The Role of the Professional Organisation

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The Role of the Professional Organisation

• Prof. Ray Miller
• Past President (2006-07)
• The British Psychological Society

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Bringing Psychology to Society

• The proper study of Mankind is Man Alexander
  Pope (1688-1744)
• The British Psychological Society (BPS)
• Not a Trade Union
• Learned Society 48,000 members
• Charitable Body
• Founded over 100 years ago (24 October 1901)
• Royal Charter 1965, Register 1987

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BPS Foundations

• Science and Practice
• Study of mind and behaviour
• Evidence based
• Scientist practitioners
• Across lifespan and social settings
• Focus on normal as well as disorders
• Health and Social Care tripartite
  collaboration
• BPS - science, discipline, knowledge and
  skills, professional organisation
• NHS - service provider and employer
• AMICUS/Unite - union, employees/employment
  issues

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BPS Annual Report
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Object

• To promote the advancement and diffusion of a
  knowledge of psychology, pure and applied and
  especially to promote the efficiency and
  usefulness of Members of the Society by setting
  up a high standard of professional education and
  knowledge.

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Organisation

• Offices in Leicester and London
• Office services in Glasgow, Belfast and Cardiff
• 130 Staff
• www.bps.org.uk

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• BPS on the web
• www.bps.org.uk

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Strategic Plan
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Main Functions

• Protecting members of the public
• Setting standards for the training of
  psychologists
• Providing the public with information on
  psychology
• Providing support to members
• Hosting conferences and events
• Preparing policy statements and responses
• Publishing
• Setting standards in psychological testing
• Maintaining the History of Psychology Centre

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Charter, Statutes Rules
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• Code of Conduct

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Codes of Practice
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• Professional Practice Guidelines

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• Division of Clinical Psychology

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• DCP Publications

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• Partial List

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Training and Chartered Psychologists

• Graduate basis of registration (usually a 1st or
  2nd class honours degree minimum 3 years)
• Experience of psychology in practice (Assistant)
• Advanced training to Doctoral level (minimum 3
  years)
• Includes practical placements, therapeutic and
  research skills as well as academic theory to
  meet Occupational Standards (Standards of
  Proficiency)
• Ongoing CPD requirement
• Voluntary regulation now to become statutory

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Governance

• Board of Trustees
• Representative Council
• Membership and Professional Training Board (MPTB)
  
• Professional Conduct Board (PCB)
• Professional Practice Board (PPB)
• Psychology Education Board (PEB)
• Publications and Communications Board (PCB)
• Research Board (RB)

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Governance 2

• Standing Committees
• Ethics Committee
• Joint Committee for Resources in Higher Education
  
• Standing Committee for the Promotion of Equal
  Opportunities
• Subcommittees and Working Groups
• Audit and Risk Management Committee
• National Honours Group
• Personnel Sub-Committee
• President's Reference Group on Statutory
  Regulation
• Subsystems (Member Groups)
• Branches, Divisions, Special Groups, Sections

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BPS Membership
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Scottish Branch
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Branches

• Importance of local responses to local issues
• Local branding of corporate responses
• Key role of local Branch expertise
• New roles for Branches delivering Society
  strategy locally
• Devolution Scotland, N Ireland, Wales
• Sub-systems within Branches
• A new look at autonomy and accountability

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Divisions
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Divisions

• DECP
• SDEP
• DCP
• DOP
• DFP
• DCoP
• DTRP

• DHP
• DoN
• DSEP
• Special Groups
• Social Services
• Coaching

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DCP Membership
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Sections
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Sections

• Psychotherapy
• Education
• Lesbian Gay
• Qualitative Methods in Psychology
• Social
• Maths, Stats Computing

• Developmental
• Cognitive
• Psychobiology
• History Philosophy
• Psychology of Women
• Transpersonal
• Consciousness Experiential

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Challenges

• Success breeds complexity (34 main subsystems)
• Limits to sub-system growth?
• Increased expectations, changing environment
• Cost of an expanding bureaucracy
• Deficit Budget staff costs, inflation
• Unity in Diversity Autonomy, accountability
  and corporate responsibility
• Charitable status and the role of Trustees

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Opportunities

• Member recruitment and retention
• New member grades?
• Member services (improved communication)
• CPD, Information, Support, Infrastructure, Ethics
  Advice, Mediation, Rehabilitation
• Income generation/ cost reduction
• Statutory Regulation
• Increased importance of professional body to
  balance regulatory body

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Statutory Regulationlegislation passed April 2009

• 1970s BPS press need for Statutory Regulation
• 1987 Register of Chartered Psychologists
• 1990s Attempts to introduce Psychologists
  Bill in Parliament or Lords
• 1999 Health Act regulation by Order
• 2001 HPC set up (operational 2002)
• 2002 John Hutton (Health Minister) says HPC
  is route for Psychologists
• 2003/4 BPS negotiates with DoH applies to HPC
• 2005 Consultation on HPC regulation
• 2005/6 Foster Review/ Donaldson Review
• 2007 White Paper Trust, Assurance and Safety
• 2008 HPC Threshold of Entry Standards of
  Proficiency Second Consultation on HPC
  Regulation
• 2009 Legislation passed. Register opens 1 July

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BPS Positionwww.bps.org.uk/statreg

• BPS is in favour of the principle
• Regulator should be independent, robust and
  effective
• Any new system must improve public protection and
  achieve registration of all who need to be
  regulated
• Entry threshold should be Doctorate (D/level 12)
• Concerns over Grandparenting
• Government agenda now NHS workforce management?
  
• Changes in HPC even less input from professions?

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Donaldson and FosterJuly 2006
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White PaperFeb 2007
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Current SituationLegislation passed, April 2009
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Statutory Regulation1 July 2009
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• Joining the BPS

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Your Professional Body
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Download

• PowerPoint presentation can be downloaded or
  viewed at
• www.raymiller.net/download