The best job at the BPS?

Hannah's team works across the UK to engage with key influencers and look for places where psychology can and should have a voice in policy discussions.

So many people want to make a difference in their career, but that's actually your role! Would you say you had the best job at the BPS?

Ha – maybe! One of the most exciting things about working at the BPS is the wide range of policy areas that psychology has an impact on – it's rare to find a public affairs role where you could be speaking to practically any government department. 

One of the real positives of working in this area is that you can really see the impact that psychology has on people's lives so you do feel that what you do is making a difference.

What does lobbying the government look like in practice?

No two days are the same in public affairs. We engage with government and parliament in lots of ways, including briefing and meeting with MPs, responding to consultations, speaking to select committees and participating in policy groups.

But one of the key things we do is build relationships with other organisations. A coalition can really build the strength of the voice, and we've been doing just that around legislation like the Online Safety Bill, or in engaging with ministers on issues like access to services for children and young people.

The picture also looks different across our four nations, so this year we've added new team members based 'on the ground' in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. That local expertise is helping our work have greater influence. 

Why is it so important for psychologists to have a role in policy making? 

Securing policy change can often be quite a slow process, so one of my key aims is for psychology to be involved in the early stages of policy discussions so that the psychological impact of those policies can be understood at the earliest opportunity.

It's really important for all policy makers to understand through a psychological lens what the reality of policy decisions will mean for wider society. 

When was the last time you were able to have an impact on government policy? 

During my time at the BPS we've been able to make some real impact, one example being securing amendments to the Police, Crime, Courts and Sentencing Bill around the sharing of medical information to criminal justice agencies.

However, I'm really excited about the potential impact of our current campaign to secure funding for the NHS Staff Mental health and Wellbeing Hubs.

We couldn't do this kind of work without the support and experience of our members, both in bringing us ideas for our campaigns but also by positive action. For example, we've been asking members to write to their MPs on the Hubs and we know that this has resulted in the issue being raised across parliament.

Hannah joined the BPS in 2020 having previously worked in parliament and in public affairs in the rail and energy sectors.