This is an important feature of MTTC and for Mindfulness Teachers.

We have listed here important guidelines to identify any risks of harm involving mindfulness in various environments. 

MTTC trainees will receive further expansion of information below with regard to safeguards, work conditions and more. 

During Module 2, Trainee Mindfulness Teachers will learn about ethics, mindful responses to situations, ways to maximise safety for everybody, adults and children and opportunity to ask questions.

Teachers have responsibility to protect and safeguard those who support and participate in their programmes. 

The contents of this page point to many of the major areas for a teacher to apply.

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These procedures include:

• Duty of Care

• Equality and Diversity

• Areas of Concern

• Working Environments

• Working Conditions

• Roles and Responsibilities of Organisations and Individuals

• Risk Assessments and Support

• General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)

• Procedure to a Complaint

 

Duty of Care

As a Mindfulness Teacher, you have a duty of care for every person of any age who you support.

This is a professional and legal requirement.

Your duties/responsibilities include the necessity to apply safeguards such as:

• Responding to their needs and rights.

• Protecting adults and children from harm, abuse and injury.

• Developing the wellbeing of every person.

Wellbeing includes offering ways and means pointing towards peace of mind, happiness and mental health.

Your duty of care includes all teachers, managers, staff with whom you have contact.

It is vital that you possess the knowledge and skills to act on your duty of care in your role as a Mindfulness Teacher.

Application of ethics, such as non-harm, non-exploitation, and empathy for people of all ages attending or associated with your teachings, workshop and retreats, contribute to well-being of all.

Safeguards include not showing a child’s face in photographs or clips that might bring embarrassment or shame to the child and the family.

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Equality and Diversity

Everyone has equal opportunity to share their experience regardless of age, race or sex.

Diversity includes recognition of people of various faiths/religions/secular standpoints, ethnicities, disabilities, gender identity and more.

Diversity recognises the value of differences.

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Areas of Concern

• Identify any areas of concern.

• Address such areas as bullying, harassment or discrimination.

• Report and document any challenging or threatening situations.

• Report concerns in agreed ways, such as to the manager or senior teacher

As a Mindfulness Teacher, you may have an employer or work in a social environment. You will need to respond to any harmful situations and know who to turn to if you have any concerns.

In the case of the MTTC, you will contact in the first instance contact Nshorna Davis, MTTC manager/assistant teacher and senior teacher Christopher Titmuss.

 

Working Environment

Your concerns may include:

• Poor working conditions

• Unsafe working practices, such as neglect, ignoring safety guidelines and agreed ways of working.

• Unsafe Equipment

• Untrained workers such as untrained or inexperienced staff.

• Suspected Abuse. Suspected abuse affects adults and children's rights for safety and protection from any kind of manipulative or harmful behaviour.

• How does a teacher respond to aggression, a threat and other forms of reactive behaviour?

• What steps does a teacher take if a person has an emotional/psychological breakdown during the session?

 

Roles and Responsibilities of Organisation and Individuals

A Code of Conduct for Mindfulness Teachers includes.

• Respect and protect individuals’ rights.

• Everyone of any age has the right to be treated with respect.  

• You protect their legal rights.

• You offer kindness,  wise counsel and develop their independence.

• Provide people with information to make an informed choice.

• Respect confidentiality when participants share experiences.

 

Risk Assessments and Support

If the individual still wants to make a choice you think is risky, a risk assessment may be the best course of action. It will identify the hazards and help decide on ways to reduce the risks.

Also, highlighting the risks will support the individual in making those choices.

Your employer will provide you with guidance on:

It is important to recognise situations which require risk assessment, which may or may not lead to risk enablement.

• Mental and physical health are primary considerations.

• An individual’s wellbeing takes priority regardless of risk.

• If you are unsure about anything, you contact your primary supervisor (senior teacher).

 

General Date Protection Regulations (GDPR)

GDPR provides a legal framework for keeping everyone's personal data safe. You must obtain consent from individuals to 'opt in’ rather than 'opt out.'

 

Procedure to a Complaint

• You are required to support and respond to an individual who wants to make a complaint regarding their care or writing on behalf of a child or adult.

• Provide an environment where a person(s) can communicate openly and honestly.

• Check with the person whether you can take notes.

• Advise the person(s) on limits of confidentiality since information may need to pass onto another(s).

• Take the complaint seriously free from reactivity or defensiveness.

• Advise the person(s) what will happen next in the complaint's procedure.

• Thank the individual for coming forward.

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mttcglobal@gmail.com

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