ACP-UK NEWS NEWSLETTER Welcome to the second edition of ACP-UK News, which will be circulated monthly. ACP-UK A BODY TO REPRESENT CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY & CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGISTS MOVING FORWARD To achieve the mission, purpose and objectives of a professional body for Clinical Psychologists, it is intended that ACP-UK will form a Community interest company (CIC). CIC s are a special type of limited company which exists to benefit the community rather than private shareholders. CICs are designed for social enterprises that want to use their profits and assets for the public good. Unlike a charity, a CIC will allow payment to Directors (roughly equivalent to Trustees) and other members who work for it. Directors will be responsible for the operations of the CIC and accountable to the membership. ACP-UK WILL HAVE INCLUSIVE, CONSISTENT, RELIABLE, PROFESSIONAL & ACCOUNTABLE LEADERSHIP. APPOINTED AND SOME ELECTED PEOPLE WILL BE PAID FOR THEIR WORK RATHER THAN VOLUNTEER. ACP-UK will have three directors and a National Committee that will work together. Legally a CIC is required to submit Articles of Association which contains the purpose of the company as well as the duties and responsibilities of its members clearly defined. To get up and running ACP-UK will have articles of association based on the developing constitution and the constitution will be developed. With an emphasis on social business, CICs can seek crowd funding, bid for grants and National Lottery funding and can rapidly expand and diversify. For more information on the benefits of a CIC see: https://www.gov.uk/government/public ations/community-interest-companiesbenefits-of-a-cic ELECTIONS Elections for the roles of community interest company directors and committee members will be held in October 2017. The aim is to do this by an electronic ballot. Role descriptions and how to vote will be circulated. Nominations will be invited for all those with full voting rights. The ACP-UK elected Committee will lead a draft constitution consultation MEMBERSHIP Categories of membership: FULL Registered with the HCPC as a qualified CLINICAL psychologist. Has voting rights. INTERNATIONAL Registered with an equivalent professional body as a CLINICAL psychologist. Has voting rights. AFFILIATE e.g. other applied psychologists, members of the public, psychology graduates, trainees, psychological wellbeing & psychosocial intervention practitioners (PWPs & PSIs). Without voting rights. 1
The international category will allow those registered with the HCPC but working abroad and those living abroad e.g. clinical psychologists in EIRE and working in Northern Ireland to belong. SUBSCRIPTIONS The full and international membership fee for an initial 18-month period from September 2017 until the end of March 2019 will be 200; the affiliate fee for the same period will be 50. The annual subscription will normally be due on the 31 st March of each year starting 2019. As startup costs are considerable full and international members are invited to pay 70 now and affiliate members 50 with the remainder of the fee on the 1 st January 2018. A direct debit payment scheme (e.g. monthly/quarterly payments) will be put in place. All members will be able to pay the full amount when first asked if they wish to. We estimate needing 150,000 for ACP-UK to be viable. Please pay subscriptions promptly. Without subscriptions ACP-UK will not live. DONATIONS You may also wish to donate money as well as subscribe and be a member of ACP-UK. However, as ACP-UK will not be a charity gift aid rules do not apply. If you would like to donate please contact Mike Wang to arrange a payment. Making payments & joining Everyone who completed the survey about what you wanted from a professional body https://t.co/6bcbcoxac0 or contacted Mike Wang separately will be sent an email request to pay a subscription using a secure payment system this month. Subscriptions are tax deductible. OVER 4,300 SURVEY RESPONSES SHAPED THE ACP-UK DRAFT CONSTITUTION AND THE ATICLES OF ASSOCIATION AS A COMMUNITY INTEREST COMPANY This survey will close at the end of September 2017. Anyone wishing to join ACP-UK after this date should contact Mike Wang directly mw125@leicester.ac.uk Please note we will stop using the electronic survey to collect views and contact details after the 30 th September 2017. WORK STREAMS To organise the setting up work we now have five work streams currently led by Alumni members. 1. Internal & External Communication/Liaison Ruth Stocks 2. Elections Reg Morris, Alex Stirzaker 3. Infrastructure, Constitution & Finance Reg Morris, Alex Stirzaker Mike Wang 4. Communications & Website Angela Busuttil, Ché Rosebert with Mike Berger 5. Citizens Assembly Alex Stirzaker, Che Rosebert with Simon Mudie The Citizens assembly To ensure that the new organisation reflects the needs of both its membership and of those with whom members have contact, co-production will sit at the heart of the ACP-UK. It has not been finalised how this will take place but one of the proposals that is currently being considered is the idea of a citizens assembly which often advises an organisation on its 2
development. A small group of Alumni members will be taking this work forward to devise a working proposal for the organisation to consider as it forms. For more information on Scotland s citizens assembly as an example we can learn from see: https://www.commonspace.scot/articles/10433/newreport-citizens-assembly-scottish-parliament A PUBLIC LIVE STREAMED MEETING TO AID A PROCESS OF MEANINGFUL MEMBERSHIP AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT WILL BE HELD 6.00 8.00 P.M. THURSDAY 19 TH OCTOBER MANCHESTER VENUE TO BE CONFIRMED To aid a process of meaningful involvement and inclusion from the ACP-UK membership and key stakeholders The North West Psychological Practitioners Network are facilitating an open public discussion with representatives from key stakeholders such as but not exclusively people who have accessed clinical psychology services, the Alumni, The BPS, The DCP Executive, The Minorities in Clinical Training Group and Psychologists for Social Change as well as clinical psychologists who are not currently BPS members. This would be a step towards building a citizens assembly. Invites will be emailed and posted on @NWPPN ACP-UK information will be circulated by Mike Wang, posted on the new twitter account @UK_ACP and The Future of UK Clinical Psychology google group. Feel free to upload information to the Clinical Psychology Facebook group. To access the google group Use a search engine to find google groups. Then search The Future of UK Clinical Psychology. You will see a page that says the group contains adult content. Do not worry, the content is appropriate! Select proceed. FIVE CURRENT WORKSTREAMS: INTERNAL/EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION & LIAISON; ELECTIONS; INFRASTRUCTURE, CONSTITUTION, ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION & FINANCE; COMMUNICATIONS & WEBSITE; CITIZENS ASSEMBLY VOLUNTEERING THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL OFFERS OF SUPPORT Please bear with us whilst we put a process in place to use all your offers of help strategically, effectively and efficiently. We are trying to build an inclusive organisation, and assume for some of you we will be moving too fast and for some of you too slow. We are keeping a list of who is offering what and we will be asking people to take on specific tasks within the workstreams. Contact Mike Wang if you wish to volunteer. MAKING EXTERNAL RELATIONSHIPS For ACP-UK to achieve its mission, purpose and objectives multiple relationships will need to be formed. It will be essential to have good working relationships with existing professional bodies. So far, the Alumni group have made some progress with The British Psychological Society, The Association of Educational Psychologists & The Royal College of Psychiatry. 3
The British Psychological Society s (BPS) Board of Trustees has allowed the Division of Clinical Psychology s National Executive to enter discussions with ACP-UK and have asked to be updated regarding the progress of ACP-UK. This is essential as we examine areas of competition and strive to work together in areas of National importance, be they about the governance and leadership of clinical psychology or for example influencing national policy for Society s benefit. We anticipate that some clinical psychologists and affiliates will choose to belong to ACP-UK and the BPS. and some will choose to belong to one professional body. EVERY ACP-UK MEMBER SHOULD INDEPENDENTLY CHOOSE IF THEY WISH TO ALSO BE A MEMBER OF THE BPS. As current Chair of the Division of Clinical Psychology s Psychosis & Complex Mental Health Faculty Ché Rosebert says I will continue to belong to the BPS because of member benefits provided such as high-quality continuing professional development and the opportunity to lead or stay involved with BPS national external consultations, policy work and campaigns. The Association of Educational Psychologists (AEP) began life in 1962 instigated by the need to advocate for and protect the employment rights of Educational Psychologists. AEP is a professional body and trade union with a membership of around 3,500. Many of its members belong to both the AEP and BPS. The AEP enjoy a good relationship with the BPS Division of Education & Child Psychology and our regulator the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). Ché Rosebert has had two meetings with AEP General Secretary Kate Fallon learning from how the AEP started and discussing areas of mutual interest for example psychologists working in schools and national child and young peoples health programmes. As ACP-UK forms and becomes a legal entity we will be able to build more and more formal relationships, not just with other professional bodies but service users and carers, politicians and other parties with mutual interests. The Royal College of Psychiatry (RCPsych) have extended an invitation to meet with ACP-UK later this month. Many clinical psychologists have worked jointly with RCPsych over many years with many National initiatives that have led to policy change. ACP-UK intends to build on this tradition. THE AEP HAS AN INSPIRING STORY. STARTING OPERATIONS IN A FRONT ROOM, THEIR LONGEVITY AND SUCCESSFUL POLITICAL CAMPAIGNING TO BECOME STATUTORY IS A LESSON ACP-UK CAN LEARN FROM. The word is definitely out about this new professional body for clinical psychologists. We re receiving invitations to meet and formally sign up to work every week. However, ACP-UK cannot formally sign up for anything until subscriptions are paid and the CIC is registered. We cannot speak on behalf of a membership that does not exist yet. THE MESSAGE TO GIVE IS THAT ACP-UK IS FORMING & INTENDS TO BE ACTIVELY INFLUENTIAL WITHIN SOCIETY & BE NON- PARTISAN IN ITS POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT 4
REVISED ACP-UK SETTING UP TIME LINE August 2017 Establish monthly news update Circulate draft constitution Initial work on website, marketing Seek legal advice re setting up ACP-UK Start to establish a citizen's assembly or similar September 2017 Draft Articles of Association to allow registration as a CIC Write role descriptions for ACP-UK National Executive Committee Officers/Directors - Chair, Treasurer, Vice-Chair Finalise election process Banking facilities go live, receive subscriptions Advertise for an administrator, Consultant/Project Manager Conitnue to work on establishing a citizen's assembly Continue website development and marketing October 2017 Seek nominations for CIC Directors and National Executive Committee - voting will be open to members with full voting rights Appoint Directors and elect National Executive Committee Appoint Administrator, Consultant/Project Manager Establish administration office National Executive Committee Lead on finalising the Constitution Register ACP-UK as a legal entity- that is a CIC November 2017 January 2018 ACP-UK goes 'live' 5
ALUMNI GROUP MEMBERS Alumni Group Members are DCP members, all of whom have held recent office on the DCP National Executive Committee (NEC). The intention of this group has been to start the ball rolling, or more accurately push the rolling ball along of a new professional body for UK clinical psychologists. Members are: Angela Busuttil former DCP NEC Clinical Health Lead Reg Morris former DCP NEC Group of Trainers in Clinical Psychology Co-Chair Simon Mudie Expert by Experience Beth Parry-Jones former DCP NEC Wales Chair beth.parry-jones@wales.nhs.uk Ché Rosebert former DCP NEC Representing Psychosis & Complex Mental Health Faculty Ciaran Shannon former DCP NEC Northern Ireland Chair ciaran.shannon@qub.ac.uk Alex Stirzaker - former DCP NEC England Chair alex.stirzaker@nhs.net Ruth Stocks - former DCP NEC Scotland Chair Ruth.Stocks@ggc.scot.nhs.uk Mike Wang former DCP NEC Chair & represented the DCP Special General Meeting Motion in May 2016 with Bernard Kat mw125@leicester.ac.uk If you have any queries about Northern Ireland please contact Ciaran Shannon, for Scotland please contact Ruth Stocks and for Wales please contact Beth Parry-Jones Thanks to Ste Weatherhead former DCP NEC Professional Standards Unit Director & Clinical Psychology Forum Editor who has now stepped down from the Alumni group due to demands of work. ACP- UK NEWSLETTER For queries about this newsletter contact cherosebert@hotmail.com To follow news of ACP-UK developments on twitter @UK_ACP 6