Code of Ethics and Behaviour

Preamble

The Australian Personal Chefs Network (APCN) was foundered to become the "home" for Personal Chefs in Australia dedicated to leading the industry by offering state of the art materials and support, to both new and seasoned Personal Chefs. Another primary aim is to maintain the highest possible standards of conduct of each active member and expect each member to adhere to our code of ethics and behaviour and assist each member to maintain a successful personal chef business, encourage participation in sponsored conferences, promote healthy and safe kitchen practices, and enforce the rules laid out in the code of ethics.

The objectives of the Code are to:  

• Assist members in dealing with ethical issues in ways that reflect the APCN’s values and standards;
• Promote professionalism and excellence;
• Express shared assumptions and organisational values;
• Provide members with guidance in ethically ambiguous situations;
• Communicate the APCN’s standards;
• Detail the APCN’s social responsibilities;
• Motivate members to do the right thing;
• Provide a statement on public accountability and corporate governance; and
• Assist members to meet the minimum standards of conduct and integrity described in the Code of Ethics.

The Code of Conduct and Behaviour

As an active and financial member of the Australia Personal Chefs Network, I promise to:

1.        Personal Integrity

1.1.        Provide full disclosure of any or all information regarding the preparation of meals to their Client on request.

1.2.        Respect the privacy of my Clients, holding any personal information about the Client as confidential unless granted permission to do otherwise.

1.3.        Respect and care for my Client’s property, security and belongings, always acting discreetly and as a member of their family, not engaging in any activity that may affect that property without my Clients consent.

2.        Professional Excellence

2.1.        Create menus based upon my client’s tastes, preferences and dietary requirements.

2.2.        Use only quality ingredients utilising the freshest local produce available including meat, fish, herbs, spices and seasonal fruits and vegetables.

2.3.        Provide healthy, nutritious and delicious meals at an affordable price ensuring the wholesomeness of food that is prepared for my Clients.

2.4.        Use my experience and knowledge to select appropriate ingredients to create meals that consistently meet or exceed my Client’s expectations.

2.5.        Respect and adhere to any food supply and preparation practices required by my Client to enable them to adhere to any religious or cultural beliefs.

2.6.        Leave clear, concise and easy-to-follow storage and finishing/reheating instructions for any prepared meals.

2.7.        Strive to continually expand my knowledge, education and experience in the culinary arts and maintain awareness of changes within the industry for the benefit of my Clients, my business and the Personal Chef industry.

2.8.        Strive to maintain the highest level of professional competence and to participate in, not only setting those standards, but in publicising those standards and encouraging others to reach them.

3.        Accountability and Responsibilities

3.1.        Maintain a professional and positive image of their business and the APCN and to treat my Clients, peers and the APCN staff with courtesy and respect at all times whether using verbal, written or electronic communications.

3.2.         Operate my personal chef service with all relevant licensing and insurance in place and always act in accordance with State and Federal laws and regulations, particularly where relevant to food preparation (ie FoodSafe) and health standards.

3.3.        Recognise my responsibility for the professional guidance of subordinates under my immediate control.

3.4.        Recognise my responsibility towards the environment.

3.5.        Support fellow members who may find themselves in difficulties on account of their adherence to this code and the APCN in its efforts to protect them.

3.6.        Cooperate with and support other personal chefs, whether APCN members or not, especially when that cooperation is in the best interest of my Clients.

3.7.        Recognise that any violation of this code is inconsistent with APCN membership and its privileges and that consequence may then apply.

4.    Equal Opportunity and Diversity

4.1.        Recognise my responsibility to provide an environment that fosters fairness, equity, and respect for social and cultural diversity, and that is free from unlawful discrimination, harassment and vilification as determined by legislation.

4.2.        Eschew discrimination in any form, including but not restricted  to discrimination based on age, disability, marital status, pregnancy or potential pregnancy, race (including colour; nationality; descent; ethnic, ethno-religious or national origin; and immigration), religious or political affiliation, view or beliefs, sex; sexual harassment, homosexuality (male or female, actual or presumed) and transgender or transexuality.

Violations

If you know a fellow member has violated this code in any way, the following steps should be taken:

1.      Discuss your concerns with that member, either verbally, written or electronic form.

2.      If you become aware of any ensuing code violations after communicating directly with that member, you may file a formal complaint, in writing, with the APCN board.

3.      The APCN will review the complaint and conduct an investigation into the alleged code violation.  This can include discussing the alleged code violation with the complainant and the alleged offender.

4.      If the APCN board investigation finds that a code violation has occurred, a formal written warning will be issued to the offender with a record of the violation kept on file with the APCN.

5.      The APCN will adopt a “three strikes and you’re out” approach to code violators.  If a member is found guilty of three code violations, the offender’s APCN membership will be terminated.  This termination may also be communicated to affiliated personal chef and hospitality industry bodies both nationally and internationally.

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Copyright © 2006, Australian Personal Chefs Network
Last modified: 21-Jan-2007 12:36