Management policies and procedures

RSPB Safeguarding Policy

As an organisation that works with children and vulnerable adults, the RSPB acknowledges its duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and vulnerable adults. We are committed to ensuring our safeguarding practice reflects statutory responsibilities, government guidance and complies with best practice and regulatory requirements wherever we operate as a charity.

RSPB Volunteering Policy

Our ability to speak out for nature depends in part, upon the support of our volunteers.

The activities of our volunteers are crucial to our work and the RSPB seeks volunteer involvement wherever appropriate.

This volunteering policy aims to reflect the high esteem in which the RSPB holds volunteers. Volunteers are an established, valued and integral part of the RSPB. They enhance our work by bringing valuable skills, experiences and energy as well as their gift of time. They champion the cause and often challenge opinions and perspectives whilst demonstrating loyalty and commitment to our mission.

RSPB diversity policy

The RSPB is part of a global network that incorporates a diversity of traditions and cultures, and which represents different inheritances, backgrounds, influences, perspectives and experiences. A better understanding of people’s differences will help us to appreciate and value everyone’s contribution, and recognise that we are all an integral and invaluable part of the society.

RSPB Gender Pay Gap

We have published our gender pay gap data in line with new UK government legislation - see the download on the right hand side for our report. The gender pay gap looks at the difference between average hourly salaries of men and women across the organisation, and gender composition of workforce by seniority. We have already started working on ways to address this and some of these are highlighted in the report.

Executive remuneration procedure

The remunerations procedure, discharged by the Chairman and the Treasurer, reviews the Chief Executive’s remuneration taking into account factors such as performance and salaries paid in comparable organisations. Arising from this, the RSPB Council is responsible for setting and reviewing the salary of the Chief Executive, who in turn is responsible for setting and reviewing the salaries of the Management Board. More information about the level of executive pay is provided in the Trustees Report and Accounts.

Professor Steve Ormerod, Chairman of RSPB Council: "Large charities are exceedingly complex organisations in which leading staff have far-reaching and multi-functional roles in which there are major requirements not only for charitable operations, strategy and delivery - but also for the safety of a great many people and property, for financial management involving the highest standards of excellence and probity, for effective management across a large staff and volunteer base with wide-ranging expertise and for development and innovation in what is now a very fast-moving world. 

"While we must, of course, dispense our funds - including salaries - with our charitable intent absolutely to the fore, our organisations must attract leaders of the highest possible calibre in what is a competitive employment market.  

"In the end, our charitable objects and performance depends on us employing the best possible people - and my experience from more than 30 years working alongside charities is that the payback in our capability outweighs our salary expenditure many-fold." 

Conflicts of interest procedure

Following their election to the RSPB Council, each trustee receives a briefing pack outlining their role, together with information on the RSPB, its policies, structures and work. Each new trustee completes a register of interests and related party transactions - this register is updated annually and whenever any changes occur.