DCP Faculty of Leadership and Management
The Faculty was established in 2002 and currently has over 700 members working in the NHS and independent health and social care agencies.
About
Membership is open to any member who has an interest in management, leadership and service delivery issues.
The faculty hosts a successful and very active email discussion forum, holds conferences and meetings and prepares responses to consultations.
While we acknowledge that the faculty sits within the Division of Clinical Psychology, we welcome members from across the range of psychological professions, career spans and scopes of practice.
Our resources, discussions and focus extend across applied psychology and many sectors.
Aims
- To create a national network allowing for fast and free access to shared information and views
- To offer professional support, leadership guidance and information to members
- To promote at a national, regional and local level leadership and management issues and requirements pertaining to the delivery of psychological services
- To support psychologists (and psychological professionals where relevant?) as leaders across all sectors
- To promote organisational and management issues regarding policy planning at a national level in line with the Society's and DCP's strategic aims
- To support leadership and management development and training
Mission statement
Champion, support and develop psychologists and psychological leadership in all sectors, in all nations.
Vision
Cultivating high-quality diverse leadership across the career span in leadership and management roles by serving communities together and upholding the high standards of professionalism within leadership and management.
Committee
Chair: Amra Rao
Honorary Secretary: Vacant
Honorary Treasurer: Zenobia Nadirshaw
Committee Members:
- Elaine Iljon Foreman
- Jane Street
- Lucy Grant
- Meherzin Das
- Sara-Jane Aris
- Rebekah Eglinton
- Olga Luzon
DCP England Representative: Benjamin Rodgers
Northern Ireland Representative: Mandy Irvine
Scotland Representative: Vacant
Wales Representative: Adrian Neal
Pre-Qualifications Group Representative: Melissa McRae
If you would like to apply for any vacant positions, please complete a Statement of Interest form.
If you would like to find out if there are any other positions available, please contact the Member Networks Team.
Contact us
The first point of contact for any queries regarding the work of the DCP Faculty for Leadership and Management should be the Member Network Services Team.
The Member Network Services team provides support to all our Member Networks.
News
Events
Guidelines
Resources
Workforce and Commissioning Links
- NHS Commissioning
- NHS Developing better leaders, delivering better care
- NHS Five Year Forward View on Mental Health: One Year On
- NHS Implementing the Mental Health Forward View
- NHS Mental Health Taskforce
- NHS Stepping forward to 2020/21: The mental health workforce plan for England
- The King's Fund What is commissioning and how is it changing?
- The King's Fund Workforce planning in the NHS
Workforce Wellbeing
The Charter
Collaborative Learning Network (CLaN)
Pathfinders (How to apply):
Survey results
Leadership and Management Developmental Programme
Improving Competence and Impact
Following a successful 2024 Leadership Development Programme, the faculty is setting up its 2025 programme exclusively for clinical psychologists.
Dates:
- 27 February 2025
- 28 February 2025
- 28 April 2025
Location:
- BPS London offices
Given the profound impact of the pandemic on the psychological workforce, combined with other social and political events, and the new challenges facing our services, the work of clinical and professional leadership is changing.
The faculty remains committed to supporting the development of confident and competent leaders who can help steer the profession through these challenges.
We have noted the following key areas of leadership and management development in the current changing and complex environment:
- Development around self-confidence and competence
- Development to manage and influence systems
- Ability to enhance quality service delivery, and a thriving and inclusive work culture
With this in mind, we are setting out our second Leadership Development Programme in 2025.
Programme Content
This programme will offer a blend of conceptual, experiential, and reflective learning, which will enable participants to explore and develop their leadership capability with lasting impact.
The curriculum includes a range of relevant leadership models, approaches and tools looking at how they can be utilised on the ground to address key challenges. The key aspects of the programme include:
- Leadership, authority and power - professional and personal meaning
- Development of self-awareness and use of self in leadership and followership
- Models of organisations and change processes
- Inclusive leadership and management
- Working with conflicts and team dynamics
- Maximising impact and influence
- Sustaining self in leadership and management roles
The programme will consist of three full days across three months, with opportunities for action learning sets and a follow-up individual consultation as well as exposure to experienced and inspiring leaders.
Opportunities for mentoring will be explored, and there will also be a chance to meet and form a peer group, which will become an important resource.
The content across the three days will blend three elements covering key concepts and tools related to leadership, an experiential component, and opportunities throughout the sessions for participants to reflect on and apply their learning to their situation and context.
Cost
The programme is partly funded by the DCP Leadership and Management Faculty.
The total fee is £400, which includes all elements of the programme.
Who Can Apply
The programme is intended as a valuable developmental opportunity for those in AfC 8B and 8C roles with current leadership responsibilities across the public, private and third sectors.
If you are interested, please contact Dr Amra Rao for further information, or access our application form.
The deadline for applications is 10 November 2024.
Leadership resources
What makes a good leader?
Further information on the programme and how to apply are out in DCP in Focus, and you can apply now.
What sort of leaders do we want?
Leading Teams in Complex Systems
Supporting Personal and Professional Sustainability
Additional resources
- Caring to Change - The King's Fund (2017)
- Chairs and non-executives in the NHS: The need for diverse leadership
- Clinical Psychology Forum, Special Edition: Frances Report - BPS (2014)
- Clinical Psychology Leadership Development Framework - BPS (2010)
- Healthcare Leadership Model
- Leadership and Leadership Development in Health Care: The Evidence Base (2015)
- Leadership Development - NHSE & HEE (2018)
- Leadership Development and Support for Clinical Psychologists (Health and Social Care)
- Leading Psychological Services A report by the Division of Clinical Psychology - BPS (2007)
- NHS Leadership Academy
- Project to understand and potentially strengthen the influence of applied psychologists in London - Anne Richardson (2016)
Workforce wellbeing
Wellbeing and Mental Health is a joint initiative between The British Psychological Society, Division of Clinical Psychology, Leadership & Management Faculty and New Savoy conference.
Who is this for?
These resources are primarily targeted at and intended for use by:
- psychological professionals
- individuals working in health and social care settings
- organisations concerned with workforce wellbeing
About the Wellbeing Project
Wellbeing and Mental Health is a joint initiative between The British Psychological Society, Division of Clinical Psychology, Leadership & Management Faculty and New Savoy conference.
This collaboration was set up in 2014 to address concerns about staff wellbeing and mental health, ranging across a broad spectrum (including, but not limited to, low morale, stress, burn out, lived experiences, bullying and harassment).
History of the project
Since its inception, the project has set out a number of initiatives including development of a psychometrically validated wellbeing tool, annual Wellbeing Surveys, setting out of a collaborative Learning Network (CLaN), Pathfinder Sites, development of Individual and Organizational Impact Tools, Round Table Consultations and awareness raising material.
Its awareness raising activities have included many successful events and meetings with psychological professionals, senior leaders, policy makers and politicians.
A set of events have been run across the country including:
- a showcase event as part of DCP 50th Birthday celebrations at the House of Commons
- the Launch of the CLaN and Pathfinder sites
- Psychological Safety in Preston
- the New Savoy Conferences
- Super Human or Simply Human - What we want from our leaders in York
- Collaborative Learning Network, Promoting Partnership & Supporting learning at APPTs Forum, London.
- No Health without Mental Health - European Clinical Psychology Takes Responsibility: Ensuring effective treatment with a whole system approach to psychological workforce wellbeing – lessons from the UK at European Association of Clinical Psychology and Psychological Treatment (EACLIPT) Annual Conference, Dresdon, Germany.
- Psychological Wellbeing of the NHS Workforce, Psychological Professional network conference
As part of its initiative to combat stigma a number of key leaders and professionals have joined the project events to speak about Lived Experiences and their experiences at work.
Whist the initiative reached a fast momentum in its initial years with a significant impact, it faced difficulties for voicing concerns and calling for action. However, the tide seems to be turning towards better awareness to tackle stigma and support workforce wellbeing.
Improved workforce wellbeing matters in its own right; it increases a number of highly valued clinical and organisational outcomes.
Unfortunately, despite the initiative's success, it was not longer possible to deliver on the expectations without resources to match the scale of the problem. Consequently, the project was put on hold in 2018 except for its annual wellbeing survey.
The initiative is now being refreshed following an award by the DCP.
A partnership project has been set out in 2020 with the London School of Economics and Social Sciences.
Timeline
| 2009 |
|
| 2014 |
|
| 2015 |
|
| 2016 |
|
| 2017 |
|
| 2018 |
|
| 2019 |
|
| 2020 | Project Refresh including incorporating Covid-19 context
|
Charter for Psychological Staff Wellbeing and Resilience
Findings from the British Psychological Society and New Savoy staff wellbeing surveys in 2014 have shown that psychological professionals are working under stress.
They are reporting burnout, low morale, and worrying levels of depression.
We need to take action to improve the wellbeing and resilience of our psychological staff.
Read the full Charter for Psychological Staff Wellbeing and Resilience
The case for a charter
The following Working Paper explores the case for a charter for staff wellbeing for psychological therapy services.
This paper describes a joint initiative by the Leadership and Management Faculty of BPS Division of Clinical Psychology and New Savoy Conference to undertake a review of workforce wellbeing in psychological services.
It reports the results of a snapshot survey of staff wellbeing in psychological therapies in 2014 and compares these with a similar survey undertaken at the start of the national programme for Improving Access for Psychological Therapies (IAPT) in 2009.
The themes from the focus group consultation at the 8th New Savoy Conference in 2015 are discussed. Findings of this project are then considered to see how we can start to improve our own staff wellbeing
A case for a charter for wellbeing at the workplace is put forward as a positive step to enable practitioners to take back the wellbeing agenda.
Read the full Case for a Charter for Psychological Wellbeing and Resilience in the NHS
Collaborative Learning Network
The Charter for Workforce Wellbeing was launched at the 9th New Savoy conference (2016) supported by Public Health England and the NHS in Greater Manchester, as well as by leading providers.
A roundtable discussion was set to consult with the key stakeholders at the New Savoy conference.
40 people participated and represented various organizations.
Participants were asked to consider the findings of the survey and launch of the pledge in the wellbeing charter.
The two questions put for discussion were:
- What kind of collaborative is needed to take the charter forward most successfully?
- What are the key messages?
Read more about the Wellbeing Charter Collaborative Launch
Based on the consultation with the key stakeholders a Collaborative Learning Network (CLaN) was set out to promote a culture of openness, enabling environment and shared learning informed.
Such a leaning network is led by providers and those who are responsible for supporting the mental health and wellbeing of staff. A number of Pathfinder Site were recruited to initiate this process.
Wellbeing matters
Workforce wellbeing is an intrinsic element of a robust and effective workforce strategy as without a resilient workforce, delivery on the organizational task is likely to be problematic.
The following paper argues that we need both a re-energised BPS workforce arm and the DCP Wellbeing Project.
Read about The Place of Wellbeing in the Psychological Professions Workforce Strategy
Wellbeing surveys
The British Psychological Society and the New Savoy have collaborated on a number of surveys of staff wellbeing.
We have collected both background information and the results from these surveys here along with the most recently published articles.
2021 wellbeing survey
The 6th Psychological Professional Wellbeing Survey was conducted from May to July 2021, the survey received a total of 971 complete responses.
2020 wellbeing survey
This study reports a survey of 1,678 psychological practitioners accessed through professional networks.
2019
The 2019 wellbeing survey focussed on analysing trends, improving our measure, and taking the charter forwards.
2018
The 2018 wellbeing survey was promoted through professional networks and focussed on participants' feelings about work as well as collecting demographic information.
View the complete 2018 survey results.
The findings of the 4th Annual NSP/DCP Wellbeing Survey indicate that sustainability and transformation plans in mental health will be undeliverable unless psychological staff wellbeing, capacity and retention issues are urgently addressed.
Development of a self-report psychometric measure
The well‐being of psychological practitioners is a key factor in the effective delivery of psychological therapies and the effectiveness of mental health services.
The 26‐item psychological practitioner workplace well‐being measure (PPWWM) measures psychological well‐being for psychological practitioners and was informed by a qualitative study.
View the full article about the development of the self-report psychometric measure.
Find out more about how the self-report psychometric measure was developed.
Wellbeing resources
These resources have been sourced and collected as part of a joint initiative between The British Psychological Society, the BPS Division of Clinical Psychology, the DCP Leadership & Management Faculty and the New Savoy conference.
These resources are primarily targeted at and intended for use by psychological professionals working in health and social care settings but should be of wider use to any individuals or organisations concerned with workforce wellbeing.
Building a caring work culture
What good looks like
Wellbeing is fundamental to everything we are and everything we do at work, as well as outside of work.
Wellbeing is key at the level of the individual (and their family), the team, the workplace, the organisation, and the system.
Building a caring work culture is a proactive approach that will reap enormous rewards.
Supporting and learning
Sustainable job plans
Effective supervision processes
Continued professional development
Career advice & progression opportunities
Appreciative appraisals
Fit for purpose & proactive HR & OH processes
Organisational interventions
- Samaritans Working With Compassion Toolkit
- MIND - Guide to Wellbeing Action Plans
- Care Space - Creating a 10 Minute Pause Space
Reflective Practice forums
- Reflective practice for sport psychologists: concepts, models, practical implications, and thoughts on dissemination
- Clinical psychologists' use of reflection and reflective practice within clinical work
- Reflective practice: psychodynamic ideas in the community
- Exploring the personal and professional impact of reflective practice groups: a survey of 18 cohorts from a UK clinical psychology training course
- Facilitating reflective practice groups in clinical psychology training: a phenomenological study
Schwartz rounds
- Point of Care Foundation: Schwartz Rounds
- The Schwartz Centre for Compassionate Healthcare
- HSE Introduction to Schwartz Rounds
Take Care, Give Care rounds
Compassion circles
Learning cycles
Leadership and governance
Compassionate leadership at organisational, professional, and governmental levels
- BPS Practice Guidelines (Third Edition)
- Clinical Psychology Leadership Development Framework
- Five myths of compassionate leadership | The King's Fund
- Leadership and counselling psychology: What should we know? Where could we go?
- Leadership development in counselling psychology: Voices of leadership academy alumni
- Leadership Development and Support for Clinical Psychologists (Health and Social Care)
- Leadership for Educational Psychologists: Principles and Practicalities
- NHS Staff and Learners' Mental Wellbeing Commission Report
Wellbeing guardians and leaders network
- Health Education England welcomes support for Wellbeing Guardians
- NHS Staff and Learners' Mental Wellbeing Commission
Robust workforce planning
Effective incident briefing
- Mental health response to disasters and other critical incidents
- Psychological Debriefing for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Implement NICE, HSE & professional standards
Organisational culture
Tackle stigma, discrimination & bullying
Cultivate psychological safety
- What is psychological safety and why is it the key to great teamwork
- A conversation with Amy Edmondson about psychological safety and the future of work
- Amy Edmondson on the power of psychological safety
Foster a culture of listening, reflection, and learning
Join
Apply to join the faculty (students, affiliates, e-subscribers)
Apply to join the faculty (graduate, chartered, and in-training members)
Membership of the Faculty of Leadership and Management is only open to members of the British Psychological Society.
There are three grades of faculty membership:
Full membership
For psychologists who are Full Members of the Division of Clinical Psychology (DCP) and who work in or have an interest or expertise in the field of leadership and management.
Affiliate membership
For psychologists who are General (Pre-Training) and In-Training members of the Division of Clinical Psychology (DCP). Affiliate members may take part in discussions but may not vote.
Associate membership
For General members of the Division of Clinical Psychology (DCP) and non-Division members. Associate members may take part in discussions but may not vote.
If you are not already a member, you can join the faculty at the same time as applying for membership of the society.
Benefits of belonging
Benefits of Faculty for Leadership and Management membership
Benefits include an email discussion list that alerts members to new policy and guidance produced by the DoH, NIHCE and other bodies, enables the coordination of responses to consultations in addition to putting on free and low cost CPD events each year.
Member Announcement Email List
The Faculty for Leadership & Management uses its membership announcement email list to inform its members of activities and initiatives that are relevant to their interests and to make requests for engagement on topical issues.
By becoming a member of the Faculty you are automatically added to the announcement list.
To receive these emails you will need to:
- become a member of the Faculty for Leadership & Management
- opt into receiving email communication and provide a working email address
These preferences can be updated by logging into your member portal.
If you have any queries, please contact Member Network Services.
To assist us in responding to your query please make sure to include your membership number and quote 'Faculty for Leadership & Management announcement email' in the subject line.
Member Discussion Email List
To join the Member Discussion List please login to your member portal and click on the Preferences tile, where you'll be able to join the discussion list.
To receive discussion list emails you will need to be
- a member of the DCP Leadership & Management Faculty
- opted into receiving email communication from the Society (you can change your preference by logging onto your account via the member portal)
Getting involved with the Faculty for Leadership and Management
The Faculty for Leadership & Management relies on a wide range of people getting involved, and the work of the Faculty is largely achieved through the dedication of unpaid volunteers.
Our volunteers come from a wide range of different backgrounds, whether they be practitioners or academics, or full members or in-training members, and together form an open and inclusive community.