Terms and Conditions

The following terms and conditions relate to all course applications to Cork Counselling Services Training Institute (CCSTI). This entity is a trading name of Cork Counselling Services CLG (CCS)

Responsibilities

Firstly, this is an adult training course. As such, successful applicants will be expected to demonstrate a sufficient level of maturity to take responsibility for themselves and their own involvement in the course. Secondly, this is an experiential integrative humanistic course with an emphasis on the therapeutic relationship. As such, successful applicants will be expected to participate in training activities related to their ability to form and maintain relationships. They will need to be open to engaging in personal reflection, creative exercises, interpersonal dialogue, feedback, challenge, and conflict management. The areas on the application form may arise for discussion during the course. Thirdly, applicants will be required to have sufficient literacy skills to allow themselves to complete written and verbal assignments. Applicants are asked to inform the Training Institute if they have any learning disability.

Completion of Application Forms

Applicants are required to fully complete all parts of the application form. To sign the application form is to vouch that the contents are true. Applicants who fail to provide all relevant information, who provide false or misleading information, or who cannot provide evidence of qualifications or other information will be subject to having their application deemed unsuccessful, or where training has commenced, to have their training suspended or terminated.

Closing Dates For Application

Applications are accepted from January 1st of each year for the course starting in October of that calendar year. Applications will be accepted up until the advertised closing date. If opportunities for further applications arise, after the closing date, CCS will update the website to reflect that another round of applications with a new cut-off date is open.

Where the closing date (or extended closing date) has elapsed, a late application is not processed and the late applicants fee is refunded.

Processing Applications

The processing of an application begins with an assessment of the application form against criteria for suitability. It is at the discretion of the Training Institute to deem an application form to be suitable or not. If it is not suitable, the applicant will be informed and the process ends. If it is suitable, interviews will be arranged, with a number of interview dates scheduled to accommodate applicants. It is at the discretion of the Training Institute to deem an interviewee to have succeeded in getting a place or not. If a place is not awarded, the applicant will be informed and the process ends. If it is awarded, the applicant will be informed and given extra information about next steps to becoming a student.

Equal Opportunity

CCSTI is committed to the promotion of equal and inclusive training opportunities. We welcome applications from people with disabilities/specific learning difficulties, with all places offered solely on the basis of merit. At the application stage, applicants who have additional needs are asked to contact CCSTI for our policy and every reasonable effort will be made to support you in the process of application. While we will do “all that is reasonable” (Equal Status Act, 2000) to accommodate the needs of students with disabilities, the responsibility for learning and achieving lies with the student

Admissions process

The admission of any student to the Institute shall be based on the reasonable expectation that each student will be able to fulfil the intended learning outcomes of the programme of study concerned and achieve the standard required for the particular academic award(s) to which the programme of study leads. CCSTI ensure that our marketing and promotional materials are accurate and responsible and that all applicants are treated fairly and equally.

The admissions process is transparent. Applicants are given information about admission before, during and after the procedure.  Specifically, applicants are informed of the evidence being sought by assessors, the link between the evidence required and training in counselling and information about the course, including its experiential emphasis.

The admissions procedures are appropriate to the task of selecting students who are ready and able to study at Certificate and Degree level of counselling and psychotherapy.  A number of areas are examined in order to begin to ascertain professional suitability and fitness to practice.

Care is given to the design of interviews at individual and group level so that assessors are consistent and both assessors and applicants gather appropriate and necessary information in helping them arrive at a decision.

CCSTI believes that assessment is a two way process. There are a number of training courses available and we encourage applicants to consider their reasons for choosing to work at our Institute. Applicants are encouraged to take time after the assessment procedures to consider whether they wish to progress with their applications.

Timely notification of the outcome of applications by the Institute is provided.

Garda Vetting

CCSTI is committed to the highest standards of professional practice in its activities. Garda Vetting by the Garda National Vetting Bureau is an important component of this in respect of all who have direct access to children or vulnerable adults. Applicants who see clients as part of a course need to be aware that they will be Garda vetted during their training. The vetting is context specific, meaning that students must be vetted through CCSTI for the purpose of seeing clients irrespective of any previous or current vetting. CCSTI has the discretion to manage an student who is, in its view, unsuitable to undertake or continue with the programme following a returned Garda Vetting disclosure. The full procedure is available here.

GDPR

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Institute is permitted to engage with the applicant only. We do not engage with third parties (including relatives, friends etc.) in relation to any aspect of this enrolment process with the exception of the reference giver submitted by an applicant. We will not disclose your information to your reference giver. CCSTI values an applicant’s privacy and the importance of their data. Our policies are in line with GDPR (2018). For full details applicants are directed to GDPR policy on the website. On application, contact information is added to our student intake data base, for the purpose of processing applications and answering queries and for provision of information on various courses. At interview, applicants will be invited to join our mailing list, which sends regular information about activities and events in relation to Cork Counselling Services. Applicants will be made aware that they can unsubscribe at any point by emailing info@corkcounsellingservices.ie.   On acceptance of a place, on the course, the applicant’s contact data will then be shared with the appropriate validating and accrediting bodies, for the purposes of registration, information, education, assessment and accreditation processes.

What Fees Cover

Please note, the training fee payable covers, the tuition fee for the Training Institute, the registration fee for the validating university and the protection of the enrolled learner insurance premium.

Course fees do not include travel expenses, accommodation costs for workshops, study materials, supervision costs, or cost of personal counselling. All fees and other charges incurred as a student of CCSTI are the responsibility of the student.

Fee Schedule

A place deposit becomes due on acceptance of a place. The remainder of fees become due two weeks prior to enrolment.

Payment Plans

Fees may be paid in instalments in accordance with such provisions (payment plan) as are notified to students and subject to written agreement with the Training Institute.

Cooling Off Period

Cork Counselling Services operates a cooling-off period on course fees which ends with the signing of the training contract at enrolment time. Applicants may withdraw at any time up to this deadline and receive a refund of tuition fees paid, less an administration fee of €300. No refunds of fees or deposits will be issued to any student after the cooling-off period except where students are asked to leave the course, in which case the Training Institute will refund part of the fees.

Late or Non Payment

Late or no-payment of fees may attract financial penalty.  We encourage those who are potentially seeking a loan or funding of any description, to ensure that they allow enough time to meet the deadlines above, as delays may impact your ability to take up your place on the programme. Students who are sponsored by a third party are liable for all fees and other charges if their sponsor defaults. A student can be withdrawn from the programme by the Institute for non-payment of fees. The Institute has the right to revoke a student’s access to files, folders and programme materials, the library and access to on-site and online tutorial sessions for non-payment of fees at any stage where fees are unpaid.  No student can graduate, be issued with a reference, transcript of marks or parchment until such a time as all outstanding financial matters are settled in full to the satisfaction of the Institute.

Fee Changes

All fees are correct at time of print but may be subject to change.  Fee changes apply to all students, including those on a deferral.  Fee changes will be clearly communicated to all students of the Institute.

Deferral of a Place

A place can only be deferred following acceptance, with payment, by an applicant. In all other cases, it is deemed that the applicant did not proceed with the application and the application process is incomplete. Students seeking to defer a place must apply in writing for leave to do so and include the reasons for deferring. The period of deferral is for one year only. Students must be ready to take up the place the following academic year. In exceptional circumstances they can be deferred for a second year, but no more. Failure to take up the place will result in fees being forfeited.

Cancellation or Modification of Courses

Decisions to continue or discontinue the training course rest solely with the Institute. Courses may need to be discontinued in exceptional circumstances, e.g. insufficient numbers to continue the course.

CCSTI Training Team reserves the right to modify course structure, content, duration, requirements and assessment criteria, in accordance with training needs and the course recognition criteria of validating bodies.

CCSTI Training Team reserves the right to appoint facilitators and other training staff in accordance with the needs of the Training Institute and the course recognition criteria of validating bodies.

Change of Name and Address

The Institute needs to be immediately informed by the student in writing of any change of permanent or temporary address.  Any notice or correspondence sent to an address held by the Institute as the student’s address will be deemed to have been received. Students must inform the Institute, in writing, immediately of any change of name. This name change must be accompanied with appropriate evidence.

Appropriate Boundaries in Training

Following enrolment, students will be introduced to the Suitability and Fitness to Practice Policy, this will be supported by ongoing learning throughout their training. In the interest of maintaining boundaries neither trainees nor their family members/ loved ones may attend CCS as clients for counselling for the duration of the student’s training.

Remote Training Environment

The majority of workshops will be onsite though some tutorials and seminars will be facilitated online. It is essential that prospective students have access to strong broadband connections and an uninterrupted, private study space for their remote learning experiences

Intellectual Property

All Intellectual Property Rights in any Document produced by CCSTI in connection with our training will be the sole and exclusive property of CCSTI and the student will not use the documents produced by the CCS for any commercial purpose.

Data Protection and Privacy

Please read our policy on data protection and privacy here

Every effort is made keep the information on the website current and accurate. However, neither the website owner, nor any 3rd party, nor data nor content provider can make any representations or warranties, whether expressed, implied in law or residual, as to the sequence, accuracy, completeness or reliability of the information, opinions, data and/or content contained on the website (including but not limited to any information which may be provided by any third party or data or content providers) and shall not be bound in any manner by any information contained on the website.

Reviewed 20th August 2024