On the case
A guide for members
Advice, support and
representation from the RCN
Support from your regional office
If you are a full nurse, health practitioner or student member, you are entitled to legal advice and, in appropriate circumstances, support on any work-related matter. The type of support you receive will depend on the circumstances of your case, and at the RCN’s discretion you may be advised and represented by a local RCN Activist, Assistant RCN Officer, RCN Officer or ultimately an RCN Legal Officer or other solicitor appointed by the RCN. Representation in a disciplinary or a grievance proceeding involving your employer are handled by an RCN Activist, Assistant RCN Officer or RCN Officer, at the discretion of the RCN.
Your RCN representative will act promptly and conscientiously on your behalf, and will keep you informed at every stage of the process.
If the RCN policy on support for members on work-related problems changes, then we will of course keep you fully updated, and this leaflet will be revised accordingly.
Support for members working overseas
Unfortunately, we can provide only limited support for members who work overseas (with the exception of issues relating to the RCN members’ indemnity scheme), full details can be found at www.rcn.org.uk/support/legal/indemnityscheme
However, RCN Direct will advise you of any equivalent professional organisation that might be relevant for you to join in the country you propose working in, and in addition that Department provides general written guidance on working overseas, including advice on some of the problems you may encounter.
Your rights
We will endeavour to ensure that we always act in your best interests when trying to resolve your problem, obtaining for you the best result practicable. This will be subject of course to our duty to spend RCN members’ subscriptions equitably and prudently, and to allocate our resources accordingly.
We will use reasonable skill and care in providing our services to you.
On the case
Advice, support and representation from the RCN
It is your right to receive our support, guidance or representation regardless of your ethnic or national origins, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation, gender reassignment, disability, marital status or civil partnership, age, pregnancy, or any complaint you may have previously made about the RCN itself.
If, after careful consideration, we find that we are unable to support your request for advice or representation, we will promptly give you a clear and detailed explanation as to why we have taken this decision.
Our rights
We reserve the right to decide the nature and extent of the support we can provide in each and every case, who will deliver this service, and whether we need to appoint an individual or organisation external to the RCN to support you.
We are unable to provide advice or support on any matter that took place before you became a member of the RCN.
In certain situations we will decline to provide or deliver support, including if:
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you ask us to act improperly or unreasonably
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you engage in threatening or abusive behaviour towards others
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you harass your representative or any member of RCN staff
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your RCN representative has a reasonable belief that your claims are based on untrue and unfounded statements
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you persistently disregard our advice or fail to cooperate with requests for information
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your behaviour towards your RCN representative is in our opinion unreasonable, or there has been a loss of trust and confidence between you both.
In exceptional circumstances we may decline to support a claim if we believe that it would have a negative impact on the wider interests of the RCN and/or its members. In this situation we will advise you promptly of our decision, together with details of alternative means of support.
We will inform you of any issues that could affect the success of your case. Where, in our
opinion, your case is unlikely to succeed, we may need to limit or even decline support
for you.
R O Y A L C O L L E G E O F N U R S I N G
