The Constitution

The British Association of Therapeutic Touch (BATT) was formed in early 1994 to promote the skilled use of Therapeutic Touch (TT) as an important healing and caring modality for nurses, midwives and other health care professionals. BATT is the regulatory body for TT, monitoring professional standards, providing on-going clinical supervision / education, and offering reassurance to the public through scrutiny of professional practice.

Key Objectives:-

1. Establish a register for TT practitioners who have undergone a recognised and accredited training programme
   
   
2. A forum for support, networking, sharing, dissemination and generation of research evidence to maintain and improve the skilled application of TT to clinical practice.
   
   
3. To develop and promote a Code of Conduct as a guidance for TT practitioners to ensure ethical and quality TT practice delivery to patients/clients.
   
   
4. Develop a focus group of experienced TT practitioners to actively promote its skilled use as a healing and caring adjunct to the work of health care professionals specifically amongst nurses and midwives.
   
   
5. Provide a structure and resource to inform and educate the public and health care providers about TT.
   
   
6. To represent TT in other professional bodies.

   

Registration and Regulation

BATT monitors professional standards and offers reassurance to the public through scrutiny of professional practice and approving and maintaining a register of approved practitioners. Those who have passed the assessment for registration may refer to themselves as Registered Practitioners of Therapeutic Touch (RPTT).

1. Registrations and the Registering Committee meets quarterly.
   
   
2. Consists of four members, one of whom is the chair of BATT, with three others elected by the membership of BATT. All four are full members and meet all the membership requirements of BATT. The term of office is for two years (maximum 2 terms consecutively). Election is by simple majority of the full BATT membership.
   
   
3. Three members must be in attendance to make the meeting quorate.
   
   
4. The Committee is empowered to defer decisions on registrations until full membership can be consulted when it is deemed appropriate.
   
   
5. The Committee is able to make recommendations for upgrading and revision of its work and constitution to the membership through the BATT committee. All changes must be agreed by simple majority of the full BATT membership.
   
   
6. The Committee's principle concern is to review applications for registration as a practitioner of TT by checking that applicants conform to the agreed criteria. The Committee also has the power to remove registrants from the register, who no longer meet the criteria.
   
   
7. The Committee is accountable for its actions to the executive committee of BATT.
   
   
8. The Committee produces and maintains a register of practitioners open to public scrutiny.
   
   
9. The Committee keeps the register under constant review requiring registrants to re-register every 3 years. The registration fee is determined annually at the Annual General Meeting of BATT, by simple majority.
   
   
10. Registration is ratified by BATT's governing committee at its regular meetings, when all names for submission to the register are available to the members, having been submitted by the registration committee.
    
    
11. The Committee reviews individual registration applications on the basis of the agreed criteria and accepts or rejects accordingly, making appropriate recommendations to the executive committee of BATT for acceptance or rejection.
    
    
12. The Committee provides information on the reasons for its decisions, and the executive of BATT reviews appeals, taking account of the Committee's views.
    
    
13. The Committee can request applicants to supply further details and may ask the applicant to attend a registration Committee Meeting to clarify their application if it deems necessary.