Contributors are expected at all times to act appropriately bearing in mind their association with a medical Royal College. They must refrain from any illegal, dishonest or unethical conduct at all times, not just when performing voluntary services for the RCR.

Contributors must:

• Support the College strategy and workplans; 
• Act in good faith, with honesty, integrity and probity;
• Promote the RCR’s aims and objectives in a positive light;
• Comply with the RCR’s values and competencies (set out below);
• Treat others equally, fairly and with respect; 
• Challenge poor behaviour when it occurs; and
• Take personal responsibility for adhering to this Code of Conduct.

Contributors must not:

• Act in a manner with may bring the RCR into disrepute; or
• Misuse their position for personal gain or to promote their other interests.

Contributors are required to disclose to the College if they are under investigation, either with their employer, or with the regulator. If the nature of the allegation is material to the Contributor’s College role, the Contributor may be asked to step aside until such time as the local investigation has been concluded.

Contributors are expected to deliver their roles in a professional and respectful manner, making effort to work collaboratively with other Contributors, stakeholders and RCR staff. Behaviour that could be interpreted as bullying, harassment, discrimination or abuse will not be tolerated under any circumstances.

In addition to this Code of Conduct the College has signed up to the NHS Sexual Safety in Healthcare Charter and have a zero-tolerance approach to any unwanted, inappropriate and/or harmful sexual behaviours.

Contributors must treat others with dignity and fairness. Contributors must not discriminate against anyone because of their religion, belief, race, colour, gender, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, age, social and economic status or national origin. 

Contributors must disclose any interest which they may have (or might be seen to have) in the outcome of any decision in which they are asked to participate. Contributors must also disclose any interest that could otherwise prejudice any service that are asked to perform.

Contributors must consider potential conflicts of interest at the earliest stage possible and declare any interest as soon as they realise it is necessary to do so. A Contributor must not participate in any decision or perform any other service until the potential conflict has been considered and a view reached by the College as to whether it requires management. 

A Contributor who is unclear about any potential conflict of interest should seek guidance initially from the staff lead for the area of work. Where further consideration is needed the issue should be referred to the RCR’s Head of Governance.

Contributors must not disclose or make any other use of confidential information to which they have access to other than for a proper purpose relating to the performance of their services for the RCR or as required by law.

Contributors must take appropriate steps to ensure that confidential papers and information are stored securely. Contributors must promptly notify the RCR’s Head of Governance of any breach in confidentiality of which they become aware. A Contributor who is unclear about the status of any information should seek initial guidance from the staff lead for the area of work. Where further consideration is needed the issue should be referred to the RCR’s Head of Governance.

Contributors may produce material or contribute to the creation of documents, content, materials or assets for the RCR. This is classed as intellectual property and any intellectual property created whilst in a Contributor position will belong solely to the RCR. The RCR reserves the right to use the outcome of such work as it deems appropriate. Such use will not require the permission of the Contributor and Contributors agree that they shall not object to such use. 

The activities associated with Contributor roles at the RCR are set out within specific role descriptions.  Contributors at the RCR must act solely within the parameters of the role description and must not make any decisions or perform any actions outside of that unless explicitly agreed by a College Officer or Executive Director. 

To help our Contributors perform their roles at the College they may be asked to participate in feedback exercises such as 360 feedback. These processes are designed to add value to the individual in the role, aiding their development and allowing opportunity for reflection, whilst also supporting the effective functioning of the College. All Contributors must provide, and receive, constructive feedback where appropriate. 

The RCR will support Contributors to perform in their role and may provide appropriate training to meet their needs. Where training is required, Contributors must participate and act in a way consistent to the content of that training. 

Contributors must comply with the RCR’s policies and procedures for the claiming and payment of expenses.

Contributors must comply with the RCR’s Anti-Bribery, Gifts and Hospitality Policy.   

Contributors are prohibited, directly or indirectly, to offer, give, request or accept any bribe ie gift, loan, payment, reward or advantage, either in cash or any other form of inducement, to or from any person or company in order to gain commercial, contractual or regulatory advantage for the RCR, or in order to gain any personal advantage for an individual or anyone connected with the individual in a way that is unethical.

Contributors must not accept any gift, hospitality or benefit from any person which might be perceived as being capable of improperly influencing any decision the Contributor may make on behalf of, or any advice that the Contributor may provide to, the RCR.  

Contributors are personally responsible for the decision to accept any gift, hospitality or benefit and must ensure that their decisions and advice are not improperly influenced by the promise or acceptance of any gift or other inducement.

A Contributor who is unsure about the appropriateness of accepting any gift, hospitality or benefits should seek guidance from the RCR’s Chief Executive.

Contributors must support the ongoing development of the RCR’s processes and working practices and adapt to variations in methods of communication, distribution of information and ways of working. 

Contributors are expected to prepare adequately for the work and meetings they participate in as part of their role at the College. 

Contributors should recognise that they represent the College and act accordingly in terms of communication, particularly in forums and on social media, where they will be expected to uphold the values of the College, being considerate, collegiate and supportive. Any approaches from the press or media must be forwarded to the RCR press office; Contributors should not talk to journalists on behalf of the College without express permission and advice.

Contributors are encouraged to question, challenge and discuss College matters openly and robustly at meetings/in conversation with Staff and Officers. If Contributors disagree with College policy, they are encouraged to discuss these disagreements at the relevant meeting/with the relevant Officer to ensure their view is considered and discussed. Once decisions are made, Contributors are expected to adhere to these decisions in a collegiate way. Contributors should not discuss College matters on social media or the press without explicit permission from the College. 

During their work for the College Contributors may engage with a range of external stakeholders. Where this is the case Contributors should keep the relevant RCR staff informed and work closely with them to coordinate external engagement on behalf of the College, working in line with staff guidance on lines to take.

All Contributors must also distinguish clearly, when speaking or writing, between personal views and those of the College. 

Contributors must respect all RCR employees and treat them with courtesy and dignity at all times. It is expected that RCR employees will show the same consideration in return.

A Contributor who wishes to commend the work of any RCR employee is welcome to speak to the employee concerned directly. However, if a Contributor wishes to raise concerns about the behaviour or performance of an employee, they must not speak to the employee directly but inform the relevant RCR Executive Director or the employee’s line manager about their concerns.

We very much appreciate the input Contributors have to the work of the College and acknowledge that in the vast majority of cases they do this in an entirely voluntary capacity. We also appreciate that your ability to give your time voluntarily to the work of the College may change over time. If you find yourself in a position where you need to consider whether you can continue in your Contributor position, please do discuss this with your dedicated staff lead or a College Officer so we can support you. If you decide to step down from your position, we ask that you give us as much notice as possible so we can ensure that we can cover the activities you were delivering. 

All Contributors are required to comply with this Code of Conduct and will be bound by and assumed to have accepted and consented to the content of the code if they continue to deliver in their capacity as an RCR Contributor.

Breaches of this code will usually be managed under the RCR Contributors Problem Solving policy and process.

Where there is evidence of serious, deliberate or continued breach of this Code, formal action may be taken against the Contributor concerned, which may include the early termination of their term of office.