Ethics and Business Conduct Policy Statement

Be Sustainable

• Strong financial and ethical performance
• Ability to invest in future project
• Redistribute to surplus to other organisations

Be Congruent

• Being congruent is being in touch with and genuine about your experience – with yourself and with your client
• It’s about congruent means staying connected with self, client, space and time.
• To share a persistent thought or feeling
• Striving help bring about intrinsic rather than extrinsic higher level goals

Our Commitment

Cognitive Paths is committed to promoting and encouraging a culture of openness, integrity and accountability. It promotes good business practice and positive employee behaviour. This approach benefits the organisation, its customers, its employees, its investors and its volunteers. All our team should behave in a way that protects the interests of the organisation, their colleagues and the environment. Cognitive Paths supports the international commitments for the protection and defence of human rights of the United Nations and the International Labour Organization and reaffirms its adherence to the 10 principles of the Global Compact. We also support the Diaspora Manifesto, Bristol Race Manifesto and the International Decade for people of African Descent aims and objects.

The Ethics & Business Conduct Policy sets out the standards for upholding ethical business practices and demonstrates our commitment to working with integrity, by being honest and transparent about our operations and performance. It establishes how appropriate and expected standards of behaviour will be set and communicated to enable Cognitive Paths to live its values, and is consistent with our core values and principles.

Cognitive Paths employees, volunteers and team members are required at all times to act honestly and with integrity to safeguard the revenue, property and reputation of the organisation and other organisational  assets for which they are responsible. Everyone will be advised that they are expected to maintain the highest ethical standards and take appropriate action when others do not. The basic rule is that applicable legislation and regulations must be complied with.

Policy Standards

Our Approach/Framework

1. Cognitive Paths maintains a Code of Conduct that sets out what is expected of all employees and volunteers in terms of behaviour. The Code of Conduct is implemented and appropriately communicated within all Or Units and Corporate & Steering Functions.
2. To ensure a consistent and comprehensive approach to legal and regulatory compliance, ethical standards and business conduct, company-wide documents set out the required standards of behaviour from employees and volunteers which are appropriately communicated and deployed in all organisational areas.
3. Valuing different kinds of knowledge and learning styles and creating a ‘learning environment’ so each organisational / community / individual member can realise his/her full potential.
4. Encouraging dialogue and the exploration of different perspectives and experiences to generate creative thinking.
5. Working collectively and breaking down traditional barriers or blinders within organisations so as to release creative potential.
6. Fostering leadership potential throughout the organisation and reducing distinctions, such as those between management and staff, between strategists and implementers, between support and professional staff, and so on.
7. Always allow ourselves self-improvement time through training , reflecting , education and self – development.

Our Principles

1. We operate a policy of zero tolerance to bribery and fraud and this culture is promoted and adopted across all organisational areas.
2. We explain the principles to be followed when rewards, benefits, gifts or hospitality are offered to or accepted by employees or volunteers.
3. As an inclusive organisation, Cognitive Paths captures the value that difference brings. Principles and commitments are established in respect of diversity and inclusion.
4. Practices, procedures and guidance defining our commitment to comply with the Equality Act and promote equality within the workplace are established, appropriately communicated and applied.
5. Cognitive Paths fully supports the rights of all individuals to be treated with dignity and respect at work and external functions. Practices, procedures and guidance defining Cognitive Paths commitment to prevent, discourage and deal with bullying and/or harassment are established and applied.
6. Alleged breaches of organisational policy and practices are investigated. Employees , volunteers or directors found to be in breach of the policies and procedures are liable to action under the relevant documents.
7. Cognitive Paths  encourages employees, volunteers and directors to disclose information on serious concerns they have about activities within the organisation through its confidential reporting and supports Cognitive Paths commitments on ethical reporting.
8. Cognitive Paths conducts systematic risk assessments of potential breaches to ethical standards and has appropriate controls to mitigate the identified risks.
9. All managers and directors are expected to demonstrate visible leadership in supporting the organisational ethical values by acting with integrity and taking action where breaches have taken place.

Our Community

1. Cognitive Paths is committed to ensuring the fair treatment of business and residential customers and has developed the Trust Test. The Trust Test is applied on all courses of action which directly impact our customers.
2. Cognitive Paths delivers appropriate programmes to support its customers who are most vulnerable by reason of old age, disability, chronic illness, mental health, language or financial insecurity.
3. Cognitive Paths community and education initiatives deliver a range of projects that build links to business, communities and the education sector through team volunteering, charity partnerships and our sustainable schools programme.
4. Cognitive Paths encourages and supports employees, directors, volunteers who volunteer to participate in projects which align with our organisational ambitions.
5. Cognitive Paths encourages the community to participate in community building and academic interest though its Community of Inquiry Project.
6. Cognitive Paths encourages positive encounters with role models, academics, community leaders, activists and sport leaders to help raise aspirations.
7. Cognitive Paths operates as a data collecting organisation and aims to comply with data protection laws.
8. Cognitive Paths uses the Ubuntu Philosophy to govern its ethical conduct and organisational practice.
9. Cognitive Paths provides legal information/legal support in the area of its lived experience and current studies. Reference can be provided upon write request.