the public, protecting the profession

On 23 January 2026, the BPC held a CPD event on duty of candour with Alessandra Lemma and Juliet Rosenfeld. This was an online event with over 160 Registrants booking on to the event, and 16 trainee members.

The event explored the responsibility of professional candour. The event provided an opportunity to think more deeply about professional candour; what it means and how we can understand it in the psychoanalytic context. Alessandra Lemma summarised the importance of professional candour, based on her work First Principles: applied ethics for psychoanalytic practice. The event was well received with positive feedback.

Trainee Day: working together for safe psychoanalytic therapy

The BPC held its first trainee event since before the pandemic on 21 February 2026 at the British Psychotherapy Foundation, London. The event was open to trainees with BPC trainee membership, and 43 trainee members attended on the day.

The event was an opportunity for trainee members to get to know like-minded colleagues, the BPC team and Trustees, and hear more about what the BPC can offer during training and throughout their careers. The event began with an introduction from Greg Ross-Sampson, our CEO, followed by a session with Sally, the BPC Registrar, and Jo, the Head of Professional Practice, on safe psychanalytic therapy.

Feedback received from attendees was positive with comments stating that the event exceeded their expectations and that it was a great opportunity to meet others training in the psychoanalytic/psychodynamic field.

Supervision and its vicissitudes: a psychoanalytic discussion

Following on from the Duty of Candour event, the BPC held a second CPD event on supervision and its vicissitudes on 20 March 2026. The discussion was led by Michael Brearley and Juliet Rosenfeld.

The event was the BPC's largest online event with 199 attendees booked onto the event and 9 of those were trainee members, and the Trustees are pleased there is such interest in the BPC events

Michael and Juliet explored the ups and downs of supervision, the dynamics and the difficulties, the role of supervisor and supervisee and obligation of duty of candour. Whilst the event was well received, the general feedback was that the event could have been slightly longer with more time for discussion and Q & A's.

Policy

Over the past year the BPC has continued its policy engagement, both in continuance of its previously identified objectives, and in responding to further challenges and opportunities that have been raised in the past year. In all of its policy engagement, the BPC continues to make the case for psychotherapeutic practice and experience to inform policymaking.

Engagement throughout the previous twelve months has included the following:

Mandatory reporting

One of the major campaigns on which the BPC played a leading role was over the Crime and Policing Bill, part of which proposed to introduce a legal requirement to report all allegations of child sexual abuse. As the original Bill made no distinction between disclosures from or concerning children and those from adult patients regarding instances of sexual abuse which took place when they were children, this threatened the ability of therapists to work confidentially with adult patients who had experienced abuse.

Following a year-long campaign during which a series of briefings were provided to MPs, peers and Government Ministers, the Government announced an amended section relating to mandatory reporting, which clarified that it is only in circumstances where a child (a person under the age of 18) discloses that they have been sexually abused, or that the person sees or hears about an abusive event involving a child, that the mandatory duty to report to police or local social services arises. As this does not include adults reporting instances of abuse which took place when that adult was a child, therapists will therefore not be obliged to report such disclosures.

The Bill has now passed through both Houses of Parliament and is due to receive Royal Assent in May.

The Commission on the Future of Counselling and Psychotherapy

The BPC has been at the heart of policy activity around the PCPB Commission on the Future of Counselling and Psychotherapy. The role of the Commission is to examine the current and future landscape of the professions and the key issues affecting the sector, professionals, services and clients. It brings together counselling and psychotherapy professional bodies, key providers and clinical experts, decision-makers and those with lived experience.

The Commission has now completed its series of evidence hearings, prior to which the BPC's nominated Commissioners, Lee Smith and Professor Alessandra Lemma, received in-depth briefings on the issues being considered. These issues included the state of the sector, regulatory issues, the evidence base, and the future of the sector. At the time of writing, a further session is also being planned to consider issues affecting the devolved nations (Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland). The Commission has also concluded a call for evidence, to which the BPC provided a detailed submission addressing each of the above issues.

The Independent Inquiry into mental health conditions, ADHD and autism

Following the Government's announcement at the end of 2025 that a new independent inquiry was to be commissioned to consider the prevalence of mental health conditions, ADHD and autism, the BPC has engaged with the Review team and is currently preparing a submission.

As part of the discussions around the scope of the inquiry, the BPC met with the with the Review Chair, Professor Peter Fonagy, and vice chairs, Sir Simon Wesseley and Professor Gillian Baird.

Modern Service Frameworks

As part of its membership of the National Psychological Professions Working Group (led by NHS England), the BPC has continued to engage and advise on policy proposals from Government. Following previous work around the Suicide Prevention Strategy, the BPC has had the opportunity to provide its expertise around Modern Service Frameworks, including a plan to introduce Neighbourhood Mental Health hubs as "one-stop shops" for people with severe mental health conditions.

The BPC has raised concerns around how these hubs will be funded (as no additional funding has or will be allocated to support these), as well as how patients with severe conditions will be protected and their treatment prioritised. Finally, the BPC has emphasised the value and importance of including psychotherapeutic services as part of the provision of the future hubs, if these are implemented.

While no formal consultation has been planned by NHS England, the BPC has been invited to take part in a core and stakeholder group to consider how best to develop a Modern Service Framework for treating patients with severe mental illness.

The Talking Therapies Taskforce (TTTF)

Since the publication and launch of the Talking Therapies Taskforce report into the costs of overlooking complex mental health needs within the healthcare system, the BPC has continued to support efforts to embed the recommendations within Government policy. This has included further approaches to and meetings with officials at NHS England, the Department of Health and Social Care, and individual MPs.

As a result of continued engagement, a Parliamentary roundtable is now being organised, taking place in June 2026.

VAT exemption

The paper which was co-authored by the BPC (alongside other members of the PCPB) was signed off and has now been published on the BPC website and those of the PCPB partners. The paper outlines both the unfairness of many therapeutic services being subject to VAT, compared to others (such as psychologists, art therapists and drama therapists) whose service are VAT exempt, as well as demonstrating how extending the VAT Exemption on all forms of psychotherapy can improve access to therapy, and reduce pressure on NHS services.

The paper has been shared with officials at HM Treasury with a request to meet to discuss the impact of the proposed exemption.

Insurance arrangements

The BPC has followed up contact with a range of insurance companies as part of its campaign to secure recognition of BPC Registrants, and for policyholders to have the right to choose a BPC Registrant for eligible mental health treatments.

Further meetings are planned to consider further insurers' criteria for eligibility, and how best to present a change to their current criteria as a commercial opportunity.

Statutory regulation

The BPC has continued to monitor calls for the introduction of statutory regulation of psychotherapy. It has addressed the arguments in favour of formal regulation, as well as the potential negative consequences, in its briefings and submission to the Commission on the Future of Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Conversion practices

The BPC previously assembled a group of representatives of the voluntary regulatory bodies to consider and make recommendations around a future legislative ban on conversion practices, what this should include, and what further considerations should be made.

At the end of 2025, the voluntary regulators group was adopted by the PCPB, which is now in the process of appointing a legal expert to oversee the previous recommendations provided by individual members in response to previous consultations. A summary document is being produced to set out the common recommendations, alongside further points for consideration.

In addition to its work with the BPC regarding conversion practices, the BPC remains a member of the MOU Group, attending and contributing to meetings and activities.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

Financial position

During the year, the charity's general fund expenditure exceeded income with a net deficit of £22,453. See pages 16 and 17 of the financial statements for details of the financial performance and position of the charity. At the period end, the charity held free reserves of £398,098.

Reserves policy

The trustees take the monies of Registrants and Member Institutions and the setting of fees very seriously, and balance this with the need to maintain proportionate reserves.

It is the policy of the charity to maintain between 4 and 6 months of the financial year's operating cost as well as an additional £80,000. The likelihood of a significant hit to the charity arising from our regulatory function (i.e. legal cost) has become an increasingly realistic prospect, and the trustees consider this reserves policy will allow the charity to continue its current activities whilst responding to such an event.

The Board remains satisfied that the charity is a Going Concern.

The trustees have assessed the major risks to which the charity is exposed and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to the major risks.

This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies entitled to the small companies' exemption.

Going concern

At the time of approving the financial statements, the Trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to support the current level of expenditure and to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future.

FUTURE PLANS

The Board look forward to moving into the second year of the new three-year strategy and making progress across the various objectives, such as increasing the trainee membership as well as conversions to registration once qualified, establishing a position on DBS checks for Registrants and reaccrediting Member Institutions who currently are not running an accredited training.

The BPC are also excited for the new Member Institution, Catalyst Counselling & Training, to join the organisation.

The next iteration of the bi-annual flagship conference, Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Now, will take place on Saturday 14 November as a hybrid conference: online and at 10 Union Street, SE1. The theme will focus on sexual boundary violations within the profession.

2026 will also bring the conclusion of the Commission for the Future of Counselling and Psychotherapy, which has been worked on with the BPC and the rest of the Partnership of Counselling and Psychotherapy Bodies (PCPB). The Board have valued the sessions so far, and anticipate rich and detailed outcomes from this work. The final report and recommendations is expected in late 2026.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Governing document

The charity is controlled by its governing document, a deed of trust, and constitutes a limited company, limited by guarantee, as defined by the Companies Act 2006.

Recruitment and appointment of new trustees

The management of the charity are responsible for recruitment, induction and training of the trustees who are elected and co-opted under the terms of the Memorandum and Articles of Association.

Organisational structure

The trustees meet regularly to administer the day-to-day affairs of the charity. None of the trustees have any beneficial interest in the charity. All of trustees are members of the company and guarantee to contribute £1 in the event of a winding up.

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

Registered Company number

05034324 (England and Wales)

Registered Charity number

1185487

Registered office

Unit 7 19-23 Wedmore Street

London

N19 4RU

Trustees

N Sternhell

L F Smith Chair

R A Serlin

A D Greatley

A Colam

S A Beeken

F Roper

D L Abrahams (resigned 9.5.25)

J Caixeirinho Botas (appointed 18.7.25)

B Lloyd (appointed 30.1.26)

A Butt (appointed 13.9.25)

Independent Examiner

Janine Boyo

Voisey & Co LLP

Chartered Accountants

8 Winmarleigh Street

Warrington

Cheshire

WA1 1JW

Solicitors

Bates Wells & Braithwaite LLP

10 Queen Street Place

London

EC4R 1BE

Chief Executive Officer

GJ Ross-Sampson

Approved by order of the board of trustees on 10 July 2026 and signed on its behalf by:

L F Smith - Trustee

Independent examiner's report to the trustees of The British Psychoanalytic Council ('the Company')

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 31 March 2026.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity's trustees of the Company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 ('the 2006 Act').

Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity's accounts as carried out under Section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 ('the 2011 Act'). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under Section 145(5) (b) of the 2011 Act.

Independent examiner's statement

Since your charity's gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a listed body. I can confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, which is one of the listed bodies.

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:

1.	accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by Section 386 of the 2006 Act; or

2.	the accounts do not accord with those records; or

3.	the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of Section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or

4.

the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities (applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)).

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Janine Boyo

Voisey & Co LLP

Chartered Accountants

8 Winmarleigh Street

Warrington

Cheshire

WA1 1JW

10 July 2026

31.3.26

31.3.25

Unrestricted

Total

funds

funds

Notes

£

£

INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM

Charitable activities

3

Maintenance and regulation of professional standards

846,762

828,714

Investment income

2

17,799

7,031

Total

864,561

835,745

EXPENDITURE ON

Charitable activities

4

Maintenance and regulation of professional standards

509,965

486,770

Other

377,049

357,465

Total

887,014

844,235

NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)

(22,453

)

(8,490

)

RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS

Total funds brought forward

420,551

429,041

TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD

398,098

420,551

CONTINUING OPERATIONS

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year.

All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.

The statement of financial activities also complies with the requirements for an income and expenditure account under the Companies Act 2006.

31.3.26

31.3.25

Unrestricted

Total

funds

funds

Notes

£

£

FIXED ASSETS

Tangible assets

9

10,618

12,205

CURRENT ASSETS

Debtors

10

61,320

60,242

Cash at bank

1,095,013

1,083,065

1,156,333

1,143,307

CREDITORS

Amounts falling due within one year

11

(768,853

)

(734,961

)

NET CURRENT ASSETS

387,480

408,346

TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES

398,098

420,551

NET ASSETS

398,098

420,551

FUNDS

12

Unrestricted funds

398,098

420,551

TOTAL FUNDS

398,098

420,551

The charitable company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31 March 2026.

The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2026 in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.

The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for

(a)	ensuring that the charitable company keeps accounting records that comply with Sections 386 and 387 of the Companies Act 2006 and

(b)

preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company as at the end of each financial year and of its surplus or deficit for each financial year in accordance with the requirements of Sections 394 and 395 and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the charitable company.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to charitable companies subject to the small companies regime.

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on 10 July 2026 and were signed on its behalf by:

L F Smith - Trustee

Cash flows from operating activities

Cash generated from operations

1

(4,266

)

73,485

Net cash (used in)/provided by operating activities

(4,266

)

73,485

Cash flows from investing activities

Purchase of tangible fixed assets

(1,585

)

(1,822

)

Interest received

17,799

7,031

Net cash provided by investing activities

16,214

5,209

Change in cash and cash equivalents in the reporting period

11,948

78,694

Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the reporting period

1,083,065

1,004,371

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the reporting period

1,095,013

1,083,065

1.	RECONCILIATION OF NET EXPENDITURE TO NET CASH FLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES

31.3.26

31.3.25

£

£

Net expenditure for the reporting period (as per the Statement of Financial Activities)

(22,453

)

(8,490

)

Adjustments for:

Depreciation charges

3,172

3,896

Interest received

(17,799

)

(7,031

)

(Increase)/decrease in debtors

(1,078

)

10,303

Increase in creditors

33,892

74,807

Net cash (used in)/provided by operations

(4,266

)

73,485

2.	ANALYSIS OF CHANGES IN NET FUNDS

At 1.4.25

Cash flow

At 31.3.26

£

£

£

Net cash

Cash at bank

1,083,065

11,948

1,095,013

1,083,065

11,948

1,095,013

Total

1,083,065

11,948

1,095,013

1.	ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of preparing the financial statements

The financial statements of the charitable company, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) 'Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.

The reporting currency is £ Sterling. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.

Income

All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.

Expenditure

Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.

Tangible fixed assets

Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life.

Fixtures and fittings

-

25% on reducing balance

Computer equipment

-

25% on reducing balance

Taxation

The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.

Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.

Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.

Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.

Pension costs and other post-retirement benefits

The charitable company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions payable to the charitable company's pension scheme are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities in the period to which they relate.

Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents are basic financial assets and include cash in hand, deposits held at call with bank, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts.

Financial instruments

The company has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 'Basic Financial Instruments' and Section 12 'Other Financial Instruments Issues' of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.

Financial instruments are recognised in the company's statement of financial position when the company becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.

Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the net asset and settle the liability simultaneously.

Basic financial assets

Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised costs using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.

Other financial assets

Other financial assets, including investments in equity instruments which are not subsidiaries, associates or joint ventures, are initially measured at fair value, which is normally the transaction price. Such assets are subsequently carried at fair value and the changes in fair value are recognised in profit or loss, except that investments in equity instruments that are not publically traded and whose fair values cannot be measured reliably are measured at cost less impairment.

Derecognition of financial assets

Financial assets are derecognised only when the contractual rights to the cash flows from the asset expire or are settled, or when the company transfers the financial asset and substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership to another entity, or if some significant risks and rewards of ownership are retained but control of the asset has transferred to another party that is able to sell the asset in its entirety to an unrelated third party.

Classification of financial liabilities

Financial liabilities and equity instruments are classified according to the substance of the contractual arrangements entered into. An equity instrument is any contract that evidences a residual interest in the assets of the company after deducting all of its liabilities. Basic financial liabilities, including creditors, bank loans, loans from fellow group companies and preference shares that are classified as debt, are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.

Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.

Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of business from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.

Impairment of financial assets

Financial assets, other than those held at fair value through profit or loss, are assessed for indicators of impairment at each reporting end date.

Financial assets are impaired where there is objective evidence that, as a result of one or more events that occurred after the initial recognition of the financial asset, the estimated future cash flows have been affected. If an asset is impaired, the impairment loss is the difference between the carrying amount and the present value of the estimated cash flows discounted at the asset's original effective interest rate. The impairment loss is recognised in profit or loss.

Derecognition of financial liabilities

Financial liabilities are derecognised when the company's contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.

Equity instruments

Equity instruments issued by the company are recorded at the proceeds received, net of direct issue costs. Dividends payable on equity instruments are recognised as liabilities once they are no longer at the discretion of the company.

Employee benefits

The costs of short-term employee benefits are recognised as a liability and an expense, unless those costs are required to be recognised as part of the cost of stock or fixed assets. The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee's services are received. Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the company is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits

2.	INVESTMENT INCOME

31.3.26

31.3.25

£

£

Deposit account interest

17,799

7,031

3.	INCOME FROM CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES

31.3.26

31.3.25

Activity

£

£

Membership fees

Maintenance and regulation of professional standards

814,732

757,343

Conferences and events

Maintenance and regulation of professional standards

15,270

43,705

Publications

Maintenance and regulation of professional standards

3,703

2,970

Regulatory accreditation

Maintenance and regulation of professional standards

13,057

24,696

846,762

828,714

4.	CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES COSTS

Direct

Costs

£

Maintenance and regulation of professional standards

509,965

5.	SUPPORT COSTS

Governance

Management

Finance

Other

costs

Totals

£

£

£

£

£

Other resources expended

355,642

958

3,172

17,277

377,049

6.	NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)

Net income/(expenditure) is stated after charging/(crediting):

31.3.26

31.3.25

£

£

Depreciation - owned assets

3,172

3,896

Other operating leases

25,860

27,554

Independent examiner's fee

4,130

4,114

7.	TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS

In accordance with the Articles of Association, the Charity has paid honoraria to the chair of trustees totalling £5,000.

Trustees' expenses

31.3.26

31.3.25

£

£

Trustees' expenses

5,310

4,439

Travelling expenses were incurred by five trustees and the claims were approved as legitimate expenses to be claimed by the trustees as described in the Articles of Association.