Code of Conduct

Purpose

Inclusee Ltd (Inclusee, the Company, we, us) is committed to offering a vibrant online community to support meeting friends, sharing stories, learning skills and exploring new interests.

This policy is designed to provide all program participants (Participants) and team members including casual employees, contractors, and volunteers (Team members) with guidelines on the standards of behaviour that are expected of them while working for Inclusee or participating in the Inclusee program.

Our “Why”

Our Mission is to use the power of connection to relieve isolation, loneliness, and distress for Australians.

Our Purpose is to focus on the individual to provide a meaningful sense of connection and community.

Our Vision is to actively look for new ways to use emerging technologies to help us to better achieve our mission.

Our Values

As a team member, you are engaged to provide services to achieve our mission of connection. This places you in a position of trust, requiring high standards of ethical behaviour, that are further set out in this Code of Conduct.

Our expectations of ethical behaviour have three underpinning values:

Trust

Compassion

Respect

These values should be reflected in our work and behaviour towards colleagues, participants, and all others we come into contact within the course of our work.

Ethics

The Company is committed to stringent ethical standards and transparency, and we rely on all team members to ensure that this commitment is enforced. All team members are expected to behave with honesty and integrity in actions and relationships which involve the Company.

Team members who engage with the community are also required to be honest, fair, and respectful in that engagement.

Respectful and Inclusive Behaviour

All individuals must:

Treat each other with dignity, kindness, and respect.

Avoid discriminatory, offensive, or inappropriate language or behaviour, including comments based on age, gender, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or cultural background.

Not do anything to threaten, harm or intimidate others.

Value diverse opinions and experiences and engage in discussions constructively.

Privacy and Confidentiality

Respecting privacy and confidentiality is important to build trust and maintain everyone’s dignity:

Personal information shared in sessions or chats must be kept confidential unless explicit consent is given to share it.

Do not share contact information, private health details, financial information, or personal situations of others without permission.

Respect each participant's right to anonymity in group settings if they choose not to share personal information.

Safe Online Conduct

All individuals must:

Use the platform and communication tools provided by Inclusee responsibly and appropriately and in accordance with the Terms of Use.

Not record or screenshot video calls, chats, or classes without permission from all parties.

Avoid sharing any malicious links, misleading information, or materials that could compromise the security of others.

Protection Against Scams and Exploitation

Inclusee has a zero-tolerance policy for exploitation, fraud, scams or coercive behaviour. All individuals must:

Never accept request or offer money, gifts, or financial assistance via Inclusee platforms.

Immediately report any suspicious behaviour, financial solicitation, or potential scams to Inclusee staff [by following the prompts on the platform].

Not use the platform to sell products or services, recruit for businesses, or solicit donations.

Health and Emergency Protocols

The Inclusee Program is aimed solely at providing companionship and connection. Inclusee does not offer medical, psychological or financial advice or provide any aged care services.

For Peer-to-Peer Meetings:

Inclusee is not an emergency service provider. In the case of a medical emergency, Participants should contact their local emergency services.

Roles and Responsibilities

Team Members:

Must always model appropriate behaviour.

Are responsible for ensuring the safety, inclusion, and positive experience of all participants.

Must complete training and follow all policies and reasonable directions of Inclusee.

Must report any concerns, misconduct, or violations of this code immediately to their supervisor.

Participants:

Are expected to engage respectfully and responsibly with the Inclusee community.

Should report any inappropriate behaviour, or suspicious activity to Inclusee staff promptly.

Reporting and Accountability

Reports of violations can be made anonymously and will be handled with confidentiality and sensitivity.

Inclusee reserves the right to suspend or terminate access to programs for anyone found in violation of this Code of Conduct.

In cases of illegal activity, Inclusee may contact appropriate authorities.

Agreement and Acknowledgment

All staff, volunteers, and participants are required to acknowledge and agree to this Code of Conduct prior to joining Inclusee programs. Continued participation implies ongoing agreement with these terms.

Expectations for Team members:

The sections below are specific to Inclusee Team members.

Conflicts of Interest

Team members must ensure that they avoid any actions or situations that could lead to an actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest in relation to their job responsibilities.

Conflicts of interest arise in work situations when an employee’s personal activity or personal interest is contrary to the interests of the Company. These personal activities or interests may influence the employee’s judgment, causing the employee to make decisions on behalf of the Company based upon the potential for personal gain, rather than in the best interests of the Company.

To prevent conflicts of interest, the following behaviour is deemed unacceptable and unethical:

Receiving or giving of gifts, benefits, or favours. You should not accept gifts, benefits, or favours where these may influence or might be perceived to influence your decision making. For example, accepting gifts from a participant would be inappropriate regardless of the cost of the gift.

Conducting Company business with or using your position or authority to influence the Company to conduct business with, family members or friends.

Maintaining personal, business, or financial relationships with a participant or vendor. For example, team members should not borrow from or lend personal funds to a participant or vendor.

Using information developed or learned on the job for personal benefit or the benefit of a third party. This includes the use of Company databases, financial information, and intellectual property.

Maintaining an outside directorship, employment, or political office that might appear to or actually conflict or compete with a team member’s responsibilities.

Unauthorised sharing of Confidential Information (including personal information and sensitive information) with business associates or representatives of other companies.

The list above only serves to illustrate sources of possible conflicts of interest and does not constitute a complete list of all the situations that may result in a conflict of interest.

Ultimately, it is the responsibility of each team member to avoid any situation that could affect their ability to judge situations independently and objectively on behalf of the Company, and any situation that could even appear to be a conflict of interest.

If you become aware of an actual or potential conflict of interest, you should immediately disclose it to the CEO.

Outside Employment

Employees must obtain the prior written authorisation of the CEO if they wish to engage in any outside employment, whether paid or unpaid. This includes directorships, independent contracting arrangements, and political appointments (such as being a local council member).

Employment of Relatives and Relationships at Work

We welcome referrals of potential new recruits from existing staff, however safeguards must be put in place to ensure that their recruitment and, if successful, employment or engagement with the Company is fair and unbiased and does not create a conflict of interest.

Team members who are related or in an intimate relationship won’t be permitted to hold positions where one has direct or indirect authority over the other. This includes situations where one person:

Manages, supervises or reports to the other,

Is involved in decisions about promotions, salary reviews, benefits, or retention.

If a relative, close friend, or someone with whom you have an intimate relationship applies for a position at Inclusee Ltd, you must promptly notify the CEO upon becoming aware of their application. To maintain fairness and transparency, you must not participate in any part of the recruitment or selection process. The applicant will be subject to the same recruitment procedures and criteria as all other candidates.

If you are currently in an intimate relationship with, or related to, an existing employee of Inclusee Ltd, you are required to disclose this to the CEO as soon as possible. The Company will then consider whether any appropriate action needs to be taken to ensure that the relationship does not have a detrimental effect on the business or create an actual or potential conflict of interest.

Respect and Courtesy at Work

Team members are expected to show respect and courtesy when interacting with work colleagues, participants, and members of the community. Not everyone will agree with your opinion or point of view, but disagreement is no excuse for disrespectful behaviour.

If an interaction at work makes you feel frustrated or annoyed, step away for a few moments to allow yourself to calm down.

Try and resolve disagreements and differing views constructively.

In general, if someone asks you to stop doing or saying something, then stop.

Avoid any behaviour that would breach our policies on discrimination, harassment, and bullying.

Out of Hours Conduct

Team members should be aware that their behaviour, even when it is outside of working hours, can reflect on the Company. Any actions that are likely to have a detrimental effect on the business, operations, affairs or reputation of the Company may be grounds for disciplinary action up to and including dismissal.

If you are charged with, or convicted of, an offence, you are required to notify the CEO, even if the offence was committed in your private capacity.

Utilising and managing resources

Team members should take care that all use of resources is sustainable and justifiable. Resources should not be wasted or mis-used. Company resources should not be used for personal gain.

The Company provides its team members with privileged access to its electronic information and communications systems.

These systems must be used in an ethical, professional, and legal manner and must comply with the Company’s Information and Communications policy.

Team member behaviour

As a Team member of Inclusee, you will not both during and after your time with Inclusee (unless you have our written consent):

Behave in any manner, including providing advice, which might displace relationships between the participant and their families, friends, or any other person.

Have access to a Participant’s personal records or become involved in any Participant’s financial affairs.

Interfere with or have any involvement in the day-to-day running of the participant’s home.

Accept gifts from a Participant.

Engage in any relationship with any participant that goes beyond general friendship or companionship.

Befriend, follow and / or tag the participant/s on social media.

Accept social media requests from Participant/s whilst engaged as an Inclusee volunteer.

Provide any personal care to a Participant including personal hygiene, transport, domestic support, gardening or maintenance.

Discuss the Participant/s or their affairs with any other person, except where reporting to your Inclusee manager or authorised in writing, either in person, online or any other means.

Attend the funeral of a Participant unless invited by the Participant’s family and approved by Inclusee.

Be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Misuse or infringe Inclusee’s Intellectual Property rights.

Confidentiality for Team members

‘Confidential Information’ includes all information or material obtained during your interactions with Inclusee that is commercially sensitive or personal information. To avoid doubt, Team members should treat all information that they obtain during their interactions with Inclusee and participants as Confidential Information.

Confidential Information would include, without limitation, names and contact information of participants and other Term members, health information, business plans and financial information, agreements or any other document.

Team members must keep Confidential Information as strictly secret and confidential and only to use it as it directly relates to the performance of your role with Inclusee, by:

not disclosing the Confidential Information to another person unless disclosure is required by law or Inclusee agrees in writing. If you think that you are required to disclose Confidential Information by law (particularly information relating to participants), you must notify us in advance and provide us with the reasons prior to disclosure; and

putting measures in place to ensure that the information is held securely, including by:

making sure that third parties do not have access to or ways to copy material including Confidential Information; and

not copying any material containing Confidential Information for your own purposes or to share with third parties.

making sure that digital visits including Drop-In Chat and Online Clubs are performed in a private and quiet area where sensitive information may not be overhead by others;

making sure that all log-in and password information is kept confidential and not provided to or accessed by other individual/s (including members in your household) and Digital Safety Plan upheld; and

installing adequate anti-virus protection on electronic equipment used for voluntary roles (at volunteer’s own expense).

Respecting the privacy of participants by not using or sharing the participant’s photo or story in any way, including posting on your own social media page/s (even if you have the consent of the participant); and

Not speaking with / or contacting media unless granted written permission by the CEO or Board of Inclusee.

Reporting of misconduct and breaches of policy

The Company maintains a high standard of integrity and will not tolerate breaches of this Code of Conduct or any misconduct, corruption, or other illegal activity.

Everyone has a role in ensuring that individuals are held accountable for inappropriate conduct where it results in detriment to the organisation or another person. This includes reporting any instances of conduct that may be illegal, unethical or a breach of the Company’s policies and procedures.

Reports of misconduct can also be made under the Company’s Whistleblower Policy. You do not need concrete proof of the issues you are reporting, but you must have a reasonable belief that the issues constitute reportable conduct under the Policy. You must not knowingly make a false disclosure.

Important Reminder

This Code of Conduct is a reflection of our values—trust, compassion, respect, Inclusivity, Connection and Impact. By following this Code of Conduct we create an environment where everyone feels welcomed, supported, and safe.

Each person's commitment to these principles helps protect the well-being of our community and ensures that Inclusee remains a positive space for learning, sharing, and connecting.