General Council for Massage Therapy

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DISCLAIMER

Welcome to the GCMT

GCMT MISSION STATEMENT
The General Council for Massage Therapies (GCMT) is the governing body for massage therapies and all bodyworks and soft tissue techniques in the UK.

The GCMT is a non-profit making body comprising the major professional associations in massage therapies with the following aims and objectives.

OBJECTS

The principal objects of the GCMT are:

To promote the adoption of high standards of practice in massage therapies and all bodyworks and soft tissue techniques. Thereby optimizing public access to treatment of a high professional standard.
To establish and maintain a nationwide professionally determined Standard of Training, Conduct and Competence for the protection of the public.
To act as a unifying body by bringing together organisations engaged in representing or teaching massage therapies, all bodyworks and soft tissue techniques.

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Marketing Opportunities for Practitioners and Schools – GCMT is offering Practitioners and Schools the opportunity to be listed on the GCMT Massage Therapies Governing Body website. (See Education and Find a Practitioner pages for criteria and application forms)

GCMT is a not for profit organisation and as a result the fees are very competitive. In addition GCMT is offering a 20% discount on applications received by 31st August 2010.

GCMT has had nearly 500,000 hits on the website since 1st December 2009 to 30th May 2010, predominantly Find a Practitioner, Education and Professional Associations

GCMT aims to provide information regarding schools, training, Continuing Professional Development and practitioners that meet the standards expected of a Governing Body, and to become a central information point for Massage Therapy.

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28/05/2010 13:03:08 | < more >

Introducing the GCMT: A letter from the chair

The GCMT welcomes the government's policy of extending public protection by encouraging the regulation of complementary therapies. Regulation whether voluntary or statutory will ensure that the public will have confidence that they have access to suitably qualified practitioners. Practitioners will be required to meet professional standards in their training, continuing professional development, codes of conduct and practice.

The GCMT brings together Massage Practitioners and bodyworkers from nine Professional Associations: AAPA, AHBMT, APNT, ICNM, LCSP, MTI, NAMMT, SMTO, STO: who are co-operating to support the regulatory body, the CNHC. By participating in this process, Massage Practitioners and bodyworkers are able to register with the regulatory body; that they are proud to be registered with because it will uphold the highest possible standards for their profession.

CNHC is the UK regulator for complementary healthcare practitioners.
Its key function is to enhance public protection by setting standards for registration with CNHC. The CNHC quality mark (above) is being recognised as the hallmark of quality for the sector. This means that the general public, and those who commission the services of complementary healthcare practitioners, will be able to choose with confidence by looking for the CNHC quality mark.

The Department of Health in November 2009 stated: "CNHC is the only voluntary regulatory body for complementary healthcare which has official government backing. No other organisation has the same exacting criteria or focus on safety and quality."

CNHC Registration
GCMT member Professional Associations have been approved by the CNHC to verify applications for registration and we do encourage massage practitioners to register in order to gain the quality mark.
To find out more about the CNHC go to: www.cnhc.org.uk

more information on the chair >

Joining the GCMT

...to complete our onllne Application Form.

...to become a council member.

News and events

Do you have what it takes to be a London 2012 Games delivery volunteer?
London 2012’s official Games-time Volunteer Programme will launch this summer. Volunteering at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) will recruit volunteers from across the UK – from a range of communities and backgrounds. The selection process will be transparent, open and fair. See FAQs for more information To apply, send your CV and 100 words about why you want to be involved to physicaltherapies@london2012.com

Volunteering Opportunities
GCMT has recognised that both massage therapists wishing to volunteer and organisations requiring volunteers, either for one off events or on a longer term basis need a central point of contact. The Rosemary Foundation is looking for volunteer massage therapists 3rd to 9th July 2010. Go to Education for more information

National Occupational Standards
GCMT has worked with Skills for Health revisiting the National Occupational Standards for Massage Therapy. The completed competences CNH1, 2 & 7can be found at www.skillsforhealth.org.uk under 'Competences'. GCMT has also worked with Skills Active on the Sports Massage National Occupational Standards. Units D520, D521 and D522 can be viewed here The Core Curricula can be found here

Vetting and Barring
From 12/10/2009 new measures are being introduced to help prevent unsuitable people undertaking paid or volunteer work with children or vulnerable adults. Information for employers and employees is available in FAQs

Benefits of Registering with CNHC
The Government fully supports CNHC. The Department of Health is supporting CNHC and is recommending the NHS use the CNHC Register for Complementary Therapists. Large organisations are beginning to require their therapists to be CNHC registered. Health Insurance companies are being urged to include complementary therapies in personal health insurance and that therapists used are CNHC registered. There is a strong possibility that insurance for CNHC registrants maybe reduced.