Feature
Strengthening our governance
With big ambitions for RCOT and the occupational therapy profession , we need our governance to be fit for purpose and future-proof . In the second of a three-part series , here we share how we ’ ve been engaging with members and what the planned changes are .
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n the April issue ( OTnews , April 2024 , pages 12-15 ), we looked at why Council is leading a review of our governance , over a phased approach , and what the journey will look like .
To recap , governance is a system of rules and practices that guide how an organisation is run and how it makes decisions . We have big ambitions for the profession and to be able to deliver on them , we need our governance to be fit for purpose today and in the future .
The changes being proposed will help safeguard that future . They will make us a more responsive , focused and efficient organisation , able to deliver the greatest impact for our members and the wider profession .
Council wants to give members the opportunity to get a deeper understanding of the review . To engage with our members , we have created a comprehensive governance hub on the website , with further information and FAQs , and we are holding regular drop-in sessions for members to meet with Council to hear more and ask further questions .
Two drop-in sessions have been held already , enabling us to have rich and engaging discussions on the importance of governance and how it will help safeguard and strengthen our decision making in the future ( see box out for details of the next drop-in sessions ).
Creating clearer distinction
One of the changes we ’ re proposing is to create clearer distinction between the British Association of Occupational Therapists ( BAOT ) and the Royal College of Occupational Therapists ( RCOT ) and their respective roles and responsibilities .
Currently , BAOT Council members and RCOT Council members are the same and the meetings are run together .
Trustees ( elected Council members ) have a legal duty to act in the best interests of the charity . To do this , they can ’ t be in a position where their duty to the charity conflicts with interests or loyalty to another person or organisation .
As members of both Councils are the same , it can be difficult to demonstrate that RCOT Council is acting solely in the interests of the charity . That ’ s why we ’ re proposing to create clearer distinction between BAOT Council and an RCOT Board of Trustees .
We want to do this by changing the name of RCOT Council to RCOT Board of Trustees and by holding separate meetings for each governing body . Each organisation can then confidently be focused on carrying out the purpose they were established for and have clear documentation to support how finances , responsibilities and decisions are managed between the two organisations .
The only real difference that members will see from this is that , in the meeting minutes , it will be clear which activities each organisation is responsible for .
Bringing in additional business expertise
RCOT Council ( or in future , RCOT Board of Trustees ) already has a wealth of experience and expertise in occupational therapy , with our nine elected directors . While elected experts in occupational therapy can bring critical insight to issues facing the profession and what it is members need from their professional body , they aren ’ t necessarily experts in all areas of business , such as digital transformation , marketing or finance .
The Charity Commission expects charity boards to regularly consider the mix of skills , knowledge and experience it needs to govern , lead and deliver the charity ’ s purpose , through the Charity Governance Code .
We want to supplement the valuable occupational therapy skills and experience we have in our elected members and support those elected members by strengthening their ability to collectively challenge management , to ensure they make the best decisions and manage resources responsibly and sustainably .
The elected OTs on Council will always be the majority . We ’ re proposing to change our operating rules to recruit up to four new trustees to support the
6 OTnews May 2024