Regulation

Professional Regulation

Role of the Allied Veterinary Professional Regulatory Council

The role of the AVPRC is to establish standards and procedures that support self-regulation of allied veterinary professionals in New Zealand.

The goals of the AVPRC are to provide voluntary guidelines for educational and practicing standards in order to protect animal welfare, and the public interest, by ensuring that allied veterinary professionals (AVPs) are fit to practice.

We do this by promoting professional and educational standards and producing voluntary guidelines, including:

• minimum standards for AVP practice
• minimum standards of AVP conduct and professionalism
• minimum standards for AVP education
• minimum standards of AVP education
• minimum standards for accreditation of AVP educational providers

We also conduct self-regulatory processes including:

• reviewing concerns about AVP performance, professional conduct, or health
• holding a voluntary register/list of AVPs
• recognising appropriate qualifications for registration
• advising and making recommendations to stakeholders and relevant veterinary industry bodies about AVP issues that affect regulation

 

About the Allied Veterinary Professional Regulatory Council

In December 2014 the NZVNA Executive Committee appointed the Allied Veterinary Professional Regulatory Council (AVPRC) tasked with initiating the move toward professional regulation of Allied Veterinary Professionals*.

The AVPRC has been given autonomy for operative governance within the NZVNA constitution to ensure minimal conflict of interest between the representative and regulatory branches of the organisation.

The Veterinary Council of New Zealand (VCNZ) has extended full support and assistance to the AVPRC to help establish infrastructure in line with policies and procedures of the VCNZ, with a goal toward ultimately achieving a combined Veterinary Regulatory Council that ensures collaboration and coherence of all professionals working within the veterinary industry in New Zealand. The AVPRC Chair, Jennifer Hamlin sits as an observer at VCNZ meetings and is also a member of the VCNZ Professional Standards Committee.

The AVPRC will be governed and funded as a working group of the NZVNA until such time as the Veterinary Act is amended through legislative change. Until that time, we foresee the AVPRC will function in a manner similar to the VCNZ.

Additional support has been expressed by the New Zealand Veterinary Association and the New Zealand Companion Animal Council.
 

AVPRC Structure

There is currently a main executive council and two sub committees, as well as a registrar and administrative support persons.
 

 

Members:

Jennifer Hamlin (VN) Chair regulation@nzvna.org.nz

Julie Hutt (VN) NZVNA Representative

Catherine Rice (VN) Academic Adviser

Julie Jacques (VN/LLB) Legal Adviser

Tim Scotland (VET) LAVT Representative

Ruby Hinton (LAY) Industry

Kathy Airns (VN) Clinical Adviser

Adrienne Dodge (LAY) Secretary

Educational Standards Committee (ESC) - The ESC makes recommendations to Council on issues such as the development and maintenance of minimum standards for veterinary nursing qualifications, international cross-mapping with countries such as the UK and North America, standards for recognition of international AVP qualifications, and voluntary accreditation guidelines for providers of veterinary nursing (and related) education in NZ.

 

Members:

Francesca Brown (VET) Chair

Hayley Squance (VT) Academic

Lisa English (VN) Academic/Specialty

Ali Maw (VET) Academic/Large Animal

Justine Britton (LAVT) Clinical/Large Animal

Steph MacPherson (VN) Clinical Small Animal

Professional Standards Committee (PSC) – The PSC makes recommendations to Council on issues such as the maintenance and development of professional standards, continuing professional development (CPD) requirements, and development and maintenance of the Code of Professional Conduct.
 

Members:

Patricia Gleason (VN) Chair

Catherine Rice (VN) Academic

Julie Jacques (VN) Clinical/Legal

Kathy Airns (VN) Clinical

Sarah Bray (VN) Industry

Ian Ross (VET) Clinical

Members of all committees are currently appointed, as per constitutional guidelines, but it is envisaged that there will be voted members added in the near future.