General Communications Protocol

Aims of Protocol

• To improve understanding between parents, visitors and staff by providing parameters and guidelines for all.

• To protect all employees from behaviour which causes distress.

• To outline the procedures for how Tarinao will handle examples of such behaviour.

General Principles on the Tone and Content of Communication

Tarinao expects all those who engage with our staff to be:

• Polite and courteous—in tone, content, and volume

• Reasonable and illustrative of our common purpose.

• Respectful of professional integrity.

• Assume the best of intentions of the Tarinao and its staff - we are all working in the best interests of the Dancers.

• Mindful of the time pressures under which teachers and parents operate.

Parent, Visitor and Staff Communications Protocol

1. Unacceptable behaviour may take the form of, including but not limited to:

• Verbal abuse; verbal abuse may be defined as “the repeated improper and excessive use of language or tone of voice to humiliate someone, or to undermine someone’s dignity” including swearing. Verbal abuse which is related to a protected characteristic, such as race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, faith, or age, may constitute hate speech.

• Physical abuse (whether actual or threatened);

• Bullying-type behaviour, including harassment and victimisation;

• Aggressive behaviour, including shouting;

• Inappropriate language, including swearing;

• Undermining professional integrity and/or abilities;

• Pressure to alter grades or give awards/responsibilities to Dancers;

• Any other unreasonable conduct (whether one-off or persistent) that causes distress or harm (physical and/or psychological).

2. Unacceptable behaviour may take place in various contexts, including but not limited to:

• In-person (both one-to-one or in public);

• On the telephone;

• In writing (including emails, texts and Instant Messaging);

• Online (including posting malicious comments on websites and social media sites or messaging apps, other acts of “internet trolling”, and misuse of images/footage).

3. Response Times

When a parent contacts Tarinao on an informal basis, where possible they should expect an acknowledgement from the member of staff within 24 working hours and a fuller response within 48 working hours (consideration may be needed to allow for differing working patterns for staff within these standard response times). If the Tarinao member of staff needs longer to address a parent or visitor’s query, then they will update them as appropriate.

4. Meetings with Staff

Unless it's an emergency, parents are asked to submit a Parent Contact Form so that Tarinao can carefully consider how best to support the dancer and parents in resolving the issue. The following will take place:

• Meetings will take place during staff working hours on Zoom.

• A time frame will be established at the outset of the meeting so that all parties know how long they have together.

• Short notes will be taken to capture the main points of the meeting and not the minutes verbatim.

In the most extreme of events, which are rare, staff should have every right to:

• terminate the conversation if they deem it to have become abusive.

• record the nature of the conversation and examples of the alleged abuse.

Vexatious, Malicious or Defamatory Behaviour

• Any member of staff who receives inappropriate and abusive contact in-person and or online e.g. emails, social media, direct messaging, etc. that are deemed vexatious, malicious or defamatory must be reported immediately to the director or management team at the earliest possible opportunity without discussion with the parent or visitor.

• Tarinao takes very seriously any action, by a parent and/or visitor, which, after full and fair consideration, is deemed vexatious, malicious, defamatory, or which sets out to undermine the reputation of the individual and/or of Tarinao.

• The staff concerned should provide the evidence e.g. screenshots from Social media/networking sites, notes from the relevant conversation or the email concerned etc. at the earliest possible opportunity.

• Tarinao may seek appropriate legal advice if these matters arise.

5. Outcomes

The following sanctions in the form of a “Warning Letter” may be applied to parents and visitors:

• Permission to attend Tarinao events may be withdrawn, including, but not limited to:

  • Showcases/presentations/performances

  • Open Days

  • Parent-teacher meetings

• Restrict all communication with the Tarinao through an appointed member of staff.

• Permission to be on Tarinao premises may be withdrawn.

• If a parent is in serious (or repeated) breach of the ‘Parent, Visitor and Staff Communications Protocol’, Tarinao may withdraw the place of Dancer with immediate effect.