It's our responsibility to set and uphold the highest standards of professionalism and to promote ethical behaviour, attitudes and judgement on the part of our members - this is covered in our Ethical Framework. 

It’s crucial to recognise that the same ethical obligations of professional conduct apply when attending an event online or in person. As such, you should always apply the principles and values of the Ethical Framework and use your ethical and professional judgement when attending an event, whether it be online or face to face.

From this, we aim to create a space where everyone feels welcomed, respected and safe. We’d like to suggest the following collective commitments at our online and face to face events:

  • we'll listen to the contributions of everyone with respectful attention and appreciation
  • we'll value the visible and invisible diversity of everyone attending events by acknowledging our own privileges and biases, and welcome opportunities to engage with people who are different to ourselves 
  • the language we use and opinions we have may differ and we may not always navigate those differences as well as we’d like. We’ll welcome feedback and challenge, seeing them as an opportunity to learn. When we give feedback we’ll do so constructively with consideration
  • the conversations we have at our events may provoke strong emotions or responses, which may vary depending on our lived experiences. We’ll look after ourselves, doing what we need to do to pay attention to our own wellbeing, and be respectful that others are doing the same

In line with these commitments, as the event organisers we will:

  • provide all presenters, hosts and staff attending the event with a copy of this statement and provide guidance to ensure their contributions are accessible and inclusive
  • provide a variety of opportunities for you to share your experiences and thoughts, respecting your right to decide how much you wish to do this
  • pay attention to the feedback that you give us, act on anything that needs urgent attention and use this to inform future events
  • help you to manage your wellbeing by providing self-care breaks during the live programme
  • provide useful resources about sources of support

We ask you to: 

  • listen respectfully to presenters, chairs, hosts, staff and delegates
  • share your thoughts and experiences if you wish to, and be mindful that time is limited and others may also wish to speak
  • respect people’s needs and wishes by using preferred pronouns
  • tell us clearly and concisely if anything is not working for you and trust that we’ll do our best to find a solution
  • take responsibility for your own emotional wellbeing and take time out if you need to