Help, I need a Counsellor for my RICS APC!

Jen Lemen
Jan 13
5 min read

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What is this blog about?

In this week’s blog, we look at the role of the RICS APC Counsellor and what to do if you haven’t yet found one to support you.

Do I actually need a Counsellor?

Yes. It is a mandatory requirement to have a Counsellor to support, guide and sign you off through your RICS APC journey.

You need to appoint your Counsellor when enrolling. You need to need to work with them effectively through to sign off of your final submission.

If you do not appoint a Counsellor then you cannot enrol on the RICS APC process.

The Supervisor role is different to that of the Counsellor. This is not a mandatory role and is typically someone that you work with closely, such as a line manager or supervisor. They do not have a formal notifiable role to RICS, rather they are there to support you throughout your RICS APC journey.

Who can be my Counsellor?

For the RICS APC, your Counsellor must be MRICS and FRICS and have undertaken the RICS online training module.

They should read the RICS Counsellor guidance and be familiar with your route to Chartership, such as Structured Training, Preliminary Review or SPA. How they adapt their approach to working with you will depend on your experience, route and personalities.

What is in it for your Counsellor?

If your prospective Counsellor is on the fence about taking on the role, then here are some ways that it could benefit them:

It is a rewarding and satisfying way to give back and support the next generation of surveyors
It helps to maintain high standards of professionalism and raise the profile of RICS
It helps to keep your Counsellor up-to-date on the latest RICS guidance, legislation and industry practices (thus contributing to maintaining their CPD record)
It can be used to satisfy the ‘Service to RICS’ Fellowship (FRICS) characteristic, if they are looking to advance their own career further
It is a great way to extend your professional network
If you work together, then it may be a great way to demonstrate senior management characteristics and seek future promotions

Do remeber though that your Counsellor needs to be fully commited to the role and to suppporting you - if they are not, then they are probably not the right person to become your Counsellor.

What is the role of the Counsellor?

RICS describe your Counsellor’s role to be that of a ‘critical friend’. Their role is to support you through your RICS APC journey and get to know you and your experience sufficiently well to be comfortable and confident to sign you off.

You may or may not work with your Counsellor, and thus they may not have direct, personal insight into all of your examples and competencies. By working with you over a period of time and through in-depth, challenging discussions – they will become sufficiently familiar with you, your work and your competence.

So, there is no need to worry if you do not have a MRICS or FRICS trained Counsellor in your workplace.

We will cover the in-depth role of the Counsellor and how you can work together effectively in future blog articles. Stay tuned for these!

What RICS guidance exists for my Counsellor?

Direct them to the RICS Counsellor Guide and RICS Assessment Platform User Guide. The sign off process can be time consuming, so we recommend that you also read the Assessment Platform User Guide (for candidates) in detail to avoid any problems.

How can I find a Counsellor?

Ideally, your Counsellor will be your direct line manager or supervisor at work. However, this is not always possible – perhaps you will be the first person in your firm to become qualified or your colleagues do not have the capacity to take on the role.

If you need to look further afield for a Counsellor, here are our top tips:

Speak to your employer or HR manager if there are existing Counsellors in any other teams or departments in your firm. Your Counsellor can have qualified on a different pathway to the one you are pursuing
Attend RICS Matrics or other surveying networking events, you meet a trained Counsellor who is willing to support you on a voluntary basis. We would advise caution, as personal and work circumstances can change and we do see candidates with Counsellors who become distant or have to step down at crucial moments in the RICS APC process

How can we help?

Having a formally appointed Counsellor is the best course of action. You then have a mutual commitment to working towards MRICS. This is where we come in – alongside our Monthly Mentoring package, which provides full outsourced support, we can provide a Counsellor.

We cannot provide a Counsellor without the accompanying mentoring support – it is NOT just a simple sign off.

Our Counsellor role comes with a formal due diligence process and written Counsellor agreement. It is also NOT a guaranteed sign off – we will only sign you off if we feel that you are sufficiently competent, knowledgeable and experienced. Our mentoring support will help you to achieve this, ensuring that you have a well-rounded, robust submission and are confident and prepared for your final assessment interview.

How can we help?

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We offer a range of short and long-term support packages in our eShop, including our popular Monthly Mentoring and Kick Start packages. These can include an RICS APC or AssocRICS Counsellor in certain circumstances.

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