Join our Council and be a leader in the OT community

• Chair of Council: an inspiring and confident leader who’ll manage our organisation, chair Council meetings and ensure the Council function effectively. You must have a professional member for at least five years.
• Council member, Northern Ireland: a member working or living in Northern Ireland who wants to be a key part of our organisational governance and champion occupational therapy.
• Council Member, Scotland: a member working or living in Scotland who wants to be a key part of our organisational governance and champion occupational therapy.
• Council member, England: a member working or living in England who wants to be a key part of our organisational governance and champion occupational therapy.
• Council member, Industrial Relations: a member and a BAOT steward who shall become a member of the BAOT/UNISON Occupational Therapy Panel.
• Council member, Learning and Development: a member working within a higher education establishment providing occupational therapy programmes accredited by RCOT.
• Council member, International Affairs (WFOT): a member with individual WFOT membership who’ll become the representative of BAOT and RCOT on WFOT.

We value the diversity of our membership, and we strongly encourage all sections of our community to apply, especially those from under-represented groups. And we welcome broad perspectives, skills and experiences.

• Nominees must be BAOT/RCOT professional members.
• Nominees for Chair need to have been a member for five years or more.
• Get the support of your manager. Holding these posts requires time away from work which they need to be aware of.
• Current holders of these Council positions are able to stand for re-election should they wish to.

• RCOT is a registered charity and wholly owned subsidiary of BAOT, which acts on behalf of all members of BAOT.
• A Council member of both BAOT and RCOT.
• A director of both BAOT and RCOT (registered at Companies House).
• As RCOT is a charity, you’ll also become a trustee of RCOT.

• Attend four one-day Council meetings a year, primarily held in London, as well as a development/strategy day and any extraordinary Council meetings as necessary.
• Attend the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Annual Conference.
• Be formally responsible for the governance of the organisation, including financial matters, managing identified risks and agreeing and monitoring the organisation’s strategic plan.
• Be ready to consider issues you might not have experience of, thinking beyond your own role and personal views.
• Ensure corporate governance and act as a leader of the profession.
• Be ready to consider issues you might not have experience of, thinking beyond your own role and personal views.
• Contribute to discussions and decisions extending beyond your own area of practice and experience to safeguard the organisation and its members.
• Be responsible for controlling the management and administration of the charity and abide by the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 and the Companies Act 2006.
• Read and consider a large number of documents before each Council meeting. You’ll also receive emails which may ask you to supply specific information by a deadline.

• Contact governance@rcot.co.uk for the application/nomination pack and additional information about the nomination process.
• Nominators and seconders must be members of BAOT/RCOT.
• Send your nominations in either a hard or electronic copy.
• We’ll accept nominations until 12pm (midday) on Tuesday 16 April 2024.

Election will be by a ballot of BAOT members. The independent scrutineer for the ballot, appointed in accordance with the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, will be Civica Election Services. Election results will be announced at the AGM on Thursday 27 June 2024.

• Attend a webinar (4–5pm, Wednesday 3 April) with Steve Ford, CEO, and Odeth Richardson, Chair. This will be a relaxed conversation with potential candidates about the role of Council and Council members – to attend you can contant governance@rcot.co.uk to request a link to the online meeting.
• If you’d like a confidential informal discussion with Steve Ford or Odeth Richardson, contact governance@rcot.co.uk

If we receive only one nomination for a vacancy, this person will be considered elected. If we receive more than one nomination, the BAOT/RCOT Council will hold an electronic ballot to elect the next member. The results of the ballot will be announced at the AGM on Thursday 27 June 2024 when new Council members start their term of office and in June OTnews.