Centre for Newcomers Volunteer Code of Conduct

• Demonstrate Respect and Dignity of Worth for All: Maintain a respectful approach towards all people, colleagues, clients, and others in the building.

• Respect Cultures, Religions, and Beliefs: Demonstrate respect for the different culture, religious backgrounds and practices.

• Professionalism: Follow the ethical standards of the agency. Follow rules, procedures and polices. Respect confidentiality, boundaries and timelines. Talk directly with persons involved about a problem.

• Be Aware of Power Disparities: Understand that your role as a volunteer places you in a position of power over newcomers.

• Avoid Conflicts of Interest: Avoid situations pitting your interests (including financial ones) against those of any clients you may serve.

• Support Autonomy and Empowerment: Support clients’ ability to make independent decisions. Reinforce the idea that newcomers bring much to resettlement groups and to their new country.

• Value Newcomers Contributions: Remember that newcomers are defined not by their needs, but by the contributions they do and will make to their new communities.

• Honesty: Always communicate honestly, even when doing so is difficult.

• Demonstrate Accountability: Fulfill all commitments once they are agreed to, adhering to the shift cancellation policy of 48 hours notice and finding a replacement.
  
• Demonstrate Professionalism: Provide 1 week (7 days) written notice to resign from a role or as a volunteer with Centre for Newcomers. References will be provided only for volunteers who have completed 6 months or 100 hours of service.

• Advocacy: Your volunteer role is a service role and not an advocacy role. As such volunteer work should follow the requests of the client and the program.

• Respect Interpersonal Boundaries: Respect all clients’ rights to personal privacy.

• Safeguard Confidentiality: Confidentiality extends to the personal history, medical status, financial arrangements, and other dimensions of the clients’ life.

• Media Requests: All media requests about the project or organization, and all interview requests to speak with refugees, clients of CFN staff must go through the project director or Volunteer Coordinator as appropriate. Media will not be given client names or contact information without the express consent of the client. Media representatives may be identified in the program if the refugee/client is emotionally able to provide interviews, is willing, and fully informed of all the risks involved. The confidentiality policy that we have signed also applies to any media requests to us as members of CFN and volunteers.

­All volunteers of Centre for Newcomers  must read and agree to adhere to these policies. 

I understand that by signing below, I have read and agreed to follow the Volunteer Code of Conduct. Failure to follow the code of conduct will result in the termination of my volunteer role, reference privileges, or future volunteer opportunities with Centre for Newcomers.