Professional Standards & Accreditation.
Professional Standards & Accreditation
Break the Silence is committed to the highest standards of practice and accountability. As a registered charity and company limited by guarantee, we operate within the requirements of Scottish charity law, Companies House regulations and data protection legislation, and we continually review our practice to make sure our service remains safe, ethical and trustworthy.
Our work is guided by the standards of recognised professional and regulatory bodies specific to our field, and our accreditations reflect a strong culture of continuous professional development, responsibility and care. For stakeholders, potential funders and professional partners, these accreditations provide assurance that Break the Silence is a well-governed organisation with robust systems, secure data handling and a clear commitment to quality, equality and ethical practice.
We also participate in the Scottish Parliament Cross-Party Group for Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse, helping shape national understanding and policy.
Accreditation and standards
- Registered charity in Scotland: SC036263
- Company Limited by Guarantee: SC341157
- Regulated by the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR)
- Regulated by Companies House
- Organisational member of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP)
- BACP Service Accreditation, achieved in January 2024
- Bound by the BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions
- Cyber Essentials Assurance certification (April 2026)
- Living wage accredited employer
- Registered Disability Confident employer
- Fair Work First Ayrshire accreditation
- European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Committed to Excellence accreditation, achieved in October 2018 and renewed in March 2022
- Winner of Ayrshire Chamber’s Business Excellence Award, February 2024
Professional Practice
Our clinical staff are qualified and registered with professional bodies such as BACP, COSCA, BPS and BABCP, and all staff and volunteers are PVG/Disclosure checked. We handle personal information securely and responsibly, in line with UK data protection law and ICO guidance, and our business continuity and disaster recovery plans help protect the organisation and the people who rely on it.
We also value lived experience and embed it in our governance and development, including at Board level, so that our standards are not only professional, but grounded in the realities of trauma and recovery.
