Code of Conduct
All volunteers and the Management Committee members are required to follow TLC’s Code of Conduct.
Toongabbie Legal Centre Code of Conduct
Following are the principles which all the volunteers and the Management Committee members are required to follow:
- Have respect for the policy and procedures of the Centre under which they carry out their duties.
- Perform their duties with professionalism, honesty, integrity and compassion in the best interests of the clients that they have set out to serve.
- Duly complete any induction, training as required by TLC, including ongoing familiarity with TLC policies.
- Show respect for all people – volunteer colleagues, clients and the public – and their rights.
- Observe fairness and equity in all dealings with volunteer colleagues, clients and the general public
- Avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest.
- No solicitor or student volunteer shall refer clients to any particular legal practice except unless such referrals are approved by the principal solicitor and/or Honorary Director.
- Do not give advice in an area of law in which you are not familiar. Refer the client to someone with expertise within the team.
- All volunteers and members of staff must keep clients’ issues confidential.
- Volunteers must not take any file or casework material from the Centre.
- Ensure that any information given is accurate and appropriate.
- Ensure that official information is used appropriately
- Ensure that public resources are used appropriately and efficiently
- Maintain proper standards of confidentiality, objectivity and quality when considering making a public statement or a media release
- All contacts with the media will be managed by the Honorary Director or someone authorised by the Honorary Director of the Centre
Ultimately all volunteer staff and Management Committee members need to take responsibility for their behaviour and work in an ethical way. Observance of the above mentioned Code of Conduct is essential for all volunteers and a criterion for their participation in the Centre’s work.1
1This Code has been adapted from Code of Conduct and Ethics, Corporate Human Resources, NSW Dept of Community Services, 2004