Volunteer Code of Conduct

Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland provides children and youth with safe, quality mentoring relationships with Volunteer Mentors.

As a mentor, you share with your Mentee, their parents/guardians, Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland, and (in certain programs) partnering site-based staff, a commitment to fostering a safe, enjoyable, meaningful, and healthy mentoring relationship by observing the following code of conduct:

• Mentors conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the agency’s:
• • mission, vision, and Theory of Change;
  • policies and procedures; and
  • commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Mentors promptly report any concerns about the match to the agency.
• Mentors agree to respect the privacy and dignity of their Mentee and family.
• Mentors are required to discuss any issues, concerns, or changes of circumstances (living situation, change of address, phone number, etc) with the Agency contact person.
• Mentors conduct themselves as positive role models to a child/youth and as representatives of the agency.
• Mentors model consistency, reliability, punctuality, and commitment to open communication.
• Mentors honor the commitment of spending time with the Mentee on a regular basis, including limiting their involvement in the Mentee’s life to expectations outlined in the program.
• Mentors establish, maintain, and respect boundaries with both the Mentee and the Mentee’s family/parent/guardian/caregiver.
• Mentors respect the roles of the parent/guardian/caregiver, family, and school/community partner, where relevant, as separate and distinct from their volunteer mentoring role.
• Mentors participate in regular supervision meetings with the agency to discuss the match relationship and commit to a mandatory match monitoring schedule to ensure:
  • the match is safe and healthy;
  • the mentee derives the most benefit possible from the mentoring friendship; and
  • both mentee and volunteer are feeling valued and supported.
• In the event of match closure, Mentors are sensitive to the impact that this can have and take the necessary steps to minimize upset to the child/youth, including celebrating the accomplishments of the match.
• Mentors connect with agency staff to formally close the match.