The Period Place Code of Conduct

Volunteers also known as Champs who volunteer for Walk to Give Her a Voice are volunteers for The Period Place, a registered charity. Walk to Give Her a Voice is an initiative of The Period Place.
Volunteers do not follow the same policies as paid staff members and so a The Period Place Code of Conduct is required to outline the behaviours expected of all the Walk to Give Her a Voice volunteers. By volunteering in accordance with the Code of Conduct, all Champs are contributing to the overall values of the Charity walk and ultimately, the overall success of the Walk.

All Champs will need to make themselves aware of the Code of Conduct and if a volunteer is ever unsure of whether an action they are about to undertake is going to breech The Champs Code of Conduct then they should consult their Team Leader.

Health & Safety

Walk to Give Her a Voice is committed to providing a safe and harm free environment for everyone involved. It is essential that Health & Safety is at the forefront of everyone’s minds in everything they do.

All Champs must ensure that they perform their role in the way that they are trained to do so and if any Champ is unsure about being able to perform any task in a safe and controlled manner, it is essential that this is reported to a Team Leader. Please always consider the potential impact of what you are doing on yourself as well as others and don’t complete any tasks that you feel are unsafe.

Respect, Dignity & Equality

Discrimination can take two forms, direct and indirect. Direct discrimination is when two people are in the same circumstances but one person is treated more or less favourably than the other(s). Indirect discrimination is when the same condition is applied to everyone across the board but the nature of the condition means that a proportion of the group cannot comply with the condition. The Period Place will take any reports of direct or indirect discrimination very seriously and will fully investigate these allegations.

Every Champ selected to be part of the Walk to Give Her a Voice has the responsibility to ensure that walk’s environment is a harassment and discrimination free environment where everyone is treated with equality, dignity and respect at all times. In return the staff team will ensure that all are treated in the same way throughout their role.

If a Champ identifies that a situation is occurring that breeches this statement above, it is important to ensure that a Team Leader is notified immediately. All allegations relating to discrimination or harassment will be promptly and thoroughly investigated by The Period Place. Confidentiality will be maintained throughout and the situation will be dealt with accordingly.

Time Commitment

The Period Place is very grateful for the time commitment that each and every Champ puts in to make the events a success. It is expected that every volunteer will turn up to their shift on time and in the Champs uniform provided. If an individual is going to be late or absent, it is important the Volunteer Manager is contacted and made aware of this to ensure every role is covered on event days.

Please plan sufficient time to get to the designated meeting point on event days and ensure you turn up in time for the pre shift volunteer briefing.

The Period Place is aware that due to unforeseen circumstances Champs may need to withdraw themselves from their role, in this circumstance it is important that the Volunteer Manager is notified at the earliest possible point to ensure alternative arrangements can be made.

Confidential Information

As a Champ, it might be possible that you have access to confidential information, it is essential that this information is never disclosed or discussed, even after any involvement with the Walk to Give Her a Voice is over.

Contact with the Media

All requests from the media should be politely declined by the Champs and directed to the Walk to Give Her a Voice PR Manager. If in doubt, please direct the query to your team leader, who notify the PR Manager. This will ensure that the information that is provided to the media is accurate and in line with The Walk to Give Her a Voice’s vision and values.

It is also important that no Champ should give interviews, appear in the media or any publications without prior consent from The Walk to Give Her a Voice team.

Social Media

The Period Place is aware that most of the volunteers will want to share their experiences on social media and are actively encouraged to do this. It is important, however to ensure that all posts demonstrate dignity and respect towards yourself and others.

Please remember when posting on social media to:

Behave professionally and in a manner that reflects the charity, be positive and don’t insult anyone
Make your Team Leader aware of any inappropriate conduct on social media. Your views are your own so please don’t say anything that you wouldn’t say when speaking in public
Criminal/Illegal Activity
Any Champ who is thought to be engaging in criminal or illegal activity will be reported directly to the police.

Drugs and Alcohol

Walk to Give Her a Voice will not tolerate any Champ being under the influence of drugs, alcohol or any other substance that might impair performance before or while on shift. Consumption of alcohol, illegal drugs or any other performance impairing substance before or during a Champs shift may lead to instant dismissal if detected.

Smoking

Champs are not permitted to smoke in their uniform in any public space where they are visible to walkers or spectators. If a volunteer witnesses any Champ smoking in uniform in a location that is visible to walkers or spectators, please report this to your Team Leader.

Facilities and Properties

The Period Place is a charity that has limited resources and so is fully accountable for all of the resources that are given to the volunteers to use within their role. It is essential that all Champs are efficient and economical and take care of the resources that The Period Place provides in order to fulfil their role. Champs are not authorised to use The Period Place devices such as printers, phones, PC’s and photocopiers for personal purposes.

Fraud and Corruption

If a volunteer suspects any fraudulent or corrupt activities taking place within the Champs programme, it is essential that these are reported to a Team Leader or a member of The Period Place
staff.
This type of behaviour is not in the spirit of The Period Place and all reports will be treated confidentially, fully investigated and will be passed on to the police if necessary.

Gambling

Gambling is strictly prohibited during a Champs shift. The use of The Period Place equipment for gambling, such as phones and computers, is also strictly prohibited.
Issue Resolution
All Champs will be given the contact number of a Team Leader who will be their main point of contact whilst on shift and this is the initial point of contact to approach if anyone has any queries or wishes to report a concern, incident or complaint.
The Period Place will always endeavour to resolve any issues or complaints fairly. In the instance of a serious issue or incident (theft, assault, abuse, bring under the influence of illegal drugs or alcohol), it may result in the removal of the individuals reported to being involved while the incident is fully investigated.

Gifts & Gratuities

The Period Place is committed to behaving ethically and so will do everything possible to counteract bribery or corruption.
Whilst upholding the role of a Champ it is important that if you are offered a gift (regardless of cost) other than from the Walk to Give Her a Voice, it should be reported to your Team Leader or a member of The Period Place’s staff prior to accepting the gift (please refer to Gifts and Gratuity Policy for further information).

Professional Behaviour

When selected to undertake a Champs role, The Period Place expects all volunteers to behave responsibly at all times. When travelling to and from The Period Place events in uniform, the volunteers are highly visible and so are representing The Period Place at all times when in uniform.

It is therefore important that all volunteers act as Walk to Give Her a Voice ambassador at all times whilst in uniform, behaving in a responsible way.

Sustainability

The Period Place is committed to ensuring the preservation of the selected walking routes are maintained and that all rubbish and Walk to Give Her a Voice waste is cleared at the end of an event and recycled accordingly. Information will be given as part of the training to ensure all resources are used efficiently as well as that everyone understands the appropriate waste management at The Period Place events.

Selling or Canvassing on Venue

It is important that no Champ engage in any personal business during Champs hours. This includes any form of ambush marketing, displaying posters, leaflets or giving out information to colleagues, walkers or spectators relating to personal views or business information.