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‘The way we want to work’
Adopted by the Coordinating Body at its meeting on
11th May 2004
SPUCP is committed to involving everyone and giving everyone an equal voice. It is with this in mind that the Coordinating Body have adopted the following code of conduct which will inform all activities of SPUCP. It gives guidance to people chairing and participating in meetings.
1. Show respect for each other and each others feelings, as individuals and as a group. Lively debate is always the best way to bring issues to life and we can do this without getting personal.
2. Everyone should respect the individual that is speaking and not talk over the top of anyone. Please indicate when you want to speak and the Chair will tell you when it is your turn to speak.
3. When you speak remember that there are other people who want to speak and there are other items on the agenda. If the Chair has to stop you you may miss out on the chance to say what you really wanted to say.
4. If you find it easy to speak leave some time before you put your hand up to create a space for others who don’t find it so easy.
5. As a group we can support each other in the things we do not understand. If you don’t understand it is likely other people don’t either. Please say.
6. SPUCP is about addressing the needs and concerns of the local community, SPUCP is not a vehicle for promoting party political or religious views. SPUCP will not tolerate any discriminatory, inflammatory, party political, religious or judgemental views. It is the responsibility of all members to challenge such comments. It is the responsibility of the Chair to stop anyone speaking in this way.
7. Aggression and intimidation come in different forms: shouting, swearing, being physically threatening, making personal remarks, putting people down, talking over people, being impatient. SPUCP will not tolerate any of these behaviours.People often do not mean to shout or put people down, it starts to happen when there is disagreement or misunderstanding. We are committed to finding an understanding peacefully and calmly. We ask that everyone considers their behaviour and takes the opportunity to change. If you find yourself shouting when you didn’t mean to take the chance to apologise.
8. SPUCP is about negotiation, dialogue, learning and improving. It takes skill and patience to bring about change. Change will not happen because it should or because we want it to, it will happen when all the stakeholders can see the benefits.
9. No one – whether they are paid or unpaid is of more or less value.
10. A partnership needs to be nurtured. We want the membership, the local community and the service providers to trust and respect us an organisation. To start we need to trust and respect each other.
11. The Chair of the meeting is responsible for ensuring that the meeting starts and finishes at the advertised time. It is the responsibility of everyone at the meeting to help the Chair to achieve this goal.
12. SPUCP is a team. Every single person at the table has skills and strengths and each person can achieve a lot on their own. To achieve what we want to achieve we need all the individuals, projects and agencies to work together as one team. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts!
Implementing the Code of Conduct:
1. Every member of St Pauls Unlimited has responsibility to work within this code of conduct.
2. Every member has the responsibility to remind others of the code of conduct.
3. The Chair of a meeting should refer to the code of conduct.
4. In the event someone fails to work within the spirit of the code of conduct it is the job of the Chair to enforce this code with support of others by:
First - reminding the person of the code of conduct.
Second - warning them if they continue they will be asked to leave the meeting.
Third - asking them to leave the meeting
Forth - closing the meeting
Five - reporting the incident and the name of the person to the Chair/senior paid worker.
5. If the meeting was forced to close the Chair will write to the person concerned reminding them of the Code of Conduct. Stating the same thing happens again they will be asked not to attend future meetings/ their membership may be withdrawn. If the matter requires any consideration or investigation a complaints panel will be drawn together.