Governance and New Legislation

The governance of the College

The RCVS exists primarily to represent the public interest, as distinct from the British Veterinary Association (BVA), which represents the profession. So RCVS Council members are not there to represent the veterinary profession, although the elected veterinary members play a role in ensuring the views of the profession are reflected when policy is developed.

Veterinary nurses have their own Council, which includes elected veterinary nurses and appointed veterinary surgeons.

The purpose of RCVS Council [derived from the Charter]

1. It is laid down in the Charter that the affairs of the College shall be managed by the Council as constituted under the Act. The Council shall have the entire management of and superintendence over the affairs, concerns and property of the College (save those powers of directing removal from, suspension from or restoration to the register of veterinary surgeons and supplementary veterinary register reserved to the disciplinary committee established under the Act) and shall have power to act by committees, subcommittees or boards and to delegate such functions as it thinks fit from time to time to such committees, subcommittees or boards and to any of its own number and to the employees and agents of the College.

2. The Council is also responsible for the appointment of the CEO and Registrar, and the ratification of the Assistant Registrars. The appointment of the Registrar will be undertaken in consultation with the Chief Executive. Appointment of all other staff members is the responsibility of the CEO and relevant members of the Senior Team.

3. A strategic plan is developed and agreed by Council to facilitate the delivery of these activities and to ensure ongoing development and quality improvement.

4. A delegation scheme that outlines how Council’s functions are managed via system of committees and other groups is agreed annually by Council.

How Council members work

1. In order to enable the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to fulfil its vision, and to discharge its functions under its Royal Charter and the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, RCVS Council members will:

1. Abide by the Nolan Principles of Public Life;
2. Work in the best interests of the public, and of animal health and welfare and public health;
3. Respectfully listen to the voices of the professions, the public and other stakeholders, and reflect them in discussions where appropriate, ensuring they are put into context;
4. Neither be answerable to, nor represent, any group of individuals;
5. Support the College’s vision and work towards the success of the College and its functions;
6. Live the College’s values;
7. Act at all times in a constructive, supportive and compassionate manner;
8. Exercise a duty of care to the staff employed by the College, working through the CEO and Registrar;
9. Recognise the importance of a collegiate atmosphere where robust discussion is welcomed in the formation of policy and multiple points of view are listened to and respected;
10. Communicate College activities and positions to relevant stakeholders;
11. Respect and support the decisions made by Council when communicating externally;
12. Abide by the Code of Conduct for Council and Committee

Committees

1. There shall be the following statutory and non-statutory disciplinary and investigation committees, and appeals committees:

• the Accreditation of Veterinary Programme Appeals Committee (appeals committee);
• the Charter Case Committee (non-statutory disciplinary committee);
• the Disciplinary Committee (statutory committee);
• the Examination Appeals Committee (appeals committee);
• the Preliminary Investigation Committee (statutory committee);
• the Registration Appeals Committee (appeals committee)
• the Veterinary Nurses Preliminary Investigation Committee (non-statutory disciplinary committee);
• the Veterinary Nurses Disciplinary Committee (non-statutory disciplinary committee); and, - the Specialist and Advanced Practitioner Appeals Committee (appeals committee).

2. There shall be the following standing committees:

• the Advancement of the Professions Committee;
• the Audit and Risk Committee;
• the Education Committee;
• the Finance and Resources Committee;
• the Preliminary Investigation Committee and Disciplinary Committee Liaison Committee;
• the Registration Committee; - the Standards Committee; and, - the Veterinary Nurses’ Council.

3. The standing committees shall report to Council and shall be constituted and work within the terms of reference set out below. Their Chairs will be elected by Council unless the Chair is role based (for example, Treasurer for Finance and Resources Committee, incoming JVP for three years for PIC/DC Liaison), with the exception of VN Council, which will elect its own Chair. The Chairs of the standing committees, with the exception of the VN Council, shall be members of RCVS Council. The Chairs of the statutory and non-statutory disciplinary, investigation and appeals committees shall be non-Council members. The Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee should be an external individual, independent of Council, but elected by Council. Chairs of subcommittees and other groups do not need to be Council members unless otherwise stated.

4. Chairs of the standing committees will generally hold the office for a three-year period and will be re-elected by Council annually. They will be expected to align with the chair role specification.

5. Standing committees will select their own Vice-Chairs, unless otherwise specified. The ViceChairs can be any full member of the committee (i.e. not an observer but does not have to be a Council member) apart from the Vice-Chair of the Finance and Resources Committee, who should be a full member and a Council member. They will be re-elected every year by members of the relevant committee, from among self-nominated candidates, as soon as possible into the new presidential year.

6. All the standing committees will generally meet between three and six times a year, either in person or remotely. If there is no, or not enough, business to justify a meeting, the Chair can cancel a meeting. There may also be occasions when an additional meeting is required if decisions need to be made more quickly. Small amounts of business can also be conducted by email if there is not sufficient time to mount a meeting and full discussion is not required, but this should be the exception. The quorum for standing committees will generally be a simple majority of the total number of full voting members (i.e. not observers), unless otherwise specified (for example, VN Council, see below). For more detail about the operation of a meeting, see the role specification for an RCVS Committee Chair.

7. If an item crosses the remit of more than one committee, a joint meeting may be held. The Chair of the meeting will be one of the Chairs of the two committees coming together, to be agreed between them. If an item starts with one committee but, over time, becomes more relevant for another, it may be cross-referred to the most appropriate by the original Chair, or come back to Council for either a decision on the item itself, or a decision on the delegation route. The guidance of the President on the most appropriate course of action may be sought.

8. Where a joint meeting is held of two committees, each committee must be quorate in its own right. Where such joint meetings take place, the Chair of the meeting may be the Chair of either committee, or another member of either committee, at the discretion of the President. The Finance and Resources Committee and Audit and Risk Committee meet formally once per year to discuss the annual report and accounts with the auditors, and the chair shall alternate between the Treasurer and the Chair of ARC for this joint meeting.

9. The committees may appoint one or more subcommittees or working parties for such general or special purpose as they may think fit, subject to the approval of the Finance and Resources Committee and/or Council, and, subject to any contrary direction from the Council, may on behalf of the Council delegate to such subcommittees power to act in the name of the College and the Council in relation to the matters set out in their terms of reference.

10. The RCVS Officer Team may select one Observer for each of the non-statutory standing committees. If an Officer is on the Committee in another capacity, this additional Observer may not be required.

NB Council Members are not elected or appointed to represent any constituency and all have a responsibility equivalent to trustees for the governance of the College.