Governance and the Board

Governance Structure

The Society is governed by a Board of Directors elected by the members under clause 7 of the Constitution. The Society is an unincorporated association, so its Directors are not company directors within the meaning of the Companies Act 2006: they hold office within the Society and act on behalf of the membership collectively, under the rules set out in the Regulations, Part 3.

Composition

The Board of Directors consists of between three and nine members, comprising:

1. the President, who presides at meetings and is the principal public representative of the Society;
2. the Secretary, who maintains records, convenes meetings, and acts as the point of first contact for applications and complaints;
3. the Treasurer, who keeps the Society’s accounts and presents them to the members at each Annual General Meeting; and
4. up to six further elected Directors.

Officers and Directors are elected at the Annual General Meeting for two-year terms. Only Members and Senior Members in good standing are eligible for election.

Current Board of Directors

The Directors named below were elected at the Society’s Annual General Meeting. Every officer is an active examiner bound by the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, and has filed a statement of interests under the Regulations, Part 5.

Sub-committees and Standing Functions

The Board may appoint standing sub-committees for specific functions (Board Terms of Reference §7). At present, the functions listed below are discharged by the Board of Directors collectively, pending growth of the Board and the membership.

• Continuing Professional Development (CPD). CPD policy, recognition and accreditation of CPD activities (Regulations (Part 4)). Currently discharged by the Board.
• Membership. Application review, admission decisions, continuation of membership, directory listings. Currently discharged by the Board.
• Directory. Maintenance and editorial oversight of the public BPS examiner directory. Currently discharged by the Board.
• Communications. Society website, member communications, public notices, and published guidance. Currently discharged by the Board.
• Research and Standards Sub-Committee. An advisory body. Members and external specialists may be invited to join by the Board. The Sub-Committee is advisory only and does not determine the content of the Standards of Practice or of any other binding policy.

Complaints and Appeals Panels

Disciplinary panels are convened ad-hoc per case, in accordance with the Regulations, Annexure A.

• Complaints Panel — three persons appointed by the Board of Directors per case, including at least one Senior Member and at least one person independent of the Board of Directors. The Panel appoints its own Chair from among its members.
• Appeals Panel — three persons appointed by the President per case, none of whom sit on the Board of Directors or sat on the original Complaints Panel. At least one member of an Appeals Panel is wholly independent of the Society.

The President maintains a standing roster of persons willing to sit on an Appeals Panel if called upon, drawn both from BPS members outside the Board of Directors and from professionals wholly independent of the Society. Roster members are not named publicly, in order to safeguard impartiality when a specific case is referred; composition is disclosed to the parties at the time the panel is convened.

Independent Examiner of Accounts

Under clause 9.2 of the Constitution, the members in general meeting appoint an Independent Examiner of Accounts each year to examine the Society’s books. The Examiner is an accountant, not a polygraph examiner, is external to the Society, and holds no voting rights at general meetings.

Decisions Reserved to the Members

The following cannot be decided by the Board and are reserved to the members in general meeting:

1. amendment of the Constitution;
2. dissolution of the Society;
3. the setting of the annual subscription rate;
4. the appointment of the Independent Examiner of Accounts; and
5. the admission of Honorary Members.

Accountability

The Board is accountable to the members at the Annual General Meeting, where it presents the President’s report, the accounts, and any policy proposals. The Annual Report of the President includes a statement of the Board’s principal decisions in the year, the Society’s financial position, the numbers of new members admitted, complaints received and determined, and any material policy changes. The full rules governing the Board are set out in the Regulations, Part 3.

Register of Interests

Contacting the Board

Correspondence to any officer of the Board should be addressed to the Secretary at [email protected], or by post to the Society’s correspondence address. Individual officers’ personal contact details are not published.