Adapting Counselling Supervision: Inclusivity, Cultural Competence, and Ethical Responsibility
- junesterling
- Sep 4, 2025
- 7 min read
Updated: Dec 1, 2025
In the ever-evolving landscape of counselling, the responsibility to reassess, adapt, and refine one’s practice has never been more crucial. Counselling supervision, in particular, is a pivotal arena where inclusivity, accessibility, and ethical responsibility converge. Supervisors are not only tasked with supporting client welfare but also with shaping the professional growth of supervisees. This ensures they develop both proficiency and integrity within their practice.
This blog explores how supervisors can adapt the scope of practice in counselling supervision to ensure accessibility, inclusivity, and cultural competence. It also discusses balancing professional proficiency with personal growth. Drawing from over 20 years of experience as a trauma specialist and more than a decade as a supervisor, I critically evaluate the challenges and opportunities inherent in fostering a supervisory environment that is ethical, supportive, and inclusive.
The Foundation of Inclusive Supervision: Cultural Competence
At the heart of an inclusive supervisory practice lies cultural competence. This is not a static achievement but a dynamic, ongoing process. Supervisors must commit to continuous training, reflective practice, and consultation.
Training and CPD
Regular attendance at workshops, conferences, and specialist training programmes on cultural competence allows supervisors to explore diverse cultural perspectives, challenge unconscious biases, and integrate culturally responsive strategies into supervision.
Self-reflection
Reflective journaling and targeted supervision focused on cultural competence encourage self-awareness and accountability. These practices help supervisors identify and address biases that may otherwise unconsciously influence the supervisory relationship.
Supervision of supervision
Engaging in consultation specifically devoted to cultural issues provides opportunities to examine case studies, ethical dilemmas, and strategies for embedding inclusivity into practice.
Personally, I aim to complete at least two cultural competence training programmes each year. I combine this with monthly self-reflection sessions and structured consultation. This integrated approach strengthens my own cultural responsiveness. It also models to supervisees the importance of lifelong learning and accountability.
Challenges within the Profession: SCoPEd and Ethical Concerns
The counselling profession in the UK faces significant change with the introduction of the BACP SCoPEd framework. While presented as a “ground-breaking” development, SCoPEd has also been criticised for creating divisions within the profession by categorising practitioners into Columns A, B, and C.
The Scope of Practice and Education framework aligns its membership categories—Registered, Accredited, and Senior Accredited—to Columns A, B, and C, respectively, starting from early 2026 after the transition period ends. However, many are readying themselves for their chosen category. Column A represents foundational skills and training, while Columns B and C signify increasing levels of additional competence, training, and experience.
These three categories A, B, and C cause division and can hardly be described as person-centred or holistic.
Despite my 10 years as a Supervisor and 20 years of integrative trauma counselling experience—having trained under three of the top five trauma specialists in the world, a Therapeutic Counselling Lecturer, and Assessor for Universities, Colleges, and the Awarding Bodies—I am not accredited. Therefore, SCoPEd would position me in Column A, effectively placing me alongside newly qualified practitioners. This categorisation does not reflect either competence or expertise. It raises questions about fairness, inclusivity, and professional recognition.
It is worth noting that Column B, the most sought-after category, is also associated with the highest number of complaints. Such paradoxes highlight the limitations of frameworks that attempt to rigidly stratify practitioners rather than recognise the holistic and person-centred nature of counselling.
If supervisory practice is to remain ethically grounded, these principles must be actively safeguarded rather than sidelined by administrative categorisation.
Another important consideration is that individuals embarking on training to become qualified supervisors should first possess substantial experience as practising counsellors. In my own training cohort, it became evident that several participants had been in professional practice for only a year or less. Their limited exposure to the complexities of client work restricted their ability to engage meaningfully with supervisory concepts, particularly when addressing ethical dilemmas, safeguarding issues, or advanced relational dynamics.
The BACP Ethical Framework (2018) highlights that supervisors carry a dual responsibility: protecting the welfare of clients while also supporting the professional development of supervisees. To exercise this responsibility effectively, supervisors must draw on a well-developed capacity for ethical decision-making, informed by significant clinical experience. Without such grounding, there is a risk that supervisees may receive guidance that is underdeveloped, inconsistent with best practice, or lacking the nuance required to prioritise both client safety and practitioner growth.
Moreover, supervision is not only about transmitting knowledge but also about modelling professional maturity, reflexivity, and the responsible management of power dynamics.
According to BACP guidance, supervisors are expected to support supervisees in areas such as risk management, boundary setting, and referral processes. These are competencies that require more than theoretical familiarity—they demand lived experience of the counselling profession across a range of client presentations.
For these reasons, establishing a requirement for greater counselling experience before progression to supervisory training would strengthen the quality of supervision. It would ensure that supervisors are ethically competent, relationally attuned, and professionally prepared to safeguard clients while fostering the growth of practitioners in line with the professional standards of the BACP.
Ethical Dilemmas in Training and Supervision
In my supervisory practice, I frequently encounter evidence of ethical shortcomings in placement settings. Trainee counsellors are often reluctant to challenge poor practice due to fears of losing their placement or jeopardising their qualification due to unmet voluntary counselling hours.
The BACP Ethical Framework Test: A Revealing Scenario
Many educational establishments issue a vetting process for trainee counsellors before they are allowed to have a counselling placement. A Placement Handbook or a four-way contract agreement must be signed by all parties (the agency, the educational establishment, the student, and the supervisor). The most recent contract had several pages for me to complete, including questions on my understanding of modalities of theory and a caveat to supervisors stating that;
‘It is essential that the BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions has been read with the student. You must be satisfied that these have been understood and that they will be adopted and adhered to by the student.’
One supervisee experience particularly underscored the importance of embedding ethical competence early. During supervision, I conducted a simple knowledge test on the BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions. The results were deeply concerning:
The trainee scored 4.5 out of 10 (Please see the test at the end).
They could not define key concepts such as autonomy, beneficence, or non-maleficence.
When asked about BACP’s core principles, they instead cited Carl Rogers’ three core conditions (empathy, unconditional positive regard, and congruence). While important, these are not the same as the BACP’s ethical commitments.
This gap in knowledge suggested that, despite being placed with clients, the student had not yet been adequately prepared by their educational institution to practise ethically. It raised two troubling questions:
Why was the responsibility of ensuring ethical competence passed to me, as an external supervisor, rather than verified by the training provider prior to placement?
How many students are currently working with vulnerable clients without a full grasp of the ethical responsibilities required by the BACP?
This example illustrates a systemic flaw: universities and agencies are sometimes more focused on ticking placement boxes than ensuring that trainees are genuinely prepared to engage safely and ethically. For me, the test was not about “catching out” the trainee but about protecting clients and upholding standards. As supervisors, we must be willing to step into this gap—even when institutions fall short.
Practical Strategies for Inclusive Supervision
Ensuring accessibility and inclusivity requires more than critique; it demands tangible action. Some strategies I have integrated into my practice include:
1. Addressing Barriers to Supervision
Offering pro bono or subsidised supervision sessions for those with financial constraints.
Partnering with charities and community organisations (e.g., Shelter, NSPCC, Her Path to Purpose) to extend access.
Providing flexible scheduling to accommodate supervisees with family, work, or health commitments.
2. Offering Flexible Formats
Delivering remote supervision via secure platforms for those in rural areas.
Designing group supervision models where each trainee has adequate time to present and reflect.
Using asynchronous options (e.g., reflective emails, recorded presentations) for supervisees balancing competing demands.
3. Cultivating Safe Spaces
Encouraging open dialogue about cultural identity, diversity, and power dynamics.
Incorporating discussions on cultural competence into regular sessions.
Introducing diverse therapeutic modalities to broaden supervisees’ perspectives and skillsets.
4. Using Solution-Focused Assessments
Conducting initial assessments to identify supervisees’ learning preferences and accessibility needs.
Tailoring supervisory methods to maximise inclusivity and engagement.
Towards Ethical and Inclusive Supervision
The future of counselling supervision must rest on principles of equity, accessibility, and cultural competence. While frameworks such as SCoPEd attempt to create order, they risk undermining the values of fairness and inclusivity that underpin ethical practice. Supervisors must therefore act as advocates—not only for their supervisees but also for the clients whose welfare ultimately depends on competent and supported practitioners.
The scenario of the trainee who scored 4.5/10 on a BACP ethics test serves as a stark reminder of what is at stake. Without rigorous preparation, trainees may inadvertently breach ethical principles and put vulnerable clients at risk. It is not enough for educational institutions to outsource this responsibility—supervisors, agencies, and universities must work collaboratively to ensure robust ethical grounding.
At Begat Training & Counselling, we are committed to supervision that is:
Culturally responsive – actively integrating diversity into practice.
Ethically robust – grounded in the BACP Ethical Framework.
Accessible and inclusive – addressing barriers and adapting to diverse needs.
The counselling landscape may continue to shift, but the responsibility remains the same: to ensure that supervision empowers practitioners, safeguards clients, and strengthens the profession. By embracing inclusivity and ethics at the heart of supervision, we can foster a counselling community that is not only competent but also compassionate, courageous, and committed to genuine positive change.
BACP Ethical Framework – Academic Test (Student Version)
Download our free student test to practise applying the BACP Ethical Framework. A useful tool for counselling students to build confidence, deepen understanding, and prepare for assessments.