HSA Code of Conduct

HealthServe Australia is a signatory to the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) Code of Conduct reflecting HealthServe's compliance with industry standards of good practice, transparency and accountability.  If you have any complaint or concern please click here  and you will be redirected to our complaints form. A copy of our Complaints section in our Procedures Manual can be accessed by clicking here.

Volunteers and Workers, Members and Board

When representing Healthserve Australia, volunteers and workers will conduct themselves in the following ways:

1. Act consistently with Healthserve Australia vision and mission, beliefs, working principles, policies, and in Healthserve Australia’s best interests
2. Participate in their work to the best of their abilities, devoting the required effort and time
3. Undertake any training which is necessary for them to fulfil their responsibilities

In relationships

1. Cooperate willingly with their team
2. Treat Healthserve Australia clients, volunteers, staff and supporters with respect, and never harassing or bullying
3. Honour Healthserve Australia leaders (both workers and volunteers) and follow their instructions
4.  Address conflict with Healthserve Australia volunteers and staff in a Godly manner and in line with this policy and the instructions of their Healthserve Australia supervisors
5. Protect Healthserve Australia’s information which is confidential, sensitive or proprietary, including information about participants, clients and volunteers, intellectual property or proprietary information, sharing it only when authorised by Healthserve Australia, subject to any set conditions.
6. Protect Healthserve Australia’s intellectual property, and not share it further without permission

With accountability

1. Inform their designated Healthserve Australia Board Member or team leader if they are unable to comply with this policy, including immediately if they are contacted by police in relation to their conduct.
2. Where a worker or volunteer may have an alternative view to Healthserve Australia on a given conduct issue, the worker or volunteer agrees to submit themselves to Healthserve Australia’s policy.
3. This Code of Conduct will be included in the Worker’s contract of employment or the Volunteer’s Agreement as part of their application to volunteer with Healthserve Australia

Board Member-specific requirements

Further, Healthserve Australia Board members will conduct themselves in the following ways:

1. Uphold the provisions of Healthserve Australia constitution
2. Attend all Board meetings, as far as possible
3. Declare to the Board any actual or possibly perceived conflict of interest

Other principal issues of conduct

Bullying

1. Healthserve Australia accepts and acts on our duty of care to provide a safe and positive work environment and ensure, as is reasonably practicable, that staff and others are not exposed to health and safety risks. Any reported allegations of workplace bullying will be promptly, thoroughly and fairly investigated.
2. Bullying behaviour is a breach of a Healthserve Australia worker’s or volunteer’s duty of care and a violation of the HSA Code of Conduct and if unable to be resolved, should be referred to the Complaints Officer.
3. Bullying behaviour is outlined as follows:
   • abusive, insulting or offensive language or comments, unjustified criticism or complaints, deliberately excluding someone from workplace activities,  withholding information that is vital for effective work performance, setting unreasonable timelines or constantly changing deadlines , setting tasks that are unreasonably below or beyond a person’s skill level, denying access to information, supervision, consultation or resources to the detriment of the worker, spreading misinformation or malicious rumours, changing work arrangements such as rosters and leave to deliberately inconvenience a particular worker or workers.

Sexual Harassment, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse or transactional sex

1. HealthServe Australia will not tolerate sexual harassment, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse or transactional sex under any circumstances. Responsibility lies with every person involved with Healthserve Australia to ensure that sexual harassment does not occur. No employee or volunteer at any level should subject any other employee, volunteer, participant or member of the public to any form of sexual harassment.
2. A breach of this policy will result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment or exclusion from volunteer service.
3. Staff and volunteers are obligated to report wrongdoing.

Child Protection

1. Contact the police if a child is observed to be at immediate risk of abuse (telephone 000 within Australia)
2. Ensure you and all others working with children have a WWC Check and Police check
3. Establish and maintain a child-safe working environment
4. promote the safety, participation and empowerment of children and their families with culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds
5. listen and respond to the views and concerns of children, particularly if they state they or another child has been abused or that they are worried about their safety / the safety of another child · ensure (as far as practicable) that adults are not alone with a child · comply with all reporting obligations as they relate to mandatory reporting under relevant legislation and professional codes of ethics
6. If an allegation of child abuse is made, ensuring as quickly as possible that the child is safe; and report at your earliest opportunity the complaint to the Healthserve Australia Complaints Officer.

Complaints

1. If an employee or volunteer feels comfortable and safe in doing so, it is preferable to raise the issue with the person directly with a view to resolving the issue by discussion. The employee or volunteer should identify the offensive behaviour, explain that the behaviour is unwelcome and offensive and ask the person to stop that behaviour.
2. If the behaviour continues, or if the employee or volunteer feels unable to speak to the person(s) directly, they should contact their program leader, another leader, the CEO, or Board Chair.
3. If unresolvable at this level, a formal complaint will be recorded and lodged with the Complaints Officer and all workers and volunteers are directed to follow the process and directions of the Complaints Officer.
4. Staff and volunteers are obligated to report wrongdoing.

See our other policies:

• Child Protection Policy
• Code Of Conduct
• Complaints
• Conflict of Interest Policy
• Donation Payments Policy
• Membership Cancellation Policy
• Non-development Activity Policy
• Policy on Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse
• Privacy Policy
• Refund Policy
• Transparency Policy
• Whistleblowing Policy