Member Board

EDI Board

Neil Baker, Diversity and Inclusion Manager joined the meeting and provided an overview on some of the EDI Board’s immediate priorities. The Member Board were keen to support the board and embed EDI into the board’s strategic direction.

Working Group Updates

Three working groups had been created:

• Inclusivity
• Improve the Experience
• The Competition

At the time of the board meeting all the working groups had met once for an initial scoping session. Further meetings would be arranged to identify short term goals and a longer term plan for addressing the challenges identified.

Membership Update

The Director of Membership, Professional Development and Standards provided an update on the membership of the society. At the time of the meeting Graduate members were 4.5% ahead and Chartered were 1.2% ahead of budget. Following the launch of the two new grades there were now members of the society who were Associate and Full Members.

Fellow/Associate Fellow Criteria

The Member Board had previously convened a task and finish group to develop inclusive criteria for applications for the two awards following changes to the society’s charter and statutes. The board were fully supportive of the new Associate Fellow and Fellow criteria and handbooks.

Full Member Grade

The Member Board had convened a task and finish group to develop criteria for the ‘portfolio route’ to attainment of the Full Member grade.  The board approved the Full Member handbook. There was a planned marketing campaign to launch the new Full Member grade portfolio route.

Social Media Guidelines

The Member Conduct Rules (MCR) task and finish group had previously recommended to the Board of Trustees that the supplementary guidance for use of social media should be updated. The task and finish group reviewed some of the historic MCR cases to support with the development of the updated guidelines. The guidelines were approved by the board.

Pulse survey update

Board members had reviewed and commented on the draft survey questions and feedback had been provided to the Knowledge and Insight team. The core questions had now been finalised and will be sent out on a monthly basis to a sample of members.   

Actions and outcomes from Member Board November 2022

The Director of Membership, Professional Development and Standards provided an update.

The number of members in each grade at the end of 2022 was shared with the board:

• 20251 Chartered members
• 25984 Graduate members 
• 8790 Student members (paying)
• 453 Affiliate members

The new Associate and Full member grades were due to launch in September 2022 following approval by the Privy Council.  However, there had been an extended delay due to Silverbear, the CRM provider, but the new grades were now going through the final system testing. At the time of the meeting, more than 2500 people had registered an interest in the new grades.

Following discussions at the November Member Board meeting regarding the strategy for growth and retention, three working groups had been identified to take the work forward:

• Inclusivity
• Competition
• Improve the experience

Member Conduct Rules annual review

The Member Conduct Rules annual report was due to be presented to the Board of Trustees in April 2023.  The draft report was shared with the board for feedback on the structure and content.

Register and Directories Update

The Head of Quality Assurance and Standards provided an update on the ongoing work regarding the reviews of the Specialist Register of Clinical Neuropsychologists (SRCN), and the Directory for Expert Witnesses.  A review of the Directory of Chartered Members was needed and an update would be provided at the next Member Board meeting in May

Registers review update

The Head of Quality Assurance and Standards provided an update on the ongoing work regarding the registers and directories review, which had been approved by the Member Board at the end of 2021. 

Member Conduct Rules update and Social Media Guidelines

Following the Privy Council’s approval of the Charter and Statutes, there were two minor edit changes required to the Member Conduct Rules.

A review of the ‘social media guidance’ had been approved by trustees. The current guidance focusses on practitioners as opposed to members as a whole and doesn’t address the most commonly reported social media challenges.  The Member Board approved the creation of a task and finish group, which would include subject matter experts, representatives from other strategic boards and members of the Communications Team.  The group would review recent member conduct cases relating to the use of social media and develop a revised version of the guidance which would be brought back to the Member Board for approval. 

Associate fellow and fellowship task and finish group

Following the approval of the revised Charter, Statutes and Rules, a new assessment criteria for the awards of Associate Fellow and Fellowship needed to be developed.  This was the opportunity to ensure the revised criteria was more accessible and inclusive.  The Member Board approved the creation of a task and finish group to develop this.

Pulse survey – scoping session

Michael Kelly from the Knowledge and Insight directorate joined the meeting.  Currently leavers and joiners are asked to complete a short survey, however the surveys are limited and only gather insights from a small group of members. The pulse surveys will help the board understand what members want from the society, what benefits members use and what benefits the society currently doesn’t deliver but members would find valuable.

Member Grade update

The three eligibility routes for Full Member grade as outlined in the new Statutes were shared with the board.   One of the routes involves the development of a new Professional Recognition route for achieving Full Member grade.  The timeline and process for this work was outlined to the board.

Member Value Proposition

The Head of Membership and Customer Services shared an updated presentation on the work on member benefits. A bespoke ‘welcome’ digital brochure for each member grade was being developed which would highlight the new and existing benefits.

Communication Plan Update

Since the last meeting, work had been completed by the Communications team on a Member Board communications plan for the remainder of the year. The plan included short film updates on the work of the board and a listening /feedback event on Facebook live.

Final Complaints and Appeals Documents

The board reviewed the final versions of the outstanding complaints and appeals policies and procedures.  The Member Conduct Rules task and finish group would now be closed following the completion of the work. The Chair of the task and finish group wished to report that the concept of the group was an effective way to involve members in society work to a great level of depth and analysis.   

Volunteer Strategy Update

The Head of Member Networks shared a presentation on the Volunteer Strategy.  An internal working group had been created and four workstreams had been identified:

• Volunteer resources: creating one central place for all appropriate information and policies to be stored. 
• Rewards and recognition: developing a society wide approach.
• Training: initial training for volunteers to be hosted on the VLE including GDPR, EDI, ethics, finance training for treasures, how to chair a meeting, declarations of interest, code of conduct and meeting etiquette.
• Inductions: creating a standard volunteer induction using the VLE to host a range of informative videos including a society welcome and overview, policies and procedures.

Member Conduct Standing Panel

The Member Board approved the five expressions of interest received for the Member Conduct Standing Panel.   A small subgroup of Member Board members would convene as and when required to review further expressions of interest.                 

Communication Plan 

The Director of Communications and Engagement joined the meeting to share with the Board suggestions and opportunities to improve the visibility of the Board and its members.   The Board were very keen to engage with the wider membership regarding current and future workstreams. The Communications Team would support the Board by developing a communications plan which would include recommendations for the most appropriate channels through which the Board could encourage two way engagement with the respective audience.

Member Network Review Update 

The Board reviewed the latest iteration of the Member Network Review, which now included a set of recommendations. The overall goal is to develop a more harmonious way of working between Member Networks and the Society and to have a healthy and more vibrant network to respond to members’ needs, as there are still  a large volume of members who haven’t found a ‘home’ in the existing Member Networks structure.  In addition the Board were asked to consider where the strategic governance of the Member Networks should lie.

Data Strategy – Member focus 

Mike Yates, Head of Data and Analytics joined the meeting.  There is a draft data proposal being developed which is currently in the discovery phase and included in this stage is a review of what data would be possible to deliver to the Society.  Part of this phase is to understand what member data is available, and how to put the foundations in place to build quality data to make informed decisions.  A future initiative of the Member Board would be to develop a Pulse survey, the data derived from this would be instrumental in keeping close to the needs and concerns of the membership.

Member Value Proposition

Work was underway to review the current member value proposition.  The aim was to ensure the member benefits were meaningful across a member’s career lifespan. A digital brochure was being developed which will include web links to the range of benefits available to members and offer greater clarity.

Full Grade of Membership Criteria

The Head of Quality Assurance and Standards outlined the early development of the eligibility criteria for the proposed Full Member grade.     Further development of the criteria will also include input from the Partnership and Accreditation Committee, the Practice Board and various training committees.

Member Conduct Rules Update 

The revised Member Conduct Rules (MCR) and Society Complaints Policy were approved by Board of Trustees subject to minor amendments. The Member Board were advised that the creation of a ‘Standing Panel’ for member conduct cases was a significant change to the current process. The Terms of Reference (ToR) for the ‘Standing Panel’ was discussed and approved subject to minor amendments.  There will be a membership wide call for interest for members to apply to join the ‘Standing panel.’

Mentoring Update

The Head of Quality Assurance and Standards provided an update on the ‘Mentoring Scheme.’  The project is on track, having requested a deferral of the production of the final guidance materials and specification of training materials to February 2022. The group are now focussing on developing guidance for those running a mentoring scheme, refining the scheme application forms and are currently evaluating options for a technical platform to support the mentoring schemes. 

Registers and Directories 

The Member Board approved the Terms of Reference for the Register/Directory Review Group.  The first four registers to be reviewed under the new process would be:

• Wider Psychological Workforce Register
• Register of Neuropsychologists
• Register of Coaching Psychologists
• Directory of Voluntary Careers Members

Membership update 

The Head of Membership and Customer Services provided a brief update on the positive membership position as of the end of November 2021 compared to November 2020. 

Member Network Review Update

Chris Davies from Korn Ferry joined the meeting and shared a presentation which outlined the progress of the Member Network Review to date. Korn Ferry are working with a member led ‘Reference Group’ on developing purpose statements for the Member Networks. In addition, as part of the financial model considerations, the Reference Group would be exploring the scope for simplifying the fee structure and reducing the barriers for joining a network. Part of the review will include the development of a final target operating model which will demonstrate how the various elements which contribute to the Member Networks generate value. The final consultation sessions will take place throughout December 2021 with the recommendations presented to the Board of Trustees in Q1 of 2022.

Registers and Directories

The Head of Quality Assurance and Standards presented a paper on the proposed role of the Member Board in the governance of registers and directories.

Member Code of Conduct Review Update

The Head of Quality Assurance and Standards provided an update on the responses to the member consultation and outlined the main revisions to the latest iteration of the Member Code of Conduct documentation. On behalf of the Board, the Chair expressed their huge thanks to the members of the task and finish group for all their hard work and diligence.

Science Council Framework

The Diversity and Inclusion Projects Lead presented an overview of the ‘Science Council Diversity and Inclusion Progression Framework.’

Membership update

The Head of Membership and Customer Services provided a brief update on the membership position as of the end of September 2021 compared to September 2020. Key points to note included:

• An increase in 224 Chartered members
• Graduate Membership is up 6.2% with an additional 1510 members
• Student Membership is up 8.8% with an additional 1290 members
• As of September 2021 there was an increase of 3024 more members in comparison to same time last year

Diversity and Inclusion Taskforce

The Board discussed a series of questions following a presentation by Christeen George from the Diversity and Inclusion Taskforce. Key points to note included:

• The Member Board has the authority to push ahead with supporting a longer term cultural change in a distinctive way due to the projects launched within oversight of the Board e.g. Member Grades, Mentoring and Careers, and Member Networks Review
• The composition of the Member Board is intended to be representative of the membership and demonstrates the equality of value of all routes into psychology.
• It is a positive step that discussions are taking place, coupled with the acceptance these are conversations that need to be advanced.

Membership Update

The Head of Membership and Customer Services joined the meeting and shared a presentation. In summary, membership numbers were significantly ahead compared to the same period last year with 65002 members as of July 2021 compared to 57023 members as of July 2020. It was noted there remained1150 members on the reduced hardship rate. There is also a review of the current member benefits to ensure these meet the varying needs of the diverse membership.

Member Code of Conduct and Complaints Process Review

The Chair of the Member Conduct Rules and Complaints Process Review Task and Finish Group provided an update on the work of the group. The first draft of the revised Member Conduct Rules would be circulated to the Member Board for review at an interim meeting in late August, ahead of a wider consultation in September.

Student Representative

There is now a vacancy on the Board for a student representative as the previous member had graduated. The position would be open to all student members in their first or second year of study and the Board would be seeking the support of the ‘Student Committee’ to widen the reach of applicants.

Membership Update

The Head of Membership and Customer Services provided an update on current membership figures by grade and a comparison to last yeas data. The Board were advised that the number of members removed for non-payment of subscriptions on the 1st March 2020 was much lower than the previous year, and there remains just over 1000 members on the hardship rate. There are several ongoing social media campaigns at present targeting potential graduate and chartered members.

Directory of Aviation and Aerospace Psychologists

The Head of Workforce Education Training and Standards updated the Board regarding a new directory of aviation and aerospace psychologists. The new directory will assist the aviation industry in finding suitable professionals who meet the requirements of the Civil Aviation Authority. It was hoped that this might be the start of a valuable partnership.

Member Code of Conduct and Complaints Process Review

The newly appointed Head of Quality Assurance and Standards, Rachel Scudamore, advised they are working with the Governance Team on undertaking a review of the Member Code of Conduct and the complaints process. The work will build on and complement the already approved PSA Accredited Registers Complaints Framework. The draft Terms of Reference for the task and finish group was approved by the Member Board. The task and finish group will include representation from the Member Board, Practice Board and Ethics Committee.

Member Network Review Update

Dorron Aremband from Korn Ferry joined the meeting and provided an overview of the report of the first phase of the Member Network Review, which covered information gathering and engagement, the purpose and value proposition, culture and values, processes and governance. The second phase of the project will include the development of a Target Operating Model.

Member Grades Update

The Board were provided with an update on the Member Grades work and the plan for the consultation with the wider membership. At the time of the meeting, work was underway to develop the key messaging and approach for the consultation. The composition of the focus groups had been agreed and the Board suggested additional consultation groups for consideration.

Member Networks Review Update

The Board were advised a number of stakeholder interviews had been completed. A report outlining the key themes identified is currently being produced by Korn Ferry, the appointed consultants commissioned to undertake the review. The creation of a Reference Group is underway and the next steps will be to develop the terms of reference and the guiding principles.

Membership Report

The Head of Membership and Customer Services provided a presentation of the Membership and Member Networks data for 2020 and the focus for 2021. A key point to note was that ordinarily there are approximately 200 members on the reduced membership rate due to hardship, but by the end of 2020 this number had increased to 1200 and at the time of the meeting, the Membership team had received an additional 635 applications for the reduced rate to be applied.

Student Initiatives Update

The Head of Workforce Education Training and Standards and the Member Networks Manger shared a presentation which covered the following:

• What do our student members want
• What do we currently do
• What have we done since October 2020 (this was the date of the last Member Board meeting)

Diversity and Inclusion Taskforce

Christeen George from the Diversity and Inclusion Taskforce joined the meeting and shared an update on the ongoing work of the taskforce. The Board were asked to consider a series of questions which would be discussed at the next meeting of the Member Board.

Member Network Review Update

Following a full tender process, the successful company appointed to work with the Society on the Member Network review was Korn Ferry. Three members of the board had taken part in the tender presentation reviews.
The Member Network review will not take the form of another structural review, but a full “root and branch” review, exploring the purpose of the networks to ensure they meet the needs of an interdisciplinary organisation and that they are future proof. It was advised that the review will be launched at Senate in December and there will be full member engagement throughout the process.

Member Grades Update

At the Inaugural Member Board meeting, a task and finish group was created to undertake a review of the current membership grades and to develop a proposal for a new, future proof, inclusive grades structure. This work was a direct result of the recommendations from the Member Journey initiative. There had been two meetings of the task and finish group at the time of the Member Board meeting, during which time the group had developed the Terms of Reference, identified nine key principles that should unpin the review and the board were shown a ‘work in progress’ revised grades structure for their feedback and comments. It was noted that a paper relating to the membership grades review would be presented at the December Board of Trustees meeting, which would also outline a proposed timeline for the process, including full consultation with the wider membership.

Student Strategy and Growth

The Head of Workforce Education, Training and Standards presented an overview of the ongoing workstreams, including the development of a mentoring programme, a careers offering, which includes the recruitment of a Careers Officer, and a multi membership proposition. Many of these initiatives were as a result of the recommendations from the Member Journey initiative.
It was noted that the Member Board, through the Member Networks Manager and the Director of Membership and Professional Development, would seek to improve links with the Student Committee.

Member Board Introduction

Ahead of the inaugural meeting of the Member Board, the members met on the 13th July for an introductory meeting. This was an opportunity to explain the strategic role of the Member Board, to establish clear values and discuss how the Member Board would work together to drive forward the objectives of the Board.

The Member Journey

The Social Kinetic joined the Member Board for the Inaugural meeting. The Board were presented with an overview of the ‘Member Journey Initiative’ including the scope and methodology of the work undertaken from October 2019 to date. The findings and recommendations to take forward for development and implementation were shared with the Board.

Volunteer Strategy

The Board discussed in detail the draft ‘Volunteer Policy’ and ‘Strategy’, with the feedback and comments shared after the meeting with the volunteer workstream lead. It was suggested there should be the inclusion of a set of volunteer values within the policy and following the meeting a small working group was convened to develop a set of values to be put forward for inclusion.

The Member Networks - The Vision for BPS, its Networks and how to get there

Members of the Board were split into three separate groups to participate in an interactive workshop session. This was an opportunity to consider the shape of the networks in the future. Following participation in the workshop, each group shared an overview of their discussions and observations, noting that all largely shaped the same vision and arrived at similar outcomes.

Creation of a Member Grades Task and Finish Group

Members of the Board were asked to participate in a task and finish group to specifically undertake a review of the current ‘member grades’ including grade titles and the routes into the different grades. The first meeting of the task and finish group took place on 21st August 2020.

Meeting Plan for 2020

The Board agreed that in order to maintain momentum, shorter more frequent meetings should take place, with the next meeting scheduled for Friday 11 September.

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.

Stephen Leadbeater brings over 35 years of work experience to this group.

Following an early career in science, Stephen has spent the last 30 years in the corporate world, and has built up a portfolio that takes in sales, buying, negotiation, capability and business transformation.

Stephen has supported the set up of a global Diversity and Inclusion council within his organisation, and his work in the last 5 years has involved projects in the UK, Europe, Latin America, North America, and Asia.

In the last decade, Stephen has undertaken a course of study in psychology to support his business experience, including a masters in Occupational Psychology, and post graduate qualifications in coaching and mindfulness. As such, Stephen is also a qualified coach and a mindfulness teacher, both of which he has built into his role in business. 

Stephen’s interests as a member of the board are particularly focussed on the broader membership and how the BPS serves members who have not been through the Chartership career path, yet psychology is at the heart of their work and their interests.

He is particularly interested in how the BPS can be the ‘go to’ organisation for both those interested in membership to support their non-psychological career, and also where organisations come to seek expertise in how psychological methodologies could influence their work processes.

Cheryl Jones is a Psychological Therapist, and Accredited Cognitive Behaviour Therapist (CBT) with the British Association Behaviour and Cognitive Psychotherapy (BABCP). Holding a BSc (hons) in Psychology with Criminology, MSc in Research Methods in Psychology and Postgraduate Diplomas in Psychology and CBT, and Postgraduate Certificates in Counselling Skills and CBT.

Cheryl currently is an ordinary committee member of the Welsh Nation, Division of Counselling Psychology. She has previously held Public Relations and Communication Lead roles with the Welsh Nation, Division of Clinical Psychology and South West Division of Clinical Psychology with the BPS. She set up and was the first Chair for the BABCP South East Wales Committee.

Cheryl works for the NHS, Volunteers, and is an Independent Practitioner, having gained over 26 years of experience in a variety of mental health and social services.

This experience and having been a Graduate Member of the BPS for the last 20 years has led to an interest in how the BPS can better serve the communities it serves. Psychology professions have seen a rapid growth in the last 11 years, and for many the BPS has not served this growth in ways that it is able to and wants to change this.

Cheryl joined the Member Board at its investiture on 17th July 2020 and is interested in enabling the BPS to better support its communities needs by facilitating the voice it has started to hear through the Member journey initiative, it has been on, for those who hold psychology at the heart of what they do and who they are, by being someone on the panel who embodies part of this expedition.

Christina Buxton CPsychol AFBPsS is a Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow of the BPS, a Chartered Scientist, and a member of the Division of Teachers and Researchers in Psychology, the Division of Occupational Psychology, and the Division of Counselling Psychology.

Christina is also senior practitioner member of the BPS Register of Psychologists Specialising in Psychotherapy, and on the BPS Register of Applied Psychology Practice Supervisors. In addition she is a registered psychotherapist with the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), a member of EMDR UK and Ireland, and an accredited member of Emotional Freedom Technique international (EFTi).  

Christina is the past chair and treasurer of the BPS Crisis, Disaster and Trauma Section, a member of the BPS Research Board and the Representative Council. Christina is a member of the BPS Psychological Testing Centre (PTC) and is on the Register of Qualifications in Test Use (RQTU). She is a member of the PTC Committee on Test Standards (CTS) and a member of the CTS Health and Social Care Contexts Working Group.

Dr Faith Martin is a Chartered Psychologist, full member of the Division of Clinical Psychology, and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society. Faith is currently an Associate Professor at Coventry University, with a focus on research on self-management and the interface of clinical and health psychology. She works on chronic illnesses, and the support needs of parents with children with additional needs, particularly mental health problems.

Initially a researcher, then a Health Psychologist, Faith retrained as a Clinical Psychologist and worked for several years in the NHS. Now working mainly in research, Faith has a strong interest in the international application of psychology. She completed a PhD examining conceptualisations of quality of life in Thailand, and has conducted research in relation to HIV, quality of life and mental health in Uganda. She supervises several PhD students, including work in Indonesia and Nigeria. 

Dr Hazel Bending CPsychol SFHEA ASBPsS is a Chartered Psychologist, Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society.

She is a member of the Division of Academics, Researchers and Teachers in Psychology (DARTP) and has previously had a committee role for the BPS SouthWest Branch.

Hazel is a senior lecturer at Plymouth Marjon University, with a teaching focus. She has worked in the university sector for over 20 years, and gained Chartership through the teaching route.

Her teaching focusses on qualitative methods, neuropsychology and mental health, community psychology and conceptual/historical issues in psychology. She is the programme lead for the University undergraduate and post graduate programmes in psychology.

Hazel’s research interests include authentic assessment, identity, student experience, wellbeing and disability.

She is currently leading on an international research project addressing student volunteering.

She is also currently supervising PhD students on projects relating to wellbeing, mental health, disability and structural violence.

Dr James Barr, CPsychol, AFBPS is an HCPC registered Occupational Psychologist working independently.

He has been a member of the London & Home Counties Branch since 2014, was Chair 2017-2019 and is currently Honorary Treasurer. He was Chair of the Branch Forum 2018-19.

Earlier in his career he worked as a senior consultant at SHL, research manager at YSC, project manager applying artificial intelligence at British Airways, business analyst at Cisco Systems and as an AI software developer at Prudential Assurance. 

He has a D.Phil in Experimental Psychology from Oxford University, an MBA from Lancaster University and a BSc in Experimental Psychology from Sussex University.

Rachael is a Graduate Member of the BPS and the Division of Counselling Psychology. She is currently a Counselling Psychologist in Professional Training on the Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology at the University of Manchester.    

Rachael is also an ordinary committee member of the North West Division of Counselling Psychology and a Trustee of the Manchester and Salford Samaritans Branch.  

Prior to embarking on a career as a Counselling Psychologist, Rachael gained over 10 years’ experience working in strategy and development for UK businesses, third sector organisations and European non-governmental organisations. Her experience ranges from programme management and digital transformation, to marketing and membership proposition development.  

Rachael joined the Member Board in Summer 2020 and is looking forward to combining the experiences from her “former life” and her love for psychology, to help support the BPS in serving its members and society.

A Psychological Practitioner who is deeply passionate about mental health.

Hi, I’m Dan, an educational psychologist and professional tutor on the doctoral EP training course at the University of Bristol.

I founded and run edpsy.org.uk and online magazine for anyone interested in education and psychology. My professional interests currently centre on communication and dissemination, and climate breakdown, children and psychology.

Central to lots of my work is making psychology more accessible to, and for, those we work with.

I have a strong interest in how we translate insights from psychological research and practice to influence policy and policymakers. There is often a strong desire to understand more about what psychology has to say about a variety of issues, but it can be the case that our messages and how we deliver them are not always the most engaging or accessible.

Prior to training as a psychologist I worked as a marketing and training manager for an international home audio company, and have also worked in sales and marketing for some of the biggest tech brands in the world.

I’ve been a member of the BPS since my undergraduate degree, and have always seen it as my ‘natural home’ as a psychologist. Looking ahead to my work on the member board, I am particularly interested in:

• Reducing the ‘divide’ between ‘divisions’ and responding to members’ desire to collaborate across traditional boundaries
• Considering how the society maintains and protects the huge number of passionate volunteers that work to make the society what it is
• Thinking about how we engage members through a variety of channels

Bio coming soon.

The Task and Finish Group was formed in spring 2021 and completed its work in early 2022.

The group was convened by Member Board with the purpose of reviewing the society’s Member Conduct Rules and other complaints and appeals processes, and to draft new versions for approval by the Board of Trustees.

The group considered how the new Rules should reflect the changing nature of the psychology and the membership, and the relationship with the HCPC and with other professional bodies.

The new Member Conduct Rules were implemented from January 2022, with updates added by the Trustees in June 2022. Associated codes of conduct, and the society’s complaints and appeals policies have also been revised and implemented.

Group Members

• Cheryl Jones (Chair), member of Member Board
• Dr Roger Paxton, former Chair of Ethics Committee
• Professor Tony Lavender, member of Practice Board
• James McTaggart, member of Practice Board
• Dr James Millington, member with experience of investigations
• Dr Rachel Scudamore, Head of QA & Standards at the BPS
• David Mears, Senior Legal Adviser at the BPS
• Kajal Panchal, Standards & Inclusivity Officer at the BPS

A Task and Finish group of Member Board members was convened in Autumn 2020 to review the current grade structure and propose an alternative.

The Member Board approved a proposal for consideration by the Board of Trustees that included a new grades structure accompanied by a set of underpinning principles and examples of how member personas would fit into the new grades structure.

In December 2020, the Board of Trustees approved the proposed new grades structure, incorporating a number of key changes, for consultation with the membership. 

Group Members

• Prof. Carol McGuinness (chair), Chair of Member Board
• Cheryl Jones, member of Member Board
• Christina Buxton, member of Member Board
• Faith Martin, member of Member Board
• Stephen Leadbeater, member of Member Board
• Andrew Christer, Membership and Customer Services Team leader at the BPS
• Karen Beamish, Director of Membership, Professional Development, Delivery and Standards at the BPS
• Dr Rachel Scudamore, Head of QA & Standards at the BPS
• Dan O’Keefe, Head of Membership and Customer Services at the BPS

Group Members

• Prof. Carol McGuinness, Chair of Member Board
• Cheryl Jones, member of Member Board
• Hazel Bending, member of Member Board
• Chetan Trivedi, Head of HR and Organisational Development at the BPS

MSSG is tasked with preparing a BPS Mentoring Service infrastructure to support the numerous focused mentoring schemes that our members are already running or seeking to develop.

The project will establish the governance, administrative procedures, and guidance materials for the Service, and develop support for the leaders, participants and processes of the constituent schemes.

Currently we are looking to launch the service with our pilot schemes in autumn 2022.

Group Members

• Hazel Bending (Member Board and DARTP)
• Phil Cox (Psychotherapy section & DCoP)
• Dawn Gosden (DOP & DoCP)           
• Tia Moin (DoCP)
• Andrew Parsons (DCoP)
• Amra Rao (DCP)
• Patrick Roycroft (DCP)
• Neil Baker / Helen Cockle, Diversity and Inclusion at the BPS
• James Goodwin, Careers Manager at the BPS
• Rachel Scudamore, Head of QA & Standards at the BPS
• Vicki Smith, Workstream Project Manager at the BPS
• Claire Tilley, Head of Workforce Development, Education and Training at the BPS

In July 2022, Privy Council approved changes to the Royal Charter and Statutes to create a new grade of Full Member to meet the needs of those members who have held Graduate status for a long time and whose further development deserves recognition.

A Task and Finish group of Member Board was convened in Autumn 2022 to develop an inclusive process for the evaluation of applications through Statute 6(2)c - the portfolio route to Full Member status - and to prepare full guidance on application for the grade of Full Member.

The group completed its work on the submission requirements and assessment criteria in May 2023, with the launch of the portfolio route scheduled for autumn 2023.

Group Members:

• Dr Dawn Branley-Bell, Chair of Cyberpsychology Section
• Angela Collins, Graduate Member
• Dr Chris Fullwood, Cyberpsychology Section
• Cheryl Jones, Member Board
• Dr Linda Kaye, Cyberpsychology Section
• Dr Sarah Knight FBPsS, Chartered Member
• Stephen Leadbeater, Member Board
• Gabriella Mitchell, Defence and Security Psychology Section committee member
• Dr Rachel Scudamore, Head of QA & Standards, BPS
• Dr Sarah Smith FBPsS, Chartered Member

In July 2022, an AGM of members approved changes to the Society Rules to revise the criteria for the award of Associate Fellow and Fellow of the Society.

A Task and Finish group of Member Board was convened in Autumn 2022 to develop an inclusive process for the evaluation of applications for the awards.

The group completed its work on the submission requirements and evaluation criteria in May 2023, with the launch of the portfolio route scheduled for autumn 2023.

Group Members:

• Christina Buxton, Trustee and member of Member Board
• Andrew Christer, Customer Service Team Leader, BPS
• Julia Faulconbridge, Elected Trustee
• Jaunita Hopper, EDI Lead – Policy and Practice
• Cheryl Jones, Member Board
• Stephen Leadbeater, Member Board
• Kajal Panchal, Standards and Inclusivity Officer, BPS
• Dr Rachel Scudamore, Head of QA & Standards, BPS

Following the review of the Member Conduct Rules, Member Board sought to update the social media guidance to bring the document up to date and to augment the currently practice-focussed advice.

The Board convened a Task and Finish group in August 2022 to benchmark against relevant organisations and to create a revised version of the guidance for comment by all Strategic boards and Ethics Committee.

Member Board approved the revised Social Media guidance in May 2023, and they are currently being prepared for publication on the website.

Group Members:

• Christina Buxton, Trustee and member of Member Board
• Dr Chris Fullwood, Cyberpsychology Section
• Julia Faulconbridge, Elected Trustee
• Gemma Hill, Social Media and Online Communities Manager, BPS
• Dr Adam Jowett, Chair of EDI Board
• Dr Linda Kaye, Cyberpsychology Section
• Dr Dan O’Hare, Member Board
• Dr Rachel Scudamore, Head of QA & Standards, BPS