Professional Practice Board: Annual Report 2011

The Professional Practice Board reports to and advises the Board of Trustees on policy, applied practice, consultation responses and other matters related to the application of psychological science. PPB has two strategic thrusts: Providing Leadership, and Supporting and adding value to the work of Practitioner Psychologists. PPB brings together all 10 Divisions and the two Special Groups of the Society and this forum is seen as a key strength of the Board. 

This year saw the re-election of Dr Carole Allan as Board Chair, who subsequently stepped down to take up the elected role as the Society’s President. Following a call for statements of interest and interviews by the Trustees I was appointed as Board Chair, taking up the role in October. My first meeting entailed chairing a meeting of the Board with the President and Chief Executive of the Health Professions Council, in attendance to answer questions from members on statutory regulation. 

As Chair I have been impressed by the volume of work undertaken and achievements of the Board, its working parties and standing committees. 

Working parties

In the last 12 months we have published working party papers on:

• Guidance for Registered Psychologists in making Applications to the Society’s Approved Clinician Peer Review Panel
• Guidelines on the use of Electronic Health Records
• Obesity in the UK: A psychological perspective

PPB has also supported the development of policy statements in the following areas:

• Capacity to Consent to Sexual Relationships
• Brain Injury and the justice system 
• Behaviour Change, and 
• Social Inclusion

Standing committees

The Board’s standing committees have been busy, as always, in supporting members engaged in, health and social care, expert witness skills, and workforce planning. The workforce planning group has developed a very good working relationship with the Centre for Workforce Intelligence.

Centre for Outcomes Research and Effectiveness (CORE)

CORE is the British Psychological Society's Centre for Outcomes Research and Effectiveness. CORE continues its work on systematic reviews and guidelines; measuring and monitoring outcomes; evaluating evidence-based practice in health services; and evaluating new services and roles arising from policy initiatives. 

Consultations

Between us Carole and I signed off 77 responses to public consultations covering an incredibly diverse range of topics including the review of the national curriculum, sentencing guidelines for assault, breast cancer standards and work capability assessment . For further details please see the Consultations pages on this website.

2011 Awards in Professional Psychology

I am delighted to report that the 2011 award winners are Dr Nimisha Patel for Distinguished Contributions to Professional Psychology and Professor Chris Cullen for Lifetime Achievement. The Board’s inaugural award for Practitioner of the Year was awarded to Dr Barbara Douglas.

Looking Forward

At the Board’s away day we considered the following priorities for the next 12 to 36 months:

• Leadership was identified as a key current theme across Divisions and we could potentially organise a leadership event for members, revisit the New Ways of Working report on Leading and Managing Psychological Services, and refine or contextualise NHS Clinical Leadership Competency Framework for Psychology.
• Develop Information Statements 
• Develop outward facing communication including to the public, particularly through improving web presence
• Produce of a range of high quality generic professional practice documents to support members in their practice 
• Employability: responding to the needs of practitioners
• Consultation responses: refine processes for prioritizing which consultations to respond to and for assuring consistency of in responses.

I would like to thank all contributors to the Board’s work but especially the Board’s members, the profession is indebted to them. I would also like to thank Nigel Atter, Policy Advisor, assisted by Zoë Mudie, Policy Advice Administrator who have provided timely and expert advice in supporting the work of the Board.

• Annual Review 2011
• More about the work of the Professional Practice Board