Professional Boundaries Policy October 2012. Page 1 of 6

PRE-SCHOOL LEARNING ALLIANCE

Registered as an Educational Charity

PROFESSIONAL BOUNDARIES POLICY

1.0 Introduction

This policy sets out the Pre-school Learning Alliance’s standards, principles and good practice guidelines on professional boundaries with service users.

It is not an exhaustive list of what staff members can and cannot do, but the aim is to enable staff to understand: the ground rules that all staff must observe; and the expectations the charity has of its staff when dealing with service users.

It is recognised that staff must establish a rapport with service users and provide support; however staff are responsible for ensuring that they establish and maintain appropriate professional boundaries between themselves and service users.

The rights and needs of service users must be respected at all times. Staff must recognise that they are in a position of authority and this must not be abused at any time. It is essential that all interactions between individuals must be seen in terms of a professional relationship.

This guidance applies to all contact with service users and suppliers and should be incorporated into day-to-day practices.

2.0 Staff Responsibilities and Authorities

Line managers have the specific role of monitoring day to day team and individual practice and have a responsibility to challenge and address staff when standards are not being maintained.

All staff are individually responsible for applying and maintaining appropriate professional boundaries in their day-to-day work and for raising any associated issues or training needs with their line manager.

3.0 Definitions

Professional boundaries define the limits of behaviour and responsibilities which allow for safe connections between staff members and service users. These boundaries are based on trust, respect and the appropriate use of power/authority.

Professional relationship can be defined as a bond of trust between staff members and service users in which staff members have a responsibility for ensuring that professional boundaries are achieved at all times.

Staff member refers to anyone who, as a Pre-school Learning Alliance employee, provides a direct or indirect service. This also includes students and volunteers.

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Service user refers to any individual in direct receipt of any service provided by a member of Pre-school Learning Alliance.

Individual refers to Pre-school Learning Alliance employees, service users, volunteers and people employed by external organisations.

4.0 Working with Service Users 4.1 Befriending

4.1.1 Staff Member Responsibilities

Staff must never overstep professional boundaries and confuse befriending with friendship. All workers must be aware of the difference between:

• Befriending a service user – which is a professional relationship, made to meet service users needs, and

• Becoming a service user’s friend – which is a relationship that focuses on the needs of both people. A professional relationship focuses solely on the needs of the service user.

Where personal friendships exist or develop, which span role boundaries for example; a nursery worker is asked to babysit for a parent/family. The member of staff should make his/her line manager aware of this fact.

4.1.2 Line Manager Responsibilities

The line manager and the staff member should look together at whether any conflicts of interest are likely to arise and how these may be best dealt with.

Where a service user seeks one-to-one support from our organisation, ideally this should not be provided by someone who already has a close personal connection with the service user, in order to prevent confusion arising over the capacity in which someone is acting.

4.2 Sexual Relationships and Sexual or Foul Language

4.2.1 Staff Member Responsibilities

The Alliance discourages the development of sexual relationships between service users and staff members in supportive roles with them. Where such a relationship already exists, or it develops, the staff member should inform his/her line manager and the staff member should immediately cease in their support role.

Staff members should approach any physical contact with great care and caution to avoid misinterpretation as affection or favouritism.

Staff members must ensure that they do not use language of a sexual nature in discussions with service users, suppliers and colleagues.

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Foul and abusive language is not appropriate and must be avoided in order to avoid offending fellow colleagues or service users.

4.2.2 Line Manager Responsibilities

The line manager should talk to the service user, informing him/her of the action taken and explaining the reasons for it.

The line manager should explore whether the member of staff has misused their position in anyway. If evidence of such conduct came to light it would regarded as a disciplinary matter for the staff member.

4.3 Financial Transactions

The Alliance discourages financial transactions between service users and staff members to prevent the possibility of the Alliance being brought into disrepute, examples of such transactions might be the buying or selling of goods or services, or the lending or borrowing of money.

Staff members should inform their line manager of any suggestion of such transaction and if the line manager were to have any concerns he/she should talk to the service user concerned.

If evidence of such conduct came to light it would regarded as a disciplinary matter for the staff member.

4.4 Gifts, Favours and Hospitality

A service user may at times wish to give a gift, or offer favour or hospitality to a staff member to express appreciation for help given and it could be insensitive of the staff member to refuse a token of this kind. In order to avoid offending the service user staff members may accept the gift on behalf of the team and not as an individual.

The line manager should be informed immediately and refer to the charity’s Anti-bribery Policy.

4.5 Attendance at Service User Events

Whilst staff members are able to attend service user’s social events the charity would prefer that staff members did not meet service users socially. However in the event where this is unavoidable then the staff member must ensure that their conduct at the event does not bring the charity into disrepute.

It may be deemed appropriate that a staff member attend a funeral in order to represent the Pre-school Learning Alliance. This will be dependent on service capacity on the day. Any staff member wishing to attend a funeral must discuss with their line manager prior to the event.

A sympathy card /letter to the family from all the team on behalf of the organisation may be appropriate, as agreed by the line manager.

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4.6 Service User Assumptions

Where a staff member is acting in a supportive role with a service user, particular care needs to be taken about the understanding and assumptions of the service user about what is being offered. It is not appropriate to ‘make promises’.

4.7 Use of Terms of Endearment

Care should be taken when speaking to colleagues, service users and suppliers that casual phrases such as; “dear”, “honey”, “love”, “mate” etc. are avoided, in order to avoid unwelcome over familiarity.

4.8 Divulging Personal Information

Care should be taken by staff members over how much personal information they divulge to service users and, in particular, should not disclose their own home addresses and private contact details.

Staff members who receive friend requests from service users for social networking sites should refer to the charity’s policy on Websites, Blogs and Social Networking before accepting.

Staff members need to have a clear understanding of where he/she wishes to draw the line of his/her own privacy and convey an understanding of this boundary line to the service user.

Deciding what and how much personal information to reveal should be based on the needs of the service user and not the needs of the staff member.

Managers should ensure that their staff members have read and understood the charity’s Data Protection Policy.

4.9 Confidentiality

Care should be taken not to put pressure on service users to divulge confidential information to any staff member.

When a service users does impart confidential information staff members should use the utmost discretion and discuss it with his/her line manager.

Where staff members live in the local community where they work extreme caution must be taken to ensure that information disclosed during the course of their work is not divulged in social circumstances.

Managers should ensure that their staff members have read and understood the charity’s Confidentiality Policy.

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4.10 Recognition of Staff Members Own Limitations

It is important that all staff members recognise the limitations of their own skill, knowledge and experience and do not go beyond these limitations in their work with service users.

It is also important that staff members consider their own health and well-being and recognise and respect their own limits in coping with work pressures.

Where a service user expresses or demonstrates a need which cannot be met by a staff member, the staff member should be open about this with the service user and, where appropriate, help him/her to access an alternative service.

4.11 Staff members Conduct

Staff members should conduct themselves in a manner in which is appropriate to their role so that they can be seen to be responsible, reliable and caring individuals in whom service users can safely place their trust.

Managers should ensure that their staff members have read and understood the charity’s Code of Conduct.

4.12 Social Networking

The Alliance respects staff member’s right to a private life. However, the Alliance must also ensure that confidentiality and its reputation are protected. Managers should ensure that their staff members have read and understood the charity’s Websites, Blogs and Social Networking Policy and are required to:

• Refrain from identifying themselves as working for the Alliance.

• Take care not to allow their interaction on websites to damage working relationships between members of staff and service users of the Alliance.

5.0 Managing Boundary Issues

Staff members may unwittingly be put in a position where their relationship with service users is compromised, or to be drawn into conversations or situations where their boundaries are being stretched or crossed. In some situations the fine line between good and bad practice may not always be obvious or clear.

A staff member should seek the guidance of their line manager if they are unsure about the nature of a relationship developing with a service user, or if they need advice on how they intend to deal with a situation. Similarly if the immediate line manager requires advice they must consult their line manager.

In situations where it has not been possible to access support in this way, any action which has been taken must be discussed with the line manager as soon as is possible.

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A written record of a broken or blurred boundary should be kept the appropriate file or book (in accordance with local practice) recording what was discussed and agreed in accordance with the charity’s Data Protection Policy. There are some events and arrangements planned with service users that are highly valued by them but may present potential boundary issues. In these instances there may at times be a need to exercise flexibility and discretion in the interpretation of this policy. Such instances where there are clear potential benefits to service users should be brought to the attention of the manager. The situation will then be ‘risk assessed’, any necessary safeguards agreed with the line manager and a record kept. This approach should ensure that transparency is maintained in agreeing variations and that positive risk taking is managed.

6 .0 Monitoring And Review

Line Managers supervisors will be responsible for general monitoring of these guidelines. Transgressions will be reviewed with individual staff members, but in some cases it may be appropriate to record examples for discussion as part of staff training or discussion at team meetings.

Significant and/or repeated breaches of this policy will lead to disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal.