Guidance

Government Veterinary Services Steering Group: terms of reference

Published 31 January 2020

This guidance was withdrawn on

This terms of reference is out of date and has been archived.

© Crown copyright 2020

This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.

Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.

This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-veterinary-services-steering-group-terms-of-reference/government-veterinary-services-steering-group-terms-of-reference

Purpose

To provide direction, strategic oversight and a joined-up approach for the activities of the Government Veterinary Service (GVS) profession in support of the government’s Veterinary Public Health priorities.

Aims

Help to ensure that all relevant branches of government have the veterinary capability that they require. Vets in government serve to safeguard the health and welfare of animals and humans, contributing to a safer environment for all.

  • to identify opportunities for synergy of veterinary services across government, and to facilitate delivering them
  • attract, develop and retain talented individuals to the profession, as set out in the GVS workforce strategy, 2019 to 2022
  • improve stakeholder and wider public perception of the government veterinary role, highlighting the crucial contribution to Veterinary Public Health

Key functions

Support the wider GVS network as follows:

Meeting the business needs

Working collaboratively to ensure that the individual veterinary roles within government meet the business needs of the employer and also provide maximum opportunity for a worthwhile veterinary career in government. To include opportunities for progression (responsibility, scope and depth) and for intellectual content of the veterinary role.

Recruitment and promotional

Challenge and review existing marketing techniques used for the ‘GVS career product’. As a result, identify more innovative and attractive recruitment campaigns to increase intake to the profession.

Portfolio Veterinary Career Paths

Promote and encourage translation of secondments/PDP into ‘portfolio’ veterinary career paths, including internal GVS and the wider profession, for example GVS benefits from vets coming from outside the civil service.

Skills transfer, learning and development

Ensure that the GVS profession continues to provide and identifies the value of:

  • opportunities for sharing of best practice and collaborative working to achieve shared goals or to help meet similar challenges
  • opportunities for role swaps, shadowing, internal and external loans and secondments across government departments
  • access to learning and development opportunities, with the support of line managers and underpinned by a success profile framework and good performance management, to build a skills portfolio

Performance and Talent Management

To discuss and review talent management up to Grade 6. Note that individual organisation processes differ and that many line managers are not vets, therefore not all are sighted on broader opportunities to further develop GVS career paths. The overall aim is to recognise talent and ensure consistency in all areas. Matters will be discussed at the following quarterly meetings:

  • April: reminder of talent management guidance for managerial use
  • July: annual critical post mapping update and succession planning update
  • October: review of Professional Development Tool (formerly known as Maturity Assessment) - reminder of talent management guidance

Diversity and Wellbeing

Monitor and address any emerging diversity or wellbeing issues affecting the profession in collaboration with Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), British Veterinary Association (BVA), Association of Government Veterinarians (AGV), Veterinary Public Health Association (VPHA) or other relevant organisations as appropriate.

Veterinary education

Monitor and receive biannual feedback reports on the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) Ambassadors Programme and extramural study (EMS) placement scheme and future initiatives, for example extending Ambassador scheme to the Food Standards Agency (FSA). Review current GVS input into vet schools curricula, EMS, PDP and post graduate opportunities for example Veterinary Continuous Education in Europe (VetCEE), identifying potential new approaches where appropriate.

Communications

Oversee delivery of an effective communications strategy, promoting GVS careers and highlighting the importance of government vets to stakeholders, veterinary students and the general public.

Collaboration

Foster ongoing collaborative relationships with the RCVS, BVA, AGV, VPHA, UK vet schools (via Vet Schools Council or VPH teaching group) and any other relevant organisations.

GVS Policy Team (via Secretariat)

Track and provide a GVS link to the ongoing development of BVA/RCVS vet-led team initiatives and the progress of professional recognition of veterinary paraprofessionals.

Governance

The Steering Group, to meet quarterly, will:

  • provide a senior steer and point of accountability to the GVS Internal Working Group (IWG) tasking it with specific actions and progress updates
  • expect all members (or their deputies) to actively participate in the Group’s work, taking on specific tasks as requested by the Chair
  • maintain a distinct and separate function from the Future Veterinary Capability and Capacity Project (FVCCP), while identifying potential overlaps and opportunities for information sharing and collaboration
  • share information between members to ensure a joined-up approach to GVS recruitment, retention, development and promotion

Membership

  • UK Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) and Head of Profession (Chair)
  • CVO Wales
  • CVO Northern Ireland
  • CVO Scotland
  • UK CVO Office: Veterinary Coordinator to UK CVO
  • FSA: Veterinary Director
  • APHA: Veterinary Director
  • APHA: Veterinary Head of Careers, Education and Quality
  • APHA: HR Business Partner
  • APHA: External Communications Business Partner
  • Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD): Head of Anti-Microbial Resistance
  • Cefas: Epidemiologist
  • Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) Lead Vet
  • Home Office Lead Vet
  • Ministry of Defence (MoD) Chief Veterinary Officer
  • Public Health England (PHE) Representative
  • Defra: Head of Veterinary Professional Services
  • Secretariat: Veterinary Professional Services Team

Review cycle

The terms of reference will be reviewed on an annual basis.

Document revision number Date of Steering Group Approval/Review
Original 15 July 2019
First revision (due July 2020)  
Back to top