Code of Conduct

BYOU+ Volunteer: Code of Conduct

 

I will respect and uphold the values of BYOU+: 

​

• Working Together - Working in partnership with our volunteers and local community to drive change.

 

• Accountability - We ensure we honour commitments we have made and take responsibility to accomplish our work, on-time, with the highest quality.

 

• Inclusiveness - We value diversity, promote equality of opportunity for all, and ensure that our services are accessible to everyone in the Wigan Borough.

 

• Ambition - We are a dynamic organisation committed to achieving, improving, and innovating.

 

• Integrity - We ensure that as an organisation, our communities can trust us to act fairly and honestly, and so can our volunteers.

 

General

• I will act within the Constitution of BYOU+ and the law. 

 

• I will support the aims of BYOU+, promoting it, using any skills or knowledge I have to further the work.

​

• I will respect organisational, Committee and individual confidentiality, while never using confidentiality as an excuse not to disclose matters that should be transparent and open. 

​

• I will be an active Committee member, making my skills, experience and knowledge available to BYOU+ and seeking to do what additional work I can outside Committee meetings, including sitting on sub-committees.

​

• I will respect organisational, Committee and individual confidentiality, while never using confidentiality as an excuse not to disclose matters that should be transparent and open.

​

• I will develop and maintain a sound and up-to-date knowledge of BYOU+ and the Borough.

 

• I will use Wigan Pride’s resources responsibly and follow the protocols set by the Committee, the Treasurer and stay within the law. 

​

• I will seek to be accountable for my actions as a member of the BYOU+ Committee and will submit myself to whatever scrutiny is appropriate. 

​

• I accept my responsibility to raise issues and questions in an appropriate and sensitive way to ensure that matters are dealt with accordingly. 

​

Managing Interests

• I will not gain materially or financially from my involvement with BYOU+ unless specifically authorised to do so through a vote by the Committee

​

• I will act in the best interests of BYOU+ as a whole, and not as a representative of any group – considering what is best for BYOU+ and its present and future beneficiaries and avoiding bringing BYOU+ into disrepute. 

​

• Unless authorised, I will not put myself in a position where my personal interests’ conflict with my duty to act in the interests of the organisation. Where there is a conflict of interest, I will ensure that my manager is notified so that it can be managed effectively. 

​

• I understand that a failure to declare a conflict of interest may be considered to be a breach of this code and could be deemed as ‘good and proper reason’ to remove me from my role within BYOU+.

 

Meetings

• If relevant, I will attend all appropriate meetings and other appointments at BYOU+ or give apologies. If I cannot regularly attend meetings, I will consider whether there are other ways I can engage with BYOU+. 

​

• If relevant, I will prepare fully for all meetings. This will include reading papers, querying anything I do not understand, thinking through issues before meetings and completing any tasks assigned to me in the agreed time. 

​

• If relevant, I will actively engage in discussion, debate and voting in meetings; contributing in a considered and constructive way, listening carefully, challenging sensitively and avoiding conflict. 

​

• I will participate in collective decision making, accept a majority decision of the Committee and will not act individually unless specifically authorised to do so. 

​

Governance 

• If relevant, I will attend at least 9 monthly committee meetings a year to ensure you are kept up to date with the ongoing changes of BYOU+.

 

• I will actively contribute towards improving the governance of the BYOU+ participating in any agreed induction and training and sharing ideas for improvement with my manager. 

​

• I will help to identify good candidates to volunteer for BYOU+, and if relevant to my role, with my fellow volunteers, will appoint new volunteers in accordance with agreed selection criteria.

​

• I will follow BYOU+’s policies and procedures to keep consistency in practices and to use time and resources efficiently.

 

Relations With Others 

• I will endeavour to work considerately and respectfully with all those I come into contact with through my work with BYOU+. I will respect diversity, different roles and boundaries, and avoid giving offence. 

 

• I recognise that the roles of Committee Members and volunteers are different, and I will seek to understand and respect the difference between these roles. 

​

• I will seek to support and encourage all those I come into contact with at BYOU+. In particular I recognise my responsibility to support my manager. 

​

• I will not make public comments about BYOU+ unless authorised to do so. Any public comments I make about BYOU+ will be considered and in line with agreed messages, whether I make them as an individual or as a volunteer. 

 

Leaving BYOU+

• I understand that substantial breach of any part of this code may be deemed as a good and proper reason to withdraw from BYOU+.

​

• Should this happen, I will be given the opportunity to be heard. In the event that I am asked to withdraw from BYOU+ I will accept the majority decision of the Committee in this matter and resign at the earliest opportunity. 

​

• If I wish to cease being a BYOU+ Committee Member at any time, I will inform the chairperson in advance (giving as much notice as possible) in writing, stating my reasons for leaving. 

Updated 12/03/22