MNPC
Complaints Procedure/ Safe guarding
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Ethical Issues and safeguarding
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The MNPC teachers and staff are committed to ensuring that your experience with MNPC is as supportive and beneficial as possible. We welcome your feedback in order to help us improve the service we offer to participants. General feedback and suggestions may be offered via email. Alternatively if you wish to put in a complaint please see below.
If there is any aspect of the service you receive that you consider unsatisfactory please bring this to our attention as soon as possible, and we will attempt to address it. If we are not able to resolve the situation to your satisfaction, you may bring a formal complaint which will be dealt with on a confidential basis and should be made by email to:
Complaints Department
INFO@MNPC.CO.UK
​​Your complaint will be acknowledged, and you will be informed as to when you can expect a response – usually within 28 days. Please do not write to individual members of the team as you will directed to this procedure. Please keep and submit all your evidence including any voice notes and WhatsApp messages or social media.
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First stage:
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Mindfulness approach of mediation using 'rain' or a similar technique.
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First we invite all participates to sit in practice and follow the guidelines in the link below.
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www.tarabrach.com/rain/
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​​​Second stage:
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In some cases the need for investigation may require some time and you will be informed of the expected timeline. You can summit your complaint with evidence to an internal panel. Once this investigation has been completed (with all parties welcome to present their case) you will be informed of the outcome..
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​​​​Third stage:
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If you are not satisfied with the investigation or process and determination of your complaint, you may appeal to an independent panel.
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If the complaint concerns a breach of the ethical guidelines for teachers and staff, it may be necessary to involve the relevant ethical body. .
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Safeguarding
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Everyone who teaches at Mindfulness is required to adhere to the Teacher Code of Ethics.
Good Practice Guidelines | BAMBA
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Code of Conduct - Mindfulness UK
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While ethical breaches in our community are fortunately rare, we recognise that they can occur. We have different methodologies for dealing with different kinds of concern or complaints. The Director is available to receive any concerns or complaints and is a first port of call for issues concerning staff. The Safeguarding Leads deal with concerns where vulnerable adults or children are involved, and the independent Ethical Ombudsperson is available to receive complaints if you feel more comfortable to approach someone outside the organisation. Each of these people will support complainants who report breaches of the ethical guidelines and oversee that their concerns are heard and dealt with appropriately.
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The Director, Safeguarding Leads and Ethical Ombudsperson are available to receive ethical complaints or concerns of actions:
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By teachers in breach of the Teachers Code of Ethics;
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By staff, Trustees, Teachers, or others associated in breach of the 5 ethical guidelines.
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By anyone who has caused harm or endangers the safety or wellbeing of anyone or elsewhere, or otherwise gives rise to ethical or safeguarding concerns.
Complaints to the Director, Safeguarding Lead or Ethical Ombudsperson
If you have a concern about the behaviour of anyone, and it does not feel appropriate to raise it with the person concerned, or you have done so and their response has not resolved your concern, you are invited to contact the Director, Safeguarding Lead or the Ethical Ombudsperson (when someone independent is preferable).
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The Ethical Ombudsperson is:
Our Ethical Ombudsperson is an independent person who is supportive of the work of mnpc and responsible and not a member of the trust, teacher council or staff.
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Good Practice Guidelines for Trainers of Mindfulness-Based Teachers
Trainers need to meet and adhere to the Good Practice Guidelines for Teachers.
In addition, they need to meet the following Good Practice Guidelines for Trainers of Mindfulness-Based Teachers:
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Have had full teaching responsibility for at least nine mindfulness-based courses over a minimum of three years.
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To be offering training pathways which have a minimum of 12 months duration.
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To be a proficient teacher of mindfulness-based courses – as assessed by experienced colleagues and potentially through the use of the Mindfulness-based Interventions: Teaching Assessment Criteria (MBI: TAC).
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Have trained to be a trainer via an apprenticeship with a more experienced trainer and demonstrated a competency in training others.
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To continue to teach mindfulness-based courses to people with varying levels of experience as a teacher, alongside training teachers.
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Be in a regular supervisory relationship in relation to teaching practice and its interface with personal mindfulness practice, and engage in peer relationships with other trainers.
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Attend annual retreats which facilitate practice at depth, some of which are at least 7-10 days in duration.
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Stay up to date with the current and developing evidence base for mindfulness-based interventions, with a particular emphasis on the training organisation’s area of expertise.
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Be up to date with current methods of assessing mindfulness-based teaching competency and maintaining good practice.
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Be steeped in the practice and understanding of mindfulness which is informed by both relevant current scientific and/or clinical understanding as well as its historical antecedents from relevant spiritual and philosophical traditions, the most common example of which is the Buddhist tradition.
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Be a compassionate and strong team player – willing to operate in the context of a training team and in connection with others who are training teachers in the UK context.
Mindfulness-based teacher trainers need well developed skills, understandings and attitudes in the following areas:
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An experientially gained understanding of the complexity of mindfulness as an approach and its transformational potential.
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An in-depth understanding of the aims and intentions of the full range of curriculum components within the mindfulness-based course they are training others to teach.
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An understanding of the underlying theoretical principles of the mindfulness-based courses they are training others to teach.
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Understand and have the capacity to train others in the principles underpinning the adaptation of mindfulness-based courses to different contexts and populations.
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Skill in working with groups, especially the creation of a safe and challenging learning environment.
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The ability and skill needed to support trainees in identifying their strengths and learning needs, and providing feedback which facilitates new learning.
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An understanding of the complex interface between MBAs taught in a therapeutic context and mindfulness as taught in traditional or specific cultural contexts and a commitment to being transparent in regard to which context(s) mindfulness teaching/training is being offered.
The trainer will work within the ethical framework of his/her profession or training and will additionally have particularly developed sensitivities in relation to:
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Only training within the limits and boundaries of competence
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Only asking trainees what is asked of self in relation to informal and formal mindfulness practice
Revised October 2013
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Thank you for your patience,​​
MNPC Team
​​Imani Sorhindo, William Fley, Tim Fry,
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