5 Holding professionals accountable through professional and oversight bodies

Professionals involved in delivering local public services may need membership in professional bodies to secure and maintain their posts. Professional bodies are there to promote the interests of their membership, ensure that the members are involved in continuous professional development and that their membership adheres to the ethical standards of their profession. Some professionals involved in local public delivery are expected to renew their membership in their professional organisations at regular intervals.

Not all professionals involved in local public service delivery must be members of professional bodies or subject to oversight bodies. Moreover, depending on their expertise and qualification disciplines, they may be members of professional bodies. For example, accountants, lawyers, and engineers must maintain membership in relevant professional bodies. Members of such bodies would be expected to adhere to the standards set by their professional bodies. Some of those bodies may consider and process complaints from the public about their members.

There are many professional bodies for medical professionals, including the British Psychological Society [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] , the General Medical Council, and The Nursing and Midwifery Council.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) oversees police complaints in England and Wales. In Scotland, the Police Investigations & Review Commissioner (PIRC) independently investigates incidents involving the police. In Northern Ireland, The Police Ombudsman handles complaints about the police’s conduct.

Complaints through professional and oversight bodies will involve a process like the one in Activity 2 earlier. As a leader, you can lodge a formal complaint through professional or oversight bodies; as a citizen or service user, you can lodge a complaint for a colleague or a team or community member, if appropriate. In that case, it is vital to familiarise yourself with the process, gather the evidence needed and then complete and submit the relevant form. You may seek support from voluntary sector organisations, your trade union (if applicable), faith organisations, and other relevant actors.