A code of practice is a set of regulations which inform workers on how they should act in their current area of practice. My current area of practice is dance education and more specifically community dance. The companies that I work for also all have various ethos' which inform individuals what they value as an organisation, which is additional to their codes of practice, such as their beliefs and practices.
'People Dancing' is the foundation for community dance which hold the codes of practice which value ethical factors, which all community dance practitioners should abide by. It allows the practitioners to understand how they should go about the work and practice, and how ethically, they should approach their teaching to students. As an organisation they value competence, responsibility, and safety of those in their care, which any other practitioner should value too.
Competence: Each individual should maintain high standards in terms of delivering high quality practice to those who are learning off of you. In addition to this, material should be relevant and current. Relevance should also be valued with concerns to qualifications and experience. Knowledge and skills should be continuously developing to ensure that students are learning material that is of a high standard.
Responsibility: Every worker must contain ownership over their actions and work, including responsibility for the students in their classes and workshops. Furthermore, honest relations with internal and external practitioners is crucial, to build up a rapport with employers and through networking events. Preparation is also important, ensuring that the delivery of workload is done effectively and prominently. Asking for feedback from employers and students is a method of ensuring that what is being delivered is of a high standard, and is enjoyed by those taking the class. they should feel a sense of improvement from being challenged over the duration of the courses being conducted. reflection on ones own performance also adds to the quality being demonstrated.
Safety: Every community dance practitioner must guard and protect each participants safety and well being. This can be done through risk assessments, consent forms to parents/guardians, safeguarding and an understanding of appropriate boundaries (teacher student relations).
Working and understanding people is also a major importance in any professional field of practice, and in terms of community dance practice, each practitioner, including myself, should value equality. Which means treating every participant the same, regardless of their gender, ability, ethnicity, sexual orientation etc. Each environment should be open and inclusive, creating a warm and supportive environment of education. In addition to this, each practitioner should also abide by the code of conduct, as it states what is expected, and what the values are. Reflecting frequently on ones own performance, enables the chance to develop on a professional level, improving self practice and the quality of work delivered, which benefits not only yourself, but also the participants learning.
From my own experiences in working as a community dance artists, these credentials are exactly what I have been working alongside. Through experience, I have worked by the codes of conduct and have made the values something which strives me to become a better dance artist. I have learnt that these guidelines are there to not only protect ones self, but also to protect the participants who are in our care. Ethics protect children's welfare, and it is our job to create a safe, equal environment for students to learn in. If the education setting, the employers involved, and the students learning, all understand core values about the organisation, then everyone shall benefit, and what is being delivered shall be delivered correctly.
The community dance company whom I work for, as mentioned in previous blogs, clearly states on their webpage that they deliver 'high quality dance projects and workshops for a range of audiences'. Which links to what is mentioned on the code of conduct page set out by people dancing. In order to deliver high quality dance projects etc, each practitioner must constantly reflect on their work as a dance artist, as well as abiding by the three main factors mentioned above; competence, responsibility and safety.
http://movingtogether.co.uk/about-us/
[Accessed: 23.03.17]
www.communitydance.org.uk [online]. Available from:
http://www.communitydance.org.uk/membership-services/professional-code-of-conduct
[Accessed: 20.03.17]
Thanks Hannah - good to see these standards well stated and easy to find - and you can identify how they inform the practice within your company
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