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8. How much of my time would being a VN Council member take up?

This depends on the committees and working parties on which you are asked to sit.

There are at least four VN Council meetings per year, plus RCVS Day (our AGM and awards ceremony). Additional VN Council meetings may be called.

In addition, you will be asked to sit on a VN Council Committee or an RCVS committee, which generally sit four times a year.

You may also be asked to join a working party on a particular issue, and there may be other College activities, such as Regional Question Time meetings which you may choose to attend.

On average, therefore, successful candidates might expect to spend between eight and 10 days a year on VN Council business in terms of formal meetings during their first year on Council. Additional time will be required to keep on top of emails, read paperwork etc.

As your Council career develops you may be required to take a more active role. For example, two members of VN Council sit on RCVS Council which meets between six and eight times a year.

Related FAQs

  • 1. How can I stand for election to RCVS Veterinary Nurses (VN) Council?

    Those considering standing for election first need to secure nomination from two individuals who must be veterinary nurses registered with the RCVS, but not current VN Council members.

    There is then paperwork for you to fill out and sign, and paperwork for your nominees and you to sign. Both can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/vncouncil22, together with guidance notes.

    For you, there is a short form which includes your name, qualifications, address and other contact details.

    You are then asked to include a short biography (200 words, maximum) and a personal statement (300 words, maximum).

    You also need to send us a high-resolution digital image which will be used both on the RCVS website and on the secure voting website.  Both of these will be made accessible to all voters.

    Meanwhile your proposers need to complete a form that asks for their name and Register information, and you will also need to obtain electronic signatures from both.

    The paperwork needs to be submitted to Annette Amato via email on [email protected] by no later than 5pm on 31 January 2023.

  • 2. Do I have to be a registered veterinary nurse in order to stand?

    Yes, candidates must be currently on the RCVS Register of Veterinary Nurses. 

  • 4. What is the composition of VN Council?

    VN Council comprises:

    • Six elected veterinary nurses
    • Two appointed veterinary surgeon members
    • Four appointed lay members
    • Two appointed veterinary nurse members
  • 5. Are there any restrictions on what I can include in my candidate statement?

    Your statement needs to be legal, decent, honest and truthful.

    Links to external websites are not permitted in your biography or statement. You may publish a link to a single campaigning website, for example a Facebook or Twitter account, in your contact details .Testimonials are not permitted in the biography section.

    We aim to publish exactly as submitted – which means that any typographical errors may also be included – so do please double-check that you are happy with it before you send it to us.

    We ask that election statements do not include content that is defamatory or otherwise unlawful, or factually misleading. The Registrar may, in the absence of agreement with the candidate to amend the statement, either edit the election statement before circulating it or decide not to circulate it.

    The Code of Professional Conduct pertains to the publication of your statement, as much as any other element of your professional life.

    More detail about what to include in your statement is included in the ‘Information for candidates’.

  • 6. How many people will stand for election?

    There is no limit to the number of election candidates each year.

    A minimum of two elected VN Council members retire each year. Members may serve a maximum of three consecutive three-year terms, after which they would need to wait for two years before re-standing for Council. 

  • 7. What is the term for an elected member?

    Each term is a maximum of three years, although some may retire early for personal reasons. As above there is a three consecutive term limit that an elected VN Council member can serve, after which they will have to wait two years before re-standing.

    Under the Code of Conduct for Council and Committee Members a mechanism is in place so that Council members may be investigated and potentially removed for issues relating to poor conduct/behaviour. 

  • 9. Where are meetings held?

    As the RCVS is currently in temporary office space, we cannot guarantee at present where future meetings of VN Council will take place, although we are aiming to hold around 50% of these meetings virtually. However, more information about where the RCVS will be holding its committee and VN Council meetings will be published in due course.

  • 10. When are meetings held?

    VN Council meetings are generally held in February, May, September and November. RCVS Day is generally the first or second Friday of July.

    Subcommittees and working parties meet on a more ad hoc basis.

  • 11. Is the RCVS family friendly?

    We certainly try to be, both for staff and Council members. Council and Committee meetings are planned at least a year in advance, although additional meetings may be added at shorter notice and, generally, there are fewer meetings during the holiday periods, because we follow an academic calendar. 

  • 12. Would I be paid for Council work?

    VN Council members are not paid directly for the work they do. However, employers can claim a loss of earnings allowance on your behalf (and, if you are self-employed, you can do this). The rate is currently set at £155 per day, but this is currently under review.

    Days spent on specific College business can be claimed for – eg meetings – but not time spent on emails or preparation for a meeting.

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