PLANS to bring in a legal requirement for the registration of counsellors have been voted down by politicians.
During the second and final day of this week’s States Assembly sitting, Members voted by 26 to 18 to reject the proposition from Deputy Tom Coles regarding registration of counsellors by the Jersey Care Commission and a recognised UK governing body, such as the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.
The Reform Jersey politician warned that the current lack of oversight left vulnerable individuals at risk, with no formal complaints process for those who experience poor or harmful treatment.
“We owe the people of Jersey the security of knowing that if we are going to let people trade in services that may influence people’s minds then their element of trust should be supported by the government,” he said.
Health Minister Tom Binet said he did not believe the idea was proportionate or effective, pointing out that such services were not regulated in the UK, with no evidence – he added – of risk.
“I don’t believe that we can afford to continue regulating everything that moves, burdening service providers and increasing the size and costs of the state,” he said.
Deputy Binet said that rather than bringing in legislation, he intended to launch a public awareness campaign later this year.
