Our governance documents

Use this page to find more information on our royal charter, standing orders, regulations, policies and processes that ensure effective governance within our organisation.

Royal charter

Download a copy of the RCN's royal charter.

Standing orders

Regulations

• Accreditation and dis-accreditation
• Accredited representives, Council, board and committee members – temporary period of absence requests
• Appointment and removal of an assurer
• Branches
• Congress
• Council, board and committee members - fit and proper persons criteria
• Financial regulations
• Financial regulations - financial limits
• Forums
• Health practitioners' constituency
• Membership of the RCN
• Proxy voting at RCN general meetings
• Terms of office 

Policies and Processes

Accreditation and dis-accreditation of RCN representatives

• A guide to RCN representative accreditation, dis-accreditation and transfer

AGM

• A guide to RCN general meetings
• A note on general meetings

Branches

• 2021 branch election procedure
• 2021 branch nomination form
• Branch officer role descriptors
• Election policy and processes for branch committee members
• Finances: funding sources and use of funds - updated September 2016
• Meetings guidance
• Terms of reference for branch committees

Business Continuity

• Business continuity policy

Complaints

• RCN complaints procedure

Conduct

• Member resolution policy
• RCN Code of Conduct
• Respect charter
• Social media policy

Conflicts of interest

• Guidance on the register of interests and managing conflicts
• Register of interests 2022

Congress

• Allocating voting places - guidance for branches and forums
• Congress - policy and process

Consultations

• See also: current consultations
• Standard consulation process

Council

• Council Vision Statement 2018

Council, board and committee meetings 

• Confidentiality at board meetings 
• Policy and process for running meetings of the RCN Council, boards and committees

Data protection and IT

• Data protection policy
• IT policy

Elections and appointments

• RCN appointments - policy and process 
• Process for filling casual vacancies

Expenses

• Expenses policy and guidance (including Appendix 2): Unpaid office holders
• Appendix 1 to Expenses policy and guidance: Expenses rates
• Appendix 3 to Expenses policy and guidance: Claim form

Forums 

• Forum steering committees - terms of reference
• Forum Project Plan Proposal Form

Industrial action

• Code of practice on industrial action
• Strike benefit policy

Investments

• Statement of investment principles

Membership

• Membership policy and process

Modern slavery

• Modern slavery statement

Networking

• Guidelines for RCN boards on professional and trade union networking

RCN Group

• RCN Group strategy and business priorities 2019 - 2021
• RCN Group business priorities 2020 & 2021
• RCN Group values statement

RCN's partnership agreement

• Partnership agreement

Risk

• RCN risk policy

Scheme of delegation

• Scheme of Delegation Policy
• Scheme of Delegation

Temporary periods of absence

• Accredited representives, Council, board and committee members – temporary period of absence requests

Whistleblowing

• Policy and process on whistleblowing for Council, boards and committees