1. 1M Item 14(iii)(d)ECU Secretary Election ManifestoGeneral Council Meeting1st June 2011, Zurich<br />Richard Brown DC, LL.M, FBCA, FEAC, FCC<br />Manifesto accompanying nomination for ECU Secretary/EAC Secretary General<br />Introduction<br />I have been nominated by the UK, Switzerland and Greece for the ECU Executive Council office of Secretary and the office of Secretary General of the European Academy of Chiropractic. Recognising the important responsibilities that these offices bring, I welcome the opportunity to run for office at a European level and hope that the experience outlined in this manifesto statement will qualify me as the best candidate for these roles. <br />My experience within the profession spans the political, educational and clinical arenas. I remain active in private practice and have worked with elite athletes for over a decade at Olympic and Commonwealth level. As President of the BCA during one of its most challenging periods, I have experienced the highs and lows of political leadership and recognise that the single most important element is to always act in the best interests of the membership I represent. If elected, I undertake to discharge the important duties of the offices to the best of my ability and help in taking the ECU forward towards its 2020 Vision. <br />Private Practice<br />I qualified in 1990 from the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic and have worked in continuous private practice in the United Kingdom since this time. Having owned and developed a number of clinics, I am currently the clinic director of a busy multidisciplinary clinic in Stroud, a rural market town on the edge of the Cotswolds in the county of Gloucestershire. I continue to maintain a busy private chiropractic practice and work closely with medical and other healthcare practitioners.<br />Legal Aspects of Chiropractic and Medical Practice<br />I graduated from the University of Cardiff with a Master of Laws (LL.M) degree in 2009. My dissertation was entitled “A Cracking Success? The Impact of Statutory Chiropractic Regulation”, which was presented at the ECU Convention in London in 2010 and published in Clinical Chiropractic. This aspect of my studies gave me a detailed insight into chiropractic legislation and statutory regulation not only in the UK, but in Europe and beyond.<br />I have appeared both in the UK Courts and as an expert witness for both prosecution and defence in over 30 hearings of the Professional Conduct Committee of the General Chiropractic Council. I have also provided advice in many other cases at a preliminary level in allegations facing chiropractors and in matters of professional practice.<br />Ethics and professional standards<br />I lecture nationally and internationally on matters relating to chiropractic professional practice and medicolegal affairs. In an advisory capacity, I drafted the ethics and disciplinary procedure of the Singapore Chiropractors Association (2006) and was the principal author of the ECU’s Code of Good Practice (2010). I have also represented the BCA during the process of developing a pan-European standard for chiropractic services (CEN TC394).<br />Education <br />The office of Secretary of the ECU brings with it the office of Secretary-General of the European Academy of Chiropractic. I have served as a member of the AECC Academic Board and currently sit on the AECC Board of Governors. For three years I was a Senior Lecturer and Team Leader at the Welsh Institute of Chiropractic, University of Glamorgan, where I developed and presented the Contemporary Topics in Healthcare module. I remain a visiting lecturer at WIOC and AECC as well as being regularly invited to participate at national and international educational events. Recently, I took part in an ECU Educational Seminar to discuss the future of chiropractic education in Europe.<br />In 2001, I was elected a Fellow of the College of Chiropractors and in 2007 I was honoured to become a Fellow of the EAC.<br />Vision for the ECU<br />The ECU has enjoyed a long tradition of developing the chiropractic profession in Europe. In its 79 years of existence it has evolved and has seen developments that its founders could not have predicted. However, there remains much to do. Many member nations still do not enjoy the privileges and recognition that comes with statutory regulation, nor do they provide chiropractic education in their native lands. For chiropractic to properly evolve and take its place as a recognised mainstream spinal healthcare profession in Europe, the ECU must support nations who seek legislation and teaching facilities. <br />European chiropractic has a proud heritage. It should be rightly proud of its educational institutions, which I believe are the best in the world, and its chiropractors, many of whom have led the way in chiropractic research. Research will remain the currency of the profession and its legitimacy will be judged on its commitment to supporting and applying research in the context of evidence-based care.<br />If elected, I look forward to supporting my colleagues on the Executive Council and working to improve the status of chiropractic in Europe. I am a supporter of the Vision 2020 process and see this as integral to the progress within the ECU. Within the EAC, I feel there is a need to review the Constitution and By-laws and set realistic objectives within a clear budgetary framework. For the EAC to succeed, it is also my belief that collaboration with sister organisations will help it to deliver enhanced CPD opportunities and a structured PRT programme that will deliver on its aspirations.<br />General<br />I’ve been married to Caroline for over 21 years and have two daughters aged 19 and 16. In my spare time I ride a Honda Blackbird and enjoy writing and sport.<br />