+ YWCA Dublin Code of Conduct

The following framework of guidelines have been compiled to ensure that YWCA Dublin is a safe space for all. It is aimed to help us to create a positive environment where we live well together, respecting the rights and needs of those around us. YWCA (Young Women’s Christian Association) Ireland, which YWCA Dublin is part of, is a Christian organisation in which the values of dignity, respect and kindness are paramount.

Please see the YWCA Ireland Data Protection Policy and CCTV Policy for more information as to our use of your personal information and our use of CCTV systems. By booking with us, you are acknowledging that you have read these two policies and understand their contents. Your terms of residence include compliance with these policies in full. Should you have any questions in respect of either policy, please contact YWCA Dublin at infodublin@ywca.ie.

More about YWCA Ireland

YWCA Ireland’s vision is inspired by our Christian faith and as part of a worldwide movement leading change, we seek to empower women in Ireland to be engaged, connected and transformed and to lead and affect change through Christ.

We do so by providing services and outreach through our network of centres, by offering comfortable and secure accommodation, by creating opportunities for genuine fellowship, by facilitating leadership training and by supporting our members in their faith. Providing safe spaces for young people in the heart of local communities has been a core activity of the YWCA movement worldwide since its founding in 1855. Today, we continue this mission by prioritizing the safety and wellbeing of guests in our accommodation.

YWCA Dublin welcomes residents of all faiths and none to use its accommodation. It is an integral part of the code of conduct agreement that residents will respect the Christian ethos of the organisation throughout their stay. By booking with us, individuals acknowledge the YWCA's constitution, ethos statement and statement of faith and undertake to ensure that no activities are undertaken which might conflict with them. Our ethos statement can be found on p.9 and our statement of faith can be read on p.11.

The management and committee of YWCA Dublin reserve the right to refuse accommodation to groups or individuals, where it is considered that their activities are incompatible with the YWCA's constitution, ethos statement or statement of faith.

You can find out more about YWCA Ireland here: www.ywca.ie and World YWCA here: www.worldywca.org.

Community Community is an important aspect at YWCA Dublin. When signing up to stay with us we expect that you will invest in and contribute positively to the community and that you will benefit personally from your experience of living at YWCA Dublin.

YWCA Dublin Code of Conduct incorporating YWCA Dublin Terms and Conditions Upon signing our Terms and Conditions you agree to abide by this Code of Conduct. It is the responsibility of residents to become familiar with these policies and to abide by them.

Contents

General behaviour
Behaviour in breach of the code of conduct
Access to Rooms
Alcohol
Animals
Common spaces
Fire Safety
Guests
Health and Safety
Housekeeping
Internet
Keys and fobs
Kitchen
Maintenance
Noise
Prohibited items
Room allocation
Room inventory
Security
Smoking
Verbal abuse
Breach of Residence Code of Conduct

General behaviour It is expected that residents will:

conduct themselves in a responsible manner with consideration for their fellow residents, Resident Assistants, staff and local residents. They should behave and communicate in a way that doesn’t reasonably offend others. Residents’ behaviour should foster an environment of mutual respect for one another. Residents should be sensitive to the needs of as well as the culture, belief and opinions of others
comply with laws and regulations and advice set by the Irish government
comply with reasonable requests by staff.

Behaviour breaching the code of conduct Examples of inappropriate behaviour are listed below and are not exhaustive;

Physical (actual or threatened) or verbal abuse of another person
Threatening, bullying, disorderly or offensive behaviour or language in the Residence
Stalking or harassment
Emotionally abusive or manipulative behaviour, undermining an individual’s dignity or self esteem
Posting or distributing unsolicited material
Failure to comply with any reasonable instructions given by Residence staff
Abusive electronic communication (texts, email, social media platforms)
Any activity which violates YWCA Ireland’s Christian ethos (for example, tarot card reading, ouija board etc)

Difficulties with other residents YWCA Dublin is a small, diverse community. While you are here, we hope that you will experience the richness that this can bring and that cultural differences can be respected and celebrated. If you have a disagreement with another resident or their behaviour is negatively impacting you, it is usually a good idea to talk with them first as they may not be aware there is an issue. Do so when you are calm in a friendly manner and if you feel it is safe to do so. The Resident Assistant team are available to help you navigate such a situation.

Access to rooms From time-to-time Residence staff and or Residence Assistants may require access to bedrooms. This is primarily for maintenance purposes. We will endeavor to give reasonable notice and in turn, we require residents to provide access to their room at all reasonable times.

Adaptors, cables YWCA Dublin does not accept any responsibility for damages, faults etc. caused by using adapters, cables. Using adapters is a fire hazard. It is imperative that every resident uses cables manufactured with 3 pin plugs. This is the resident's own responsibility. The resident will be charged for causing any damages up to and including of damage caused by leaving unattended electrical appliances plugged in. If an electrician needs to be called out the €185 call-out charge will be deducted from the security deposit. If the damage total exceeds the security deposit total, the resident will be required to pay for the remaining amount.

Alcohol YWCA Dublin is an alcohol free Residence. Alcohol and/ or drugs are strictly not permitted on the premises. This includes keeping, bringing or drinking/consuming them.

Animals No pets or animals are permitted at YWCA Dublin. If any are found on the premises they will be removed immediately.

Common spaces Common areas are provided and residents must ensure they are kept to an acceptable standard of cleanliness. Personal items may be removed and residents may be responsible for any cleaning charges deemed necessary. When using outdoor social space residents should be mindful of noise.

Fire Safety Please ensure you familiarize yourself with all the emergency exits and fire regulations. Fire emergency procedures are posted on the back of each door. If the fire alarm goes off, please treat this as real, and evacuate the building immediately, following the fire instructions received with welcome information. It is a criminal offense to tamper with or remove any fire safety equipment and any person or persons found in breach of this will be automatically fined € 200. If we are unable to identify person or persons involved, this fine will be issued to the Residents of the entire building. If a resident notices anyone tampering with fire safety equipment, please let the Management know immediately. Use of candles, incense and cooking equipment are prohibited, and such items will be removed if found in bedrooms. When residents complete the application form, they are asked to agree that upon arrival they will make themselves aware of the exit routes in the event of a fire and that should they fail to respond in a timely manner to the fire alarm whether during a drill or real emergency a fine of €100 will be applied.

Guests Overnight guests are not permitted. Currently, in order to mitigate COVID risks, visitors are not permitted on the premises. Please do not let someone into the Residence that you do not know.

Housekeeping The Centre’s housekeeper cleans the stairs and landings. All residents must keep their own bedrooms and bathrooms in a clean and tidy condition. Cleaning equipment is provided for this purpose. One set of bed linen is also provided. Residents are required to wash it regularly and make up their own beds. Residents are responsible for the upkeep of their bedrooms and must ensure that it is left in the condition they receive the bedroom. If bedrooms are not left in a clean and tidy condition and require additional cleaning, the charge for this cleaning will be deducted from the security deposit.

Quality Assurance room checks are carried out once or twice per term. These are brief visits where the Development and Operations Manager and Hospitality Coordinator will check for maintenance issues, potential hazards and any areas where cleanliness and hygiene need to be improved. If a revisit is required and it is found at this time that the level of cleanliness and hygiene has not improved, it may be necessary to arrange for a cleaning company to attend and the resident will incur the costs of such a visit.

Health and Safety On leaving your bedroom, please ensure all doors and windows are securely closed and locked. On entering and leaving through the main doors, it is each resident’s responsibility to ensure doors close securely behind them and do not allow any non-residents access to the building.

Residents are required

not to act in a way which may result in the insurance on the property or building of which the property is a part being void or voidable, or in the premium for it being increased, nor to allow anyone else to do so.
not to use the property or any part of it nor to allow anyone else to do so for activities which are dangerous, offensive, noxious, noisome, illegal or which are or may become a nuisance or annoyance to YWCA Dublin or the owner or occupier of any neighbouring property.
to keep the common areas, passages and staircases leading to the property free from obstruction.
not to hang or allow to be hung from any window any clothes or other articles for drying out clothes, or any other purpose or expose same therein and not to exhibit any signboard, poster or exhibit advertising matter or any flag or banner outside the property or in the windows or doors signs thereof.
to make use of rubbish bins and not to place any dirt or refuse in or about the premises but only in said bags in the designated bin area.

Residents are legally and financially responsible for any damage or injury they may cause to buildings, furniture, fittings, individuals’ property, etc.

Internet Residents must abide by our internet usage policy; “By accessing the internet you agree that you will not view, download, host, share or intentionally receive material from web pages that (1) is illegal; racist; sexually explicit, pornographic or immoral; or (2) infringes copyright or any other intellectual property rights.” Any use of the internet for illegal purposes (eg. downloading movies/music illegally) is not allowed and will result in internet rights being removed. Internet data is being retained by our system provider. The YWCA Dublin Residence has a safety firewall system, which monitors the internet usage including individual user downloads.

Key and Fobs Keys and fobs are supplied for bedroom and common door locks. Fobs are for the main doors. Loss of, or damage to these keys and/or fobs will incur a replacement charge of €20 each. You should not give your key and/or fob to anyone else, and you should report lost or stolen keys and/or fobs immediately. Keys and fobs must be returned upon departure.

Kitchen facilities Since 2020 our catering model has changed to self-catering. Facilities available include a communal kitchenette (with microwave, toaster, kettle, fridge, hotplate and storage facilities). Our main kitchen is open in the evenings from 6-9pm and is supervised by our Resident Assistant team.

Residents are responsible for cleaning up after themselves.
Residents are also responsible for safety while using the cooking facilities. Grills, ovens, hobs or microwaves should never be left unattended.
Foodstuffs may not be stored or consumed in bedrooms and there should be no food appliances in bedrooms.

Maintenance Residents are asked to refrain from placing posters, pictures, notices etc., on bedroom walls. This will be checked during room inspections and if any damage occurs, the repainting charge will be taken from the resident’s security deposit. You must notify staff of any repairs and/or maintenance work required for your room, and you must not attempt to carry out any repairs or maintenance works yourself. Please report any faults using the QR code in your handbook. Please note that if there is an emergency maintenance issue (leaks, power outages, water or heat issues) these should be reported immediately. If the issue occurs outside office hours, it should be reported to the Resident Assistant on duty.

Noise During your stay at YWCA Dublin, it is important not to create excessive noise for other residents or neighbouring properties. Residents are required to observe the ‘No Noise’ policy in operation in the house from 10:30 pm – 8 a.m. There is no curfew, you may come and go as you wish.

Prohibited items Prohibited items within the residence include:

Alcohol
Illegal substances
Weapons
Hazardous or flammable materials liquids or chemicals
Non CE marked or untested electrical circulatory (including plug adapters)
Oil burners, deep fat fryers, fireworks
Sunbeds
Candles, incense sticks or other naked flames.

You will be responsible for any damaged caused by any of the above items, including call out charges for repairs to circuit breakers.

Room allocation Your room may only be used for your own personal use. Residents are not permitted to sublet their room or allow other residents to occupy the room. It is imperative that you keep your room allocation. For insurance purposes and safety reasons we ask you not to change your room allocation or have other resident(s) or visitor(s) stay in your room. In case of emergency, we will hold you fully responsible if an accident arises on account of your breach of our Terms and Conditions. If you are unhappy with your room allocation, please speak to the Development and Operations Manager and we will endeavor to find the most suitable option for you.

Room inventory A room inventory is provided in each room. It is your responsibility to check, record and report any amendments to this as well as any cracks, marks, stains to the office within the first week of arrival.

Security and safety Lock your bedroom door, keep windows closed when you are not in your bedroom, do not let anyone into your room. Don’t put your name or address on your key and fob, notify the office immediately if you lose either. Avoid keeping valuables or large amounts of money and if you do have them keep them out of sight. Label your belongings such as bikes clearly. Report anything you are suspicious of our concerned about.

Smoking Smoking is prohibited in Ireland in indoor public spaces. YWCA Dublin has a no smoking policy on the premises and this includes the use of electric cigarettes. Tobacco cigarettes and e-cigarettes can be smoked in the designated smoking area in the garden walkway only. All resident(s) are responsible for enforcing this and can therefore report anyone they see in breach of this prohibition to the Development and Operations Manager.

Ventilation Room ventilation is essential to avoid condensation on windows and to ensure good air quality. Please keep air vents open and regularly open bedroom windows when the room is occupied.

Visitors Due to COVID-19, visitors are not permitted on the premises at present.

Breach of Code of Conduct Failure to comply with this Code of Conduct may result in disciplinary action. Depending on the severity and seriousness of the breach and if there are any previous warnings, residents may be asked to leave.

Procedures Following Breach of Code of Conduct Incidents brought to the attention of the Development and Operations Manager will be logged in the YWCA Disciplinary Database. Following an investigation meeting a formal written warning may be issued.

Serious or Repeated Misconduct YWCA Dublin reserves the right to take action(s), including legal action if there are serious or repeated breaches. Suspected criminal offenses may be referred to An Garda Siochana or other relevant bodies.

Appeal Procedure If a resident disagrees with a disciplinary action taken and informal discussions fail to resolve the dispute, residents can formally appeal in writing, stating the grounds for the appeal, within 7 working days of receipt of notification of Disciplinary action.

Room Relocation It is expressly agreed between the parties that YWCA has the right at any time, at its sole discretion (upon giving the resident reasonable notice), to move the resident to another room within the centre, either once or several times, under terms equivalent to these referred to in this Code of Conduct but with a new rent to be determined by YWCA in its absolute discretion.

Data Protection YWCA Ireland is the data controller of your personal data, meaning that it determines the purposes and means of processing/ using your personal data. Personal data is information that can directly or indirectly identify you, such as your name, email address, home address and bank account details, or information that could reasonably be linked back to you. YWCA Ireland is committed to complying with its legal obligations with regard to data protection. [Our Data Protection Policy (accessible here: [insert link]) outlines how YWCA Ireland collect, use, store and disclose personal data about residents and other individuals whose personal data we process. In particular, our Data Protection Policy sets out the types of information that we collect and process about you, the purposes for which we process personal data, and the rights that you have in relation to the processing of such personal data.]

CCTV YWCA Ireland is committed to ensuring the safety and welfare of all residents and other individuals who visit any of our premises, buildings and sites ("Sites"). As part of that commitment, we have CCTV cameras at our Sites. The YWCA Ireland CCTV Policy is the first point of reference for all issues regarding the use of CCTV cameras at our Sites, and explains how we utilise CCTV cameras in a fair and lawful manner. You can access the CCTV Policy here: [insert link].

Acceptance of Code of Conduct YWCA reserves the right to update this Code of Conduct at any time and will update residents as to any such changes.

Appendix A:

YWCA Ireland Ethos Statement

YWCA Dublin, as part of the national association of YWCA Ireland (Young Women’s Christian Association, is fully committed to the Vision, Mission and Values of YWCA Ireland. Accordingly, this ethos statement should be read in conjunction with the YWCA Ireland Statement of Faith (see Appendix B).

YWCA Ireland Guiding Principles and Values

Vision

YWCA Ireland’s vision is to empower women in Ireland to be engaged, connected and transformed and to lead and affect change through Christ.

Mission

YWCA Ireland is inspired by the Christian faith and as part of a worldwide movement women leading change, we support women in communities throughout Ireland.

Values

Our core values are exemplified in all our activities:

Faith in Christ; our faith in Christ inspires us to seek to make a difference in people’s lives and within communities by reaching out and sharing what we believe in, to encourage those who need support.
Selflessness; we seek to serve our members and their communities with whom we work with humility, generosity of spirit, consideration and respect.
Empowerment; we recognise the value of support and encouragement in helping people flourish as individuals, as professionals and as Christians.
Togetherness: Our people are the source of our strength. We are at best as an association when we work together with the shared purpose of supporting and encouraging women in their work, in their lives as in their faith. This means we pool our skills, our expertise and our experience to learn from each other, to cooperate, to be better together.
Excellence: Our commitment to excellence is simply stated: whatever we do, we do to the very best of our ability. That means our centres offer superior accommodation, our services are exemplary and our people are highly professional and truly committed. Most importantly, it also means that we work hard to help others be the very best that they can be too.

Appendix B:

YWCA Ireland Statement of Faith

Belief in the Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Belief in the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, truly God and truly Man, His Virgin Birth, Atoning Death, Bodily Resurrection, Ascension and His Personal Coming again.
Belief that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the divinely inspired Word of God and the final authority in all matters of doctrine and practice.
Belief in the fact that all have sinned and in the efficacy of the Atonement and in Justification by Faith.
Belief that the Christian life is one of witness to our Lord Jesus Christ and of service to all.
The Association is interdenominational and evangelical.