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All members of the Society undertake to abide by the Society’s Code of Conduct. It will sometimes happen, however, that someone (member or non-member) wishes to lay a complaint against a member for infringement of the Code, and this note explains the Society’s procedures.
Professional workers exercise not only the skills which they have learned in formal education and training, but also mature personal judgement developed from the use of those skills, in the varying situations of day-to-day working life. The level of members’ professional objectives will be dependent on, amongst other things, their seniority, their position and their type of work.
Consultants carry additional professional obligations. A senior executive in charge of a major computer application or computer project is responsible for the accuracy of the information produced by the installation and for ensuring that those for whom it is prepared are fully aware of its limitations in relation to the purpose for which they intend to use it; a person cannot, however, be held responsible if it is used for a purpose of which they are unaware or for which it was not intended. The responsibility of senior systems analysts and programmers is also heightened because their work is so little understood by others and failures can have serious consequences. It must, however, be borne in mind that the more responsibility a member carries, the higher will be the standard expected of him or her, and the more rigorously may the Society’s sanctions have to be applied. In the interest of the public, the highest standard will be expected of those in public practice who by nature of their work accept personal responsibility for what they undertake. The Society has no legal standing between a member and his employer, whether an individual or a company. Its remedy lies in giving, where appropriate, fullest support for the stand taken by a member who loses a job, or is in danger of doing so, and of censuring the employer who seeks to place the member in a position which could cause violation of the Society’s Code of Conduct. The Society’s disciplinary regulations clearly set out the procedures to be followed. In essence, however, they provide for the processing of complaints against members, or former members of the Society, in two stages. Firstly: all complaints should be in writing and addressed to the Executive Director of the Society. These complaints may be lodged by any person, organisation or Chapter committee or where Council resolves to proceed against any member or former member for breach of the Code of Conduct. The complaint will then be investigated by a Committee of Enquiry which has the power to summon any member or former member, whom the committee believes may be able to provide information concerning the subject matter of the complaint, to appear before it. Should the Committee of Enquiry believe that a case of misconduct has been established then the member or former member will be given 21 days notice to answer the complaint. If no written representation is received, or if the committee is not satisfied that the complaint has been answered, then the complaint will be referred to the Disciplinary Committee. Should the complaint be found, by the Committee of Enquiry, to be without substance, the complainant will be advised accordingly. Secondly: where the complaint is referred to the Disciplinary Committee a formal hearing of the charge will be arranged. Witnesses may be called but no legal representation will be permitted at the hearing and all proceedings will be held in camera. If found guilty of the charge, the member may be cautioned or reprimanded, suspended from membership for a period or expelled from membership of the Society for life. Where the sentence is a caution and reprimand, the Council shall circularise all members setting out the nature of the circumstances and the result of the hearing but not the name of the member. Where the member has however been suspended or expelled, the Council shall, to the extend it deems expedient, advise all members of the fact and name of the member, for their exclusive and confidential information.
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