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Graham Powell
BPS updates

Meet the President

Psychologist editor Jon Sutton interviews the new Society President, Graham Powell.

18 April 2005

After statutory regulation, members may start to reconsider what they are getting from the BPS for their membership fee. Are we doing enough to prevent a mass exodus?
I am worried about being trampled by a mass influx of people. Many psychologists, probably thousands, who are currently offering services to the public, but who have chosen not to join the BPS, will want and need to register with the HPC, will discover they need professional support, and will now turn to the Society for it. For example, they will need to be part of a continuing professional development programme, will need advice on ethical and professional issues, will want access to events from the subsystems and events in the regions, and will want their say in legal and political developments and in service issues. It is the whole point of statutory regulation that those people operating outside the system, often not accountable to any professional body, will now have to become part of the system, become properly accountable, and ensure their professional skills and knowledge are up to date.

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