Why we have it
Contents

Code of Conduct

Why we have it

We're all here for the same reason: to give men the power to navigate prostate cancer. From our leaders, colleagues, trustees, suppliers and partners to our volunteers, spokespeople, ambassadors and fundraising participants, we all have an integral part to play.

We all work together to create a welcoming and enjoyable environment for everyone. Our Code of Conduct is just a more formal way of setting our expectations to ensure everyone feels respected, included and valued in their role.

Working as one team

What we expect of each other

At Prostate Cancer UK, we want everyone to feel comfortable being themselves to help our mission.

Here are some ways we can do that:

  • We ask everyone to follow this Code of Conduct.
  • We respect one another and focus on working together towards our common goal of giving men the power to navigate prostate cancer.
  • We’re clear that discrimination, harassment and bullying, abusive or inconsiderate language in any form aren’t okay. We call out and report it whenever we see it, and we don’t do it (or anything that could be misinterpreted as this).
  • We respect each other’s personal space, we’re not over familiar in our language and behaviour and we never resort to forms of humour containing sexual innuendo, misogynistic, racist or homophobic comments or similar.
  • We care about keeping us all safe and compliant and we follow the law, taking safeguarding, health & safety and data protection seriously.
  • As ambassadors for the organisation, we don’t do things that could damage Prostate Cancer UK’s reputation or hurt our ability to help men, for example, in our behaviour at an event or from something we post on social media.
  • We don’t use our position or influence to benefit just ourselves or to pursue issues that conflict with Prostate Cancer UK interests.

Talking about prostate cancer

We often need to talk about the everyday realities of living with prostate cancer, like how men might experience urinary incontinence or erectile dysfunction. But it’s our responsibility to consider the impact our language has on our audience. If we’re talking to men (as opposed to healthcare professionals, for example), language like this can feel intimidating and stop them from coming to us for help. Instead, we might talk about the impact treatment can have on a man’s sex life or living with the after effects of treatment, such as problems urinating.

To help us all hit the right tone every time, we’ve developed our own tone of voice for everything we say as Prostate Cancer UK. So, we always talk in the voice of a trusted friend. When we’re talking to men about health information, we’re clear, honest, and reassuring. You can find more guidance on our tone of voice in our brand guidelines.

And for those of you with personal experience of prostate cancer, when you talk to men and others affected by prostate cancer it’s powerful to share your stories with each other. It’s what makes your support so valuable. In these conversations individuals may share medical and/or highly personal information with you. We always respect people's confidentiality and personal information, and always get permission from them before sharing details with others.

Following our code of conduct

By everyone following the Code of Conduct, we can make everyone’s experience of working with Prostate Cancer UK a positive one. We hope everything here makes sense but if there's anything you'd like to discuss or feel uncomfortable with, please talk to us.

Any questions?

We’re proud of our open and supportive culture and we’re here to support you and your work helping men, so if you have any questions about anything in this document, please have a chat to your usual point of contact and we’ll make sure to clear things up for you.

Alternatively, you can always reach out to our:

Published November 2023