Adopted at the Inaugural General Meeting on 14 October 1993 in Wakefield, England.

Child care aims and objectives

1.1 A child care worker shall uphold and seek to ensure that the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child are implemented for all children and young people. In so doing s/he will take full account of the need to ensure equal rights for all children, will cultivate an understanding and awareness of the importance of race, gender, culture, religion, physical and mental ability, class and sexuality in the upbringing of children and young people and will use this understanding and awareness to enhance the quality of care given to each child or young person with whom s/he is involved. S/he shall not use a professional position or relationship, nor shall s/he knowingly permit his/her knowledge, experience and expertise to be used by others, for purposes not consistent with these aims.

Children's rights

2.1 Implicit in the care of children in any setting outside their family of origin is the recognition of the dignity and value of every human being.

2.2 A child care worker shall not discriminate against any child on the grounds of race, nationality, sex, age, beliefs, sexual orientation or social standing and shall work in such a way as to give equal opportunity for each child to achieve the maximum benefit and potential consistent with respecting the dignity and value of fellow human beings.

2.3 A child care worker shall endeavour to ensure that each child's rights in law and custom are observed and upheld taking due account of the child's age, understanding and capacity to exercise those rights responsibly and the rights of other persons affected by the child, whether as individuals or as members of social groups.

Professional Conduct and Integrity

3.1 A child care worker shall avoid any act which may bring his/her profession or service into disrepute or diminish the trust and confidence of the public.

3.2 A child care worker shall take decisions and act without fear or favour and independently of any concern for his/her professional prospects or pecuniary gain.

3.3 Where a child care worker is aware of action by a person or organisation which s/he considers is not consistent with the he aims and objectives of child care and may otherwise be harmful to a client or clients, s/he shall make such representation as s/he can to remedy the situation.

3.4 A child care worker shall attempt to ensure that there are appropriate resources to meet children's needs and shall ensure that resources are equitably allocated independently of personal preference or prejudice.

3.5 A child care worker shall maintain appropriate professional relationships with colleagues but where s/he feels a colleague's behaviour, competence or integrity is defective or deficient, s/he should discuss her/his views with the colleague. If no satisfactory outcome is achieved or it is a matter of serious concern, the complaint should be referred to those who are in a position to take action to correct the situation.

3.6 Where a child care worker receives a complaint from a client s/he should listen carefully to the nature and substance of the complaint, give due consideration and full account to its content and advise the client of the formal and informal avenues to obtain consideration of the complaint. If the child care worker is in any doubt as to what is the appropriate action in relation to any complaint, s/he shall seek the guidance of professional colleagues.

3.7 Where a child care worker has reason to believe that a client or her/his family is in need of help or advice which the child care worker is not competent or able to give (by reason for circumstances beyond her/his control), s/he shall inform the child (of the child's family) and give such assistance as s/he can towards obtaining the appropriate help, treatment or advice.

3.8 In a professional relationship between a child care worker and a child, it is the responsibility of the child care worker to identify if and when that relationship no longer serves the aims and objectives of child care. It is the child care worker's responsibility to make themselves fully aware of the social, legal and professional consequences of any action requested by the child which may be professionally, morally, legally or ethically questionable.

3.9 The practice of child care requires the worker to be physically, emotionally and mentally competent to meet children's needs. The child care worker has a responsibility to present him/herself in attitudes, behaviour and personal manner which will not diminish the quality of service given or give offence to children, their families or colleagues.

3.10 A child care worker shall not discriminate against a colleague with disabilities but shall endeavour to ensure that such workers have equal opportunities to meet children's needs as other workers.

Confidentiality of Information

4.1 In the collection and use of all information regarding children the child care worker will ensure that the information shall be:

* obtained fairly and lawfully
* held only for one of more lawful purposes as specified in the agency registration under the Data Protection Act 1984
* used and disclosed only in accordance with the agency entry on the Data Protection Register
* adequate, relevant and not excessive for those purposes
* accurate and where necessary up-to-date
* kept no longer than is necessary for the specified purposes
* made available to the child, or his/her parents, on request and subject to access provisions
* properly protected against loss of unlawful disclosure.

4.2 Disclosure of information concerning a child (or information by which a child car be identified) to an unauthorised person is a breach of confidentiality. Confidentiality may only be breached where it is demonstrably in the child's interests or where there is an overriding concern for the rights of other people, when for example the behaviour of the child may endanger others.

4.3 A child care worker shall make clear to children the extent to which confidentiality will be maintained and the circumstances in which personal information must be disclosed. A child care worker must give due cognisance to the contents and implications of the Access to Personal Files Act 1987.

4.4 In the conduct of any research identifying individual children, a child care worker shall ensure that the child's rights are upheld and their privacy respected and shall consult the child and obtain the child's consent to research activity and the publication of any material directly or indirectly identifying the child.

The Administration of Scheduled Drugs of other Medical Treatment

5.1 A child care worker shall not administer or cause to be administered any scheduled drug or medical treatment to a child except under the instruction of a registered medical practitioner and in any case shall not administer nor condone the administration of any scheduled drug or treatment other than for medical purposes.

5.2 Drugs prescribed by a medical practitioner for the purpose of controlling unmanageable behaviour may only be administered by the child care worker in accordance with the prescription of the responsible medical practitioner.

5.3 The child care worker shall request the child's medical practitioner at regular intervals to review the prescription of drugs to children.

5.4 Where the child care worker is unhappy about the prescription of drugs for a child, s/he shall take action under Clause 3.5 of this code.

Legal Infractions

6.1 A child care worker shall not commission nor assist an infringement of the law by a child nor actively collude with a child in the evasion of the consequences of an illegal act.

6.2 If in any doubt, the child care worker will take legal advice from colleagues, managers, professional associations or legal adviser, whichever is appropriate.

The Welfare and Well-being of Clients

7.1 A child care worker shall ensure that in any activity as a member of a group or organisation (e.g. trade union, political, religious or social organisation), s/he will not directly endanger, contribute to the actions of others which may endanger or cause damage to the welfare or well-being of any child.

7.2 A child care worker shall not impose any of his/her personal beliefs (e.g. cultural/religious/political/philosophical, etc.) on any child or use his/her position of power in the professional relationship to suggest that the adoption of the worker's beliefs will lead to preferential treatment.

7.3 Where a child seeks advice which may require a value judgement, then the child care worker should advise on the range of possible alternatives and help the child to choose the most appropriate course of action in consideration of the child's personal beliefs and values.

Legal Redress

8.1 Where a child care worker has the personal right as a citizen to obtain legal redress against a child who has committed an offence against him/her in criminal or civil law s/he shall give prior consideration as a professional person to the future impact such action will have upon the child involved and upon general professional practice.

Gratuities and benefits

9.1 A child care worker shall not solicit or elicit any personal gift or gratuity from a child.

9.2 A child care worker shall not seek to obtain benefits by bequest of a child after death.

9.3 In receiving gratuities or benefits from children, a child care worker shall give prior consideration to the implications of acceptance for the child, other children and her/his general standards of conduct as against personal gain.

Fees for Services

10.1 A child care worker shall not accept a fee for private services from persons who are entitled to her/his services as part of a public service and in particular s/he will not suggest to any client that by paying her/him a fee, the client will obtain priority or a better standard of service.

Variations in the Code of Practice

11.1 Where there appears to be a conflict of interest between an individual, his/her family or the community, a child care worker shall attempt to achieve a full understanding of the situation.
The worker shall also attempt to understand any conflicts of culture between her/himself and the child, between individuals, their family and the community. Child care workers need to accept that there will be occasions when their understanding will be incomplete. On these occasions the child care worker shall involve one or more colleagues to ensure that the conflicting interests are represented.

11.2 Where a child care worker believes that it would be wrong to follow this Code of Practice, s/he should follow her/his conscience and make clear to a responsible member of the same agency the grounds for her/his action.