CODE OF CONDUCT
All paid and unpaid staff, including volunteers, interns or trainees of Faith Community Church, (FCC) are responsible for the safety and wellbeing of children, vulnerable people and young people who engage with FCC. All paid and unpaid staff are expected to act in accordance with this Code of Conduct in their physical and online interactions with children, vulnerable people and young people under the age of 18 years.
I will:
• Act in accordance with FCC child safety and wellbeing policies and procedures at all times.
• Behave respectfully, courteously and ethically towards children, vulnerable people and their families and towards other staff and volunteers.
• Listen and respond to the views and concerns of children and vulnerable people, particularly if they communicate (verbally or non-verbally) that they do not feel safe or well.
• Promote the human rights, safety and wellbeing of all children and vulnerable people in FCC.
• Demonstrate appropriate personal and professional boundaries.
• Consider and respect the diverse backgrounds and needs of children and vulnerable people.
• Create an environment that promotes and enables children’s and vulnerable peoples’ participation and is welcoming, culturally safe and inclusive for all children and their families.
• Involve children and vulnerable people in making decisions about activities, policies and processes that concern them wherever possible.
• Contribute, where appropriate, to FCC’s policies, discussions, learning and reviews about child safety and wellbeing.
• Identify and mitigate risks to children’s safety and wellbeing as required by FCC’s risk assessment policy.
• Respond to any concerns or complaints of child harm or abuse promptly and in line with FCC’s policy and procedure for receiving and responding to complaints.
• Report all suspected or disclosed child harm or abuse as required by relevant legislation and by FCC’s child safety policy and procedure on internal and external reporting.
• Comply with FCC’s protocols on communicating with children.
• Comply with relevant legislation and FCC’s policies and procedures on record keeping and information sharing.
I will NOT:
• Engage in any unlawful activity with or in relation to a child or vulnerable person.
• Engage in any activity that is likely to physically, sexually or emotionally harm a child or vulnerable person.
• Unlawfully discriminate against any child or their family members.
• Be alone with a child or vulnerable person unnecessarily.
• Arrange personal contact, including online contact, with children or vulnerable people I am working with for a purpose unrelated to FCC activities.
• Disclose personal or sensitive information about a child or vulnerable person, including images, unless the child and their parent or legal guardian consent or unless I am required to do so by FCC’s policy and procedure on reporting.
• Use inappropriate language in the presence of children or vulnerable people, or show or provide them with access to inappropriate images or material.
• Work with children or vulnerable people while under the influence of alcohol or prohibited drugs.
• Ignore or disregard any suspected or disclosed child harm or abuse.
If I think this Code of Conduct has been breached by another person in FCC
I will:
• Act to prioritise the best interests of children or vulnerable people.
• Take actions promptly to ensure that children and vulnerable people are safe.
• Promptly report any concerns to the Child Safety Officer, Child Safety Coordinator, or an FCC elder.
• Follow FCC’s policies and procedures for receiving and responding to complaints and concerns.
• Comply with legislative requirements on reporting if relevant, and with FCC’s policy and procedure on internal and external reporting.