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Professional referees
Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2025 5:40 pm
by Lid92
Hi, I hope you are well.
I’m struggling understanding what professional referees mean as I can’t find an official list.
Can my manager be a professional referee? They are an employee in a registered company but manage people. If not, can my GP be (in case they agree)?
Thanks
Re: Professional referees
Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2025 5:43 pm
by contorted_svy
It's on the guidance
https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... essible--2
‘Acceptable professional persons’ means:
accountant
airline pilot
articled clerk of a limited company
assurance agent of recognised company
bank or building society official
barrister
British Computer Society (BCS) - professional grades which are Associate (AMBCS), Member (MBCS), Fellow (FBCS)
broker
chairman or director of limited company
chemist
chiropodist
christian science practitioner
commissioner for oaths
councillor: local or county
civil servant (permanent)
dentist
designated premises supervisors
director or Manager of a VAT registered charity
director, manager or personnel officer of a VAT registered company
driving instructor (approved)
engineer (with professional qualifications)
fire service official
funeral director
insurance agent (full time) of a recognised company
journalist
justice of the Peace
legal secretary (members and fellows of the Institute of legal secretaries)
local government officer
manager or Personnel officer (of limited company)
member of Parliament
member of Her Majesty’s Armed Forces
Merchant Navy officer
minister of a recognised religion
nurse (RN, SEN or holder of a BA in nursing)
officer of the armed services (active or retired)
optician
paralegal (certified or qualified paralegals, and associate members of the Institute of Paralegals)
person with honours (such as OBE, MBE and so on)
personal licensee holders
photographer (professional)
police officer
Post Office official
president or secretary of a recognised organisation
Salvation Army officer
social worker
solicitor
surveyor
teacher, lecturer
trade union officer
travel agency (qualified)
valuers and auctioneers (fellow and associate members of the incorporated society)
warrant officers and chief petty officers
GPs are not an accepted profession.
Re: Professional referees
Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2025 9:18 pm
by paulina_wa
GPs are in fact accepted but you have to know them in a personal capacity (as in, they need to be your friend/acquaintance) rather than being their patient.
The list above is not exhaustive and a manager could potentially be a referee provided that they are a member of a professional body (for example if they are MAPM). My referee was a chartered landscape architect - definitely not on the list but a member of a professional body and the reference was accepted.
Re: Professional referees
Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2025 10:17 pm
by contorted_svy
paulina_wa wrote: ↑Thu Feb 20, 2025 9:18 pm
GPs are in fact accepted but you have to know them in a personal capacity (as in, they need to be your friend/acquaintance) rather than being their patient.
The list above is not exhaustive and a manager could potentially be a referee provided that they are a member of a professional body (for example if they are MAPM). My referee was a chartered landscape architect - definitely not on the list but a member of a professional body and the reference was accepted.
GPs are accepted but not as professional referees - only as personal referees, to my knowledge. I agree that it's always worth asking your prospective referee if they are a member of a chartered body as those are generally accepted.