ONE HOPE CODE OF CONDUCT
Our goal is to care for the children, youth, and families who are a part of One Hope Tulsa. We want to use the influence and authority that we have to protect and serve the children and youth in our care.
Accountability and Visibility
• All workers are subject to the code of conduct. It is your responsibility to immediately report any breach of this code or boundary violation (yours or another worker’s) to program leaders.
• Any child or youth who engages in inappropriate conduct should be reported to program leaders. This includes children who engage in sexually inappropriate behavior or language, physical aggression, bullying, etc.
• As much as possible, activities with minors should occur in highly visible, public areas.
Two Adult Rule
• Two adults must be present at all times when working with minors, except in the case of a clear emergency.
• If only one adult is working, then a minimum of two children/youth should be present, and the meeting/activity must be in a public area that is accessible to others (door left open or window in the door), except in the case of a clear emergency.
Interacting Guidelines
• Always be positive and encouraging in your interaction with the children.
• Never, ever be rough with a child or hit, strike, or harm a child in any way.
• Look for opportunities to encourage children and praise their work.
• Maintain an attitude of respect towards children and their families. Speak of and about children and their families in a way that communicates that respect.
• Touch should be open and public, rather than secretive.
• Touch should be in response to the need of the child, not the need of the adult.
• Touch should be age-appropriate and generally initiated by the child, rather than the adult.
• Touch should be with the child’s permission. If the child resists, the worker should respect the child’s response and stop touching him/her.
• Touch should always communicate respect for the child. Adults should avoid doing things of a personal nature for a child that he/she is able to do for himself/herself, including dressing, bathing, etc.
• Touch should not include violent behavior. Adults and other children should not hit, slap, pinch, or push a child, even in jest.
• See the interacting guidelines for the specific program/event for more information.
Appropriate Speech
• Your words should support, encourage, and bless children, and should include affirmation and positive reinforcement.
• Words that harm should be avoided. They include:
- Language that is shaming, belittling, humiliating, or threatening.
- Name calling, cursing, harsh rebuking, or making derogatory remarks about a child, family, or people groups.
- The following are also prohibited:
- Language that shows deferential treatment to particular children to the exclusion of others.
- Telling off-color or sexual jokes, making sexually-suggestive comments, sharing personal sexual information, or discussing sexual encounters or desires with children.
- Making inappropriate comments related to physique or body development.
Appropriate Correction
• Under no circumstances should staff or volunteers touch a child for disciplinary reasons- no hitting, slapping, pinching, spanking, shoving, or grabbing, etc. Physical force can only be used in self- defense or when deemed necessary to prevent possible injury.
• If staff or volunteer’s own children are participating in or present at the program, then any public discipline should be inside the interacting guidelines.
Medical Policies
• If it’s wet and it’s not yours, don’t touch it. Use a paper towel or gloves to clean it up.
• Do not administer medication (yours or theirs) to children/youth.
• Send children to the office if they say they are sick or if they seem to need medical care.
Technology
• All use of phones, the internet, TV, and movies must be monitored when children are in our care.
• All pornography and sexually explicit or suggestive content is strictly prohibited (internet or phones) and must be reported immediately.
• Cyber-bullying (via phones or internet) must be reported immediately.
• Workers should refrain from developing relationships with children over electronic media, since that is not open and observable.
Bathroom Use
• Children who are sent to the bathroom alone must have a bathroom pass from their teacher.
• If a volunteer walks children to the bathroom, the volunteer should stand in the door or hallway outside the bathroom. Volunteers should never enter the bathroom and close the door or enter the stall with a child.
• If a child needs assistance or supervision in the bathroom, one volunteer must stand in the door while another volunteer assists. When only one volunteer is present, the volunteer should not enter the bathroom unless there is a clear emergency.
• Volunteers and staff should use the staff bathrooms only.
• Camper bathrooms are for campers only.
Volunteer Dress Code
• No exposed midriffs, short shorts, spaghetti straps, see-through shirts, skin-tight shirts or pants, leggings as pants, explicit-content on t-shirts, or visible undergarments.
• No headphones in while volunteering.