Code of Conduct

1. Introduction

The Root and Reason Directors are committed to creating a friendly and respectful place for research, scientific discussion and innovation. All Root and Reason Members (hereafter Members) are expected to show respect and courtesy to others both inside and outside of Root and Reason.

Members accept to abide by the Root and Reason Code of Conduct and accept the procedures by which Code of Conduct incidents are resolved. Any form of behaviour to exclude, intimidate, or harass is a violation of the Code of Conduct.

All Members are required to conform to the Code of Conduct. This Code of Conduct applies to all spaces managed by the Root and Reason including, but not limited to, workshops, email lists, and online forums such as GitHub, Slack, LinkedIn and BlueSky. The Directors may also choose to consider cases that occur outside Root and Reason spaces.

If you believe someone is violating the Code of Conduct, we ask that you report it to the Directors who will take the appropriate action to address the situation.

The Directors are responsible for enforcing the Code of Conduct.

At the bottom of this page you will find an additional safeguarding policy.

2. The Code of Conduct

The Directors are dedicated to providing a welcoming and supportive environment for all people, regardless of background or identity. As such, we do not tolerate behaviour that is disrespectful or that excludes, intimidates, or harasses others. We do not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on characteristics that include, but are not limited to, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body shape, citizenship, nationality, ethnic or social origin, pregnancy, familial status, veteran status, genetic information, religion or belief (or lack thereof), Membership of a national minority, property, age, education, socio-economic status, technical choices, and experience level.

Workshop hosts are expected to assist with the enforcement of the Code of Conduct. Members are required to accept the procedures by which the Directors resolve any Code of Conduct incidents, which may include storage and processing of their personal information. The Directors reserve the right to also investigate possible cases where the Code of Conduct has been violated by Members outside Root and Reason spaces. The Directors may decide that the case should be treated as having happened inside a Root and Reason space and to take action against individuals in line with the Code of Conduct.

2.1 Expected behaviour

All Members are expected to show respect and courtesy to others. All interactions should be professional regardless of platform: either online, by telephone or in-person. To foster a positive and professional learning environment, we encourage the following kinds of behaviours in all Root and Reason spaces and all interactions about Root and Reason:

  • Use welcoming and inclusive language
  • Be respectful of different viewpoints and experiences
  • Gracefully accept constructive criticism
  • Focus on what is best for the community
  • Show courtesy and respect towards other community Members

Also, please see the Four Social Rules for further recommendations.

2.2 Unacceptable behaviour

Examples of unacceptable behaviour by participants in any Root and Reason space include:

  • Written or verbal comments which have the effect of excluding people on the basis of membership of any specific group
  • Causing someone to fear for their safety, such as through stalking, following, or intimidation
  • Violent threats or language directed against another person
  • The display of sexual or violent images
  • Unwelcome sexual attention
  • Nonconsensual or unwelcome physical contact
  • Sustained disruption of talks, events or communications
  • Insults or put-downs
  • Sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, or exclusionary jokes
  • Excessive swearing
  • Incitement to violence, suicide, or self-harm
  • Continuing to initiate interaction (including photography or recording) with someone after being asked to stop
  • Publication of private communication without consent

3. Complaints procedures

If you feel uncomfortable, please don’t wait until it gets worse. This guide may help provide ways to broach the issues with the Root and Reason Directors and/or other Members. Please also see articles on Abuse of Power e.g. 48 Ways Managers Abuse Their Power and Destroy Employee Engagement.

There are two mechanisms for dealing with complaints:

  • Seek advice from the Ombudsperson,
  • File a complaint directly with all or some of the Directors.

If there is any concern about a conflict of interest of any Directors with a relevant Member then you may choose which of the Directors to contact. By default the whole set of Directors will discuss the complaint including writing notes on key points in a private Root and Reason slack channel visible only to the current Directors. Therefore, if you foresee a potential conflict of interest with one (or more) of the Directors, or if you would prefer your complaint to remain verbal (not recorded in any way other than in individual current Directors’ memories) then please note this when you register your complaint. If the Directors change, the discussion of previous complaints will not automatically be shared with new Directors, and will only be shared with new Directors with the consent of the complainee(s).

It is acceptable to contact one of the Directors to say that you would like to have a phone call without giving the reasons for the call, and to ask for the entire contents of the conversation to remain confidential. The only situation in which the Director would violate your wishes to keep the conversation confidential is if they perceive your, or another person’s, safety to be at risk e.g. if you seemed suicidal they would try to contact a local responsible person which may include the emergency services.

Ombudsperson and their contact details:

  • Sarah Bridle sarah.bridle@rootandreason.org.uk  

Directors and their contact details:

  • Stefan Kepinski, stefan.kepinski@rootandreason.org.uk
  • Elta Smith, elta.smith@rootandreason.org.uk
  • Neil Ward, neil.ward@rootandreason.org.uk
  • Sarah Bridle, sarah.bridle@rootandreason.org.uk
  • Angelina Sanderson Bellamy, angelina.sandersonbellamy@rootandreason.org.uk

If you feel uncomfortable, talk to someone you trust. If you feel afraid of telling someone you trust, then this is generally a sign that there is a serious problem and you need to get help. Remember, it isn’t always possible to resolve problems on your own. Unfortunately, the spectrum of human nature includes some extremely difficult people who are capable of making your life a misery. If you find yourself in this situation, you have no reason to feel ashamed, or that you should be able to solve the problem on your own.

The Directors are here to help you and will take seriously any violations of the Code of Conduct and take steps to resolve the situation in a timely way.

3.1 Violations of the Code of Conduct

If the Directors deem that a Member has violated the Code of Conduct then they will first consider whether the offender should be ejected from the Root and Reason Members list. If not, a note describing the violation will be added to the offending Member’s profile page – which will be visible inside the Root and Reason. The Directors will then review this violation in the context of any previous violations and complaints (including verbal complaints that are not recorded on the offender’s profile page), and may then decide to eject the offender from the Root and Reason list.

3.2 Ejection from Root and Reason

If the Directors decide to eject someone from the Members’ list, they will inform the ejected person at the same time as notifying all Members, and remove access to all Root and Reason resources.

The Directors understand that taking action against an aggressor could itself cause problems for the victim. The Directors will consider this when deciding how to act, and will consult with the victim(s) if this is a potential concern.

4. Process for updating the Code of Conduct

This Code of Conduct is a living document, which is the responsibility of the Directors. The Code of Conduct lives in the Root and Reason google drive and we welcome  suggestions on how it might be updated and improved. Proposed revisions will be considered by the Directors. Before they are put into practice they will be emailed to the Members with a period of two weeks for feedback. If no objections are raised, the new Code of Conduct will replace the old one. If there are complaints, the Directors will review the issues raised and decide whether (i) to continue with the updated version of the Code of Conduct, (ii) keep the old version or (iii) begin the process of drafting a new version.

Credits

This Code of Conduct is based on the SkyPy Code of Conduct, which itself borrows heavily from the Carpentries Code of Conduct.

Licence

This Code of Conduct is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence. We encourage other communities related to ours to use or adapt this code as they see fit. Feedback is welcome.

Safeguarding Policy

1. Purpose

Root and Reason CIC is committed to creating safe, inclusive, and respectful environments. We integrate safeguarding into our commitment to “Equity by Design” and ethical knowledge exchange. This policy ensures we protect individuals from harm and fulfill our duty of care.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all Directors, staff, associates, and volunteers. It covers all physical and digital spaces managed by Root and Reason, including workshops, field visits, and online forums (e.g., Slack, LinkedIn).

3. Guiding Principles

  • Do No Harm: Proactive prevention of physical, emotional, or reputational harm.
  • Empowerment: Supporting participants to share lived and living experience safely.
  • Accountability: Clear pathways for reporting and resolution.
  • Proportionality: Safeguarding measures scaled to the specific risk of the activity.

4. Relationship to Code of Conduct

This policy sits alongside the above Root and Reason Code of Conduct.

  • The Code of Conduct governs professional behavior and interpersonal respect.
  • The Safeguarding Policy governs the protection of vulnerable groups and the legal response to abuse, neglect, or serious harm.

5. Identifying Specific Risks

We recognize specific risks inherent in our food system advocacy:

  • Power Imbalances: Between high-level policymakers and community members.
  • Psychological Distress: Triggered by discussions on food poverty, climate anxiety, or rural mental health.
  • Digital Harm: Harassment or exclusion in online knowledge exchange platforms.
  • Extractive Research: Ensuring “Lived Experience” is not used without proper support or consent.

6. Roles and Responsibilities

  • The Board: Ultimately responsible for safeguarding governance.
  • Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL): Neil Ward is responsible for managing reports and external referrals.
  • Personnel: Required to read this policy and the Code of Conduct as part of their induction.

7. Safer Recruitment & Training

  • Risk-Based Checks: Root and Reason will determine if a role requires a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check based on the level of unsupervised contact with “adults at risk” or children.
  • Training: Personnel leading field visits or sensitive research will receive “Safeguarding in Research” briefing.

8. Ethical Engagement & “Adults at Risk”

While we primarily work with professionals, we recognize “Adults at Risk” (individuals who may be unable to protect themselves from harm due to disability, age, or illness).

  • Informed Consent: Must be clear, written, and revocable.
  • Distress Protocol: If a participant becomes distressed during a Root and Reason activity, facilitators will pause the activity and offer signposting to professional support.

9. Reporting & External Escalation

All concerns must be reported to the DSL within 24 hours.

  • Internal Action: May include warnings or ejection from the network (as per CoC Section 3.1).
  • External Action: If a child or adult at risk is thought to be in immediate danger, the DSL will contact Local Authority Adult/Child Social Care or the Police.
  • Regulatory Reporting: As a CIC, serious safeguarding incidents may be reported to the Charity Commission (if registered as a charity) or the CIC Regulator if it impacts the company’s “Community Interest” status.

10. Data & Confidentiality

Safeguarding records are “Special Category Data.” They will be stored in a restricted-access folder in the Root and Reason Google Drive, separate from general membership files, and kept only as long as legally necessary.

11. Monitoring and Review

This policy is a “living document.” It will be reviewed annually by the Directors to reflect the evolving nature of our research and advocacy projects.