by Nigel ClarkeTwo years ago, I was asked by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) if I would chair an independent inquiry into a future professional body for pharmacists. The RPSGB's regulatory function had, arguably, swamped its professional body role, and when the government decided to create a new regulator, a review of what members wanted from their body was sensible.
Several points emerged which are worth thought to any profession
looking at developing a professional body. The first two are simple:
what and who is it for? Two considerations matter in developing the
answer. First, the overriding purpose must be to serve the public
interest - most people would readily accept that a strong, effective
social work profession is important to a cohesive society, but one
should not take such things for granted - it's an argument that has to
be won over and over again.
Core membership
Secondly, bodies like this should be for everyone essential to the work of that profession. Here, social workers will be the core membership, of course - but a professional body must be able to act as a forum within which ideas can be taken forward, standards considered, and policy debated. A narrow body will carry less weight in the wider world - so it is worth considering affiliation for those who work closely with the profession.
A professional body is clearly there to represent its members' interests. It is not a trade union, nor a regulator, nor a trade body for corporate interest - but it must be able to work closely with all these. At heart it must have a structure that allows it to provide members with the tools for continuous professional learning, for supporting career development, underpinned by the appropriate accreditation.
Leadership challenge
At the heart of all this is leadership. Such a professional body must have an authoritative voice - to the profession itself, but also on the national stage. That demands a governance structure that commands the support of members. Nothing is more destructive to the reputation of a body than the appearance of factionalism and excessive internal political manoeuvring; we can all name examples to illustrate that. These are usually the result of the council of a body becoming remote from its members. So when setting the body up in the first place, it is vital to ensure that its structure is focused on member services first and foremost, and that it stays that way. Good communications is not a luxury; without it, no success is possible.
Nigel Clarke chaired the inquiry into a professional body for pharmacy (The Clarke Inquiry)
➔ Website where pharmacists' comments about professional body
Core membership
Secondly, bodies like this should be for everyone essential to the work of that profession. Here, social workers will be the core membership, of course - but a professional body must be able to act as a forum within which ideas can be taken forward, standards considered, and policy debated. A narrow body will carry less weight in the wider world - so it is worth considering affiliation for those who work closely with the profession.
A professional body is clearly there to represent its members' interests. It is not a trade union, nor a regulator, nor a trade body for corporate interest - but it must be able to work closely with all these. At heart it must have a structure that allows it to provide members with the tools for continuous professional learning, for supporting career development, underpinned by the appropriate accreditation.
Leadership challenge
At the heart of all this is leadership. Such a professional body must have an authoritative voice - to the profession itself, but also on the national stage. That demands a governance structure that commands the support of members. Nothing is more destructive to the reputation of a body than the appearance of factionalism and excessive internal political manoeuvring; we can all name examples to illustrate that. These are usually the result of the council of a body becoming remote from its members. So when setting the body up in the first place, it is vital to ensure that its structure is focused on member services first and foremost, and that it stays that way. Good communications is not a luxury; without it, no success is possible.
Nigel Clarke chaired the inquiry into a professional body for pharmacy (The Clarke Inquiry)
➔ Website where pharmacists' comments about professional body
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