Staff conduct

The staff conduct theme is itself an umbrella category comprising the policies listed above.  

Intended Outcomes:
Our children are protected
No policy can offer complete protection for children, but by implementing this  involvement and participation policy we ensure that the practice and performance  of our staff promote and serve the best interests and welfare of the children we  look after.
Our staff are supported
By implementing this policy and its associated procedures, all our representatives  will be clear about their roles and responsibilities in supporting and encouraging the  active involvement of children and young people. This in turn will enable them to  improve their performance and service delivery to and improve outcomes for the  children we look after.
Our organisation is strengthened
By implementing this policy we make clear our commitment to involvement and  participation of looked after children. The core statements of the policy will help us  to move towards best practice in this field. Through this we enhance the quality of  our service delivery, ensure compliance with our policies and procedures, reaffirm  our accountability, and benefit the children we look after.

Staff conduct is defined as:
The values, principles, and standards, and the self- directed constraints and aspirations staff members apply to all their activities within the Inaura school and community which  taken together create the school ethos and facilitate the school’s  aims, objectives and the achievement of its purpose.

Staff conduct arises from an awareness and understanding of ‘the way we do things’ in a professional sense.   It is inseparable  from the delivery of teaching and support which characterise our operations.  

In the context of safeguarding, the safety of our students, staff, visitors and the public is the priority value.

Staff conduct is developed through:
•    immersion in the ethos of the school
•    training and professional development
•    the existence of clear guidelines covering a wide range of matters

It is maintained and improved by:
•    Strong and sustained support from senior management
•    A system for monitoring and auditing staff conduct and acting on the information gained
•    Collaborative staff development opportunities
•    Individual professional development planning

Our school is unique in that our approach is relational not behavioural.  In this context the key points are that:
•    The behaviour of individuals is best understood interpreted and talked about in relation to that of other individuals.  Behaviour cannot therefore be objectified since the subject is part of the dialogue
•    The key ‘relational elements’ are the human beings involved in every interaction not the roles, identities or status of the individuals.  This is of fundamental importance to the achievement of equal opportunities –
•    Inaura’s ethos aspires to voluntariness and the equality of each person at the school regardless of age, role or status.

Participation policy
Through our Involvement and participation policy We encourage and help children to be fully involved in decisions that affect  their  lives and day to day care. 
The involvement and participation policy is one of the key processes by which we guide staff conduct in accordance with our school ethos.

Within the policy on involvement and participation:
•    We have clearly defined rights and responsibilities for children and those  responsible for developing their involvement and participation
•    We have clear guidance and procedures on how we fulfill our involvement  and participation functions
•    We are committed to the equal rights of all looked after children to be  recognised as members of society who should be listened to as well as  protected
•    We help children be involved in making decisions about the care we  provide and the communities in which they live
•    We promote accessibility and support advocacy in children’s participation  and involvement
•    We have systems to support the child’s participation in decisions about  information sharing, record keeping and confidentiality
•    We make our complaints procedures clear
•    We have education and training programmes to promote the development  of children’s involvement and participation
•    We have programmes that enable us to meet standards and to monitor our  performance

This policy also cross-refers to other key Inaura policies and structures, e.g. care  planning and reviewing, confidentiality, reporting and recording, information  sharing, health and safety (re: premises and transport used by participating  children), anti-discriminatory practice, advocacy, performance review and appraisal,  recruitment and selection of staff, education, training and development policy and  annual training programmes, staff supervision, confidentiality, risk assessment,  partnership working, protection of children online, whistle blowing, absence without  authority etc.

School prospectus – the short form of the school prospectus summarises these principles on a functional level.
Our behaviour management policy (which we call our relational approach) is very relevant to staff conduct and is included as a separate theme.   In this, we make clear our commitment to restorative rather than punitive approaches as being more effective in reducing instances of problematic behaviour and in maintaining relationships.

We consider the existence of secure relationships of trust as being a key safeguarding dynamic.

EO policy – as indicated above we are a fundamentally equal opportunities organisation.  However, we recognise the need for a formal statement regarding this, and also the need for a policy which
•    monitors and responds to equal opportunities issues
•    makes it equal opportunities aspirations explicit.
•    challenges instances where the policy is not upheld – for instance offensive verbal comments.
Our racial equalities policy is part of our equal opportunities policy.

Staff Handbook – The staff handbook covers all matters relating to the day to day delivery  of the contract between employee and employer, from matters relating to expenses to the application of terms and conditions of employment and the specific accountabilities of staff in general terms. 

Confidentiality policy – We ask all staff to read our confidentiality policy and sign a confidentiality agreement. This policy is covered in the staff handbook

Associate staff policy – We have identified the need for an associate staff policy for Inaura. Essentially the same principles and policies apply to associate staff (those providing specific instruction on-site, supply teachers, part-time volunteers, and so on.  In some policies (such as safer recruitment) variations in policy for volunteers are detailed.  

Performance management policy
Lead SMT – Deputy head.    Covers a scheduled programme of classroom observation, supervision and annual appraisal.   Currently located in teaching and learning documentation.

Supervision policy
Lead SMT – Deputy head.    Covers a scheduled programme of classroom observation, supervision and annual appraisal.   Currently located in teaching and learning documentation.

Human resources policy
Covers all aspects of the contracts between employer and employee from a comprenshively legal technical and procedural point of view