These include:
• Engagement with BPS members, including through the devolved nations and English divisions, local branches, sections and special groups
• Working on the priorities highlighted by our Psychology Matters programme
• Responding to news items, government policy statements, and other topical issues
• Building relationships with external stakeholders
• International engagement
• Fulfilling my responsibilities as a trustee
I wanted to give you a flavour of some of the work I've been doing, and cover some of the highlights of my time as President so far.
I have been invited to speak at a number of national and international conferences representing the society - I particularly enjoy attending undergraduate events, where I have the opportunity to share details of my own personal journey in psychology and the work that I have been undertaking as President.
I hope that this has inspired others to pursue their career aspirations. I've been really impressed by the high standard and quality of the undergraduate oral and poster presentations on final-year research studies.
I recently attended an important conference on 'Building emotionally healthy schools: Engaging the therapy professions'. This event launched a campaign calling on the UK government to ensure that, by the time young people leave secondary school, they are equipped with the emotional and interpersonal skills to navigate adulthood.
Childhood is such a key period of anyone's life, with a significant impact on subsequent development, and ensuring that all children have access to the resources and support they need is beneficial for everyone. Schools need to provide an environment that enables this. I spoke about ways that mental health professionals may work more closely and effectively together to make emotionally nurturing schools a reality. You can read some of my reflections on this event in a blog.
Over recent months, I've been part of our BPS Psychology Matters programme. This is a platform for members to showcase the incredible power of psychology. As psychological professionals, we know that Psychology Matters - we can see the difference it makes every day.
We are currently working on four key Psychology Matters workstreams – 'Psychology-powered policy', 'Early intervention and prevention', 'Psychology at work', and 'Careers in psychology'. You can find out more about the programme of work in a recent article.
I believe that Psychology Matters because it helps individuals and society to function better, leading to a healthier, more informed, and more compassionate world. I explained more about my own views on how, as psychologists, we can do this in a blog.
As part of the programme, I have continued to be involved in our campaign for improved wellbeing and mental health support for NHS staff. We have been holding regular meetings with NHS England and stakeholders to advocate for the vital role of mental health and wellbeing services, and particular the importance of protecting the future of the remaining NHS Staff Mental Health and Wellbeing Hubs, which were the inspiration for this campaign.
Eleven of the hubs remain open, although the support offer and staffing levels have been reduced across most of the hubs, and funding remains uncertain. While central funding for the hubs has now come to an end, we are continuing to highlight the need for staff to have access to high-quality mental health support that is evidence-based, psychologically-led, and has long-term funding attached.
I work closely with our public affairs and communications teams to comment on important matters in the news and politics representing the psychological perspective. Keep an eye on our news page for these, as well as interesting comments from other BPS members.
It has been very interesting to engage with psychologists on the international network, including participating in meetings hosted by the European Federation of Psychologists' Associations (EFPA). We were proud to host EFPA's conference, which brings together psychologists from across Europe, two years ago, and continue to build these links with our colleagues across the continent.
Finally, I have been meeting with leadership teams from other psychological organisations, including the American Psychological Association, the Psychological Society of Ireland and the Australian Psychological Society.
I have been able to share our approach to important topics such as climate change, registration and statutory regulation, new roles for psychologists and artificial intelligence, as well as hearing about, and learning from, approaches taken by similar organisations around the world.
