Standards of Conduct

POLICY:

All NOCAC Head Start staff, consultants, contractors and volunteers must abide by the program’s standards of conduct.

PROCEDURES:

All NOCAC Head Start staff, All NOCAC Head Start staff, consultants, contractors, and volunteers must read and sign the NOCAC Head Start Standards of Conduct.

The program will ensure that all NOCAC Head Start staff, consultants, contractors, and volunteers abide by the program’s standards of conduct by using the following procedures:

NOCAC Head Start Staff:

• The NOCAC Standards of Conduct will be reviewed with all staff annually at the all-staff orientation by the Director of Child Development.
• The Center Managers will review the Standards of Conduct with their staff who are not present at the all-staff orientation
• After reviewing the Standards of Conduct with all staff it is signed by the staff person and the Director of Child Development or Center Manager.
• One copy of the signed Standards of Conduct remains with the staff person.
• The original signed Standards of Conduct are tracked by the Child Development Administrative Coordinator (CDAC) and put into the staff person’s Personnel File.

Monitoring of NOCAC Head Start staff Standards of Conduct forms:

• Within six weeks of the all-staff orientation the CDAC will email a list of staff that are missing signed Standards of Conduct forms to the Center Managers and the Director of Child Development.
• The Center Managers will send the original of the signed Standards of Conducts to the CDAC to be tracked and filed in the staff person’s Personnel File.

New Employee:

• The NOCAC Standards of Conduct will be reviewed with each new employee at new employee orientation by a representative from the Head Start program and annually at the all-staff orientation thereafter.
• After reviewing the Standards of Conduct with the new employee it is signed by the new employee and the Director of Child Development.
• One copy of the signed Standards of Conduct remains with the staff person.
• The original signed Standards of Conduct is tracked by the CDAC and put into the staff person’s Personnel File.

Consultants, Contractors, and Volunteers:

• Consultants, contractors, and volunteers who will have direct contact with, or handle personal information of Head Start students or families will sign a Standards of Conduct before their service begins.
• The NOCAC Standards of Conduct will be reviewed with each Consultant, Contractor, or Volunteer by the Center Manager where the consultants, contractors, and volunteers will be working/volunteering.
• After reviewing the Standards of Conduct with the Consultant, Contractor, or Volunteer it is signed by the Consultant, Contractor, or Volunteer and the Center Manager.
• One copy of the signed Standards of Conduct remains with the Consultant, Contractor, or Volunteer.
• The original signed Standards of Conduct is kept in the Consultant, Contractor, or Volunteer’s file at the site in which they are working/volunteering.
• The above process is repeated annually if the Consultant, Contractor, or Volunteer returns to the program.

Council and Board Members:

• Due to potential direct contact or discussion about Head Start students or families, all Policy Council and NOCAC Board Members will receive and sign in acknowledgment the Standards of Conduct These will be kept in a file in the CDAC’s office for reference.

Violation of Standards of Conduct will result in:

• For NOCAC Head Start staff, Policy Council, and NOCAC Board Members violation of any or all portions listed herein will result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination.
• For volunteers, violation of any or all portions listed herein will result in the immediate termination of voluntary service.
• For consultants and contractors, violation of any or all portions listed herein will result in the immediate termination of all contractual agreements.

Forms and Additional Guidance:

• Standards of Conduct Form