Keep Everybody Safe

Everybody Keep Safe – Code of Conduct

This is a Code of Conduct for Everybody Health & Leisure employees, trustees and anybody connected with the business. Anyone who comes into contact with children or adults (who may be at risk) is in a position of trust. We all have a duty of care to safeguard and promote welfare, at all times.

We all have a duty to ensure the safety of adults or young person involved in any activity for which we are responsible. Any person working with children and adults who may be at risk has a legal and moral duty of care.

Here are some points of good practice

Do:

• Respect the rights, dignity and worth of every person.
• Set high standards of behaviour and appearance for others to follow.
• Clarify with people and their parents or carers what is expected of them and what they can expect from our team, volunteers and the organisation.
• Plan activities so they involve more than one person or at least take place in view of others.
• Ensure activities are appropriate to the age, maturity, experience, and ability of participants.
• Place the well-being and safety of participants above the development of performance.
• Ensure that mixed groups of young people travelling away from home, are accompanied by female and male staff or volunteers.
• Ensure that any physical support required during activity is provided openly and according to official guidelines.
• Respect someone’s right to personal privacy (The only circumstances in which you must pass on information are where abuse is suspected or reported) Understand your role in any policies and procedures of the organisation.
• Remember that someone else might misinterpret your actions no matter how well intentioned.
• Promptly raise concerns if you see or hear something that you feel isn’t right.

Don’t:

• Leave participants (in particular young people) unattended.
• Permit abusive youth / peer activities (e.g. ridiculing, bullying etc).
• Have inappropriate physical or verbal banter with participants or colleagues.
• Make suggestive remarks or gestures or tell jokes of a suggestive nature.
• Jump to conclusions without checking facts.
• Rely on your good name to protect you. It may not be enough.
• Believe it could not happen to you. It could.
• Spend time alone with a child.
• Take a child alone on a journey. Young people MUST be transported with 2 adults present.
• Allow rough or sexually provocative games or inappropriate touching or talking in any group for which you are responsible.
• Smoke or drink in client groups when you are representing ESAR.
• Use any form of sexually charged verbal intimacy or innuendoes to or about participants, colleagues or customers.

You should NEVER encourage confidences or intrude into the private life of the child.
This advice has been taken from ‘Guidance for Safer Practice for Adults who Work with Children and Young People.’ For clear advice on appropriate and safe behaviour, please read this guidance document.