In early September 2024, the British Council launched a new digital badge for counsellors and education agents who complete the updated UK agent and counsellor training course. When successfully completed the user receives a badge stating ‘I am a UK Certified Counsellor’. They also have the option of being listed on the British Council’s public database of agents and counsellors.
We posted about the launch and welcomed it as a positive initiative. We also pointed out some risks arising from the British Council’s characterisation of the qualification and associated ‘I am a UK Certified Counsellor’ badge. The BC website states:
Please note that a certification can only be applied to an individual rather than a whole organisation or business, and that the British Council does not formally endorse, accredit or validate agents and counsellors. It only certifies agents and counsellors for their knowledge and awareness of the UK as a study destination.
“Endorse”, “accredit”, “validate” and “certify” may not be perfect synonyms, but they live in the same neighbourhood. The distinctions between them require some thought, and may not be clear to native English speakers, let alone those for whom English is a second language. It’s likely that at least some prospective international students and their families will simply see the badge and take it to mean that ‘the British Council says that this agent is ok.’
Individual vs Organisation
A related concern is the apparent misuse of the badge, and the British Council name and logo more broadly, by a number of education agents. In guidance for agents seeking to undertake the certified counsellor training, the BC website states:
Please note that a certificate and badge can only be applied to an individual rather than a whole organisation or business…
A note on the BC’s database of certified counsellors states:
Please note that the certificate and badge will only apply to the agent/counsellor as an individual rather than any organisation or business that they are part of, and that there are limitations on how those who are awarded a badge can use and display it.
In summary, the British Council makes it clear that the certification and associated badge applies only to the individual who has completed the training, and not more broadly to their organisation. In a blow to the efficacy and intended purpose of the badge, a basic web search reveals several examples of agents appearing to use the badge, or a variation of it, to claim British Council certification at an organisational level, or otherwise using the BC logo to claim agency certification.
Here are some examples with agency identifiers redacted (ℹ️click the images to enlarge):
Questions for the British Council…
We asked the British Council the following questions but did not receive any response:
- When an individual completes the UK certified counsellor training, what advice are they given regarding the terms of use of the ‘I am a UK Certified Counsellor’ badge (i.e. what are they told about how they may and may not use the badge)?
- What action does the British Council take to monitor use of the badge?
- What action does the British Council take if an individual is found to be misusing the badge, or otherwise claiming BC certification in a way that is inconsistent with BC’s terms and conditions?
Good apples
It’s important to note that the majority of agents who have completed the BC Certified Counsellor training use the badge in the right way, by making it clear that it is a certification held by an individual. We’re only talking about a minority who are using the badge in a way that was not intended. Still, given the large number of education agents operating globally, a minority can amount to a significant number. With a basic Google search we found over 10 agents who appear to not comply with the British Council’s guidance on the use of the badge (see screenshots above). Unfortunately they are probably the tip of the iceberg.
What’s in a badge?
In the end, the value of the British Council Ceritified Counsellor badge is in how it’s read. When a credential meant for a named professional is taken as a nod to an entire agency, the signal changes meaning: “trained counsellor” starts to look like “approved organisation.” That confuses students and families.
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