Code of conduct for SCVO supply partners

SCVO’s culture is founded on the following values:   

• Accountable and committed – committed to Scotland’s voluntary sector   
• Responsive – engagement is at the heart of what we do   
• Supportive – focused on empowering people and organisations to succeed   
• Progressive – embrace change and strive for continual improvement    
• Bold – confident in standing up for what we believe is right   

Our values are the foundations of how we act individually and collectively as SCVO employees. It is our expectation that all our supply partners behave in a responsible way by agreeing to our code of conduct and aligning with our values.   

SCVO supply partners must demonstrate the following:  

Professional approach  

• Be legal, honest, open, and respectful, whilst following all applicable laws, regulations, and professional conduct standards   
• Accept responsibility for own professional actions and decisions, whilst upholding the highest professional standards of personal conduct   
• Maintain and develop professional knowledge and competencies appropriate to your business   
• Keep abreast and comply with laws and regulations affecting the sector and your business’s specialist subject  
• Act positively and in a manner that increases public understanding of Scotland’s voluntary sector   

Ethical commitment 

SCVO supply partners must ensure that working conditions, including those along the supply chain, are of an acceptable standard.  We expect all our suppliers to respect the fundamental workers’ rights set out in the eight International Labour Organisation  core conventions and follow the key principles of the Ethical Trading Initiative Base Code. Summarised as follows:   

• Employment is freely chosen  
• Freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining is respected  
• Working conditions are safe and hygienic  
• No child labour  
• Living wages are paid (wages and benefits paid for a standard working week meet, at a minimum, national legal standards. However, Suppliers should wherever possible comply with the Fair Work Principles and in particular pay at least the Scottish Living Wage) 
• Working hours are not excessive  
• No discrimination is practised  
• Regular employment is provided (this does not exclude the use of contract and temporary staff or use of zero hours contracts if deemed appropriate and applied fairly)  
• No harsh or inhumane treatment  
• Suppliers must respect the rights set out in the International Bill of Human Rights  

Environmental commitment 

SCVO supply partners will act in accordance with applicable standards regarding environmental protection and will adhere to applicable environmental laws to ensure responsible practices. SCVO supply partners will strive to minimise environmental pollution and support innovative developments in products and services that offer environmental and social benefits. Suppliers will work to remedy any activity that adversely affects human life, wildlife, and the environment.  

Volunteering 

SCVO supply partners must fully value their staff’s volunteering commitments and support any formal or informal volunteering undertaken by their employees. If a defined volunteering policy is not in place, then suppliers should work towards creating one.   

Data protection 

SCVO supply partners shall ensure compliance with laws and directives providing for the protection, transfer, access, and storage of personal information. This includes General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (Regulation (EU) 2016/679).  

Our supply partners will use exclusion lists, such as TPS (Telephone Preference Service), CTPS (Corporate Telephone Preference Service) and MPS (Mailing Preference Service) to ensure anyone signed up to these lists is not contacted for any cold sales or marketing approach.   

Customer service 

SCVO supply partners will be committed to providing a high-quality service to our members and other voluntary sector organisations. They will take time to understand the needs of SCVO members and treat them in an honest, fair and transparent way. Suppliers will strive to deliver service levels that offer good value and satisfy our members needs and expectations.   

Suppliers must adhere to the SCVO supply partner complaints procedure.