TRUSTEES' REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2022
38 Animal Welfare Committee
This committee has the following responsibilities and purposes.
Advocacy, prevention and policy development
l Review of advocacy and prevention programmes in the
annual corporate plan in line with the strategy
l Recommendations to the Board on new strategies to
advance advocacy and prevention aims
l Regular reviews of animal welfare policies and
recommendation of changes to the Board
International
l Strategy reviews for international prevention work delivery
l Monitoring of effective delivery of the strategy
internationally
l Determination of the uses of restricted funds overseas
in line with the strategy
RSPCA Assured
l Recommendations to the Board on significant amendments
to the RSPCA's farm animal welfare standards
l Reviewing the relationship between the RSPCA and RSPCA
Assured and its strategic achievements
Inspectorate
l Monitoring of Inspectorate and National Control Centre
performance in line with the strategy
l Annual reviews of the Inspectorate's Special Operations Unit
strategic objectives
Animal care and veterinary services
l Monitoring the effectiveness of the RSPCA licensing
scheme for its animal establishments, including those run
by branches
l Advice to the Board on systemic issues affecting the quality
of animal care and rehoming
l Reviewing our strategy delivery via vet services
l Oversight of regulatory compliance and recommendations
of changes to the Board
Prosecutions
l Monitoring the effectiveness of animal welfare prosecutions
in the delivery of our strategy
l Reviewing the prosecutions policy and recommending
changes to the Board
Governance and Nomination Committee
This independently chaired committee has the following tasks:
l development of our governance policies and procedures
l oversight of trustees' complaints and sanctions
l arrangement of trustees' skills audits
l review of Board effectiveness
l oversight of elected trustees' recruitment and training.
It also assists the Board in having a clear, agreed and effective
approach to equity, diversity and inclusion throughout the
RSPCA and in its own practice.
The Governance and Nomination Committee (GNC) consists
of three Board members and up to two independent co-opted
members who bring relevant expertise. A chair is elected from
the co-opted members and a vice-chair from the trustee
members. The chief legal officer assists the GNC.
Branch Affairs Committee
The Branch Affairs Committee (BAC) oversees branch governance
and effective communication across the RSPCA network:
l the National Society
l RSPCA regional boards
l RSPCA branches
l affiliated charities.
Its purpose is to provide our branches with leadership, to
represent their views and to promote harmonious working
relationships within the network.
It consists of three trustees (including the chair of the committee)
and 10 regional chairs elected from our 10 regions.
Veterinary nurses prepare a dog for surgery
in the Bristol Animal Rescue Centre clinic.