APPTS (Accreditation Programme for Psychological Therapies Services) – A quality improvement programme for psychological therapies services, bringing benefits to service users, services and the wider system.

The article focuses on the Accreditation Programme for Psychological Therapies Services (APPTS), which awards accreditation to psychological therapies services demonstrating high-quality care. Developed collaboratively with stakeholders including service users, the programme aligns with the Care Quality Commission’s five domains and incorporates a peer review process emphasizing service user involvement, staff wellbeing, and continuous quality improvement. APPTS accreditation benefits service users by ensuring competent, responsive care and supports services and staff through structured feedback, professional development, and enhanced team functioning. Commissioners can use APPTS accreditation as assurance of service quality, while the programme also promotes equity of access and cultural sensitivity. Although the accreditation process requires significant commitment and fees, it offers a supportive framework for services to evaluate and improve their psychological therapy provision.