Committee and Officer Terms of Reference

Document: Committee and Officer Terms of Reference
Status: Adopted and in force
Version: 1.0
Adopted by: The members in general meeting
Effective date: 1 January 2020
Last reviewed: January 2026 (reaffirmed without amendment)
Next review due: January 2029
Review cycle: Every three years

1. The Management Committee

1.1 The Management Committee (“the Committee”) is the governing body of the Society, constituted under clause 7 of the Constitution.

1.2 The Committee’s functions are to:

1. direct the affairs of the Society in accordance with the Constitution and the Society’s policies;
2. admit members, receive and determine complaints, and exercise all other powers conferred on it by the Constitution and subordinate documents;
3. manage the Society’s finances, including fixing the application fee and recommending the annual subscription;
4. maintain the Society’s public directory, website, and communications;
5. adopt, review, and amend policies of the Society (other than the Constitution, which is amended by the members in general meeting);
6. appoint sub-committees and panels; and
7. report to the members at the Annual General Meeting.

2. Composition

2.1 The Committee consists of not fewer than three and not more than nine members, comprising the Chair, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and up to six further Committee members.

2.2 Only Members and Senior Members in good standing are eligible for election.

2.3 Committee members are elected by the members at the Annual General Meeting. The term of office is two years. Terms may be renewed; no Committee member shall serve more than three consecutive terms in the same office without a break of at least one year.

3. The Chair

3.1 The Chair presides at meetings of the Committee and at general meetings of the Society, and has a casting vote in the event of a tie.

3.2 The Chair is the principal public representative of the Society and speaks for the Committee on policy matters.

3.3 The Chair signs contracts on behalf of the Society (acting on behalf of the members) jointly with the Secretary or the Treasurer.

4. The Secretary

4.1 The Secretary is responsible for:

1. convening meetings and circulating agendas and papers;
2. taking, circulating, and retaining minutes;
3. maintaining the Register of Members, the Register of Interests, and the records of complaints and appeals;
4. acting as the point of first contact for applications and complaints;
5. maintaining the Society’s policies and ensuring that published versions are current; and
6. such other duties as the Committee may assign.

5. The Treasurer

5.1 The Treasurer is responsible for:

1. keeping proper books of account;
2. collecting subscriptions, fees, and other income;
3. authorising payments within the limits set by the Committee;
4. presenting quarterly financial reports to the Committee and an annual statement to the members at the Annual General Meeting; and
5. engaging the independent examiner appointed by the members.

6. Meetings

6.1 The Committee shall meet at least quarterly. The Chair may call additional meetings, and shall call a meeting on the written request of not fewer than three Committee members.

6.2 Notice of a Committee meeting shall be given not less than seven days in advance, save in urgent cases where shorter notice may be given with the consent of the Chair.

6.3 The quorum for a meeting is three members, including at least one officer.

6.4 Meetings may be held in person, by electronic means, or a combination of both, provided that each participant can hear and be heard by every other participant.

6.5 Decisions are by simple majority of those present and voting. The Chair has a casting vote.

6.6 A written resolution signed by all Committee members has the same force as a resolution passed at a meeting.

7. Sub-committees and Panels

7.1 The Committee may appoint sub-committees and panels, including:

1. Complaints Panels (constituted under the Complaints, Discipline and Appeals Procedure);
2. Appeals Panels (constituted under that Procedure);
3. Standing sub-committees for CPD, membership, directory, and communications.

7.2 Sub-committees report to the Committee. The Committee remains responsible for delegated functions.

8. Decisions Reserved to the Members

8.1 The following are not within the Committee’s power and are reserved to the members in general meeting:

1. amendment of the Constitution;
2. dissolution of the Society;
3. the setting of the annual subscription rate;
4. the appointment of the independent examiner; and
5. the admission of Honorary Members.

9. Remuneration and Expenses

9.1 Committee members are not remunerated for their service on the Committee.

9.2 Reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred on Society business may be reimbursed on production of receipts, subject to any expenses policy adopted by the Committee.

10. Vacancies

10.1 A casual vacancy arising between Annual General Meetings may be filled by co-option. A co-opted member serves until the next Annual General Meeting, at which they may stand for election.

11. Removal

11.1 A Committee member may be removed from office by a resolution of the members in general meeting passed by a simple majority, provided that the Committee member has been given written notice of the proposed resolution not less than twenty-one days in advance and has had an opportunity to address the meeting.

12. Accountability

12.1 The Committee is accountable to the members in general meeting. The Annual Report of the Chair shall include a statement of the Committee’s principal decisions in the year, the Society’s financial position, the numbers of new members, complaints received and determined, and any material policy changes.