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Code of Conduct for members  

Code of Conduct for members  

TIAH's Code of Conduct applies to all members of The Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture (TIAH) relating to practice, behaviour, and attitudes that all TIAH members must fully adhere to at all times, irrespective of the professional role you fulfil and the country in which you practice.  

The industry is constantly changing; it's TIAH's intention to update the Code if needed, ensuring that it is fit for purpose and gives the public reassurance and clarity about what a professional industry looks like and how it behaves.  

It is a member’s duty to read and understand the code. 

TIAH members must: 

1. Be honest, act with integrity, and comply with your professional obligations, including obligations to TIAH.

This includes: 

  • Being open and transparent in how you work; sharing appropriate and necessary information with others in a way they can understand. 
  • Not misleading others by your actions or omissions or by being complicit in the actions or omissions of others. 
  • When providing advice and opinion in a professional context, do so honestly and objectively based on relevant and reliable evidence.  
  • Not taking unfair advantage of others, including colleagues, clients, or anyone you have a duty of care for. 
  • Protecting confidential information and only use or disclose it for the purposes for which it was provided, where you have the necessary consent to do so or where required or permitted by law. 
  • Not having any form of involvement in bribery, fraud, deception, and corupcorruption

2. Treat others with respect and encourage diversity and inclusion.

This includes: 

  • Respecting the rights of others and treating others with courtesy, politeness, and respect
  • Treating everyone fairly and not discriminating against anyone on any improper grounds, including age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation
  • Not bullying, victimising, or harassing anyone
  • Doing your part to develop and maintain an inclusive culture in your workplace and TIAH, supporting equal access and opportunity for all
  • Reporting abusive labour practices, including in your supply chain, to proper and recognised authorities if you become aware of or suspect them

3. Act in the public interest, take responsibility for your actions, and act to prevent harm and maintain public confidence in the profession.

This includes: 

  • Taking account of the broader public interest, including the impact on future generations
  • Showing due regard for the environment and the sustainable management of natural resources, taking account of the needs of a diverse society, and serving as an example to others for responsible environmental behaviour
  • Always acting with skill and diligence and being accountable for all your actions
  • Acting in a manner to promote you, your business, and the agriculture industry in a professional and positive way
  • Promoting the high standards that you and the industry stand for
  • Questioning practices and decisions that you suspect are not right and raising concerns with colleagues, managers, or any other appropriate person, body, or organisation where you believe in good faith that it is necessary to do so
  • Supporting others who have acted in good faith to report concerns
  • Where you are (or could be) identified as members of the profession, not undermining public confidence in the profession
  • Responding to complaints made against you promptly, openly, and professionally
  • Cooperating with investigations into complaints or concerns and providing information where it's reasonably requested and where you can do so lawfully
  • Considering the effect that any health conditions may have on your competence or ability to undertake your work
  • Accepting your personal duty to uphold the reputation of the profession and not take any action which could bring the profession into disrepute
  • Reporting suspected significant breaches of this Code of Conduct by themselves or others to TIAH

4. Maintain your professional competence.

This includes: 

  • Reflecting on the work you've undertaken and its impacts and considering how you might apply what you've learned to your future work
  • Communicating purpose clearly, and with integrity and enthusiasm
  • Maintaining and developing your knowledge and skills throughout your career 
  • Identifying your development needs, planning, and undertaking continuing professional development (CPD) activities to address these and being able to demonstrate you have done so
  • Understanding, staying up to date, and complying with relevant legislation, codes of practice, and other professional and relevant technical standards
  • Not claiming any level of competence or qualification that you do not possess
  • Using evidence and knowledge to make decisions and suggestions and to give advice
  • Being willing to create effective change and suggest ideas for improvement
  • Serving as an example to others, using your skills and experience to serve the needs of the environment and society
  • Building relationships with others to share knowledge and skills
  • Encouraging others to advance their learning and competence and giving all reasonable assistance to further the education, training, and professional development of others

For more information on this, see our CPD Policy.

5. Promote safety and safe working practices.

This includes: 

  • Recognising your responsibility to protect yourself, your fellow workers or employees, and anyone visiting your farm from injury or harm
  • Identifying health and safety risks, adopting safe working practices, and planning work to avoid or minimise risk
  • Speaking up about any health and safety risks and encouraging and supporting others to also do so
  • Not carrying out tasks or asking others to carry out tasks if they are unsafe or if you or other workers do not have the right training or equipment

Any TIAH member who is in any doubt as to the interpretation of a code or its applicability to their personal circumstances should contact TIAH.

If you feel another member has breached this code of conduct, then you can read our complaints procedure to find out how to register your complaint and how we will process it.