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Ethical Policy

 

We are a small business compared to many of our partner organisations so our influence is limited. We will strive to lead by example.

As a small business the adherence to Standards by our suppliers, partners and customers is important for our success.

We take the following actions to encourage our suppliers, and others to adhere to ethical standards, including Professional, Human Rights, Health and Safety, and Environmental standards.

 

  • We commit to ethical and professional standards
  • We publish our standards and policies on our website.
  • We review all our suppliers and customers for their ethics and approach to Standards.
  • We negotiate with our Suppliers and Customers to achieve the appropriate agreement to ensure adherence to ethical standards.

 

 

Code of Professional Ethics

The Big Blue Box Ltd supports its coach’s membership of The European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC).

As members of the EMCC our coach(s) subscribe to the EMCC code of professional ethics.

This Code is reproduced below for client information purposes.

 

Introduction

The coach/mentor will acknowledge the dignity of all humanity. They will conduct themselves in a way which respects diversity and promotes equal opportunities.

It is the primary responsibility of the coach/mentor to provide the best possible service to the client and to act in such a way as to cause no harm to any client or sponsor.

The coach/mentor is committed to functioning from a position of dignity, autonomy and personal responsibility.

The EMCC Code of Ethics covers the following:

  • Competence
  • Context
  • Boundary Management
  • Integrity
  • Professionalism

1.               Competence

The coach/mentor will:

  1. Ensure that their level of experience and knowledge is sufficient to meet the needs of the client.
  2. Ensure that their capability is sufficient to enable them to operate according to this Code of Ethics and any standards that may subsequently be produced.
  3. Develop and then enhance their level of competence by participating in relevant training and appropriate Continuing Professional Development activities.
  4. Maintain a relationship with a suitably-qualified supervisor, who will regularly assess their competence and support their development. The supervisor will be bound by the requirements of confidentiality referred to in this Code. What constitutes a “suitably-qualified” supervisor is defined in the EMCC’s standards document.

2.               Context

The coach/mentor will:

  1. Understand and ensure that the coach/mentoring relationship reflects the context within which the coach/mentoring is taking place.
  2. Ensure that the expectations of the client and the sponsor are understood and that they themselves understand how those expectations are to be met.
  3. Seek to create an environment in which client, coach/mentor and sponsor are focused on and have the opportunity for learning.

3.               Boundary Management

The coach/mentor will:

  1. At all times operate within the limits of their own competence, recognise where that competence has the potential to be exceeded and where necessary refer the client either to a more experienced coach/mentor, or support the client in seeking the help of another professional, such as a counsellor, psychotherapist or business/financial advisor.
  2. Be aware of the potential for conflicts of interest of either a commercial or emotional nature to arise through the coach/mentoring relationship and deal with them quickly and effectively to ensure there is no detriment to the client or sponsor.

4.               Integrity

The coach/mentor will:

  1. Maintain throughout the level of confidentiality which is appropriate and is agreed at the start of the relationship.
  2. Disclose information only where explicitly agreed with the client and sponsor (where one exists), unless the coach/mentor believes that there is convincing evidence of serious danger to the client or others if the information is withheld.
  3. Act within applicable law and not encourage, assist or collude with others engaged in conduct which is dishonest, unlawful, unprofessional or discriminatory.

5.               Professionalism

The coach/mentor will:

  1. Respond to the client’s learning and development needs as defined by the agenda brought to the coach/mentoring relationship.
  2. Not exploit the client in any manner, including, but not limited to, financial, sexual or those matters within the professional relationship. The coach/mentor will ensure that the duration of the coach/mentoring contract is only as long as is necessary for the client/sponsor.

  3. Understand that professional responsibilities continue beyond the termination of any coach/mentoring relationship. These include the following:

     

    Maintenance of agreed confidentiality of all information relating to clients and sponsors
    Avoidance of any exploitation of the former relationship
    Provision of any follow-up which has been agreed
    Safe and secure maintenance of all related records and data

     

  4. Demonstrate respect for the variety of different approaches to coaching and mentoring and other individuals in the profession.
  5. Never represent as their own the work and views of others.
  6. Ensure that any claim of professional competence, qualifications or accreditation is clearly and accurately explained to potential clients and that no false or misleading claims are made or implied in any published material.

©European Mentoring & Coaching Council February 2010