Mentoring Code of Conduct

When a mentoring match has been made a mentor will conduct themselves in accordance with this Code of Conduct.

If you have any questions about this policy, please contact Darren McFarlane at [email protected].

Integrity

Mentors will ensure that no false or misleading claims are made, or implied, about their professional competence, qualifications or accreditation.

Mentors shall not give medical, therapeutic or legal advice to the mentee when they aren’t certified to do so.

Mentors are expected to show up to their meetings

Mentors will act within applicable law and not in any way encourage, assist or collude with conduct which is dishonest, unlawful, unprofessional or discriminatory.

Confidentiality

Mentors will maintain the strictest level of confidentiality with their mentee’s information unless release of information is required by law.

Mentors will have a clear agreement with the mentees under which confidentiality will not be maintained (e.g. illegal activity, danger to self or others) and gain agreement to that limit of confidentiality where possible unless the release of information is required by law.

Inappropriate interactions

Mentors are responsible for setting and maintaining clear, appropriate and culturally sensitive boundaries that govern all physical and virtual interactions with their mentee.

Mentors will avoid any romantic or sexual relationship with mentees. Further, mentors will be alert to the possibility of any potential sexual intimacy with the aforementioned parties and take appropriate action to avoid the intimacy or cancel the engagement in order to provide a safe environment.

Conflict of interest

Mentors will not exploit a mentee or seek to gain any inappropriate financial or non- financial advantage from the mentoring relationship.

Mentors will be aware of the potential for conflicts of interest of either a commercial or personal nature arising through the mentoring relationship and address them quickly and effectively in order to ensure that there is no detriment to the mentee.

Mentors will disclose any conflict openly with the mentee and agree to withdraw from the relationship if a conflict arises which cannot be managed effectively.

Terminating the mentoring relationship

Mentors will respect a mentee's right to terminate a mentoring relationship at any point in the process.

Mentors understand that their responsibilities continue beyond the termination of the mentoring relationship. These include:

Maintenance of agreed confidentiality of all information relating to the mentee.
Avoidance of any exploitation of the former relationship, which could otherwise

call into question the professionalism or integrity of the mentor or the mentoring professional community.

Respect

Mentors shall continuously demonstrate respect for others.

Mentors will avoid knowingly discriminating on any grounds and will seek to enhance their own awareness of possible areas of discrimination.

Mentors will be aware of the potential for unconscious bias and seek to ensure that they take a respectful and inclusive approach, which embraces and explores individual difference.

Communication by the mentor should be professional, and not be obscene or offensive.

Breach of the code

Mentors accept that any breach of the code will result in them being removed from Next Level Mentoring’s pool of mentors.