COUNSELOR CODE OF CONDUCT

The following code of conduct for camp counselors was developed in order to clearly communicate the practices and behavior that are appropriate and inappropriate for SRSRC camp staff. The code of conduct was developed with the safety of staff and participants in mind, as well as the protection of SRSRC staff. Staff is defined as all full-time employees, part-time employees, and volunteers. Violation of any items listed in the counselor code of conduct may result in termination.

 

• SRSRC camp staff should avoid situations in which one staff member is alone with a child. Use the Rule of 3 - there should always be two additional individuals present in addition to the staff member. This could be having another counselor with you when interacting with a camper, or having at minimum two campers present when a second staff member is unavailable. Staff should always have another counselor within hearing and/or visual range unless there is an emergency situation in which this is not feasible.

• SRSRC camp staff shall never leave a child unsupervised.

• Staff shall make sure all surrounding areas are safe for children. This includes, but is not limited to, checking that public restrooms are safe to use, checking that no stranger has entered a camp area, checking that equipment being used is appropriate and safe, etc.

• Staff shall never abuse a child in any way. Abuse includes: physical injury, verbal abuse, sexual abuse, unjustifiable punishment, and neglect. Any kind of abuse will not be tolerated and will be cause for immediate dismissal.

• Staff shall use respectful methods of discipline and guidance, such as using positive reinforcement and encouragement rather than competition, comparison, and criticism. Staff shall be aware of campers' age and develop age-appropriate expectations. Guidelines and environments shall be set up that will minimize the need for adult intervention. Physical restraint is only used in pre-determined situations (necessary to protect the child or other children from injury), and is only administered in a prescribed manner and must be documented in writing.

• Speak and listen respectfully to children, parents, and staff.

• Staff shall focus their attention on the campers' physical, social, mental, and emotional wellbeing and create a positive, safe, and inclusive camp experience.

• A health check of each child, each day as they enter the camp, will be conducted noting any fever, bumps, bruises, burns, etc. Questions and comments will be addressed to the parent or child in a non-threatening way. Questionable marks or responses will be noted and the Camp Director will be notified.

• SRSRC staff shall treat each child with respect and equality, regardless of gender, race, ability, religion, or culture.

• SRSRC staff shall respect each child's right to not be touched in any way that is uncomfortable for the child. Children are not to be intentionally touched on areas of their body that would be covered by a bathing suit.

• In the presence of parents and children in the program, staff shall refrain from intimate displays of affection towards others.

• SRSRC staff shall appear clean, neat, and appropriately attired as described by SRSRC camp dress code.

• During working hours, using, possessing, or being under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs is prohibited. Smoking or use of tobacco in the presence of parents or children during working hours is prohibited.

• Profanity, inappropriate jokes, sharing details of one's personal life, and any kind of harassment, including physical and sexual, is prohibited.

• Remember that it is your job to serve as a positive role model. Act accordingly.

• Staff shall not baby-sit or otherwise be with a child outside of the SRSRC program. Any exceptions require the camp director's approval.

• No children shall be transported by use of a staff member's private vehicle.

• Staff shall not date program participants under the age of 18.

• SRSRC staff shall not release a child to anyone other than the child's legal guardian or another adult that is authorized on the child's health history form to pick up the child.

• Inappropriate material (i.e. pornographic) should not be brought, discussed, or viewed at work.

• Staff is required to read, sign and abide by all policies related to identifying, documenting and reporting child abuse and attend trainings on the subject as instructed.

• SRSRC camp stuff must wear their camp t-shirt while working.

• All SRSRC camp staff are considered mandated reporters of suspected child abuse.  Staff shall not disclose confidential information and shall not discuss matters pertaining to abuse or suspected abuse except with camp director/

• SRSRC camp staff will not give personal gifts of any kind to any camp participants.

• SRSRC camp staff shall report violations of the code of conduct to direct supervisor.

• Staff are required to fully cooperate will any investigation of alleged abuse.

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SRSRC ANTI-BULLYING POLICY FOR YOUTH PROGRAMS

Bullying is aggressive behavior towards another individual with the intention of causing harm, in which there exists an imbalance of power between the bully and the victim, which occurs repeatedly or has the potential to be repeated (American Psychological Association, 2016). Bullying happens when a person or group of people want to have power over another and use their power to get their way, at the expense of someone else. Bullying comes in many forms, such as physical, verbal, and relational.

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There may be some instances where participants may have a disagreement or generally not get along with one another, which is not considered bullying behavior. There are times when an individual might engage in rude (being unintentionally hurtful) or mean (intentionally hurtful) behaviors through unkind words or actions that do not constitute bullying by its definition. SRSRC staff work to address these behaviors as well.

 

At  Scripps Ranch Swim & Racquet Club, bullying is not tolerated. Our philosophy is based on ensuring that every program participant has the opportunity to thrive during their experience at SRSRC. We work together as a team to ensure that participants gain self-confidence, make new friends, and go home with great memories. Bullying behavior, just like any other disruptive behavior, will be addressed by staff following our disciplinary guidelines. These progressive steps include reiterating our program rules to ensure an understanding of participant behavior expectations, sharing a behavior report with the participant’s parents, and suspension or removal from the program as warranted for continued or serious issues.
 

 

THREE SUREFIRE STEPS TO MINIMIZE GOSSIP

It starts out innocently enough, but sooner that you know, you are a gossip.  Avoid this career-killing trait with three easy steps.

1. Don’t do it yourself – ever.  No, you aren’t talking about people for their own good, you’re gossiping.  If you really want to help someone, talk to them directly.
2. When someone tries to gossip with you, you can:

• Change the subject.

• Directly state, “I’m not comfortable talking about __________.”

• Directly state, “I don’t like talking about other people because I don’t like them talking about me.”  That’s a conversation killer for sure.

• Reply, “I hadn’t heard that about __________.  Let’s go ask him/her.”  (Watch a gossip disappear when you say that.  Gossips are notorious cowards and dread confronting their subjects.)

3. When someone is gossiping about you, you can:

Go with the direct approach: say something such as, “It’s come to my attention that you’ve been saying the following about me.”  Then briefly summarize what you have heard.  Next, say,” While I wasn’t there to hear you, I would appreciate you coming to me directly with any questions or comments, rather than talking with our coworkers/friends/family/etc.”

Go with the indirect approach: say something such as, “I don’t know if you’ve heard the rumors going around about me or not, but it’s really disturbing.  If you hear of anyone talking about me I would appreciate it if you would ask them to stop.
Just remember, if you don’t gossip, you don’t have to worry about someone betraying your confidence and telling other people what you said.