CMPSCouncil for Muslim
Professional Standards

An Islamic professional standards body for the UK

Strengthening standards.
Protecting trust.

CMPS is developing standards for public-facing Muslim religious professionals, alongside a framework for accreditation, safeguarding and professional conduct. Registration and accreditation are not yet open.

Explore our purpose Help shape the framework
01 / THE PROPOSAL

Role-based standards
Qualification assessment
Professional conduct

For public-facing Muslim religious personnel and the communities they serve.
01Register interestAccreditation or membership02Explore standardsOur proposed approach03Raise a concernGuidance and urgent help

Our purpose

Why CMPS is being proposed

Religious professionals hold positions of trust. The proposed CMPS framework aims to make competence more visible, expectations clearer and accountability more credible.

01

Verified competence

Role-appropriate standards that recognise different paths of learning and assess what a practitioner is qualified to do.

02

Professional ethics

Clear expectations for conduct, boundaries, safeguarding and the responsible exercise of religious authority.

03

Public protection

A future system of transparent registration and fair, independent processes for addressing professional concerns.

Who it is for

Public-facing religious roles

The proposed scope concerns people who teach, advise, lead or provide pastoral support in a public-facing Muslim religious role. It does not extend to Muslims working in unrelated professions.

See the proposed framework
01Imams & khatibs
02Muftis & religious advisers
03Qur’an & madrasa teachers
04Chaplains & pastoral advisers
05Preachers & public speakers

How it could work

How the framework could work

CMPS proposes a staged model. The details will require consultation, governance, legal review and operational capacity before any service opens.

View the development plan
  1. 01

    Set standards

    Publish role-specific competence and conduct requirements.

  2. 02

    Assess and verify

    Review qualifications, experience and appropriate safeguarding requirements.

  3. 03

    Make status clear

    Develop a public register that explains recognised roles and limitations.

  4. 04

    Maintain accountability

    Design renewal, oversight and fair conduct procedures.

Ethics & safeguarding

Ethics, safeguarding and conduct

Concerns about abuse or immediate danger require appropriate statutory help. CMPS is not yet able to receive or investigate complaints.

Read safeguarding guidance

Consultation

Help shape the proposed standards

We intend to engage religious professionals, institutions, safeguarding specialists and the public as the framework develops.

Explore consultation