This is the Code of Conduct for teachers and event organisers, as set out by the ITZI trustees 

ITZI Code Of Conduct

8 June 2025

ITZI may run or support Buddhist courses, retreats, colloquia and conferences for the general public, practising Buddhists, counsellors and psychologists in training, and counsellors and psychologists in practice. Where we do so, this will be stated specifically on attendee communications from the outset. We operate in the UK and in the EU, with local volunteers and with tutors and speakers from around the globe. We will work in locations outside the UK and the EU, if deemed appropriate. We do not work with children. We do not work with vulnerable adults as defined in https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2002/446/regulation/2/made.

Where we give grants to individual teachers, it is up to their discretion whether to state ITZI’s involvement. The giving of a grant is to spread the Dharma and is made in a spirit of trust to Buddhist teachers with experience of teaching. It goes without saying that, as part of the grant, they must operate within local laws and will absolve ITZI of all liability for their individual actions. 

All public-facing ITZI activities are collectively referred to as ‘programmes’ in the rest of this document. 

Event organisers are responsible for health and safety matters with regard to buildings/venues used. They should advise programme attendees to organise their own health and travel insurance.

Tutors, volunteers, trustees, and anyone interacting with programme attendees on behalf of ITZI should be aware of the following:

ITZI Code Of Conduct

Close personal relationships

While ITZI does not seek to interfere in private matters between consenting adults, the trustees ask that anyone acting on behalf of ITZI proceeds carefully in striking up close personal relationships with anyone attending ITZI programmes. We consider that those involved in our programmes (as student, tutor, mentor, and teacher) are adults who can and do make their own judgments and accept responsibility for the consequences of their choices. While we do not attempt to control relationships that may develop between participants, we ask that all carefully consider the consequences of their choices before initiating close relationships, and especially the fallout for all on the programme, should such relationships sour.

Programme attendees should particularly bear in mind that ITZI views them as adults who are legally responsible for their own behavior, and should conduct themselves in this light. 

If you are teaching or organizing the programme, you will be a Buddhist teacher or be representing a Buddhist teacher. It is natural for participants/attendees to regard you with a degree of deference, as bearing spiritual or religious authority or close to those who are considered to be spiritually experienced or advanced. Great care must be exercised so as not to take advantage of such deference. Please consider how the person you are establishing a close relationship with will be affected if the relationship sours: whether they might lose their standing and support in their Sangha, or among the programme attendees, or the spiritual community they belong to. If the person is known to have little support from family or friends and is approaching ITZI seeking a place of spiritual refuge, please take this into account. Please bear the good reputation of the Sangha and of ITZI in mind.

Confidentiality

Also, all must always consider confidentiality while discussing personal matters in individual and/or group sessions of the programme. What is shared, especially within groups, must stay within the group, and members are expected to respect each other's privacy. 

The participants in our programmes agree to keep discussions and personal information shared strictly confidential and to not disclose information about other members or their experiences outside the group. All are expected to respect privacy by not disclosing their identity or discussing the content of sessions outside the room in a way that could reveal the identity of the persons who have shared.  Our programmes are non-regulated, and everyone is responsible for his/her/their actions and for refraining from malicious behaviour.

There are exceptions to confidentiality: If there's a serious, immediate risk of harm to anyone, confidentiality may be breached.  If there is suspicion, claim or evidence of harassment or abuse, confidential information can be provided to the board of ITZI with the claimant’s consent, and confidentiality may be breached. If the subject of a complaint is a member of a Regulatory body (such as College of Psychologists, Counsellors, Social Workers) a complainant may share his/her experience with that authority.

Safeguarding

The teacher as well as tutors and mentors play a crucial role in maintaining an environment of trust and approachability to discuss any issues that students on a programme may encounter. Issues will certainly occur, given that students will get the most benefit from the course if they choose to share personal material with other students, with tutors and with the teacher. However, whether to share personal material or not is entirely the student’s choice and there is no requirement to do so.

Practising psychologists and counsellors routinely encounter clients whose views they might find shocking or unacceptable. The teacher, tutors and mentors cannot make everybody feel safe, comfortable and free from disrespect at all times; in fact, the point of the course or retreat is to enable participants to professionally and resiliently handle their feelings of vulnerability and discomfort when faced with opinions and situations that may cause them to feel unsafe. 

The participant is responsible for sharing in a timely manner any issues that they may need help with.

Complaints

The teacher, tutors and mentors have a responsibility to listen and help with any issues faced by students. If there is an issue with a teacher or a tutor, the participant can approach another tutor to discuss their concerns confidentially, with the understanding that information will not be revealed to the other party unless necessary. (This will become necessary if a formal complaint is made.)

The tutor initially approached will form a small group with other tutors, including ITZI trustees if necessary, to investigate the issue. (If the subject of the complaint is a tutor, that tutor will naturally be excluded from the group.) The group will come to any decision in an even-handed manner, respecting the rights of the subject of the complaint:

• To be informed of what has been said against them

• To be considered innocent until the evidence shows otherwise

Where it is practical, the complainant and the subject of the complaint will be kept separate and asked to work in different groups while the matter is ongoing. However, no one will be cancelled or asked to leave the course without a thorough investigation of any accusations made against them. The complainant will be kept informed, as will the subject of the complaint, of any ongoing investigation and the decision made by the group. 

Refunds

If you're a teacher, or event organiser who receives grants from ITZI, and if you are accepting payment or donations in return for programmes that you run, you must make clear to participants and students the circumstances under which they can get a refund of donations, course fees or retreat charges. You must also make it clear which components of the charges, if any, are non-refundable. You must operate in accordance with the law in the jurisdiction in which you live. 

Communicating Before Receiving Money

We operate in a world where guidelines are now expected, and in cases where money is received in return for events, guidelines may be mandatory, depending on jurisdiction. Where teachers or event organizers receive grants from ITZI, you must tell potential participants and students all of the above before accepting payment. You must put the intention of the above points in writing (in your own words if necessary) so that all parties can be certain of what has been communicated. 

Chair, on behalf of ITZI Trust (Sujatin Johnson)