Registration
In these uncertain times of change within the homeopathy profession, find a safe haven with The Society of Homeopaths. Registration is far simpler than you might think and your name on The Society register gives you a voice as a member of the largest organisation registering homeopaths in Europe. If you have completed a Society recognised course you are eligible for registration, but you can still apply via our Individual Route if you have qualified through an alternative course, either overseas or in the UK. Our supportive Individual Route process involves the submission of a portfolio demonstrating your qualifications and experience, followed by a meeting with members of the Society's friendly and helpful team. More information about the Society's Individual Route can be downloaded here or call Georgie at our education office on 01803 840187. |
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Recently qualified or looking |
Qualified at a Society recognised course - registration - see below |
| Qualified via an alternative course either in the UK or overseas - Individual route - click here |
The Society is a vibrant membership organisation, run by its members for its members, welcoming a wide range of homeopaths, who may adopt a variety of approaches to prescribing.
By requesting further information about registration with The Society of Homeopaths, you are now one step nearer to becoming a member of the largest organisation registering homeopaths in Europe!
The information below outlines the registration process. If you have any questions at all, please do call Linda Austin on 0845 450 6611.
At The Society, we are always available to talk to you. Our office is open from 08.00 – 16.30 hrs Monday to Friday or you can email us on: info@homeopathy-soh.org
“I think it’s perfect…this sort of process eases you in and provides the support you need…a really positive experience” GS, registration applicant
“I understood the process to be a lot more rigid than it actually is and feel a lot happier now it’s been explained to me” PB, registration applicant
The Society of Homeopaths welcomes a broad spectrum of members who may adopt a variety of recognised approaches to prescribing. In the homeopathic approach to health and disease, each case is seen as unique and every prescription is individualised. The choice of prescribing method is always determined by the needs of the individual patient, as enshrined in the UK – agreed National Occupational Standards (2000).
As a Registered Member, you will have access to The Society’s regular activities, resources and membership benefits including:
Top tips for you! |
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This is just part of the bespoke business advice and support service that we offer our membership. On joining The Society you will be able to gain access to the members area which incorporates plenty of valuable advice and information incorporating practice support, promotional campaigns, topical press releases for you to personalise and more.
A full list of benefits can be found in the Why join us? section of this site.
You may have recently completed your homeopathic course or are about to soon and be wondering which professional body to register with. Alternatively, you may have been in practice for some time and have now decided that the time is right for you to seek registration with The Society.
You will be aware that the homeopathic profession in the UK is moving towards independent regulation of homeopaths. At the time of publishing this information (May 2009), The Society is actively involved in discussions about setting up a new register and regulatory body to run independently of The Society. This is an important step forward for the profession and will ensure greater public transparency and accountability. It will also allow The Society to focus on the pursuit of the highest standards in the profession, the support of its members in practice and the promotion of homeopathy in general.
However, since this new regulatory body is unlikely to be launched for some time, we would encourage you to register with The Society in the interim.
Look at it from a patient’s point of view:
• You are interested in trying homeopathy but don’t know where to start
• You know little or nothing about homeopathy and you don’t know what is involved in training and qualifying as a homeopath
• You have heard and read a range of conflicting views regarding homeopathic treatment on TV, in newspapers, from your doctor or from friends
• You are stepping into something that is unfamiliar and uncertain
• It may involve a direct, personal financial commitment – something you don’t encounter with the NHS
• It will involve talking to a complete stranger about your health and possibly about more personal aspects of your life
• You’re already feeling quite vulnerable, anxious or concerned about your symptoms
“Patients are entitled to a professional standard of practice and care. Essential elements of this are professional competence, good relationships with patients and colleagues and observance of professional, ethical obligations.”
The Society of Homeopaths’ Code of Ethics & Practice, Paragraph 17
It is sound business practice to tailor your services to the patient. Above all, when it comes to dealing with their health, patients need to feel safe. They need to know that they are working with someone who is:
Working with the patient’s perspective is at the heart of homeopathic practice. Hahnemann chose to put the patient first in paragraph 1 of the Organon:
“The homeopath’s highest and only calling is to make sick people healthy, to heal, as it is termed.”
The process of registration involves an agreement or contract between you, the practitioner and the registering body to deliver a quality of service to patients.
What is truly in the interests of the patient will automatically be in the interests of the practitioner. Our registration processes are designed to support new practitioners to support themselves in practice so that, in turn, they can support their patients effectively and responsibly.Qualification occurs at the end of your college education and forms the foundation for clinical practice. Through a system of assessment you have successfully demonstrated basic clinical competence and have gained sufficient knowledge, skill and experience to practise safely and independently. Your qualification is an award that you hold for the rest of your life and forms the basis for registration, whereas you may not necessarily maintain your status as a registered practitioner throughout your professional life.
Registration can sometimes be misunderstood to mean a further process of assessment that the newly qualified practitioner needs to undergo in order to become a fully independent and competent homeopath. This is not the case. The purpose of registration is to provide a framework within which practitioners can commit themselves to a life-long journey of best clinical practice and optimum patient care and express their affiliation to the homeopathic profession, as represented by The Society of Homeopaths. It involves an agreement between the homeopath and the registering body to deliver a certain level of quality and service to patients.
Your registration remains valid while:
We welcome homeopaths who have successfully completed
A qualification from a Society recognised course provides a solid foundation for practice. It is intended to ensure that those who have achieved this award are sufficiently competent for independent practice and equipped to continue to develop their own knowledge, skills and understanding. If you qualified from a Society recognised course before 2004, your application process will include an initial meeting before attending your Induction Day.
The Individual Route evaluates evidence of an applicant’s prior learning and experience for equivalence with the clinical and educational standards of courses recognised by The Society. It provides an alternative pathway for entry to The Society register. We welcome applications from practitioners who have received their education in homeopathy overseas or who have completed at least four years of part-time or three years of full-time study in this country, either independently or on a course not recognised by The Society. Experiential learning in practice is also taken into account.
As an Individual Route applicant, you will be required to demonstrate achievement of learning outcomes equivalent to those of an applicant who has qualified from a recognised course. The process will enable you to show how your education and/or experience in practice can be accredited as comparable to that provided by a Society recognised course.
Our supportive process simply involves the submission of a portfolio demonstrating your qualifications and experience, followed by a meeting with a member of The Society’s friendly and helpful team.
For more information about The Society’s Individual Route see above or call Georgie Freemantle at our Education Office on 01803 840187.
“Homeopaths are responsible for continuing their personal and professional development by undertaking supervision, conferring with colleagues, and acquiring knowledge of new theory and practice through further training and study, for example participating in Continuing Professional Development (CPD).”
The Society of Homeopaths’ Code of Ethics & Practice, Paragraph 9
CPD occurs every time you learn anything of relevance to your homeopathic work. For example, it happens when you see a patient, work on a case, make sense of the outcomes of your treatment in a follow up, reflect on what occurred in your interaction with a patient or participate in a proving. It happens when you consider how to manage and grow your practice, design your information leaflets or website, manage yourself in relation to your practice or consider your effectiveness as a practitioner.
Learning with others, formally or informally, plays an important part in this process. This requires an investment of time but it doesn’t necessarily have to cost much. Whatever you do – participate in peer-group supervision, research a remedy for yourself, take a regular yoga class or attend a seminar, the test for whether it counts as CPD lies in how useful and relevant it becomes to how you practise and whether it helps you improve your effectiveness as a practitioner.
And remember, what you learn in the context of clinical practice not only contributes to your own professional development, you may also be able to make a contribution to the profession as a whole when sharing your findings with a wider audience (e.g. in a Society publication or at a CPD day).
The Society of Homeopaths has been actively involved in developing a pathway towards independent regulation for the homeopathic profession over the last eight years. In July 2007, The Society’s Registration Department introduced some modifications to its registration programme. The process was revised in the light of feedback from participants and in the context of progress towards a future single register.
This programme is based on Continuing Professional Development (CPD). It has been designed to be equally suitable as a registration process and as a means of providing support for practitioners seeking to establish and develop their practice.
The Society of Homeopaths celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2008. It is the largest organisation registering homeopaths in Europe. In both its roles, as regulator and membership organisation, it is concerned with safeguarding the interests of the patient.
As a regulator, it monitors and assesses both the educational standards of course providers and the individual standards of practitioners through its education, registration and professional conduct departments. As a membership organisation, it offers CPD events designed to improve practitioners’ clinical effectiveness over and above their basic competency levels achieved through their college education and help them establish thriving practices. The Society also represents you in the public arena and raises awareness of homeopathy through media and PR work, conducting research, and providing professional conduct advice to patients and the public.
Currently, the purpose of The Society’s registration programme therefore remains two-fold: firstly maintaining professional standards and secondly providing individual support.
While The Society remains a registering body, its registration programme continues to contain a regulatory element. Newly Registered Members enter into a registration agreement and commit themselves to abiding by The Society’s Code of Ethics and Practice, working within the National Occupational Standards for Homeopathy and with The Society’s Core Criteria for Homeopathic Practice and participating in The Society’s CPD programme for Newly Registered Members.
The homeopathy profession does not have an established career pathway of the kind that many other professions can offer their newly qualified practitioners. As a membership organisation, The Society has therefore designed its registration process to support its members in developing their homeopathic practice in this particularly challenging environment.
In many lines of work, newly qualified professionals enjoy the benefit of structured employment and professional growth is guaranteed. In homeopathy on the other hand, opportunities to learn and receive guidance from more experienced colleagues are sparse. In addition, most homeopaths are self-employed and often work alone from home. The growth of a practice mainly depends on personal referrals. This can take time, requires confidence and determination, and perfecting these skills is the work of a lifetime.
It has been known for newly qualified practitioners to become rapidly isolated and discouraged leading them to abandon their practices. Conversely, there have been those with the skills or opportunities to become busy relatively quickly who can find themselves experiencing ‘burn out’. Neither of these scenarios is in the interests of patients, who will be on the receiving end of the consequences.
The last thirty years have seen a revival of interest in homeopathy accompanied by a rapid growth in the numbers interested in training and working as homeopaths. One of the challenges presently facing this embryonic profession is that its members establish thriving practices.
The Society’s system of registration aims to provide a welcoming and supportive environment as you enter into your professional life. It offers opportunities for working towards a thriving practice, supporting yourself and your patients, networking with other practitioners and receiving affirmation of your achievements. For those who are already established in practice at the point of registration, The Society’s registration programme offers a chance to review their work and perhaps seek new directions and challenges.Timeline
| Preliminary phase: | Application for registration |
| 1st month: | Induction day and supervisor selection |
| 2nd month: | CPD plan submission |
| 3rd month: | CPD plan feedback |
| 5th - 6th month: | CPD workshop (optional) |
| 9th - 10th month: | CPD portfolio preparation |
| 10th - 12th month: | CPD portfolio submission |
| Review phase: | CPD portfolio review and completion of programme |
Process
All you need to do to apply for Registration, once you have confirmed that you are eligible, is:
Simply complete and return your registration application form to The Society office. Please remember to include:
In return, we will send you:
Before signing your registration agreement, please take a moment to finish reading this Registration section.
We would also recommend that you read:
Please return the membership fee and one copy of your signed agreement within one week. Please remember to keep one copy for your own records. In signing the agreement, you confirm that you have read and understand the conditions of the registration agreement.
Nearly There!
You will be pleased to hear that once the signed agreement and membership fee have been received by The Society, you are entitled to use the titles ‘Registered Homeopath’ and ‘Registered with The Society of Homeopaths’ plus the designation ‘RSHom’ on your stationery. The Registered members’ logo which you can use on your stationery can be obtained by contacting the office.
The Society’s commitment to you as a Newly Registered Member
Upon receipt of your signed agreement and membership fee, The Society will:
We can in some circumstances also provide insurance cover for other lower risk therapies you practise. Contact the office for further information.
Preparing for your Induction Day
We encourage you to start using FirstClass Mail (FCM) and enjoy the benefits of keeping up-to-date with developments in the homeopathic profession as well as participating in networking opportunities with colleagues.
Please familiarise yourself with the ‘Newly Registered Members’ Folder’ at www.homeopathy-soh.org/for-homeopaths/rshom.aspx and bring the following documents to your Induction Day:
Those who are attending an Induction Day will not have access to this section of the Society website if you are not already a Society member and will be sent the relevant documents by email.
Attending your Induction Day
If you are registering in Summer/Autumn 2009, you will attend the your Induction Day as soon as possible after registering. If you are not qualifying till early 2010 you will have an opportunity to attend your Induction ‘early’, (i.e. before you apply for registration). In this case, you will pay a fee of £50 for your Induction Workshop, which will be deducted from your registration fee at the time of applying for registration. Please remember to bring the above material with you to the workshop.
Choosing a supervisor
You can choose the supervisor you would like to work with. Please liaise directly with your supervisor to agree a supervision contract and fees for the duration of the registration programme.
The Society recommends that a supervisor be chosen from The Society’s list of approved supervisors. However, if your preferred supervisor is not included in this list, they are very welcome to participate in a process that will enable them to become a Society approved supervisor.
To reduce costs, The Society encourages all Newly Registered Members to engage in facilitated peer group supervision. This also encourages valuable networking with other practitioners on the programme.
Preparation of a CPD plan
Within one month of attending your Induction Day, you will be asked to prepare a CPD plan and email it together with the name of your chosen supervisor, to Linda Austin at Linda_Austin@homeopathy-soh.org
Emails from certain providers can sometimes not be delivered. If your email has been returned or you have not received an acknowledgement of the receipt of your plan within 48 hours please phone Linda Austin to ensure that is has arrived.
Setting smart objectives
When writing your plan, please remember that The Society’s Registration Programme is designed to respect you as a capable, responsible professional and provide appropriate challenge and support. Your CPD plan needs to focus on your particular interests, as well as your practice and personal development needs. Your plan should identify your own SMART objectives (see below) and relate to The Society’s Core Criteria.
Feedback on CPD plan
A member of The Society’s Review Team will send you feedback on your CPD plan by e-mail. You continue to engage in CPD activities and participate in regular supervision, both of which form part of the agreement as a Newly Registered Member.
Optional attendance at CPD workshop
Within about five to six months of attending an Induction Day, you may wish to attend a further CPD workshop. Information about these workshops will be available at the Induction Day. NRMs are eligible for a discount.
Preparation of a CPD portfolio
Please prepare a draft CPD portfolio and discuss it with your supervisor. Once your portfolio is complete, please post two copies, together with your portfolio review fee of £75, to The Society office at least 10 months but no later than 12 months after attending the Induction Day. If you are unable to complete the portfolio in the specified time, you will need to negotiate a revised schedule with The Society.
Your CPD portfolio will contain:
You can request feedback on specific areas from your peer-reviewer.
And finally – The review process and completion
Upon receipt of your CPD portfolio, The Society office will check your portfolio for completeness and, if necessary, request extra items. Following this initial check, The Society reviewer will prepare and send written feedback to you. The Society will acknowledge completion of the registration programme in writing, so you know exactly where you are.
Registration fee: £65, or £95 if you qualified from a Society recognised course before 2004, (non-returnable) – payable on application. This includes:
Portfolio review charge: £75 – payable on submission of CPD portfolio
Annual membership fee – this includes:
In recognition of the fact that newly qualified practitioners are just starting out, on application you will be offered an introductory rate for your insurance and membership. Current membership rates can be found at www.homeopathy-soh.org/for-homeopaths/membershiplevels.aspx
So what are you waiting for? We hope we have answered all your questions. Should you have further queries, please remember The Society is always available to talk to you. Our office is open from 08.00 – 16.30 hrs Monday to Friday or you can email us on info@homeopathy-soh.org
The Society of Homeopaths welcomes a broad spectrum of members who may adopt a variety of recognised approaches to prescribing. In the homeopathic approach to health and disease, each case is seen as unique and every prescription is individualised. The choice of prescribing method is always determined by the needs of the individual patient, as enshrined in the UK – agreed National Occupational Standards (2000).
Download Registration Application form here
Download Registration Brochure
If you have any further queries regarding registering please contact Linda Austin, Registration Administrator on 0845 450 6611.
