Last updated April 2024. Next update due April 2026.

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST POLICY

All staff, volunteers, and management committee members of CLEFT will strive to avoid any conflict of interest between the interests of the Organisation on the one hand, and personal, professional, and business interests on the other. This includes avoiding actual conflicts of interest as well as the perception of conflicts of interest.

This policy is meant to supplement good judgment, and staff, volunteers and management committee members should respect its spirit as well as its wording.

Principles

The purposes of this policy is to protect the integrity of the Organisation's decision-making process, to enable our stakeholders to have confidence in our integrity, and to protect the integrity and reputation of volunteers, staff, board and committee members.

Examples of conflicts of interest

Example of conflicts of interest include but are not limited to:

1. A board or committee member who is also on the committee of another organisation that is competing for the same funding.
2. A board or committee member who may benefit from being awarded a contract for research work or provide services for the organisation.
3. A board or committee member who is related to a member of staff and there is decision to be taken on staff pay and/or conditions.

Disclosure of information

Upon appointment each board and committee member will make a full, written disclosure of interests, such as relationships, and posts held, that could potentially result in a conflict of interest. This written disclosure will be kept on file and will be updated as appropriate.

In the course of meetings or activities, board and committee members will disclose any interests in a transaction or decision where there may be a conflict between the organisation’s best interests and the board or committee member’s best interests or a conflict between the best interests of two organisations that the board or committee members is involved with.

After disclosure, the board or committee member may be asked to leave the room for the discussion and may not be able to take part in the decision depending on the judgement of the other board or committee members present at the time.

Any such disclosure and the subsequent actions taken will be noted in the minutes.

Review

This policy will be reviewed every 2 years.

Download the conflicts of interest policy by clicking here.