Codes of Conduct

At Seven Steps Support Ltd, our employees are committed to upholding the highest standards of conduct and professionalism in their interactions with clients, carers, and colleagues. Our Code of Conduct outlines the fundamental principles and expectations that guide our staff’s behavior, ensuring that they provide respectful, considerate, and ethical support to those we serve. By adhering to this Code of Conduct, our team aims to create a positive, open, and transparent culture that aligns with our vision, mission statement, and company values.

Key Points:

• Maintain a respectful and considerate attitude.
• Follow a ‘no blame’ culture and be non-judgmental.
• Adhere to organizational policies and procedures.

Responsibilities & Expectations

All employees of Seven Steps Support Ltd should:

1. Protect the rights and promote the interests of clients and carers:
   • Treat each person as an individual.
   • Respect and promote the views and wishes of individuals and key people.
   • Support individual’s rights to control their lives and make informed choices about the services they receive.
   • Respect and maintain the dignity and privacy of individuals.
   • Promote equal opportunities for individuals, key people, and others.
   • Respect diversity.
2. Establish and maintain trust and confidence in relationships with clients, key people, and others:
   • Be honest and trustworthy.
   • Respect confidential information and clearly explain agency policies about confidentiality.
   • Be reliable and dependable.
   • Honor work commitments, agreements and arrangements, and provide explanations when necessary.
   • Declare issues that might create conflicts of interest and ensure they do not influence judgment or practice.
   • Adhere to policies and procedures about accepting gifts and money from individuals and key people.
   • Ensure judgment is not influenced by commercial considerations.
   • Inform the employer immediately if cautioned, charged, or found guilty of a criminal offence or if fitness to practice is called into question.
3. Promote the independence of clients while protecting them from danger or harm:
   • Promote the independence of individuals and assist them to understand and exercise their rights.
   • Use established processes and procedures to challenge and report dangerous, abusive, discriminatory, or exploitative behavior and practice.
   • Follow practice and procedures designed to keep oneself and others safe from violent and abusive behavior at work.
   • Bring attention to any resource or operational difficulties that might hinder the delivery of safe care.
   • Inform the employer or appropriate authority about any unsafe practice of colleagues or other issues affecting the standards of care.
   • Comply with health and safety policies and procedures related to one’s role.
   • Help individuals and key people to make complaints and respond to them accordingly.
   • Recognize and use responsibly the power that comes from working with individuals and key people.
   • Be alert to changes that could affect the well-being of individuals or key people and report observations.
4. Respect the rights of clients while seeking to ensure their behavior does not harm themselves, key people, or others:
   • Recognize that individuals have the right to take risks and help them identify and manage potential and actual risks to themselves, key people, or others.
   • Follow risk assessment policies and procedures to assess whether the behavior of individuals presents a risk of harm to themselves, key people, or others.
   • Take necessary steps to minimize the risks of individuals causing actual or potential harm to themselves, key people, or others.
   • Ensure relevant colleagues and agencies are informed about the outcomes and implications of risk assessments.
5. Be accountable for the quality of work and take responsibility for personal and professional development:
   • Work within the limits of one’s competence.
   • Raise concerns with the employer when asked to undertake tasks that fall outside one’s competence and seek assistance to ensure safe practice.
   • Meet relevant standards of practice and work in a lawful, safe, and effective way.
   • Be able to demonstrate acting in someone’s best interests if providing care in an emergency.
   • Deliver care and advice informed by evidence-based best practice.
   • Refer individuals to colleagues in accordance with policy and procedures related to your role.
   • Ensure your actions or omissions do not harm the individual’s health or well-being.
   • Inform the employer or appropriate authority about any personal difficulties that might affect your ability to do your job competently and safely.
   • Work openly and cooperatively with colleagues and treat them with respect.
6. Accountability for delegated work:
   • Establish that anyone you delegate to is competent to carry out the instructions.
   • Confirm that the outcome of any delegated task meets required standards.
   • Ensure that everyone you are responsible for is supervised and supported.
   • Recognize and respect the roles and expertise of colleagues and workers from other agencies, and work in partnership with them.
   • Undertake relevant training to maintain and improve your knowledge and skills.
   • Contribute to the learning and development of others.
   • Monitor the quality of your work and that of any others you supervise.