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{{org_field_name}}

Registration Number: {{org_field_registration_no}}

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Staff Conduct and Code of Ethics Policy

1. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to set out the standards of professional conduct, ethical behaviour, accountability and openness expected of all staff working for {{org_field_name}}. This policy is intended to support safe, person-centred, compassionate and high-quality care and support within supported living services in England.

This policy supports compliance with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 (as amended), relevant CQC guidance for providers and managers, and the current CQC single assessment framework. It reflects the standards and behaviours required to promote dignity, respect, consent, safety, safeguarding, effective complaints handling, good governance, safe staffing, fit and proper recruitment, duty of candour, equality, inclusion and a positive speaking-up culture.

This policy should be read alongside the Mental Capacity Act 2005, the Human Rights Act 1998, the Equality Act 2010, the UK General Data Protection Regulation, the Data Protection Act 2018, the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, and other relevant legislation and local safeguarding requirements.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all employees, bank staff, agency staff, volunteers, students, contractors, consultants, temporary workers, senior leaders and any other person working on behalf of {{org_field_name}}, regardless of role, grade, hours worked or employment status.

This policy applies at all times when acting in connection with the service, including when providing support in a person’s home or community setting, during visits, meetings, training, telephone or digital communication, record keeping, use of social media, lone working, and when representing the organisation externally.

The standards in this policy apply to conduct towards people we support, relatives, advocates, carers, colleagues, managers, professionals, commissioners, regulators and partner organisations.

3. Principles of Staff Conduct and Ethics

{{org_field_name}} is committed to maintaining the highest standards of professionalism and ethical conduct, ensuring that all staff uphold the following core principles:

Dignity and Respect

• Staff must treat all individuals with dignity, kindness, and respect, promoting their independence and rights.
• Staff must respect each person’s privacy, personal space, identity, relationships, beliefs, sexuality, gender, culture, communication needs and right to make choices about their own lives. Staff must support people in ways that uphold their human rights, individuality, independence and inclusion in the community.
• Staff must never use language or behaviour that is discriminatory, infantilising, humiliating, threatening, intimidating or degrading. This includes verbal comments, written records, text messages, emails, social media activity, body language and any conduct that could undermine a person’s dignity or emotional wellbeing.
• Discrimination, harassment, or any form of degrading treatment will not be tolerated.
• Staff must adhere to Regulation 10 (Dignity and Respect), ensuring that care is delivered in a compassionate and person-centred manner.

Integrity and Honesty

• Staff must act with honesty, transparency, and fairness in all aspects of their work.
• Any conflicts of interest must be declared to management immediately.
• Staff must maintain clear professional boundaries at all times. Staff must not misuse their position for personal, financial, emotional, sexual or other gain. Staff must not borrow money from, lend money to, exploit, manipulate or form inappropriate relationships with people using the service.
• Staff must not falsify records, omit relevant information, mislead colleagues, managers, professionals, family members, commissioners or regulators, or conceal concerns, incidents, errors or near misses.
• Use of social media, messaging platforms and personal devices must always maintain professional boundaries and confidentiality.
• Staff must not accept gifts or inducements from individuals receiving care or their families, in line with our Gifts and Hospitality Policy.

Confidentiality, Information Governance and Record Keeping

• Staff must protect confidential, personal and sensitive information and handle it lawfully, fairly, accurately and securely in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation, the Data Protection Act 2018 and organisational information governance requirements.
• Information must only be accessed, used, shared or disclosed where there is a lawful basis and a legitimate work-related need to do so. Staff must follow the principles of confidentiality, data minimisation and secure handling of records. This includes paper records, electronic systems, mobile devices, emails, text messages, photographs and verbal discussions.
• Confidential information must be shared appropriately where necessary for care, safety, safeguarding, legal compliance or the prevention of serious harm. Staff must keep clear, accurate, contemporaneous and professional records and must never alter, destroy, conceal or fabricate records.
• Staff must ensure communication and records are appropriate to the person’s communication needs and, where relevant, consistent with the Accessible Information Standard.

Safeguarding, Protection from Abuse and Professional Curiosity

• Staff have a legal and professional duty to protect people from abuse, neglect, discrimination, exploitation and avoidable harm. This includes physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, financial abuse, discriminatory abuse, organisational abuse, domestic abuse, coercive or controlling behaviour, self-neglect, modern slavery, neglect, improper treatment and inappropriate restriction or restraint.
• Staff must remain professionally curious, recognise signs of risk or harm, and report safeguarding concerns immediately in line with local safeguarding procedures, internal reporting arrangements and Regulation 13. Where there is immediate danger or serious risk, staff must take urgent action without delay to protect the person and seek emergency assistance where necessary.
• Staff must never ignore, minimise, delay, discourage or retaliate against the raising of safeguarding concerns. Any allegation or concern involving a member of staff must be reported and managed promptly and appropriately.
• Staff must understand how safeguarding links to the Mental Capacity Act 2005, least restrictive practice, best-interest decision making, human rights, positive risk-taking and the person’s right to live as independently as possible.

Consent, Mental Capacity and Human Rights

Staff must only provide care, support or treatment with valid consent or other lawful authority. Staff must presume capacity unless assessed otherwise, support people to make their own decisions wherever possible, and respect a person’s right to make unwise decisions where they have capacity to do so.

Where there is doubt about a person’s capacity to make a specific decision, staff must follow the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and associated organisational procedures. Any decision made on behalf of a person who lacks capacity must be made in their best interests and be the least restrictive option.

Staff must understand the role of advocates, attorneys, deputies and other people lawfully acting on a person’s behalf. Staff must record consent discussions, refusals, best-interest decisions and any relevant legal authority clearly and accurately.

Professionalism and Accountability

• Staff are expected to maintain a high level of professional behaviour, including punctuality, adherence to uniform and dress codes, and appropriate communication.
• All care and support provided must be person-centred, based on the person’s current needs, preferences, strengths, risks and agreed outcomes, and delivered in line with Regulation 9 (Person-centred care), Regulation 11 (Need for consent) and Regulation 12 (Safe care and treatment).
• Staff must work within the limits of their competence, follow care plans, risk assessments and support protocols, and seek guidance promptly where instructions are unclear or where a person’s needs or risks have changed.
• Staff must report accidents, incidents, near misses, errors, omissions, medication issues, unsafe environments, professional mistakes and concerns about practice without delay, and must cooperate fully with reviews, investigations and learning processes.
• Staff must take personal responsibility for their actions and decisions, acknowledging errors and seeking guidance when needed.

Teamwork and Collaboration

• Staff must work cooperatively and respectfully with colleagues, external agencies, and families to provide a seamless and high-quality service.
• Effective communication and shared decision-making are encouraged to enhance care outcomes.
• Staff must support a positive workplace culture, addressing concerns constructively and avoiding gossip or workplace conflict.
• Staff must share information appropriately with colleagues and partner agencies to support safe systems of care, continuity, effective handovers and coordinated support, especially when a person’s needs change or when risks increase.

Adherence to Policies, Training and Competence

Staff must follow all organisational policies, procedures, risk assessments and lawful instructions relevant to their role. This includes policies relating to safeguarding, consent, medicines, infection prevention and control, incident reporting, health and safety, lone working, confidentiality, equality and diversity, complaints, whistleblowing and duty of candour.

Staff must complete all mandatory training, induction, supervision, appraisal and competency assessments required for their role and must keep their knowledge and practice up to date. Staff must participate constructively in reflective practice, team meetings and service improvement activity.

In line with Regulation 18, staff must be supported to receive appropriate training, supervision and professional development. This includes role-appropriate training on learning disability and autism, including how to interact appropriately with autistic people and people with a learning disability, in line with current legal requirements and the Oliver McGowan Code of Practice.

Staff must not undertake tasks for which they are not trained, assessed or authorised.

Speaking Up, Whistleblowing and Freedom to Speak Up Culture

{{org_field_name}} is committed to a culture in which staff feel safe, listened to and supported to raise concerns. Staff must speak up about unsafe care, poor practice, abuse, misconduct, discrimination, bullying, closed cultures, breaches of policy, failures of leadership, falsified records, or any concern that may affect the safety, rights or wellbeing of people using the service or staff.

Concerns may be raised through line management, senior management, the Registered Manager, safeguarding processes, incident reporting systems or the Whistleblowing Policy. Concerns may also be raised externally where appropriate in line with legal protections.

No staff member will be subjected to victimisation, detriment or retaliation for raising a genuine concern in good faith. All concerns must be taken seriously, handled sensitively and, where possible, confidentially. Outcomes, learning and improvement actions must be recorded, shared appropriately and acted on.

Complaints, Openness and Duty of Candour

Staff must respond to complaints, concerns and dissatisfaction professionally, respectfully and without defensiveness. Staff must never obstruct, dismiss, ignore or discourage a complaint.

All complaints must be reported, recorded and responded to in line with the Complaints Policy so that they can be investigated thoroughly and any necessary action taken. Staff must cooperate fully with complaint investigations and learning actions.

Staff must act in an open and transparent way when things go wrong. Where a notifiable safety incident occurs, staff must escalate the matter promptly so that the organisation can meet its duty of candour obligations, including giving an apology, providing truthful information, offering support, keeping appropriate records and explaining what action is being taken in response.

Commitment to Continuous Improvement

• Staff must actively contribute to a culture of continuous improvement, ensuring that services evolve in response to feedback, regulatory updates, and best practices.
• Constructive feedback from individuals we support, families, and team members should be welcomed and used to enhance service delivery.
• Any identified learning from incidents, audits, or reviews should be incorporated into ongoing training and policy updates.

Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Workforce Wellbeing

{{org_field_name}} expects all staff to contribute to an inclusive, respectful and psychologically safe workplace. Discrimination, bullying, harassment, victimisation, exclusionary behaviour and abuse of power will not be tolerated.

Leaders and staff must promote equality, diversity and inclusion for people we support and for colleagues. Reasonable adjustments must be considered where required. Staff wellbeing must be taken seriously so that staff are supported to work safely and deliver high-quality person-centred care.

4. Roles and Responsibilities

• Registered Provider / Nominated Individual / Directors (where applicable): Are responsible for ensuring there are effective governance arrangements, sufficient resources, a positive culture, robust recruitment systems, appropriate staffing, effective oversight of complaints, safeguarding, incidents, duty of candour and continuous improvement.
• Registered Manager: Is responsible for implementing this policy in practice, promoting high standards of conduct and ethical behaviour, ensuring staff receive induction, training, supervision and support, responding to misconduct or poor practice, managing concerns and complaints appropriately, and ensuring learning is acted on.
• Safeguarding Lead: Is responsible for receiving and responding to safeguarding concerns, supporting staff to make safeguarding referrals, liaising with relevant authorities where required, monitoring safeguarding themes and ensuring safeguarding learning is shared.
• Line Managers / Supervisors: Are responsible for modelling expected standards of behaviour, addressing poor conduct promptly, monitoring staff competence, supporting staff wellbeing, ensuring staff understand their responsibilities, and escalating risks or concerns without delay.
• All Staff: Are responsible for maintaining professional and ethical standards at all times, protecting people from harm, respecting rights and consent, working within competence, completing required training, keeping accurate records, raising concerns, cooperating with investigations, and contributing to a culture of openness, learning and improvement.

5. Related Policies

This policy should be read in conjunction with:

• Person-Centred Care Policy
• Dignity and Respect Policy
• Consent and Mental Capacity Act Policy
• Safeguarding Adults Policy
• Safeguarding Concerns / Incident Reporting Procedure
• Whistleblowing / Speaking Up Policy
• Complaints Policy
• Duty of Candour Policy
• Recruitment and Selection Policy
• Induction, Training and Development Policy
• Supervision and Appraisal Policy
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy
• Data Protection and Confidentiality Policy
• Records Management Policy
• Medicines Policy
• Health and Safety Policy
• Lone Working Policy
• Social Media / Electronic Communications Policy
• Disciplinary Policy
• Learning Disability and Autism Training Policy or Training Procedure

6. Breaches of this Policy

Failure to comply with this policy may result in management action, further training, supervision, competency review, referral under safeguarding or incident procedures, disciplinary action, suspension, referral to a professional body, referral to external agencies or other appropriate action depending on the seriousness of the concern.

Serious breaches may include abuse, neglect, dishonesty, breach of confidentiality, falsification of records, failure to report safeguarding concerns, discriminatory behaviour, inappropriate relationships, unsafe practice, victimisation of whistleblowers, failure to cooperate with investigations, or conduct likely to place people or the organisation at risk.

7. Policy Review, Monitoring and Assurance

This policy will be reviewed at least annually, and sooner where required by legislative change, changes to CQC requirements or guidance, organisational learning, safeguarding reviews, complaints, incidents, disciplinary matters, speaking-up concerns, audit findings or service development.

Compliance with this policy will be monitored through supervision, appraisal, competency checks, complaints review, incident review, safeguarding monitoring, audits, staff feedback, service-user feedback and governance oversight. Where non-compliance or learning needs are identified, appropriate action plans, training, supervision, disciplinary action or policy revision will be undertaken.

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Responsible Person: {{org_field_registered_manager_first_name}} {{org_field_registered_manager_last_name}}
Reviewed on: {{last_update_date}}
Next Review Date: {{next_review_date}}
Copyright © {{current_year}} – {{org_field_name}}. All rights reserved.