Student Membership
Student membership is open to those who are not practising and are currently in the process of achieving a qualification relevant to animal behaviour at FHEQ Level 4 or above, with the intention of becoming an Animal Behaviour Technician or Clinical Animal Behaviourist.
This type of membership is open to those who are in the process of achieving the Knowledge and Understanding required for the ABTC roles of either Animal Behaviour Technician (ABT) or Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CAB).
Student members are not permitted to use the APBC logo in their advertising materials but can state the nature of their affiliation with the APBC verbally or within the body of any text. They may describe themselves as;
“a Student member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC), studying (name of course) at (name of organisation through which you are studying).”
Progressing from Student to Provisional Membership
When you wish to progress to Provisional membership you are required to demonstrate that you have achieved the Knowledge and Understanding required for the role you wish to apply for.
Animal Behaviour Technician (ABT) role:
Complete record of coverage of Knowledge and Understanding at L5 – demonstrating how your courses, studies and experiences have allowed you to achieve the Knowledge and Understanding set out in the ABTC standards.
This can be achieved via the APEL (Accreditation of Prior Experience and/or Learning) process offered through the ABTC.
OR Provide evidence of successful completion of an ABTC recognised L5 course
Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CAB) role:
Complete record of coverage of Knowledge and Understanding at L6 – demonstrating how your courses, studies and experiences have allowed you to achieve the Knowledge and Understanding set out in the ABTC standards.
This can be achieved via the APEL (Accreditation of Prior Experience and/or Learning) process offered through the ABTC.
OR Provide evidence of successful completion of an ABTC recognised L6 course
Provisional Membership
This type of membership is open to those who have completed the first stage of Assessment, that is they have demonstrated the necessary Knowledge and Understanding detailed in the ABTC Standards for the roles of either Animal Behaviour Technician (ABT) or Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CAB). This can be achieved either through successful completion of an ABTC recognised course or through the APEL application process (see above).
Provisional members are those currently undertaking practical experience to develop their clinical skills and professional competence, ready to be assessed by the APBC against the Performance Criteria.
Provisional members are supported by the APBC in seeing cases relevant to the Animal Behaviour Technician (ABT) or Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CAB) role, but they do not have the use of the logo and are not advertised on our website.
Provisional members must use the relevant sentence (CAB or ABT) in their advertising materials;
Animal Behaviour Technician (ABT) role:
“Provisional ABT Members have demonstrated that they have the appropriate level of Knowledge and Understanding for the professional role of Animal Behaviour Technician (ABT). They are now gaining the practical experience necessary to be assessed as an ABT and therefore become a Full Member of the APBC. The APBC supports its Provisional ABT Members in providing preventative and first-aid behavioural advice to owners/handlers and/or co-professionals and in implementing behaviour modification and/or environmental modification plans, developed by a Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CAB) or Veterinary Behaviourist (VB) following assessment/evaluation of the animal by that same CAB or VB.”
Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CAB) role:
“Provisional CAB Members have demonstrated that they have the appropriate level of Knowledge and Understanding for the professional role of Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CAB). They are now gaining the practical experience necessary to be assessed as a CAB and therefore become a Full Member of the APBC. The APBC supports its Provisional Members undertaking behaviour consultations.”
Progressing from Provisional to Full Membership
Provisional members who feel they have the necessary practical experience to be able to meet all the Performance Criteria for the Animal Behaviour Technician (ABT) or Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CAB) role should contact the office (info@apbc.org.uk) to find out the next window available for Full membership assessment.
The following links provide full details of the Performance Criteria for the roles of Animal Behaviour Technician (ABT) and Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CAB).
For an overview of the full assessment process to progress from Provisional to Full membership.
Full Membership
This type of membership is open to those who have successfully demonstrated both the Knowledge and Understanding and the Performance Criteria detailed in the ABTC Standards for the roles of either Animal Behaviour Technician (ABT) or Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CAB).
Full Members have use of the APBC logos and are promoted on our directory.