As reported by the Campaign group:
"With the new RCPsychol, the professional interests of all psychologists will be seen to be substantively protected by psychologists. The BPS has all the infrastructure in place to do this, but the campaign feels that this is not being given the recognition it deserves by government, business stakeholders, international organisations and authorities, as the BPS is not perceived to be of the same status as other chartered institutions who have adopted a royal institutional title.
The aim of the campaign is to petition the BPS to work towards the status of becoming (or creating) a Royal College, such as “The Royal College of Psychologists” or “The Royal College of Chartered Psychologists”. The choice of name and associated membership grades, their privileges and responsibilities would ultimately be a matter for Council.
The principal reason for the BPS operating under the name of a Royal College is to bring the BPS in line with other Royal Colleges in the UK, e.g. Royal College of Physicians, Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, etc.
The BPS has had a Royal Charter since 1965, BPS Royal Charter and is already doing what other Royal Colleges do but without the visible authority of a Royal College per se. The status of a Royal College of Psychologists will give the present BPS a well-deserved place among sister Royal Colleges, and raise it to the status of a definitive authority in the eyes of the public, both at home and internationally. It will also give visible regard to the Royal Charter granted to the Society 45 years ago."
This is a very important step and one I urge other BPS Members to sign up to before 26th March 2013. We have a long established professionsl career and need to move forward with a sense of our history alongside a determination to develop further and take us into the future. Read about the past and the future and then decide what action you may be able to take that is relevant to you.
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