PVRI Code of Conduct

At the PVRI, we want to create a warm and welcoming environment for all. We believe that our stakeholders and everyone who comes into contact with us should be treated with dignity and respect – this includes staff, members, trustees, volunteers, corporate partners, suppliers, event attendees and speakers, and anyone accessing our services. 

We want people to feel that they are in a safe and supportive environment. This applies to everyone: we do not tolerate any discrimination, including around age, disability, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation or class. We will be swift to act in response to any allegations of discriminatory behaviour towards any person who comes in contact with us. 

The PVRI Board and staff team recognise our responsibility to create an inclusive culture beyond protected characteristics, and we strive to make the charity a place free from harm or inappropriate behaviour. We aim to build a culture where people’s wellbeing and mental health are valued and promoted across our staff team and our membership benefits and services, and we encourage all our stakeholders to do the same. 

As part of our culture around inclusion, we realise people experience harm in different ways, including in ways not immediately obvious. We will work to prevent this, helping facilitate communication in a safe environment and seek redress where it is needed. Unfortunately, harm can also be intentional and deliberate. Where this happens we will be uncompromising and robust in our approach. The priority is for the PVRI to ensure the safety of all our stakeholders and protecting those who have been harmed. 

At PVRI we will: 

• stand against and have a clear approach to prevent abuse of trust and power including bullying, intimidation, harassment, discrimination or victimisation in all our activities 
• encourage a culture that supports the reporting and resolution of allegations, suspicions or concerns about abuse of any kind or inappropriate behaviour 
• ensure that anyone working or volunteering for us understands the expectations placed upon them, and provides the relevant training to support them in meeting their responsibilities 
• ensure that anyone who works or volunteers for us, or uses our services, has access to proper support and advice if they 
  • experience or witness unacceptable behaviour 
  • raise a concern or make an allegation about the actions of others 
  • don’t feel safe

We ask our members, volunteers and stakeholders to: 

• communicate and respect boundaries, bearing in mind that they are different for everyone, and ensure that the expression of any personal beliefs is tactful and professional, and does not compromise the right of other individuals to feel safe and respected 
• keep any physical contact safe and socially appropriate 
• speak up if something makes you uncomfortable, or if you notice that someone else may be uncomfortable 
• listen with an open mind if somebody else speaks up 
• behave with integrity 

If you have a complaint or have been made to feel unsafe or unwelcome while engaging with our stakeholders or making use of our membership benefits and services, we urge you to let us know, and to follow our complaints procedure. If you have feedback or questions you would like to discuss informally, please contact our CEO Karen Osborn or call us on +44 (0) 7934 126930.