Code of Conduct Policy

As an Ayurva student, you should:

• Treat all students and staff with respect. We do not allow people to be unfairly treated because of their age, disability, dress, sexual orientation, gender, marital status, race, social status, colour, or beliefs. We do not allow bullying of any kind, including text and cyber bullying.
• Follow the safety, fire drill, no smoking, parking, mobile phones and IT user rules applicable to any premises where you will be studying
• Refrain from drinking alcohol on a class day, during practice groups, or around the time of seeing clients.
• Refrain from using illegal substances.
• Bring nothing into your classroom, practice group or client space that could be used to harm any other person.
• Be responsible for bringing your own refreshments and lunch to class, and anything else you need for personal comfort.
• Treat Ayurva premises and property; classroom premises; practice group venues, placement venues and other students’ property with respect.
• Refrain from using offensive language or gestures.
• Behave in an appropriate manner in and around teaching premises and Ayurva buildings, and when attending seminars and workshops related to your studies, whether Ayurva workshops or not. This also applies to practice groups.
• Undertake to conduct yourself at all times in accord with your status as trainee counsellor and act in such a way as neither undermines public confidence in the process or profession of counselling nor brings it into disrepute.
• Carry ID with you to be able to be identified by Ayurva tutors, premises staff or clients where necessary or appropriate.
• Take responsibility for being contactable by Ayurva, updating us with any changes of contact details.
• If your class is taking place via an online meeting, i.e. Zoom class, remember that you are still part of a class group and you should continue to behave in the same manner that you would be expected to during a face-to-face class. Please look to ensure that you have suitable lighting so that you can be seen by fellow students and your tutor for class discussions and work; look to be in an area where no-one else enters and no other activities are taking place; remember that you are there for class attendance and should not be doing anything else whilst you are attending. Be respectful of your fellow classmates and remember that this can be particularly distracting in this environment. If you need to leave the meeting for any reason, excuse yourself and then you can rejoin at any point.

In undertaking your studies, you should:

• Aim to have 100% attendance at all your classes and show continuous commitment to your course.
• Bring the right equipment with you.
• Tell your tutor if you are going to be away and account for any unavoidable absence. (We expect you to book appointments with doctors/dentists outside of your timetabled sessions unless there is an emergency).
• Complete all your work and hand it in on time and catch up on any work you may have missed. We will support you with this.
• Be responsible for your learning by working hard and achieving your best results. You are entitled to the support of Ayurva to help you with this.
• Understand that passing your course and receiving your certificates means that you must successfully complete all mandatory elements of your course.
• Behave in a considerate way to all staff and students and not interfere with the learning of others.
• Keep correspondence between yourself and Ayurva confidential, including email correspondence and phone conversations.

In being a student of talking therapies in particular, you should:

• Join and maintain your membership of the designated professional bodies, as required.
• Agree to abide, and be bound by, the relevant Codes of Ethics of the professional bodies which accredit your course (the National Counselling Society and/or National Hypnotherapy Society)
• Take responsibility for your safety to practice, which means honestly and in a timely manner notifying us of active addiction; criminal prosecution or conviction; a diagnosis of mental or physical illness which could impact your studies; the prescription of medication related to any psychological or emotional condition; you become pregnant; you are diagnosed with epilepsy.
• Take full responsibility for your clients, throughout and after training.
• Obtain professional indemnity insurance when required.
• Only use therapeutic methods specifically taught to you as part of your course, unless you have permission otherwise.
• Not commence, or terminate, any client relationship which you undertake as part of your studies if we feel this is necessary.
• See clients only in an appropriate setting, not a public space, and ensure that appropriate security arrangements are in place for yourself and the client.
• Only see clients face to face while in training (or online, by agreement from Ayurva, in instances where face to face contact is not possible).
• Refrain from using Ayurva materials to train others in therapeutic techniques.
• Treat practice groups with respect, agreeing that a majority consensus allows for a practice group to ask you to find another group.
• Notify your tutor if you are asked to leave a practice group; or if you ask another student to leave a practice group.

In raising a concern, complaint or welfare issue, you should:

• Familiarise yourself with, and use, the Ayurva concerns and complaints procedures.
• Speak with your tutor first, if it’s appropriate and helpful.
• Be responsible for your own personal issues in considering making a complaint.
• Be aware that course transition points (e.g. starting your second year) are challenging.
• Be prepared to suggest a resolution for your complaint.
• Be prepared to accept reasonable redress from Ayurva where this is appropriate.
• Treat the Ayurva Complaints Officer with respect.
• Allow time for the process to conclude.
• Only raise complaints as an individual, not as part of a group.
• Refrain from escalating a complaint until the process has concluded