Trans Aid Cymru – Code of Conduct

Trans Aid Cymru (TAC) is a mutual aid organisation and adheres to the principles of mutual aid: that people give what they can and receive what they need, though solidarity not charity. While volunteers and members of TAC may provide services for vulnerable Trans, Intersex and Nonbinary (TIN) people in Wales, we also encourage and facilitate, wherever possible, intra-community support.

We expect all members and volunteers to have respect for one another and our service users and to behave in a professional manner when carrying out responsibilities as a volunteer for or member of TAC.

We recognise that TAC is an informal, voluntary organisation that operates within a tight-knit community. Many of our service users are also our friends. We therefore do not have the same expectations of our members that businesses or charities with paid employees may have. However, professional boundaries are required for TAC to operate in a safe, consistent, and transparent manner. They are outlined below:

Professional Behaviour

1. Any information provided by or about service users through volunteering or working for Trans Aid Cymru is considered privileged information and must not be shared under any circumstances with people outside of TAC, unless there is a legitimate safeguarding concern. Where safeguarding concerns arise, the safeguarding procedure must be followed.
2. You will be expected to maintain a professional distance from our service users, which includes, and is not limited to:
   1. Using TAC social media or email rather than personal social media accounts to communicate with service users in a professional capacity relating to TAC.
   2. Not posting about service users on social media outside agreed and anonymised requests for help
   3. Not posting negatively about other TAC members or volunteers on social media
   4. Passing on a service user and their query to another appropriate volunteer if you are feeling uncomfortable with providing a continued service, for any reason
   5. Promptly notifying a team leader or Management Team member if you have a conflict of interest with a service user
3. You will be expected to refrain from engaging with any service users in a professional capacity (relating to TAC) whilst under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol.
4. You will be expected to carry out the responsibilities of being a team member or volunteer that are outlined to you by the Management Team
5. You will be expected to adhere to and uphold all other TAC policies
6. You will be expected not to push yourself beyond your ability, be kind to yourself, and set realistic limits for yourself on the work that you are capable of doing at any given time

Conflicts of Interest

1. You will not be involved in making any decisions about or delivering any services to a service user where there is a conflict of interest between you and the service user. This includes when:
   1. You and the service user are partnered
   2. You and the service user live together
   3. There is a known interpersonal conflict between yourself and the service user
   4. You are the subject of a complaint submitted by the service user

Complaints or Concerns

1. It is important that you act in accordance with TAC’s Concerns & Complaints Procedure when dealing with any and all service users. We encourage team members and volunteers, where possible, to resolve minor conflicts or address minor concerns with each other. Where this is not possible, the Complaints and Concerns Procedure is set in place to facilitate dealing with any issues that arise.
2. As a group of likeminded people whose primary concern is the support of each other and our service users, it is important that we all strive to support each other if any concerns and complaints do arise. We aim to foster a healthy environment in which concerns can be dealt with in a fair, sensitive, and considerate manner.
3. We adhere to the principles of restorative and transformative justice over a punitive justice model and aim to restore trust and community cohesion wherever possible. While we do not take punitive measures for the sake of punishment, we may take actions to protect volunteers, staff, service users, or TAC as an organisation.

Meetings

1. While we understand that all TAC members are volunteers, it is important to attend regular meetings to remain updated about the running of TAC and its projects.
2. For general meetings, all members should be given a minimum of 3 days notice and meeting agenda should be supplied before the meeting.
3. In the case of emergency meetings, notice may be shorter, but will always be provided via email and the Mattermost app.
4. Minutes will be taken during every meeting, which will be available to all members and after the meeting. 

Changes to the Code of Conduct

1. The Management Team may edit or update the Code of Conduct at any point, however:
2. TAC encourages cooperation and consensus decision-making, so where possible, other members and volunteers should be consulted about changes to the Code of Conduct. Any major changes should be discussed and agreed upon in a general meeting.
3. If the Management Team does make any edits or updates, all members and volunteers must be notified within 48 hours.

Last updated:	Version:	Changes made by:
10/03/2021	1.0	General Admin team
23/07/2022	1.0	General Admin team
23/08/2022	1.0	General Admin team
03/07/2023	1.0	General Admin team
23/01/2024	2.0	Admin Team
24/01/2024	2.1	Management Team
24/09/2024	2.2	Management Team