Professional & Ethical Conduct Code

This code of ethics and conduct guides the conduct of all House of Montrose Limited who trade as the New Zealand Curriculum Design Institute – Te Wānanga Hoahoa Matauranga Aotearoa (HoM - NZCDI-TWHMA) personnel.

All HOM - NZCDI-TWHMA personnel must act in accordance with this Code and the characteristics set out in the HOM - NZCDI-TWHMA Professional Honour Code at all points in time.

Personnel have an obligation to understand the meaning of these Codes and if they are unsure to formally write and request clarification from HOM - NZCDI-TWHMA Leadership or Human Relations personnel.

1. Personnel will provide the highest standards of service in all dealings with their learners, clients and stakeholders.

HOM - NZCDI-TWHMA personnel, agents and partners will:

a. Deal with each person fairly, equitably, without prejudice and with due regard for his/her values, beliefs and life experiences;

b. Accept the rights of others to make independent choices, to take responsibility for decisions reached, and to engage in self-direction and self-development;

c. Preserve perfectly learners, clients, stakeholders and HOM - NZCDI-TWHMA personnel confidentiality-privacy;

d. Be honest;

e. Facilitate learning achievements in learners and not perform any work for them.

f. Actively seek to understand and perfectly observe HOM - NZCDI-TWHMA’s policies, procedures, processes, regulations and rules;

g. Seek appropriate consent before disclosure of any information;

h. Acknowledge and be professionally objective over personal interests and pressures in the declaration of any factors which might limit the impartiality of services or supports provided or provision of pertinent information to HOM - NZCDI-TWHMA;

i. Undertake professional development to stay properly educated, experienced and qualified according to pertinent national and international standards;

j. Recognise the boundaries of their competency and arrange for and facilitate appropriate personnel to undertake work based on the best interests of our learners, clients, stakeholders and HOM - NZCDI-TWHMA;

k. Provide accurate, current and relevant information;

l. Value high standards of professional competence and strive to offer high standards of professional knowledge, skills and expertise to professionally facilitate the personal and professional development of our learners/clients and

m. Be committed to the principle of life-long learning to maintain and improve both our professional growth and the development of our knowledge, skills and competence.

2. In promoting services to clients, HOM - NZCDI-TWHMA personnel, agents and partners will:

a. Represent all experience, education, and services honestly and accurately;

b. Describe accurately the services being offered;

c. Honestly represent professional qualifications, affiliations and interests;

d. Provide comprehensive and clear costing (costs are not to be hidden or staged);

e. Provide clients with a range of options and ways to achieve their aspirations;

f. Support the development of holistic internal organisational knowledge, skills, attitudes and values with a view to supporting excellence and quality in education and

g. Provide advice and options in a responsible manner with the interests of the learner, client, stakeholders and the sustainability of HOM - NZCDI-TWHMA in mind.

3. In conducting education or professional development, HOM - NZCDI-TWHMA personnel will:

a. Provide education only in those areas in which are well qualified;

b. Base education on the best and most recent research and informed opinion and

c. Strive to meet the specific needs of learners, clients, stakeholders and HOM - NZCDI-TWHMA.

4. In dealing with materials provided by the learners, client and stakeholders HOM - NZCDI-TWHMA personnel will:

a. Consider all materials to be confidential/private their Intellectual Property and

b. Request and receive written permission before using any participant materials outside the institute situation, and then protect the anonymity of the learner unless given prior permission to disclose these names.

5. In dealing with intellectual property in all forms, HOM - NZCDI-TWHMA personnel will:

a. Observe all relevant national and international laws, legal precedents and best practice;

b. Avoid illegal and uncredited use, in presentations and publications, of others’ materials and

c. Support the protection of others’ intellectual property.

6. In creating materials HOM - NZCDI-TWHMA personnel will:

a. Provide material which meets the needs of the intended readers;

b. Write copy in accordance with relevant laws, regulations, and professional standards;

c. Be rigorously honest and accurate in representation of products or services when writing sales or promotional materials for any party;

d. Advise when written materials and practices are not consistent with the ethical standards of the professional community, regulator or law.

e. Undertake work that is specifically suited to and fit for purpose.

7. In relating to other organisations’ HOM - NZCDI-TWHMA personnel will:

a. Encourage a spirit of partnership, cooperation and collegiality within the education community;

b. Maintain the highest-level integrity in obtaining information and in contacting them;

c. Give only honest and accurate references for others or none at all and

d. Compete openly and fairly for learners and clients.

8. If affiliated with other educational institutions, HOM - NZCDI-TWHMA personnel will:

a. Meet all obligations to the educational institution and to the learners in that institution;

b. Meet the terms of any contract signed with the educational institution as they apply to any work;

c. Use facilities and supplies of the educational institution for work only if the institution approves of such use and

d. Avoid conflicts of interest and proactively advise of any potential conflicts.

9. HOM - NZCDI-TWHMA personnel will prioritise learner achievement and support needs over all other interests.

It is here acknowledged that this Code of Conduct and Ethics draws upon the Monash University Career Consultants Code of Ethics (http://www.careers.monash.edu.au/students/code-of-ethics.html)