I attended my first council meeting in January, having been well prepared for this in my induction. Along with colleagues, I was supported with resources and guidance regarding the council's role and function and the good governance principles by which it is run. 

The Council meeting does not just govern the College functions that we might be more familiar with, but also seeks assurance on the effective management of the other three entities that make up the Royal College of Nursing Group. It is easy to forget that the College is made up of four separate organisations that fall under the Council's responsibility. All the entities serve the needs of members and the wider nursing profession, for example, through the RCNi journal publications and the RCN Live Event.

Each council member also contributes to the Council's governance by chairing or serving on the various governance committees. I hold an additional role on the board of the RCNi, and I attended my first meeting in January.

The Council meeting considered matters that you might expect to be discussed at a Board meeting. The agenda included items relating to finance and assurance, reports from the Trade Union and Professional Nursing Committee, an update from General Secretary Nicola Ranger, work programme updates, and contemporary issues, such as the publication of the Corridor Care Report. 

The Council's open meetings are recorded, and you can watch them to learn how Royal College functions and see the contributions and participation of individual council members. The link to these recordings on the minutes can be found below. 

I was impressed with the professionalism, the breadth of the agenda and the quality of the information provided by the executives. The Council differs from the boards that we might be more familiar with in our workplaces, where they are generally unitary in design, this means that both executives and non-executives have voting rights when it comes to decision making, The RCN executives do not have voting rights because the Council structure and governance reflects the requirements of Trade Union Legislation. This means the Council members must listen carefully to the executive's advice, seek assurance on the effective management of the four organisations that make up the RCN Group and make decisions with the best interests of the members and the profession in mind. 

Six further Council Meetings are being held this year, and the dates are shared here for your interest. I will provide a regular update at the Regional Board and Branch meetings and you can always contact me on sally.bassett@reps.rcn.org.uk

If you would like to find out more you can view recordings of Council Meetings and meeting minutes online. 

Future Council meetings are scheduled for the following dates:

• Wednesday 29 - Thursday 30 January
• Wednesday 9 - Thursday 10 April
• Sunday 11 May (at Congress)
• Thursday 22 May
• Tuesday 15 - Wednesday 16 July
• Wednesday 29 - Thursday 30 October
• Thursday 27 November