Code of Conduct

This Code of Conduct sets the standards for how Step By Step Training Limited trainers, coordinators, and learners engage with each other, with the communities we serve, and with the systems and resources we rely on to deliver training. It applies to all parties involved in training arranged through Step By Step.

All parties share responsibility for maintaining the quality, safety, and trustworthiness of the training environment.

1. Our values

Step By Step training is built on the belief that every adult learner can develop the skills and confidence they need to participate fully in work and community life. The training environment must reflect that belief through respect, trust, professionalism, and care for the people we work with. Everything in this Code of Conduct flows from these values:

• Manaakitanga — care, respect, and generosity in all relationships
• Trustworthiness — doing what we say we will do, reliably and honestly
• Professionalism — high standards in delivery, communication, and conduct
• Kaitiakitanga — stewardship of resources, relationships, and the communities we serve
• Self-determination — supporting learners to lead their own development

2. Trainer standards

Trainers are the heart of Step By Step. They are professional partners in adult development, and the most important thing a trainer brings to the relationship is trust.

2.1 Adult learning context

Trainers must conduct themselves in a way that reflects the principles of effective adult learning:

• Adult learners bring life experience, existing skills, and genuine goals to training. Trainers honour that by building on what learners already know.
• Trust is foundational. Many learners have had difficult experiences with formal learning. Trainers create a safe, non-judgmental space that allows learners to take risks and build confidence.
• The relationship between trainer and learner is more than a transaction. Trainers show up with warmth, patience, and genuine interest in the learner’s progress.
• Trainers are aware of the barriers their learners may be navigating, including financial stress, health challenges, digital anxiety, and language barriers, and adjust their approach accordingly without lowering standards.

2.2 Professional conduct

In all training relationships, trainers must:

• treat every learner and Step By Step staff member with respect, dignity, and professionalism
• arrive on time, or be online and ready to start, for every scheduled session
• communicate clearly, honestly, and in a timely way with learners, coordinators, and Step By Step
• maintain the privacy and confidentiality of learner information
• file accurate and complete session reports on the day of each training session
• complete the Training Needs Assessment within 3 working days of accepting a referral (learner availability excluded)
• notify the Step By Step coordinator promptly of any attendance issues, session concerns, or changes in learner circumstances
• maintain a training environment, whether at home, online, or in a community venue, that is safe, suitable, and appropriate
• comply with this Code of Conduct and the Step By Step Terms of Service

2.3 Health and safety

Trainers must comply with the Step By Step Health and Safety Policy. In community or public venues, trainers must conduct a basic site safety check before training begins, identify exits and evacuation procedures, communicate relevant safety information to the learner, and report any safety concern to the Step By Step coordinator promptly.

2.4 Equipment and technology

Where a trainer handles hardware in connection with training delivery, they must treat it with care and responsibility. Any damage, loss, or technical issue must be reported on the day it occurs.

2.5 Honesty and integrity

Trainers must not submit false, inaccurate, or misleading session reports, attendance records, or evidence. Falsifying records is a serious breach of this Code and may result in removal from the Step By Step network.

2.6 Professional development

Trainers are expected to maintain and develop their skills and knowledge relevant to their training networks. Where Step By Step provides access to development opportunities, trainers are expected to engage constructively with those opportunities.

3. Coordinator standards

Coordinators are Step By Step’s presence in the training relationship. They represent Step By Step and are responsible for the communications and relationships that keep training trusted and on track.

3.1 Representation

Coordinators represent Step By Step’s coordination role with integrity and professionalism. In all interactions with trainers, learners, and Purchasers, coordinators must:

• conduct themselves in a way that reflects Step By Step’s values and the quality of its training network
• be clear, honest, and accurate in all communications about training requirements, referral status, and service expectations
• not make commitments on behalf of Step By Step that are outside their authority

3.2 Communication standards

Timely, efficient, and respectful communication is core to the coordinator role. Coordinators must:

• respond to trainer queries and communications within one working day
• communicate allocation decisions, offer changes, and programme updates to trainers clearly and in advance
• communicate with learners and Purchasers professionally and with cultural sensitivity
• never communicate with trainers in a way that is dismissive, disrespectful, or creates unnecessary uncertainty

3.3 Availability

Coordinators must be accessible to trainers, learners, and Purchasers during Step By Step working hours. This means maintaining current contact details, responding to urgent communications as a priority, and ensuring cover arrangements are in place when unavailable so that trainers and learners are never left without a point of contact.

3.4 Proactive learner engagement

Coordinators should proactively reach out to learners following training approval to confirm readiness and address any access barriers, follow up where attendance is inconsistent, and support trainers in managing learner-side issues. Coordinators are the bridge between the trainer and the Purchaser.

3.5 Conduct toward trainers

Coordinators must treat trainers as the professional partners they are. This means respecting trainers’ autonomy in how they deliver training within approved scope, providing clear and constructive feedback where needed, and escalating concerns about trainer conduct through the appropriate Step By Step process.

3.6 Coordinator concerns

Where a trainer has a concern about a coordinator’s conduct, including communication standards or responsiveness, they may raise it through the Step By Step Complaints process. Step By Step takes concerns about coordinator conduct seriously and will investigate them in the same way as complaints about trainer conduct.

4. Learner standards

Learners are central to everything Step By Step does. The following expectations are shared with learners at the point of training approval.

4.1 Participation and attendance

Learners must:

• attend scheduled training sessions as agreed
• give at least 24 hours’ advance notice if they are unable to attend a session, by contacting their trainer or Step By Step coordinator directly
• engage genuinely with the training programme and their trainer
• communicate any barriers to attendance or engagement to their trainer or coordinator promptly

4.2 Respect for trainer time

Trainers’ time is their livelihood. Learners commit to treating that time with the respect it deserves: attending on time and prepared for each session, giving advance notice of non-attendance, and not repeatedly cancelling or rescheduling without good reason.

4.3 Device stewardship

Where Step By Step has arranged for a device to be loaned to a learner, the learner must:

• use the device only for training-related purposes
• take reasonable care of the device and keep it clean, safe, and charged
• store it securely when not in use
• report any damage, loss, or technical problem to the trainer or coordinator immediately
• return the device promptly and in good condition on completion of training or when requested by Step By Step

4.4 Safe and respectful behaviour

Learners must treat their trainer, Step By Step staff, and coordinators with respect and professionalism in all interactions. Unsafe, abusive, or threatening behaviour will not be tolerated and may result in the suspension or termination of the training programme.

4.5 Training environment

Learners are responsible for ensuring that their training environment, whether at home or elsewhere, is safe, suitable, and appropriate for training. Learners must disclose any known hazards or risks in their environment to their trainer before training begins.

5. Reporting concerns

Anyone who becomes aware of a breach of this Code of Conduct, whether by a trainer, coordinator, or learner, should report it through the Step By Step Complaints process. Reports can be made by email, phone, or through the online form.

Step By Step will treat all reports confidentially and will investigate concerns fairly and promptly. Where appropriate, Step By Step may take action, including additional support, formal guidance, suspension, or removal from the network.

Contact

Step By Step Training Limited<br>admin@stepbystep.co.nz