As specified in Article 3 of the Articles of Association of the company, it is the Governing Body that has the power to admit new members to the Association and to reaccredit members whose accreditation is due for renewal. The Governing Body has established a committee for the purpose of determining who is to be re-accredited as fulfilling the conditions of membership, namely the Re-Accreditation Committee (hereafter referred to as ‘the Committee’).

The Committee shall consider all applications for re-accreditation from those whose accreditation is due for renewal, as specified in the Bye Laws of the Association, save for those seeking re-accreditation in accordance with the provisions of Bye Law 2A.

The Governing Body shall ratify only those whom the Committee determines as fulfilling the conditions for re-accreditation.

The constitution and operation of the Committee is dealt with in this Bye Law.

1.1 The Committee shall consist of up to ten accredited members, honorary members or retired members of IAHIP appointed by the Governing Body who shall ensure that:

a) at least one member of the committee shall be a member of the Governing Body who shall be the Governing Body representative on the Committee, and

b) At least two of the members must have already been re-accredited.

1.2 The Chairperson of the Committee shall be appointed by the Governing Body.

1.3 The Committee shall elect from among its members:

a. a Committee Secretary, and

b. a Minutes Secretary

1.4 If it is necessary for an officer or committee member to assume an acting role in the case of the non-availability of an officer, e.g. Chairperson, such person shall take full authority in that role for the duration of the meeting.

2.1 Appointments to the Committee shall be for a period of two years. Members may be reappointed for further periods of two years but no member shall serve on the Committee for more than eight consecutive years at a time.

2.2 The appointment of the representative of the Governing Body shall lapse automatically when that person leaves the Governing Body otherwise, they shall have the same term limit as all other members of the Committee.

3.1 The Committee will meet as and when required as determined by the Chairperson of the Committee or as instructed by the Governing Body.

3.2 Minutes will be taken at all meetings by the Minutes Secretary of the Committee with such minutes being kept and available on the IAHIP server.

3.3 A majority of the members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum for meetings of the Committee unless determined otherwise by the Governing Body and communicated to the Chairperson of the Committee.

3.4 Other operational procedures of the Committee (such as target times for decisions on applications, etc.) shall be determined from time to time by the Governing Body in consultation with the Committee.

4.1 The function of the Committee shall be to:

a) examine applications for re-accreditation as members of the Association (other than those through Bye Law 2B), and

b) determine whether or not applicants are to be re-accredited as fulfilling the criteria agreed by the Association from time to time.

4.2 A secondary function of the Committee shall be to offer advice to the Governing Body on any issues relating to re-accreditation. Such advice may be offered in response to a request from the Governing Body, or at the initiative of the Committee itself. The advice of the Committee shall be considered by the Governing Body but shall not be binding on it.

4.3 In carrying out its work the Committee shall take into account all relevant Bye Laws of the Association and shall operate within the terms of the Association’s Constitution and Policies, and of the Association’s Codes of Ethics and Practice.

4.4 The Association shall endeavour to remind members to apply for re-accreditation some months in advance of the time their accreditation is due to expire, but the ultimate responsibility shall rest with each individual member. Members who do not submit applications for re-accreditation within 3 months of the expiration of their current accreditation shall be deemed to be no longer members of the Association.

4.5 In cases where the Committee believes that extenuating circumstances existed which were the primary reason for the member's failure to apply for re-accreditation in due time, the Committee may, subject to the approval of the Governing Body, treat late applications as if they had been received on time.

4.6 Some criteria for re-accreditation may differ for those seeking a first re-accreditation as opposed to those seeking subsequent re-accreditations. They may also differ for members who have not been practising as psychotherapists for one or more years. All such criteria shall be as determined by Bye Laws or by decisions of the Governing Body from time to time.

5.1 In its deliberations, the members of the Committee shall attach utmost importance to impartiality, fairness and respect for privacy. In particular, the names and addresses of applicants whose applications are in the course of being processed by the Committee or any other information that might identify such applicants shall be kept private in so far as this may be practicable.

5.2 If any member of the Committee has such knowledge of or connection with any applicant as could cause a conflict of interest or cast doubt on their impartiality, that member has a duty to declare such potential conflict and to step aside from any involvement in the consideration of the application.

5.3 If the member refuses to step aside from involvement in the consideration of the application, then the Chairperson may remove the member from the process, and the Governing Body in its sole discretion may remove them from the committee.

6.1 Before making its final decision, the Committee may seek further information from, or meet with, the applicant.

6.2 The Committee may liaise with all other relevant committees of the Association.

6.3 The Committee may also, when necessary, consult with and avail of the expertise of experienced members of the Association.

6.4 All such liaising and consultation must respect the privacy of the applicants and of the re-accreditation process.

7.1 The Committee shall forward to the Membership Secretary the names of each applicant whom it judges to meet the criteria for re-accreditation, so that they may ascertain whether any valid reason (such as an outstanding complaint, unpaid fees, etc) exists to deny or postpone the re-accreditation of that applicant.

7.2 If the Membership Secretary confirms that no such reason exists, the Governing Body shall, at its next meeting, confirm the re-accreditation of the member, and the Membership Secretary shall inform the applicant that they have been confirmed as a re-accredited member.

7.3 Re-accreditation shall be valid for five years (or such other time as the Association shall, from time to time, decide) subject to the member at all times complying with all membership conditions. Members who wish to continue their accreditation must apply to the Committee, using the appropriate application forms, in due time (up to six months before their accreditation is due to expire).

7.4 Those whose applications have not been approved by the Committee must be informed in writing by the Committee Secretary and a report stating the grounds for the decision must be provided to the applicant. A copy of this report shall be kept by the Committee.

7.5 Applicants are allowed no more than two attempts within three months after receipt of confirmation that their application has not been approved to correct deficits. An entirely new application, plus payment of all relevant fees, is required after this period has elapsed.

8.1 Applicants for re-accreditation, whose applications are refused by the Committee, may appeal this decision if the Committee did not properly follow its own procedures.

8.2 The appeal must be made in accordance with the procedure for Appeals set out in Bye Law 10A and must be made within 20 working days of receipt of the decision being appealed.

9.1 The Governing Body representative on the Committee, shall have the task of liaising between the Committee and the Governing Body and submitting regular reports to the Governing Body.

9.2 The Committee must report on its activities to the Annual General Meeting, or if requested by the Governing Body or by a quarter of the membership of the Association, to an Extraordinary General Meeting.

10.1 The Committee shall consult with the Governing Body to ensure that all documentation relating to re-accreditation is updated in line with all other Association documents.

10.2 This Bye Law should be reviewed by the Committee and the Governing Body at least every 3 years.