Code of Conduct
Last updated: July 30 2024
Last reviewed: July 30 2024
At Milton Mount Playgroup, we are committed to providing a safe, welcoming, and nurturing environment for all children, families, and staff. To maintain a positive, professional working atmosphere, we ask all staff to adhere to the following Code of Conduct.
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Professional behaviour:
-Always act in the best interests of the children in our care.
-Treat all children, families, and colleagues with kindness, respect and dignity.
-Speak to and about others in a professional, supportive, and considerate manner.
-Avoid gossip, negative talk, or unkind behaviour towards any member of the team.
-Personal issues and disputes should not be brought into the work environment.
-Staff are not permitted to befriend families on Social Media, e.g Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat etc
-Staff are to maintain professional boundaries, including when away from the setting. Staff are not permitted to become friends with parents and families through the setting and socialise with them, this is a conflict of interest and can be detrimental to the Playgroup.
-Staff are not permitted to disclose any information shared within the setting outside of Playgroup, e.g staffing, children's data etc.
-Staff are to wear uniform during work hours.
-Staff are to remain professional at all times when in uniform.
-Staff must not kiss children, or encourage physical affection from them. A cuddle for comforting a child is acceptable.
-Staff are not permitted to 'gift' children with presents unless every child is in receipt of one, and have had permission from management and Committee collectively.
-If there is a staff disagreement, this is to be kept within the setting and not to be discussed outside. Management and Committee will be involved to support resolving this.
-When a staff member leaves, it is important that any confidential information about the setting, staff, children or families is NOT discussed or disclosed to anyone else.
-When a staff member leaves, they are not permitted to bad mouth the setting or put the setting into disrepute. In these circumstances, if this is found to be done then legal action will be taken.
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Communication:
-Speak openly, calmly, and respectfully with each other.
-Raise concerns or feedback through the appropriate channels, either directly with management or privately in supervision.
-Listen to others' views without judgement or interruption.
-In the event of a disagreement, resolve matters in a calm, mature and constructive way.
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Teamwork:
-Support one another and work collaboratively as a team.
-Offer help where it's needed and take responsibility for shared tasks.
-Stick to the staff rota and planned responsibilities unless otherwise agreed.
-Celebrate successes and positive moments together.
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Children first:
-The welfare and development of the children must always be our top priority.
-Personal matters should not distract from our duty of care.
-Maintain a positive, safe, and nurturing environment for every child, every day.
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Workplace Environment:
-Maintain professionalism in your appearance, language, and behaviour at all times.
-Refrain from shouting, swearing, or using inappropriate language or gestures.
-Respect the confidentiality of children, families, and staff at all times.
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Any breach of this Code of Conduct may be addressed formally in line with our disciplinary procedures.
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We each have a responsibility to help create a calm, professional, and supportive atmosphere- for the benefit of the children and each other.
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