CIOF announces professional conduct committee as part of changes to safeguarding processes
Melanie May | 19 January 2024 | News
The Chartered Institute of Fundraising has appointed a professional conduct committee, which will oversee its complaints process, and updated its safeguarding hub, which is a section of its website dedicated to its work in this area.
Announced in a blog this week by Michele Welch, the CIOF’s Head of Professional Conduct, the professional conduct committee most recently met in December 2023. It will meet at least 3 times a year, and provide an update report to every Trustee meeting.
The committee has responsibility for continuing to develop the Member Code of Conduct, the Code of Behaviour for its events, it has oversight of all complaints and disciplinary policies and processes relating to professional conduct, and can set up disciplinary and appeals panels.
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Its formation is part of the Action Plan for safeguarding fundraising and putting into place recommendations of the Learning Review, conducted by Tell Jane.
The committee’s work will be partly guided by the recommendations of the upcoming Independent Review, which is a second review of its response to sexual harassment allegations. Once this is available – expected to be early this year – a subgroup of the Committee will work to ensure that the findings and recommendations are reflected throughout the implementation of the CIOF’s approach to professional conduct.
It is chaired by Lindsay Bartling, Senior Associate at Clyde & Co solicitors and Deputy District Judge with other members as follows:
- Graham Briscoe, Retired with a governance portfolio
- Kirsty Mavor, Clerk to Board of Management, Glasgow Clyde College
- Matt Radford, Lead Consultant, Vulnerable Paths
- Gary Richardson, Chief Executive, Countryside Learning
- Ngozi Cadmus, Chief Executive Officer, Happiworkers (Chartered Institute Trustee)
- Martine Koch, Head of Membership, Royal Town Planning Institute
- Claire Hagon, Independent Nurse Consultant and Life Coach
- Isobel Michael, Consultant, NSP Philanthropy & Fundraiser, Southside Family Project
Bartling has written a blog introducing the committee here.
A Chartered Institute of Fundraising spokesperson said:
“Membership of the Professional Conduct Committee was done through a fair and open recruitment process. The chair was appointed in late 2021, while the rest of the committee joined from a process that began in March 2022. At their recent meeting they began to consider how they will operate as a committee and established ways of working going forward, including the allocation of responsibilities and the appointment of a deputy chair.
“The committee also started to consider best practice and examples from other organisations – more information of which can be found in the chair’s recent blog.
“In regard to the Independent Review, we have not yet received the report from the Independent Reviewers. We hope to receive this soon and will then be able to confirm the timeline for publication of the findings and recommendations.”
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About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.