Committees, subcommittees and groups
Discover all our committees and their roles. These specialist bodies provide expert guidance on veterinary practice and regulation.
Professional Conduct Liaison Committee
The Professional Conduct Liaison Committee serves as a channel for communication between the Preliminary Investigation and Disciplinary Committees and the Officer Team, discussing policy issues in connection with the supervision of professional conduct.
Members
Prof David Barrett – Junior Vice-President (Chair)
Miss Linda Belton - Treasurer
Dr Sam Bescoby - RCVS Council member, and Chair, Standards
Ms Linda Ford – RCVS Council member (Lay)
Ms Helen Grantham – RCVS Council member (Lay)
Dr Zara Kennedy - RCVS Council member
Mr Paul Morris - Chair, DC
Mr Mark Stobbs - Chair, VN PIC
Dr Bradley Viner - Chair, PIC (Vice-Chair)
Francesca Hayes - Secretary (T 020 7965 1033, E [email protected])
Terms of reference
The Professional Conduct Liaison Committee shall include the chair of the Preliminary Investigation Committee (PIC), the chair of the RVN Preliminary Investigation Committee (RVN PIC), the chair of the Disciplinary Committee (DC), at least two members of Council one of whom is a member of the Officer Team, the chair of Standards Committee (SC). The member of the Officer Team to undertake the role of chair of the (liaison) committee for a three-year term, usually incoming Junior Vice-President in the year that the role becomes vacant.
The Professional Conduct Liaison Committee shall serve as a channel for communication between the Preliminary Investigation, Charter Case and Disciplinary Committees and Council, discussing policy issues in connection with the supervision of professional conduct. It will also oversee the work of the Veterinary Client Mediation Service (VCMS), and review reports about any Private Prosecutions the College may take. Its activities will include the following:
- Periodically reviewing the working methods of both the Professional Conduct team and the relevant committees, including the setting and monitoring of key performance indicators and monitoring processes;
- Monitoring costs and resources related to the committees, the VCMS and private prosecutions;
- Arrangements for the recruitment of members of the statutory committees (with the relevant Chair consulted in the process of specifications being drawn up), including deciding the membership of the independent selection panel and overseeing the process (final decision on successful candidates to be ratified by Council), appraisal of their performance and the process for selection for chairs;
- Arrangements for the appointment of legal advisors (including legal assessors) in connection with the professional conduct function; and,
- Facilitating a ‘feedback loop’ between DC and CCC decisions, outcomes of the PIC and RVN PIC, the SC and the VCMS.
The ProfCon Liaison Committee shall also monitor the impact of the protocol for private prosecutions against unqualified individuals, which commenced on 1 April 2023.
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