Strategic Plan 2022-2025
President's introduction
This Strategic Plan 2022-2025 details work the Veterinary Practitioners Registration Board of Victoria (Vet Board) will undertake to transform its regulatory functions and services over the next three years.
The Strategic Plan sets ambitious goals for the Vet Board and the veterinary sector. It communicates to stakeholders a vision for a regulator that is: Trusted, Respected, Accountable and Responsive-while contributing to a safe, successful and sustainable sector.
So much has changed since we published our Strategic Intent 2018-2021 and Corporate Plan 2019-2022. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has changed how Victorians live, work and play, and our animals are no less affected by the “new normal”.
We’ve set ambitious goals in this plan, enhancing our efforts in delivering preventative and proactive regulation that protects the public and the health and welfare of animals. Over the next three years we will improve and increase our communications, awareness and support initiatives, and develop and share knowledge of trends, risks and insights for the sector. This activity and knowledge will drive our risk-based regulatory approach.
The period 2022-2025 also represents an opportunity for us to build upon the good work already completed from our previous plans, while addressing the future challenges of a changing veterinary sector in a changing Victoria.
President
Veterinary Practitioners Registration Board of Victoria
March 2022
About the Vet Board
Our vision
The sustainable regulation of reliably high-quality veterinary care across Victoria.
Our mission
To protect the public and the health and welfare of animals.
Our values
- Responsiveness
- Integrity
- Impartiality
- Accountability
- Respect
- Leadership
- Human rights
Key trends within the veterinary sector
- The COVID-19 pandemic has limited demand growth for costlier and more advanced procedures.
- Growth in the number of households with pet insurance has benefited the sector.
- Household expenditure on pets is likely to increase as economic conditions improve.
- Veterinarians have offered a wider range of services.
- Rising importance of breeding stock quality will likely boost rural demand for veterinary services.
- Regulation changes have reduced demand from the greyhound racing sector.
- Advances in medical and surgical procedures will likely increase the range of services available.
- Mental health problems remain disproportionately high in veterinary professionals.
- Owner attitudes and behaviours and workplace leadership and management are increasingly identified as contributors to poor veterinary wellbeing.
- Professional attrition, particularly from clinical work, is driving increased veterinary recruitment challenges.
From IBISWorld Veterinary Services in Australia M6970, June 2021; Australian Veterinary Association (AVA), Veterinary Workforce Survey 2021 Analysis Report, December 2021; Superfriend, AVA Veterinary Wellness Strategy Final Report, September 2021.
The Vet Board is Victoria's regulator of veterinary practitioners
The Vet Board’s Strategic Plan 2022–2025, together with our Regulatory Strategy, outlines how we will regulate for a safe, successful and sustainable veterinary sector.
The plan describes how we will protect the health and welfare of animals and the health and safety of the public and contribute to the recovery of the Victorian economy and community in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Vet Board has identified six priority areas for the next three years, where focus, improvement and cooperation will ensure the Victorian veterinary sector is a sustainable, national leader.
Priorities 2022-2025
RESPONSIVE REGULATION
We will strengthen our capacity to take firm action when needed to keep the public and animals safe and hold veterinary practitioners to account by embedding an improved risk-based approach to the investigation and enforcement of complaints. |
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Outcomes
- Implement a new Regulatory Strategy with enhanced prioritisation and risk assessment tools
- Review and revise our investigation and compliance policy suite
- Reduce the backlog of matters for investigation
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PROACTIVE PREVENTION
We will focus on building awareness and providing increased support so that veterinary practitioners understand what they need to do to comply with their obligations and how they contribute to a safe and sustainable industry. |
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Outcomes
- The implementation of an annual awareness and support campaign
- Increased participation by veterinary practitioners, peak bodies and the community in preventing and managing risk within the sector
- Tertiary education and continuing education providers are supported to provide training tailored to current risks and issues
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OUR SERVICES
We will improve our registration and complaint systems and processes to provide modern, timely and reliable services to veterinary practitioners, the community and our sector partners. |
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Outcomes
- Enhanced online materials and systems for registered practitioners
- Increased transparency of compliance actions and their outcomes
- Consumers are well informed in veterinary care and understand the responsibilities of all participants
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BUILDING CAPABILITIES
Just as we expect practitioners to learn and develop, so too will we by enhancing our intelligence and data insight capabilities and broadening our stakeholder and engagement activities and communication. |
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Outcomes
- Increased communication of industry trends and insights leading to solutions and opportunity-focused discussions
- Regulatory initiatives and decisions are risk-based and intelligence-led
- Increased methods and channels for communication and engagement with the community, veterinary practitioners and partners
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ORGANISATIONAL EXCELLENCE
We commit to delivering on our priorities by fostering a high performance culture that values our people and invests in their learning and development. |
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Outcomes
- Staff safety, health and wellbeing focus
- Staff performance and development plans aligned with our Strategic and Regulatory Plans
- Service delivery that reflects community, stakeholders and government expectations and is based on the Victorian Public Sectors Values
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FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
With greater access to information and convenient technologies, our stakeholders expect us to be a best-practice regulator with modern systems, adaptable processes and real-time responses. We will develop a sustainable financial model that enables the Vet Board to be a modern and trusted regulator while supporting industry growth and sustainability. |
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Outcomes
- An affordable, sustainable financial model is developed for the regulation of veterinary practitioners into the future, driven by better outcomes for people and animals and efficient, cost-effective processes
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How we'll do it
Being outcomes-driven
This means we focus on the impact of what we, veterinary practitioners and the community do, rather than on rules for rules sake. Focusing on impact is essential to making sure we are delivering public value by improving the health and welfare of animals and protecting the public.
A focus on service
Communicating clearly, promptly and respectfully, improving systems and processes for the advancement of the sector, and partnering with practitioners and stakeholders to solve problems.
A commitment to learning
Continuously developing and building capability to improve how we regulate and tackle challenges within the sector.
Being responsive and adaptive
Listening, identifying and responding to risks and opportunities to reduce or prevent harm using contemporary tools and data.
Being values-driven
Our values underpin everything we do.
Influencing systemic improvements
We will work with our regulatory partners to address complex problems through the improvement of policy, legislation and practice.
Working with others through supporting strategies
This plan is intended to complement the Minister for Agriculture’s Statement of Expectations. It connects with other plans for supporting a stronger veterinary sector including the Vet Board’s Regulatory Strategy and those of the Australasian Veterinary Boards Council, the Australian Veterinary Association, the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and the Medicines and Poisons Regulation Branch of the Victorian Department of Health.
Measuring and reporting
The Vet Board reports to the Victorian Government on priority outcomes through its Annual Report and response to the Minister for Agriculture’s Statement of Expectations.
Annual progress reports
The Vet Board will report on progress towards outcomes in each of our six priority areas.
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Download a printable version of the Vet Board's Strategic Plan 2022-2025 (PDF)
Date of publication
March 2022