• Draft Code of Conduct

The members  within the VCSETLG  agree to abide by a number of principles:

Purpose     

The partners will show ongoing support for the VCSE Transformation Leadership Group  values, mission, and aims.

Accountability

Everything the VCSE TLG  does will be able to stand the test of scrutiny by the public, frontline VCSE organisations, commissioners and other key stakeholders.

The members will communicate effectively and consistently internally and externally.

Integrity and honesty

Integrity and honesty will be the hallmarks of all conduct when dealing with colleagues within the VCSE Transformation Leadership Group and equally when dealing with individuals and institutions outside it.

Transparency

VCSE Transformation Leadership Group  members will strive to maintain an atmosphere of openness in order to promote the confidence of the public, frontline VCFS organisations, commissioners and other key stakeholders.

Conflicts of interest

The members will always  act in the best interests of the Hackney Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise sector.

They will declare any conflict of interest, or any circumstance that might be viewed by others as a conflict of interest, as soon as it arises. (see Conflict of interest section)

Respect and shared commitment

The members will strive to establish respectful, collegial and courteous relationships with other Transformation Leadership  Group members.

They will strive to attend all Transformation Leadership  group meetings, giving apologies ahead of time to the Chair if unable to attend.

They will engage in discussion and decision-making in meetings according to procedure, maintaining a respectful attitude toward the opinions of others while making their voices heard.

They will share responsibility to identify risks that may impact on the strategic influence of the group and on  the VCSE overall.

They will commit resources and creativity to develop the group.

Anti-collusion

The partners will enter into bona fide discussions and disclose information to each other solely for the purpose of promoting Hackneys  wider VCSE role in the ICS  , and not for the purpose of collusion.

Leadership

The members will act as a beacon to other VCSE  organisations, sharing their knowledge, experience and resources to build sector capacity.

The members  understand that substantial breach of any part of this code of conduct may result in their removal from the group.

• Mutual Non Disclosure Agreement  

1.Each of the parties to this Agreement intends to disclose information (the

Confidential Information) to the other party for the purpose of entering into a joint venture for delivering  strategic leadership within the ICS system on behalf of Hackneys VCSE.

2. Each party to this Agreement is referred to as ‘the member when it receives or uses the Confidential Information disclosed by the other party.

3. The member undertakes not to use the Confidential Information disclosed by the other party for any purpose except the Purpose, without first obtaining the written agreement of the other party.

4. The member undertakes to keep the Confidential Information disclosed by the other party secure and not to disclose it to any third party except to any professional advisers] who need to know the same for the Purpose, who know they owe a duty of confidence to the other party and who are bound by obligations equivalent to those in clause 3 above and this clause 4.

5. The undertakings in clauses 3 and 4 above apply to all of the information disclosed by each of the parties to the other, regardless of the way or form in which it is disclosed or recorded but they do not apply to:

a) any information which is or in future comes into the public domain (unless as a result of the breach of this Agreement); or

b) any information which is already known to the member  and which was not subject to any obligation of confidence before it was disclosed to the member  by the other party.

6. Nothing in this Agreement will prevent the member from making any disclosure of the Confidential Information required by law or by any competent authority.

7. The member will, on request from the other party, return all copies and records of the Confidential Information disclosed by the other party to the member and will not retain any copies or records of the Confidential Information disclosed by the other party.

8. Neither this Agreement nor the supply of any information grants the member any licence, interest or right in respect of any intellectual property rights of the other party except the right to copy the Confidential Information disclosed by the other party solely for the Purpose.

9. The undertakings in clauses 3 and 4 will continue in force indefinitely.

10. This Agreement is governed by, and is to be construed in accordance with, English law. The English Courts will have non-exclusive jurisdiction to deal with any dispute which has arisen or may arise out of, or in connection with, this Agreement.

CONFIDENTIALITY UNDERTAKING

Each party to this Memorandum shall keep confidential all information (“Confidential Information”) received from the other members  which relates to the matters contemplated by this memorandum and shall not disclose it to any person except with the prior written consent of the Network members or as provided below.

LEGAL FORCE

1. Except for clause 4 (Confidentiality undertaking) and this clause 5 (Legal force), each of which shall be binding on the parties to this Memorandum, none of the provisions of this Memorandum are intended by the parties to constitute legally binding obligations, or to confer legally enforceable rights, on any of the parties to this Memorandum.   

This Memorandum shall be governed by English law and, in respect of those parts of it which are expressed to be legally binding, the parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts.