Who we are

Find out about our key people, boards, committees and our annual reports.

We are the British Psychological Society

For more than 120 years, we have championed psychology, psychologists and the wider psychological professions, supporting our members through every stage of their careers.

Psychology affects all aspects of our everyday lives, from government policy to the advertising you see on TV. And with the demand for psychology services growing, so is our community.

We have more than 65,000 members - all of whom share a passion for psychology, and its impact on individuals and society.

Support

The BPS gives our members the tools and resources to enhance their careers, with the latest psychological research, CPD opportunities and tailored events.

Advocate

We’re a forward-facing voice that speaks up for psychology and psychologists. Our work, and the work of our members, helps to influence and develop a psychological approach to policy-making that puts people first.

Connect

Community is at the heart of everything we do and that’s why our networking opportunities are so vast. We make it easy to connect and collaborate with other members.

Find out more about what the BPS offers

Networks and communities

Connect with members and share ideas.

Our members can choose from more than 100 networks based on their interests or expertise, and enjoy exclusive benefits, including development opportunities and discounts

You can also be part of one of our online communities – a place to share ideas, connect with other members and discuss the latest advances in psychology.

Careers and education

Find all you need to know about becoming a psychologist and what career options are available.

In our careers and education section, you can access professional development opportunities via our continuing professional development (CPD) options, explore careers in psychology, find BPS-accredited courses, postgraduate qualifications we offer, accreditation information and relevant information for employers and institutions.

Find a psychologist

Explore our lists and directories of qualified psychologists in a range of different specialisms to suit your needs.

Explore our lists and directories of qualified psychologists in a range of specialisations to suit your requirements or find professionals in psychological practitioner and applied psychology roles that are currently not regulated by law using our Wider Psychological Workforce Register.

News and events

Stay up to date with news and training.

Get updates about the latest BPS events and conferences as well as industry news and information from a single location.

You can also explore our consultation responses, which help share the latest psychological evidence with policymakers aiming to influence and support the development of well-informed policies.

The Psychologist and Research Digest

Our flagship magazine is available in print, online and via our app.

Packed with articles, letters, interviews, news, reviews, careers and jobs, The Psychologist is the best way to keep up to date with all corners of the discipline.

As the official publication of The British Psychological Society, The Psychologist serves as a forum for communication, discussion and debate on a range of psychological topics.

We publish a wide range of scientific, professional and personal formats aimed at our large and diverse audience: The Psychologist is read by more than 50,000 society members in print, and many non-members view our open access offerings online and in our app.

Meanwhile, the Research Digest, launched in 2003, showcases psychological science while also casting a critical eye over its methods. The team all have qualifications in psychology or related subjects, and strive to write in a style that educates, entertains and generates interest, but without resorting to hype.

Resources

Guidelines, policies, journals and books to help you throughout your career.

We provide a wide range of resources for aspiring psychologists, students and professionals, including guidelines and policy directives, and access to journals, publications and books.

Trustees

The Board of Trustees

This is the society’s primary governing body, with responsibility for the management and control of the society's affairs and transactions, which ensures that we conform to the terms of our charter and that we observe our legal obligations as a charitable body.

The composition of the Board of Trustees is:

  • The President
  • The President-Elect
  • The Chair
  • The Chair of Senate
  • The Chairs of the Strategy Boards
  • Up to two Elected Trustees
  • Up to three Appointed Trustees

Contact the Board of Trustees

Meet the team

President (2022-2024): Nicky Hayes

Nicky Hayes Trustee

Nicky is a member of the Division of Occupational Psychology, Division of Academics, Researchers and Teachers of Psychology, Qualitative Methods Section, and Scottish Branch Register of Qualifications in Test Use.

In addition, she is currently the Chair of the BPS Committee on Test Standards, serves on the editorial committee of Assessment & Development Matters, and is a council member of the International Test Commission.

President-Elect: Roman Raczka

Roman Raczka

Dr Roman Raczka BSc MSc DClinPsy AFBPsS CPsychol is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist working as the Consultant Lead Clinical Psychologist for Central London Community Health (CLCH) NHS Trust where he is the CLCH Trust Head of Psychology and the Inner London professional lead for Clinical Psychology

Roman has previously worked in a number of London NHS Trusts as well as having an academic appointment at Royal Holloway, University of London, and visiting lecturer in the London Clinical Psychology training courses.  

Roman has had a number of leadership roles in the BPS including Chair of the Division of Clinical Psychology, DCP England Lead, and DCP London Chair.

He was the DCP representative on the BPS Covid Co-ordinating Group and Chaired the COVID Adaptation to Practice sub-group leading on the development of a number of COVID publications.

Roman has over 30 years of working as a Clinical Psychologist in the NHS and his clinical areas of special interest include, adults with intellectual disabilities and complex needs including challenging behaviours, Autistic Spectrum disorders, offenders with intellectual disabilities, as well as the development of third wave cognitive behaviour therapies with people with intellectual disabilities.

Roman’s research interests are varied and has had a number of journal articles published. 

Chair of the Board of Trustees: David Crundwell

David Crundwell

David has extensive experience in international corporate affairs and has a long-standing personal interest in public health.

Alongside his role with the BPS, David is Chair of Imperial Health Charity, a former trustee of the British Geriatrics Society and also sits on the Genito-Urinary Medicine Specialist Advisory Committee with the Royal College of Physicians.

He also works on several major research projects around public and sexual health. 

Chair of Senate: Natalie Lancer

Natalie Lancer

Dr Natalie Lancer is a Chartered Coaching Psychologist. As well as a Trustee, she is Chair of Senate, Chair of the Division of Coaching Psychology and the host of the BPS podcast, The Coaching Psychology Pod. She applies the evidence base from her own research and Coaching Psychology to help driven people achieve their goals in a realistic, practical and human way in her coaching programmes. 

Natalie is a scholar-practitioner which means that as well as coaching clients and supervising other psychologists, she also conducts research, as an Honorary Researcher at Birkbeck, University of London and is a Master’s and Doctoral supervisor at the New School of Psychotherapy and Counselling. She uses this research to inform her practice and disseminates it to others through peer-reviewed publications. In 2016, she co-authored ‘Techniques for Coaching and Mentoring’ with David Clutterbuck and David Megginson (Routledge).

Chair of the Education and Training Board: Patricia Hind

Patricia Hind

Professor Patricia Hind is a Chartered Occupational Psychologist. She is a Trustee of the BPS and Chair of the Education and Training Board. She has been a member of the BPS since she was an undergraduate at Leeds University, where she was Chairman and co-founder of the first Undergraduate Psychology conference in March 1972.

She holds a master’s degree in industrial/Organisational Psychology from the University of Hull and a PhD from the University of Leeds which examined the complexities of managing volunteers. Her career led her to City University where she designed, developed and obtained accreditation for the MSc in Organisational Psychology.

Her expertise in in Leadership and Executive Development. As a scholar practitioner she is Professor of Leadership and Management Development and currently senior adjunct faculty and researcher at Ashridge Executive Education, part of Hult International Business School. She has been a visiting Research Fellow at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, leading a project on developing Sustainable Leadership in SME’s. Additionally, Patricia has a wealth of experience in accreditation and external examination at undergraduate, masters and doctoral levels.

She has wide ranging expertise in helping national and global clients to develop their leaders for organisational and personal success and has published extensively on related topics.  Patricia is the author and co -author of several books, the latest of which examines the impact of the pandemic on working relationships She has a consultancy company offering both personal and organisational development services.

She is also an Independent Governor at Plymouth Marjon University where she is Deputy Governor, Chair of the People and Organisational and Remuneration committees and is Deputy Chair of the Finance and Resources Committee. Patricia is an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, a Justice of the Peace and a Freeman of the City of London.

Chair of the Member Board: Carol McGuinness

Carol McGuinness Trustee

Professor Carol McGuinness is Professor Emerita at Queen’s University Belfast. She is a Chartered Psychologist, member of the Division of Academics, Researchers and Teachers in Psychology, the Cognitive Section, and the Northern Ireland Branch.

She graduated from University College Dublin with a 1st class honours BA psychology degree in 1972, and an MA in 1974. She received her PhD from Queen’s in 1979, where she has worked for most of her professional life, teaching and researching.

She has been a passionate advocate for teaching psychology, both locally in Northern Ireland and UK wide, and was awarded a National Teaching Fellow in 2000 (the first year the fellowships were awarded).

With a background in cognitive psychology, Carol's research has a strong educational focus. Her work on designing interventions to enhance children’s classroom learning and evaluating early years interventions has a sharp policy/impact focus, being influential in several educational systems, as well as specifically informing changes to statutory curriculum requirements in Northern Ireland.

Carol has been an active member of the BPS since she was a postgraduate and has worked with many different membership networks and working groups. For example, she was Chair of the Special Group for the Teaching of Psychology in the 1990s and Vice Chair of the Division of Teachers and Researchers in Psychology (now DARTP). She chaired the BPS Working Party on A-level Psychology (2003), edited Psychology Teaching Review (1999-2004), and was an elected ordinary member of the Psychology Education and Public Engagement Board for two years in 2012.

More recently she has been Chair of the Northern Ireland Branch of the BPS (2010-2016) where she worked closely with the leads of local BPS divisions to influence public policy. She continues to act as policy co-ordinator on the NIBPS committee. 

Carol first became a Trustee for the Society in 2017 when she was appointed as Chair of the Education and Public Engagement Board.  She stepped down when that Board was discontinued. In 2020 she was appointed as Chair of the newly created Member Board.

Chair of the Practice Board: Tony Lavender

Tony Lavender

Professor Tony Lavender’s training in Clinical Psychology was at the Institute of Psychiatry and Doctorate from Kings College London (1977-1979).

He has played a leading role in workforce development nationally with the Department of Health, British Psychological Society, National Institute of Mental Health and NHS Digital.

He has published extensively on services and therapies for people with psychosis and personality disorder, workforce planning, the history of clinical psychology and more recently anorexia.

He held roles as Dean of a large Faculty and then Pro-Vice Chancellor (covering research, internationalisation, sustainability and equality and diversity) at Canterbury Christ Church University.

Prior to this he directed the Clinical Psychology Programme (at Salomons) for 21 years, most of this time employed within the NHS until the Programme moved into the University.

He retired in December 2016 but continues, as an Emeritus Professor, to maintain an active involvement in reseach, mentoring, organisational consultancy, and workforce planning.

He is currently a member of the Division of Psychology (DCP) Executive and chairs the DCP Workforce and Training Group.

He is a member of the BPS’s Practice Board and chairs the Practice Board’s HCPC Working Group, and is also a member of the NHSE/I/HEE National Psychological Professions Workforce Advisory Group.

Chair of the Research Board: Andy Tolmie

Professor Andy Tolmie Trustee

Professor Andy Tolmie CPsychol is Chair of Psychology and Human Development at the UCL Institute of Education, University College London, where he has been based since 2007. He is also Deputy Director of the joint Birkbeck/UCL Centre for Educational Neuroscience.(link is external)

Andy is a developmental psychologist with longstanding interest in the neurocognitive and social factors underpinning the growth of children’s conceptual representations and behavioural skills, and the relationships between these, particularly in the primary school age range. Most of his work has focused on educationally-relevant topics and settings, with a substantial emphasis on primary school science, but also on the acquisition of road-crossing skills among children, the use of educational technology to support learning, and most recently the role of motor control in the development of executive function. His research has made extensive use of both quantitative and qualitative techniques.

He was Editor of the British Journal of Educational Psychology from 2007-12, and is currently an Associate Editor for Brain Sciences and Frontiers in Psychology. He has been actively involved in the Society’s affairs for over 20 years, serving on the Books and Special Projects Group, the Developmental Psychology Section Committee, the Scientific Affairs/Research Board, the Journals Committee, and the Editorial Advisory Group, of which he was Chair from 2010 to 2018. He is the BPS Representative on EFPA Standing Committee on Traffic Psychology, and was Deputy Chair of the Research Board from 2019 to 2021.

Andy was a member of a Royal Society working group in 2010, reporting on science and mathematics education 5-14; and of a UNESCO Expert Group on Girls’ Education in Science and Mathematics in 2016. He was a founding member of ESRC Grant Assessment Panel D (secondary data initiatives/large cohort resources), has been a reviewer for the ESRC’s Research Centres competition, was Panel Deputy Chair for the UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship scheme, and was Director of three IOE-led ESRC Doctoral Training Centres/Partnerships between 2011-18. He has been an Assessor for the Australian Research Council since 2013, and more recently for similar agencies in Canada, Mexico and Switzerland.

Chair of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Board: Adam Jowett

Adam Jowett trustee

Dr Adam Jowett CPsychol AFBPsS is a Chartered Psychologist and an academic within the School of Psychological, Social Sciences at Coventry University. He is also an Associate Editor of the journal Psychology & Sexuality.

Following completion of his PhD, Adam was a Research Fellow at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Leeds, and since 2012 he has been at Coventry University as a Lecturer, Senior Lecturer and Associate Head of School.

Adam has also been Course Director of a BPS accredited MSc Health Psychology programme and has served on the committees of several BPS Sections, including as Chair of the Psychology of Sexualities Section. He is also a member of the Division of Health Psychology and the Qualitative Methods in Psychology Section.

Elected Trustee: Peter Branney

Peter Branney Trustee

Dr Peter Branney CPsychol AFBPsS is a Chartered Psychologist and Associate Professor in Social Psychology at the University of Bradford.

Peter has undertaken a programme of award winning, internationally leading work exploring to improve experiences of healthcare through interventions that are local, proximal and distal to patients' interactions with services. 

Peter held an Economic and Social Research Council studentship at the University of Leeds and was a visiting doctoral student at Massey University, Aotearoa/New Zealand. He holds a BSc in psychology and philosophy international, an MSc in psychological approaches to health and a PhD in psychology. After completing his PhD in 2006, he joined the Centre for Men’s Health, Leeds Metropolitan University.

In 2012, Peter transferred to the School of Social, Psychological and Communication Studies, Leeds Beckett University before joining the Division of Psychology at the University of Bradford in 2017. A student-focused educator, Dr. Branney has received awards from student bodies for his teaching in social psychology.

Additionally, Dr. Branney has been an external examiner for undergraduate single and joint honours psychology programmes in the UK, Hong Kong and Singapore, and regularly receive invites to be an external expert for periodic reviews and an external examiner for doctorates.

Elected Trustee: Julia Faulconbridge

Julia Faulconbridge

Before retirement from the NHS, Julia ran an innovative community child psychology service for many years that she had developed from scratch. She was involved at a senior management level at the Trusts she worked in. Julia was also closely involved in the training of clinical psychologists, both in teaching and supervision.

Following that, Julia was a member of the National CAMHS Support Service, including a period of being the East Midlands Lead. This service was established jointly by the last Labour Government’s Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department of Health to work with services and commissioners on improvement programmes for NHS CAMHS services.

Julia was a Specialist Advisor with Care Quality Commission for a number of years, taking part in many inspections.

Within the BPS Julia has been particularly involved in the DCP Faculty for Children, Young People and Families, including being the conference organiser and the Chair. She has been on the DCP Executive in a number of roles: Child Lead, Acting Chair, Vice Chair and, currently, Lead for Communications and Publications. She has also represented the BPS in external fora, e.g. the Coalition Government’s Task Force on Child Mental Health which produced ‘Future in Mind’.

Appointed Trustee: Jon Harding

Jon Harding

Jon has held a series of senior HR Director roles within a variety of commercial organisations. These include Diageo, InterContinental Hotels and most recently Barclays Bank.

At Barclays Jon held a global role responsible for culture change and organisation development.

Jon began his corporate career at Mars Confectionery and has worked in the UK and the US.

Jon is now consulting independently on culture, change management, senior team effectiveness and leadership development.  

Appointed Trustee: Matthew Howell

Matthew Howell

Matthew Howell has held a number of senior leadership roles within a variety of commercial organisations as well as professional bodies.

These include Deloitte, RSM, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and most recently the British Medical Association (BMA) where he was the Deputy CEO.

At both RICS and the BMA Matthew led the organisations to support their focus on adding value to existing and new members.

With a background in international marketing, Matthew brings a commercial perspective and focus on how organisations can grow sustainably.

Appointed Trustee - Kevin Quinn

Kevin Quinn

Kevin was appointed Trustee in April 2023.

Kevin has 30 years’ experience in senior finance roles in professional practice and public company finance, including healthcare businesses, serving as both Audit Partner and Chief Financial Officer.

Kevin is Chairman of Marlowe plc, a leader in business critical and regulatory assurance services, including occupational health.

Kevin is a qualified accountant and has a degree in modern languages, which has helped him work extensively overseas.

Meetings and minutes

The Board of Trustees and The Representative Council (which consists of representatives from all of the society's current Member Networks, in addition to our regular trustees) meets every three months to discuss current and future issues affecting the running of the society.

Access the minutes from these meetings

Management 

Our Senior Management Team (SMT) is made up of a number of directors whose responsibility it is to oversee the smooth and efficient running of the society's internal workings. 

Meet the team

Sarb Bajwa

Chief Executive Officer

BPS CEO Sarb Bajwa

Our CEO, Sarb Bajwa, joined the society in April 2018.

Over the years, Sarb has worked in the aid sector, in legal and financial services, and the energy industry.

He has continually sought to contribute to the overarching goals of each organisation while also leading these various professional membership bodies through a variety of challenging national and international political environments.

Driven to promote and support positive growth and development in all aspects of the society's work, his goal is to ensure the BPS continues to make a meaningful and positive contribution to the world.

Contact the CEO

Diane Ashby

Deputy CEO

Diane Ashby

Diane Ashby joined the society in March 2019 to lead the BPS Change programme.

She started her career in retail and worked in store management for Marks and Spencer and a number of senior roles in The Body Shop.

She has experience in both the private and public sector and has managed a diverse set of customer-facing services including contact centres, shops, warehouses, libraries, highways operations and waste services.

She has also driven a number of major transformational change programmes, implementing new operating models, business systems, process improvements and cultural change.

Contact the Deputy CEO

Mike Laffan

Director of IT

Mike Laffan

Mike Laffan joined the society in July 2006.

Prior to joining the society, he worked in operations, IT, and auditing in a number of commercial, retail, and entertainment organisations, including Bupa, Eurostar, Granada, and Mecca Leisure.

Mike leads the underlying operational services of the society, which includes IT Services, buildings management, security, data protection, and health and safety.

Contact the Director of IT

Rachel Dufton

Director of Communications and Engagement

Rachel Dufton

Rachel Dufton joined the BPS in September 2018.

As Director of Communications and Engagement she has responsibility for all internal and external communications and stakeholder engagement.

Rachel has worked in senior communications roles for a range of high profile professional bodies, charities and regulators across the health sector.

She led communications functions at the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the children’s charity Ambitious about Autism, and the Royal College of Nursing where she won several UK and international awards including the Chartered Institute of Public Relations ‘Outstanding In-House Team of the Year’.

Contact the Director of Communications and Engagement 

Debra Malpass

Director of Knowledge and Insight

Debra Malpass

Debra Malpass joined the BPS in January 2020.

She leads the research, insight & knowledge management function and oversees the Research and Impact team, the Practice Guidance Team and the History of Psychology Centre.

She has a Ph.D in psychology and a wealth of experience as an academic researcher having worked in psychology departments in the UK and USA for over a decade.   

Prior to joining the BPS Debra worked as a researcher at AQA, the UK’s largest exam board. In this post she carried out mixed methods research with 14-16 year olds.

She also designed GCSE, A-level and vocational qualifications and carried out statistical analysis to set exam grade boundaries every summer.

Debra also led the Research and Analysis team at the Solicitors Regulation Authority, where she pioneered the use of machine learning, behavioural insights and randomised controlled trials to regulate the legal market.

Contact the Director of Knowledge and Insight

Paly Bassi

Acting Director of Finance and Resources

Paly Bassi

Paly Bassi joined the society in December 2020.

She started her career leading the operational performance of a large retailer within the Midlands. Paly focussed on turning loss making retail branches into profit making within a short period of time.

This sparked her passion within turnaround and accounting, as she moved into practice at PwC. Providing advisory services to organisations in troubled financial situations, across different industries, working in both the public and private sectors including the NHS.

Paly has commercial and leadership experience within the Banking and Retail sectors where she has provided commercial analysis and insight, financial reporting and forecasting. Paly enjoys influencing and challenging business decisions and stakeholders to maximise business profit.

Paly has been a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants for over 10 years and has been awarded fellowship status. 

Boards and committees

The society has five main boards which report to the Board of Trustees, each with a specific area of responsibility.

These boards are made up of society members, and their chairs serve on the Board of Trustees.

Each board also contains a number of sub-committees and working parties.

Find out more about each individual board: 

A number of other bodies also advise the Board of Trustees, these are: 
Two standing committees:
And four sub-committees:
  • Finance & Investments Subcommittee
  • Risk & Assurance Subcommittee
  • People, Culture & Remuneration Subcommittee
  • Governance, Board Effectiveness & Nominations Subcommittee

Reports and reviews

Our Review of the Year gives an overview of the our achievements and illustrates how we have delivered on our objectives for the year.

2022 Review of the Year

Download our Review of the Year for 2022, which looks back on another year of major changes.

Download our 2022 review

2022 Annual Report and Consolidated Financial Statements 

The trustees are pleased to present their Report and the Group Financial Statements of The British Psychological Society (‘the society’) for the year ended 31 December 2022.

Download our 2022 report

For more information about any of these documents, contact the Communications team.  

Previous reports and reviews

Our strategy

Our new strategy will guide and underpin our work over the coming years.

A vision for the BPS

Our strategy has been produced by the Board of Trustees and lays out the core purpose, vision, and values going forward.

The purpose section of the strategy outlines the British Psychological Society’s central goal as an organisation, linked to meeting our charitable objectives.

Download the BPS Strategy 2024 document

A simple vision guides all of our work as an organisation: ‘Building a world where psychology transforms lives’.

Four shared values are placed at the heart of the culture, helping the BPS to unite our psychological community and fulfilling our purpose: ‘TOGETHER we are OPEN and WILLING with an aspiration for EXCELLENCE.’

These shared values have been used to outline the behaviours that will define the BPS as an organisation, so that we can deliver more for members.

Finally, four shared pillars have been developed, into which the work of the BPS can be divided and against which its progress towards the overall strategic vision will be measured. These are ‘Community, Champion, Confidence, and Cultivate’.

A fresh, modern and inspiring new strategy is something that we have been working towards as an organisation for some time, and I’m thrilled that we’ve finally been able to share this vision with members. We’ll be integrating the strategy into our ways of working over the course of this year, and I hope that you can see it emerge in the work that we do to represent and support you as members
BPS CEO Sarb Bajwa
Sarb Bajwa - BPS Chief Executive

Our purpose

We believe in our charitable objects:

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.

Our vision

 We are guided by our vision:

Building a world where psychology transforms lives. 

 

Our values

At the BPS, we understand better than most why people behave in the way that they do. The values we hold guide how we behave and the choices we make. It is these shared values that unite our community and allows us to achieve our purpose.

Together we are open and willing with an aspiration for excellence

Together

We care deeply about our community and connect individuals through acknowledging our similarities with a sense of working toward the same goals by drawing on diverse talent and experience.

This includes:

  • We are inclusive and celebrate our differences
  • We get to know people, involve them and encourage them
  • We connect people and value their contributions

Open

We look to do the right thing in an honest, fair and responsible way through appreciating others' opinions, viewpoints, thoughts and ideas so that we build strong and trusting relationships.

This includes:

  • We keep people informed through clear, open and honest communication
  • We take decisive action to make meaningful differences with all of our work
  • We are optimistic about what people can achieve and are not deterred by setbacks

Willing

We are curious and deeply inquisitive about people with a thirst to continually improve, we maximise our skills and creativity to enhance the work that we do.

This includes:

  • We challenge ourselves, each other and the status quo
  • We share our knowledge and work in partnership
  • We are always looking to learn, and for better ways to do things, being flexible to change

Excellence

We believe that whatever is worth doing is worth doing right, striving to excel in every aspect of our work and approaching every challenge with a determination to succeed.

This includes:

  • We always think about best practice
  • We work in a psychologically informed way based on evidence
  • We take pride in our work and hold ourselves to account

Goals and Ambitions

Four shared pillars have been developed, into which the work of the BPS can be divided.

The four Cs 

Four shared pillars have been developed, into which the work of the BPS can be divided and against which its progress towards the overall strategic vision will be measured: ‘Community, Champion, Confidence, and Cultivate’.

Community 

We lift up every member and support them to be the best they can be throughout their entire career  - by offering them the best community, resources and tools that help them to succeed.

This includes:

  • Growing our membership
  • Providing quality CPD and Learning
  • Building pride for our vibrant community
  • Utilising technology to support our connections
  • Career development and support

Success measures:

  • Understand and track engagement between members.
  • Understand satisfaction levels and how members make use of their member benefits.
  • Understand the desire and interest among incoming professionals to be be part of the BPS community.

Champion

We are bold, progressive advocates who champion the discipline and the professions  - by holding it to a high standard and developing best practice, we can raise our profile and voice so that more people understand the power of what psychology can do.

This includes:

  • Promoting high standards and maintaining best practices
  • Having a strong and influential voice
  • Leading the way in psychology research, data and analytics
  • Expanding the psychological workforce
  • Advocating the benefits of our professions

Success measures:

  • Track and monitor our journal impact scores and sales numbers of BPS books.
  • Monitor the investment we make into research and the impact of the insight gained.
  • Monitor and assess the expansion of the wider psychological workforce and track engagement with our standards

Confidence

We build confidence and are open to new opportunities and people  - by joining forces, forming alliances, providing strong leadership and getting more people to see psychology as the solution to their needs.

This includes:

  • Expanding our alliances
  • Growing our international footprint
  • Having a strong voice on policy
  • Reclaiming the psychological
  • Building respect

Success measures:

  • Understand the efficacy and impact of our campaigns
  • Monitor and track engagement of international members
  • Track an monitor our media mentions and engagements

Cultivate

We cultivate a culture that is diverse, dynamic, high performing and values-led, allowing access for all - by using insights and data to inform and drive us to achieve our purpose.

This includes:

  • Embedding EDI and ensuring access for all
  • Financial stability
  • Being an outstanding employer
  • Ensuring simplicity in the way we work
  • Modern and effective governance

Success measures:

  • Benchmark and measure our membership and engagement against the Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion benchmarks.
  • Track and monitor the engagement and satisfaction of our people.
  • Monitor the financial health of the society

What will we do in 2024?

We’ll be integrating the strategy into our ways of working over the course of this year - and we hope it emerges in the work that we do to represent and support our members

Building a world where psychology transforms lives

For Community we will

  • Evolve our wider workforce strategy to welcome new associate members
  • Develop our technology to support connections between our members
  • Increase our support for members with careers information, advice and guidance

For Champion we will

  • Co-create and engage members in raising awareness if the value of psychology through a new major campaign Psychology Matters.
  • Develop and implement a Standards of Evidence Framework to provide rigour and quality to the evidence used in our outputs
  • Implement new robust entry and CPD requirements across our registers to make the fit for purpose for the future

For Confidence we will

  • Continue our efforts to reach the heart of government to increase the role of psychology in policy making
  • We will extend out network of partners and build stronger relationships to enable greater collaboration
  • Re-imagine our consultation process, enabling more members to play a key role in embedding psychological evidence into the policies that affect our daily lives.

For Cultivate we will

  • Embed the use of timely, relevant, accurate data to better identify our members needs and preferences
  • Redesign our customer service and member support services to enhance user experience
  • Encourage participation from our diverse membership and embed the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion in our products, services and ways of working

Memoranda

The British Psychological Society is a signatory to several Memoranda of Understanding aimed at promoting increased cooperation and collaboration with like-minded organisations around the world.

Currently we have signed memoranda with the following organisations/countries:

Memoranda of Understanding

  • Memorandum of Understanding between the British Psychological Society and the Psychological Society of South Africa. South Africa - 24 May 2001 - 15 June 2001
  • Copy Memorandum of Understanding between the British Psychological Society and the Slovenian Psychological Association. Slovenia - 2004
  • Memorandum of Understanding between the British Psychological Society and the Australian Psychological Society. Australia - 3 April 2008
  • Memorandum of Understanding between the British Psychological Society and the National Academy of Psychology (India). India - December 2008
  • Memorandum of Understanding between the British Psychological Society and the American Psychological Association. America - 3 April 2008
  • Memorandum of Understanding between the Psychological Society of Ireland and British Psychological Society Northern Ireland Branch concerning ISPA [International School Psychology Association] Dublin 2010 conference Ireland - 2010
  • Memorandum of Understanding between the British Psychological Society and the Japanese Psychological Association. Japan - 9 April 2013
  • Memorandum of Understanding on Conversion Therapies - October 2014
  • Declaration of Intent to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between The British Psychological Society Russia and the Russian Psychological Society. - 28 May 2015
  • Memorandum of Understanding between the British Psychological Society and the Russian Psychological Society. Russia - 11 July 2015
  • Memorandum of Understanding between the British Psychological Society and the Psychological Society of Ireland. Ireland - 11 November 2015
  • Memorandum of Understanding with The Swedish Psychological Association. Sweden - 26 April 2016
  • Memorandum of Understanding between the British Psychological Society and the New Zealand Psychological Society. New Zealand - 26 April 2016
  • Memorandum of Understanding on Conversion Therapy in the UK version 2. Conversion Therapy - October 2017
  • Society signs Memorandum of Understanding with our Portuguese counterparts to develop reciprocal access arrangements to research for their members; develop work exchange programmes and other experiential learning opportunities; organise collaborative events; share best practice and provide grants to encourage collaboration. Portugal - 4 May 2018
  • The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Prescribed Drug Dependency (APPG), British Psychological Society (BPS), British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) and the Council for Evidence-based Psychiatry (CEP), have agreed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in order to be able to work together collaboratively All-Party Parliamentary Group for Prescribed Drug Dependence and British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) and the The Council for Evidence-based Psychiatry (CEP) - 3 May 2018
  • BPS Memorandum of understanding with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Psychologie. Germany - 18 September 2018
  • BPS and Association of Clinical Psychologists non binding Memorandum of Understanding Association of Clinical Psychologists - 2020
  • The British Red Cross and British Psychological Society memorandum of understanding. Allowing clinical and counselling psychologists to join a team of Psychosocial Reserve Volunteers (PRV) to assist the public after major incidents and disasters. British Red Cross - 2020

Memoranda of Cooperation

  • Memorandum of Cooperation between the British Psychological Society and the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI). Ireland - 3 April 2008
  • Memorandum of Cooperation with the Mental Health Foundation (MH). Mental Health Foundation - 17 January 2018
  • Memorandum of Cooperation with the Academy for Healthcare Science (AHCS) - agree to exchange knowledge and achieve mutual recognition of modernising psychological and scientific careers; identify areas of joint career and professional development opportunities; develop reciprocal access arrangements; speak with a united voice on items of mutual interest. Academy for Healthcare Science - 2 May 2018
  • BPS Division of Occupational Psychology and the European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology (EAOHP), Memorandum of Cooperation European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology (EAOHP) - 2018
  • BPS Memorandum of Cooperation with Nuffield Health. Nuffield Health - 25 January 2019

Rules and statutes

The following documents set out the requirements and codes of conduct to which our members and subscribers are expected to adhere.

In addition, our Royal Charter & Statutes (granted in 1965) serve as the governing documents of the society from which its aims and objectives are derived.

Issues of structure, financing, and membership are dealt with and ratified by our Annual General Meeting.

Policies