More About the Society
The British Psychological Society is the representative body for
psychology in the United Kingdom, and the only body in the UK which covers all
areas of psychology.
What do we do?
Broadly, the Society aims to raise standards of training and practice
in psychology, raise public awareness of psychology, and increase the
influence of psychology practice in society.
Specifically it has a number of key roles.
Protecting members of the public
All members of the Society have to adhere to a Code of Conduct and can be subject to disciplinary procedures if they break this code.
These procedures begin if a member of the public wants to make a
complaint against a psychologist who is a member. Negotiations are also
underway with the government to have psychology regulated by law like
other professions for greater public protection.
The Society also operates a Register of Chartered Psychologists
which
contains details of psychologists who have been judged ‘fit to practice
psychology without supervision’.
Setting standards for the training of psychologists
The Society begins its direct involvement at undergraduate degree level
and continues into postgraduate education by accrediting courses at
universities and other educational institutions in the UK that
typically cover all the main areas of psychological knowledge necessary
to develop a career in psychology.
Providing the public with information on psychology
The Society is creating an ever-expanding resource for
the public on its website, including specific Information and Advice for the Public.
There are a number of public engagement events held throughout the year
and the Society’s messages are also promoted to the public via the work
of the media centre.
Providing support to its members
There are many membership benefits that accompany being part of the
Society including support from the Society’s professional groups and
networks that allow psychologists to pool and exchange information and
ideas.
It also supports Chartered Psychologists with mandatory continuing
profession development, a career-long process to keep the
psychologists’ knowledge up-to-date and to maintain and enhance their
professional skills.
Hosting conferences and events
The Society also hosts around 100 conferences and events each year.
They are targeted predominantly at psychologists but many are suitable
for those studying or working in related fields.
Preparing policy statements and responses
The Society’s Professional Practice Board issues statements (position
papers and working party reports) on a range of topics that affect
psychologists and those they work with.
The Society also regularly responds to consultation papers from Government
and non-Government organisations, as well as publishing guidelines
developed by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.
Publishing
The Society publishes a range of journals, other periodicals, books and
a monthly magazine called The Psychologist.
Setting standards in psychological testing
The role of the Society’s Psychological Testing Centre is to set and
maintain standards in testing and meet the needs of test takers, test
users, test developers, members of the public and anyone who has an
interest in testing.
Maintaining the History of Psychology Centre
The History of Psychology Centre is the main repository for the British
Psychological Society’s archive collections. Work is ongoing to create
a major history of psychology research resource on the website.
How are we run?
The British Psychological Society is a democratic body run by its
members, using a tiered board system for organisation and governance.
The Society has a head office in Leicester and regional offices in
Belfast, Cardiff, Glasgow and London.
The British Psychological Society is a registered charity in the United Kingdom (Charity Registration Number: 229642) and is regulated by the Charity Commission.
Message from the President
About Psychology and the Society
