6-455: The following is a list of professional bodies in the United Kingdom . Membership of a professional body does not necessarily mean that a person possesses qualifications in the subject area, nor that they are legally able to practice their profession. Many of these bodies also act as learned societies for the academic disciplines underlying their professions. The UK government has
12-607: A professional body , professional organization , or professional society ) is a group that usually seeks to further a particular profession , the interests of individuals and organisations engaged in that profession, and the public interest . In the United States, such an association is typically a nonprofit business league for tax purposes. In the UK, they may take a variety of legal forms. The roles of professional associations have been variously defined: "A group of people in
18-457: A learned occupation who are entrusted with maintaining control or oversight of the legitimate practice of the occupation;" also a body acting "to safeguard the public interest;" organizations which "represent the interest of the professional practitioners," and so "act to maintain their own privileged and powerful position as a controlling body." Professional associations are ill defined although often have commonality in purpose and activities. In
24-480: A list of professional associations approved for tax purposes (this includes some non-UK based associations, which are not included here). There is a separate list of regulators in the United Kingdom for bodies that are regulators rather than professional associations. The following professional bodies are incorporated by royal charter : Professional body A professional association (also called
30-443: A profession or group of professions and protect the use of professional titles" and professional bodies that "are independent membership organisations that oversee the activities of a particular profession and represent the interests of [their] members" and which "may offer registration or certification of unregulated occupations on a voluntary basis." Many professional bodies are involved in accrediting degrees, defining and examining
36-521: The UK the Science Council defines a professional body as "an organisation with individual members practicing a profession or occupation in which the organisation maintains an oversight of the knowledge, skills, conduct and practice of that profession or occupation". The Quality Assurance Agency distinguishes between statutory bodies and regulators that "have powers mandated by Parliament to regulate
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