Privacy policy

When someone visits any of our websites we use a third party service, Google Analytics to collect standard internet log information and details of visitor behaviour patterns.

We do this to find out things such as the number of visitors to the various parts of the site. This information is only processed in a way which does not identify anyone.

We use Live Chat services to provide online chat and customer services. This service is run by Live Chat Inc and covered under their privacy policy.

Read about how we use cookies on our website.

Contacting us by email

The society stores emails on our servers so we can refer back to them to help resolve your enquiry.

We will ensure any personal data is kept to a minimum. 

Calling us

If you call the society we collect Call Line Identification (CLI) information, if your service provider allows this.

This information helps us monitor the efficiency of our services. We do not record telephone calls.

Any messages left on our voicemail system are responded to and then deleted from our servers after 30 days.

Complaints about the society

Any complaints submitted about the society will be kept for a maximum of 6 years after they are resolved, dependent on the nature of the complaint.

Complaints about members

View information about our complaints process.

If you are a non-member and use any of our online services, we will ask you to create a website account in order for us to provide these services to you securely.

We will ask you to provide your name and email address. Your IP address will also be collected.

The services we currently provide online are:

Website user account

You can use your website user account to opt in and out of receiving email communications from the society and to update your personal information.

If you would like to delete your website account, please contact us.

Your account is automatically deleted after two years of inactivity.

Purchases through the website

We will need your payment card details and billing address if you make any purchases, in order to take payment and perform refunds if necessary. We do not keep your card number.

Order confirmations will be sent by email.

Email subscriptions and newsletters

We will use your name and email address to provide you with emails and newsletters you have chosen to receive.

You will be able to unsubscribe from these at any time by clicking on the link in the email or by contacting us.

Our online services should only be used by individuals aged 13 and over.

Distribution groups

We will use your name and email address to add you to a requested distribution group.

You will be able to unsubscribe from the group at any time by clicking the unsubscribe option in the emails.

In order to provide your membership services, we may ask you for some of the following information. This list is not exhaustive.

Name, telephone number and postal address

We need these to send you publications and other information relevant to your membership, including subscription renewal information.

Email address

We need this to provide your website services, such as your online account and email subscriptions. We use your email address to communicate with you about your member benefits, society news and services, surveys, and fundraising activities.

Qualifications

Dependent on the level of membership you apply for, we need a copy of your qualifications in order to check you are eligible. Any copies are destroyed within one month of your application being accepted or rejected.

Date of birth

This is used for verification purposes.

You can view and update most personal data held by the society by signing in to your account. Please email us if you would like to view your data or if you would like us to update it for you.

If you decide to resign your membership, we will keep your personal information on our database for two years. This is to allow you to re-join the society during this period without having to submit your supporting documentation again. During this time your website account will revert to a non-member account.

Society membership

The society will retain some basic information about your membership for archiving and historical research or for conducting statistical analysis of our membership. Where appropriate this will be anonymised and any personal data held will be kept to a minimum.

If you apply for a job at the society, we will ask you to provide your CV and covering letter.

You need only include your name, telephone number and email address, in order for us to contact you. We request that you do not include any additional personal data at this stage.

We will keep your application as long as you are part of the selection process for the vacant position.

Unsuccessful applications will be contacted at the appropriate stage in the recruitment process and more detailed information regarding how we handle your data will be provided.

For further information, contact us. 

The BPS will conduct a survey of its members every quarter to give our previous and existing members the chance to provide the BPS with feedback and collect ideas for how to improve its services.

If you have opted-in to receive information by email in the BPS Portal, we will use the email address stored on our system to contact you to participate in the survey.

However, the survey is optional, and you do not need to participate if you do not wish to.

Where applicable, responses to the survey will be compared with other information the BPS holds about our members such as membership grade and age.

The purpose of this is to help us understand how representative the survey is compared with our overall membership, and better understand the views of different groups of our members.

All findings will be reported in aggregate.

The personal data of our members who are registered on the Wider Psychological Workforce register will be shared with relevant third parties where a consideration of a fitness to practise complaint concludes that it is in the public interest to do so.

This is in line with our objective of maintaining public protection.

We will only use your personal information where:

We have your consent

For example, we might rely on your consent to send you direct marketing communications. Where we do, you can withdraw your consent at any time, most typically by unsubscribing from our emails, or alternatively by contacting us at the details given below.

It's necessary for the purposes of our legitimate interests

For example, when we want to contact our members for the purpose of research to better the experience we provide to our members.

It's necessary for the performance of a contract

For example, when you enter into or apply for membership, we are contractually obliged to process any personal data necessary to fulfil the contract.

Please note that where we require you to provide certain information to perform our contractual obligations and you decline to do so, this may delay our performance of the contract or prevent us from honouring our contractual obligations.

It's necessary for compliance with a legal obligation we have

We may need to provide your information under a court order.

To protect your vital interests

For example, if we needed to share your information with a health professional because you'd fallen ill.

For the performance of a task carried out in the public interest

For example, we might need to provide your information to the Police or other relevant authorities i.e., HCPC.

We will only share data with companies or other organisations that are an essential part of providing services to you.

We ensure all providers are based in the EEA or are covered by an EU Commission adequacy decision.

We will also ensure these organisations keep your information as safe as we do. These can include, but is not limited to, the following categories of organisations.

ICT support services

Companies that support and develop our ICT Systems, such as our database and website.

Outsourced services

This currently includes processing subscription payments and some conference and events management.

Other operational services

Payment service providers, offsite storage, confidential waste processors and mailing houses.

External system providers

These are currently Online Communities, E Learning courses, Psych Source services and some conference and event bookings.

Volunteers

Members of the BPS that carry out work on behalf of the society.

You have a number of rights with regards to your personal data:

• You have the right to be given information about how your data is processed and why
• You have a right to access the personal data we hold about you
• You have the right to ensure the information we hold about you is accurate and complete
• You have the right to have your personal data deleted
• You have the right to ask the society to restrict processing your personal data
• You have the right to ask us to transfer your personal data
• You have the right to object to the society processing your data
• You have the right to withdraw consent to the society sending you information by email
• You have rights in relation to automated decision making and profiling

The BPS is responsible for ensuring your personal information is managed correctly.

We are the Data Controller registered with the Information Commissioners Office and our registration number is Z5958155.

If you would like any further information about our privacy policy, or if you would like to exercise any of the rights listed above, please email us or write to:

The British Psychological Society
St Andrews House
48 Princess Road East
Leicester LE1 7DR

If you have contacted the society with regards to the use of your personal data and are not satisfied with the response you have received, or are concerned about how the society has processed your personal data, you can complain to the Information Commissioners Office (ICO).

You can submit your concern via their website, or by phone 0303 123 1113.

This Privacy Policy may be updated periodically and without prior notice to you to reflect changes in our information practices or relevant laws, please check back frequently to keep up to date.

We will notify you of any substantive changes to the way we collect and use your information via a pop-up on our website and through member updates.