RSPCA: Board overhaul call

A survey of Royal Society for the Protection of Animals (RSPCA) staff has revealed that 43 per cent believed that the governance was ‘ineffective and poor’ with only four per cent satisfied with the current set-up.

The RSPCA has been without a chief executive for two years – causing it to suffer from strategic drift.

“After two years of protracted pressure, there is finally going to be an external review of the governance of the RSPCA,” said Jamie Major, Unite regional officer.

“This is a crucial opportunity to bring the organisation kicking and screaming into the 21^st century by modernising its outdated, ineffective and stale governance structures,” he added.

Unite praises the 1,600-strong RSPCA workforce, who investigate an average of 150,000 cruelty complaints annually – but Unite feels that it could do even better with a radical governance overhaul.

Two RSPCA trustees resigned last month citing concerns about the management and governance of the charity.

According to Third Sector magazine resignation letters from Christopher Laurence and Sally Phillips expressed concern about the running of the animal charity, which has been without a chief executive since the resignation on medical grounds of Gavin Grant in February 2014.

David Canavan, vice chair of the charity, has been acting chief executive while a permanent replacement for Grant is found.

“The lack of a CEO for the past two years has resulted in a loss of leadership and deteriorating morale which has been exacerbated by the poor quality of trustee decision-making that exists on the RSPCA governmental board,” said Jamie.

Unite is concerned that the 25-strong RSPCA board of trustees that is currently drawn from ‘a narrow pool’ of RSPCA members, some of whom have been on the board for decades. Other charities adhere to the maximum of two three-year terms.

The board is also too large and unwieldly with the commensurate big remuneration bill; the average charity board is 13 and trustees being ultimately responsible for the charity’s ‘mission’, which means there should be more transparency and independent evaluations conducted on the board’s performance.

“Unite is calling on the RSPCA to use this review as an opportunity to overhaul its board and committees to ensure it has the right people from a wide range of backgrounds with the necessary skills to lead the organisation forward,” said Jamie.

“RSPCA staff work really hard to look after the welfare and safety of animals. We want a board in which we can be confident will also look after its staff,” he added.