Executive Summary:
- “Psychological experts” without the necessary qualifications and experience are sometimes being instructed to act as expert witnesses in the family court. This can result in harm to the public.
- In terms of Psychologists, only a practitioner psychologist (currently registered with HCPC) such as a Clinical Psychologist can give a diagnosis or formulation or make recommendations about therapeutic interventions. Some, but not all practitioner psychologists, can make recommendations about capacity.
- ACP-UK is aware of several cases in which “psychological experts” who are not HCPC registered have suggested inappropriate diagnoses and made recommendations for children to be removed from their mothers based on these diagnoses.
- ACP-UK wishes to support those instructing experts for the courts to understand the importance of using HCPC registered practitioner psychologists and is available for consultation on such matters.
- More broadly, to protect the public from harm, the ACP-UK is campaigning for legislation to protect the term “psychologist” and restrict this to use by practitioner psychologists regulated by the HCPC.
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