Mindfulness Code of Conduct

Introduction

This Code of Conduct combines that the student/ trained teacher, along with all the staff at MindfulnessUK, including teachers, tutors, administrators, marketing, finance etc.

Mindfulness practice is underpinned by personal ethical standards. As mindfulness-based teachers and trainers we therefore seek to embody ethical integrity as well as mindfulness, seeing both as central to practice. The following guidelines offer us and you a framework and an aspiration for ethical practice.

Mindfulness teachers and tutors who are already bound by professional codes of conduct (e.g. those of the HCPC, RCN, etc.) should of course continue to adhere to these.

The following guidelines are as a complement to professional codes of conduct and for those who do not belong to any professional body.

Respect for participants:

• I/we agree to show respect to all people with whom I come into contact during my/our work as a mindfulness and compassion student, teacher and/or tutor.
• I/we will encourage participants, students and graduates, as appropriate, to maintain their own health and well-being.
• I/we will not discriminate against people on any grounds.
• I/we will challenge colleagues/co-facilitators/ tutors if I think they are discriminating against people.
• I/we will keep relationships with participants, students and graduates professional and maintain appropriate boundaries.

Communication

• I/we agree to communicate with integrity. I/we will listen carefully and respond in a respectful way at all times.
• I/we agree to the best of my/our knowledge to ensure any written material on websites, email, information sheets, handouts, student course notes and handbooks etc. is up to date and accurate.
• I/we agree to use any social media appropriately and responsibly and with full permission from participants, students, graduates.
• I/we will work with participants to meet any individual communication and language needs, as far as is possible.
• I/we will be open and honest about any issues that might create conflicts of interest and seek to ensure that they don’t affect my/our actions.

Working within Good Practice Guidelines

I/we agree to adhere to the British Association of Mindfulness-Based Approaches (BAMBA’s) Good Practice Guidelines for teachers, tutors and supervisors as follows:

• working within the scope of training, teaching and experience.
• I/we will work only with populations with whom I/we have sufficient knowledge, skills and experience, and
• I/we will not extend the scope of my/our teaching without:
  • appropriate supervision and further training
  • engaging in regular supervision to ensure that I/we work within ethical and safe practice
  • keeping up to date with my/our knowledge and skills across all aspects of teaching, training and supervising

Managing Risk

• Where an individual’s needs fall outside of my/our knowledge, skills, and experience, I/we will, if possible, make suggestions about where they may seek alternative assistance.
• I/we will take appropriate steps to assess and manage risk safely, in collaboration with the participant, student, graduate and with other involved professionals.
• I/we will take responsibility for my/our own health and take appropriate steps if any health concerns might affect my/our performance or judgement and thereby put others at risk.
• I/we will ensure I/we have appropriate professional indemnity and comprehensive teacher training centre insurance appropriate to the context in which I/we work.

Respecting Confidentiality

• I/we will treat information given to me/us by participants, students and graduates as confidential.
• I/we will be clear when and how I/we might need to share information, for example when required to by law for reasons of safeguarding against harm to the participant, student, graduate or others.
• I/we will gain full consent from participants, students, graduates if sessions are to be electronically recorded.
• I/we will ensure that any written material about a participant, student or graduate is accurate and is stored safely and securely.
• I/we will adhere to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
• MindfulnessUK is registered with the ICO and adheres to their regulations to safeguard students and graduates.