Difficult times, difficult choices

Since the COVID 19 virus arrived, we have all had to make many difficult choices, change plans and change the way in which we work. We are very mindful of the pressures on our members at the clinical frontline at times like this and are focused on our role to provide the support you need.

This is the reason our Council has made a decision to postpone the process to elect new Council members for a year. We were due to launch the nomination process on 25 March to ask all fully subscribing members to consider putting themselves forward for one of six vacancies.

It is really important that our Council is made up of a diverse range of members, from different background and with varying specialisms, so that it is reflective of our membership. We are concerned that given the current pressures on members it will not be possible for members to engage in the election process and we are unlikely to get nominations until members working commitments have normalised.

We are hugely grateful to the members who were due to step down from Council in November and their employers for their support in making this decision and staying on Council past the end of their term where it is possible for them to do so. 

We recognise that this decision is not in compliance with Bye-Law 23, which requires six members of Council to step down in November, following the constitutional changes voted in by members in 2017. However, we hope you agree that it is more important to ensure members are not diverted from frontline services at the moment.

You can be reassured that the Council members continuing in office were voted in by members in 2018 in accordance with our constitutional requirements, and none have reached the maximum term of office. I have been in touch with the Privy Council about this decision and they are very understanding of our predicament. They recognise other professional bodies are in a similar position and that difficult choices need to be made for the benefit of members and the profession. However if you are concerned by this decision, please contact me via our enquiries team enquiries@csp.org.uk

Thank you for supporting this difficult choice we have had to make. 

• Nicola Ebdon is CSP Head of Governance