The renamed Prince's Foundation for Integrated Health published a consultation document 'Exploring a Federal Approach to Voluntary Self Regulation'. This received mixed responses but the general concensus is that there is value in exploring a federal approach to the regulation of complementary therapies and a working group has been set up to explore various options.

At the AAPA AGM in November Members agreed that at the very least federalisation was necessary for multi disciplinary therapists. Of those present over 90% practised more than one therapy with reflexology and massage being the main ones. It was also agreed that federalisation would also help the public by providing one contact number for registration matters. Members also agreed that the day to day affairs of their professions should, however, be managed by those professions and not by a multidisciplinary quango where only one therapist represented several thousand therapists and other professions took responsibility for the registration and disciplinary matters of aromatherapists. It was this view they asked the AAPA to take forward in discussions.

The Voluntary Self Regulation of Aromatherapy was inaugurated on the 1st December 2006 and the first meeting of the new Aromatherapy Council is on the 6th December. On the 19th December the Council will be officially launched at a party at the House of Commons. There is still work to be done as the Council determines its role for matters like education and the AAPA will report back on this as soon as the Council has met. The Aromatherapy Consortium has been officially dissolved as it only existed to introduce regulation and has now achieved its objective. Asssociations will, however, continue to meet regularly in a newly formed Forum which is not part of the regulatory structure. Associations have traditionally been the driving forces in the development of the profession and it is hoped that the Forum will continue this role.

Accreditation

The role of accreditation of colleges and individual therapists is currently carried out by Associations. The AAPA considers it is important that associations continue with this work within a regulatory system which dip samples and checks on the methodology of associations to ensure the authenticity of their accreditation of colleges, individuals, qualifications and adequacy of training.