CODE OF CONDUCT FOR WORKING WITH CHILDREN
All Trustees, Staff and Volunteers working for Grace Educational Trust must sign up to and abide by this Code of Conduct.
Trustees, Staff and Volunteers should always:
- Respect the culture, privacy and dignity of each and every child.
- Promote a culture of openness which allows children to express their issues and concerns with staff/volunteers.
- Inform children about steps or interventions being taken on their behalf.
Trustees, Staff and Volunteers should never:
- Discriminate against a child on the grounds of race, culture, religion, gender, sexuality, age or disability.
- Hit, kick or otherwise physically abuse a child
- Kiss, hug, fondle, or touch a child in an inappropriate or culturally insensitive way.
- Initiate any type of physical contact with a child which could be deemed inappropriate e.g. holding hands with older children.
- Develop a sexual relationship with a child or behave physically in a manner which is inappropriate or sexually provocative
- Allow children to engage in sexually provocative games with each other.
- Perpetrate any form of emotional abuse e.g. use language that will emotionally abuse a child or act in any way that may embarrass, shame, belittle or degrade a child.
- Develop relationships with children which could in any way be deemed exploitative or abusive.
- Act in ways that may be abusive or may place a child at risk of abuse
- Stand aside when they see inappropriate actions inflicted on children by each other because they see it as frequent or commonplace
- Use language, make suggestions or offer advice which is inappropriate, offensive abusive or culturally insensitive.
- Take a child/children with whom they are working away from the work place without authorisation from the manager in charge
- Take a child to their home or the home of a friend/acquaintance
- Do things for children of a personal nature that they can do for themselves
- Be alone with a child when they are bathing, showering etc.
- Take a camera, video camera or mobile phone camera into any place where children are not fully dressed.
- Take photographs of a child without their permission
- Publish photos on the internet without first obtaining permission from the relevant Child Protection Officer
- Encourage a child to show “hero worship” or develop a “crush” towards them
- Condone, or participate in, behaviour of children which is illegal, unsafe or abusive.
- Discriminate against, show differential treatment, or favour particular children to the exclusion of others.
- Take a child on the back of a two vehicle under any circumstances.
- Give medical/first aid treatment to a child without wearing appropriate medical gloves.
NB This is not an exhaustive or exclusive list. Trustees, Staff and Volunteers must avoid actions or behaviour which may constitute poor practice or potentially abusive behaviour
In general it is always inappropriate to:
- spend time alone with children away from others
Remember that adults are always responsible for the interaction between adult and child even when it may appear that the child is behaving in a provocative manner. The adult should always limit physical contact with the child and never touch them in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable, but please use common sense as it is quite appropriate to shake hands in greeting or to give a quick hug to a child who is distraught after falling down and injuring themselves.