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Auckland Sexual Abuse HELP Code of Ethics

Introduction
This code of ethics serves the following purposes:
- A statement of expected performance by the organisation and its workers.
- A indication of the standards on which the service is based.
- An understanding of responsible practice for Auckland Sexual Abuse HELP workers.

The agency is committed to high professional standards and expects its workers and members to aact with integrity and appropriate levels of competence.

These ethics are based on the principles of respect for all people and on social justice for the women, children and families the agency serves.

Priority is to be given to the interest and well being of the clients of the orgnaisation.

The workers and members of the organisation are committed to seeking fairness and social equality at large.

The code of ethics defines the worker's responsibility:
- Firstly to her clients.
- Then to the wider community, her colleagues and other team members and then to the agency.

Responsibility to clients
a. The agency shall respect the client's right to privacy and workers shall reserve the confidentiality of information obtained in the course of their work. Confidential information shall be shared with others only with the informed consent of the client, unless there is a clear danger to her safety, to others, or to the public at large. Workers shall inform clients of the limits of confidentiality.

b. Workers shall deal truthfully with their clients and provide adequate information about the nature of the working relationship and their ways of working.

c. Workers shall uphold the principle of empowering clients and fostering maximum self-direction in the counselling process.

d. Workers shall not abuse their position by taking advantage of clients for the purposes of personal, organisational, political, financial or sexual gain.

e. Within the therapeutic relationship, the client shall be free of the possibility of sexual exploitation or sexual harassment.

f. Workers shall recognise the dignity of the person and avoid discrimination against clients on the basis of their ethnicity, sexual orientation, social class, age, religion, political beliefs, gender, (dis)abilities or lifestyle.

g. Workers shall acknowledge the limits of their competence and suitability and refer clients to other resources when this proves desirable or necessary.

h. Workers shall have regular supervision with supervisors approved by Auckland Sexual Abuse HELP and acceptable to the worker.

i. Workers shall terminate their services to clients in a suitably professional manner, when either the client or the worker decides it is no longer in the client's best interests.

j. The worker shall acknowledge that there are limits to the service she can provide, and respect for her own health in the therapeutic relationship shall be upheld.

Responsibilty to the wider community
a. Workers shall abide by the agency's policy on Te Tiriti o Waitangi

b. Workers shall ahve a committment to prevent and eliminate discrimination in the wider community against individuals and groups on the basis of race, colour, gender, sexual orientation, social class, age, religion, political beliefs, (dis)abilities or lifestyle.

c. Workers shall advocate policies and legislation that promote social justice, improve social conditions and a fairer sharing of the community's resources, particularly in regard to women and children, minority groups and tangata whenua.

d. Workers shall seek to increase the range of choices for all members of the community, with special regard for the diadvantaged.

Responsibilty to colleagues and other team members
a. Workers shall treat their co-workers with respect, courtesy and fairness.

b. Workers shall respect professional confidences about the clients of other workers.

c. Workers shall not solicit the clients of other workers and shall avoid assuming professional responsibility for them without appropriate communication with the worker or agency concerned.

d. Workers shall seek supervision and, if necessary, mediation if important conflicts with other workers require to be resolved in the interests of clients, co-workers and the agency or of their own professional integrity.

e. Workers shall take action through appropriate channels against unethical conduct by other workers, especially if it is harmful to clients.

Responsibility to Auckland Sexual Abuse HELP
a. Workers shall adhere to their contract made with Auckland Sexual Abuse HELP.

b. Workers shall seek to maintain and improve the quality of the services provided by Auckland Sexual Abuse HELP.

c. Workers shall alert Auckland Sexual Abuse HELP to the ways this agency needs to function to support the workers to fulfil their ethical obligations.