MACL’s success is built on the trust and confidence we earn from our relationships within the community. We establish this credibility by fulfilling our commitments and conducting our interactions with honesty. The following values create a foundation for our Code of Ethical Conduct.
Integrity requires that we be, among other things, honest and transparent. Integrity means knowing the rules, policies, and guidelines, and always following them. Integrity is not necessarily compromised when we make an unintentional error or in the honest difference of opinion, but integrity can never include lying or deception.
People are entitled to dignity and courtesy because of who they are, not because of how we feel about them and their actions. We will treat every person with dignity and courtesy, even when such treatment is not given to us. This includes the people and families we support, contractors, practicum students, volunteers, other stakeholders, and employees. In our MACL roles, each person is a valuable member of our MACL team who deserves an environment that is caring, collegial and above all, respectful. Disrespectful conduct including gossip and arguing will not be tolerated.
Regardless of ability, we believe that every person has the right to live and participate as full citizens in their communities. In our roles at MACL, we will actively support people to be engaged in their neighbourhoods, communities, schools, and workplaces. We will identify, create, facilitate, and support opportunities for persons served to participate in community events, contribute and belong. We will also identify and try to remove barriers to inclusion.
We value that every person is unique and believe that these differences must not get in the way of anyone’s full participation at MACL. Rather, we will build upon the richness of differences that make up our cultural mosaic. We will seek to learn about each other’s backgrounds and skills. We will listen to different viewpoints and perspectives, welcoming each contribution. While many of MACL’s employees are multilingual, many others and many of those we support speak and/or understand only English. To include everyone, English will always be the language used if there is anyone in the room that may not understand another language.
In our roles at MACL, we have the choice to choose our behaviour. We will accept responsibility for our decisions and actions. We will be honest about and learn from our mistakes. We will not make promises we know we cannot keep as failing to meet our commitments erodes trust.
We will do our best to build the capacity of the individuals and families we support to make choices, to reach their desired goals, and to develop their skills and strengths. Not only will we advocate on their behalf, but we will teach and support individuals and families to become self-advocates. Recognizing that supported individuals may rely on behaviour we find challenging to communicate their needs, we will respond in ways that model calm and respectful communication. We will always follow individual support plans and MACL policy.
We recognize that those we serve expect and deserve high quality services. In our roles we will strive to understand what the individuals and families we support expect from their service and work to the best of our ability to meet those expectations. We will look for and adopt best practices in our service delivery.
We recognize that we need to work effectively with each other and within teams to ensure quality service delivery. We recognize that our interactions with one another often occur in front of those we support and will ensure we model kind and respectful verbal and non-verbal communication. We will discuss ideas, share practices and be open minded to others’ ideas.
The safety of all members of our MACL community is of paramount importance. In your role, you must follow all safety policies and practices. Staff Home will ensure minimum staffing levels are maintained, remaining on shift until replaced by a co-worker. Additionally, each of us is responsible for identifying hazards and taking immediate action to minimize or remove risk or harm or injury. Any injury you experience, or witness at MACL must be reported without delay and before report to WorkSafe BC.
From its beginnings as a grassroots family-led organization, MACL has maintained a strong commitment to responding to the needs of individuals and families. Our rich history illustrates our dedication to supporting all members of our community.
To hold ourselves accountable to our commitment to quality, we created a 2019 – 2022 Strategic Plan in addition to producing an Annual Report.
At MACL, we begin each new year by renewing our commitment to our Ethical Code of Conduct. It is this policy that identifies our vision, mission & values. Our Ethical Code of Conduct outlines our service delivery and workplace culture. It identifies our values and describes how these values will guide our conduct as staff, volunteers or contractors. Our values guide conversations and anchor the decisions we make.
Services provided by MACL have been accredited under CARF International since 2005. CARF is an accrediting body whose mission is to promote the quality, value, and optimal outcomes of services through a consultative accreditation process and continuous improvement services that center on enhancing the lives of persons served and their families.
Our most recent survey was conducted in June, 2022.
Here is a summary of their findings:
“MACL has many strengths. Among them is a very effective, forward-thinking, and dedicated leadership team. It is also a highly respected provider of exceptional services for people with vary disabilities. Funders, community partners, and the community at large are very appreciative of the work that the organization does and the capacity for inclusion and awareness that it has increased. Addressing the specific needs of its supported individuals in the best way possible to help each person served reach their highest potential appears to be the driving factor among all areas of the organization. MACL is true to its mission, vision, and values and has successfully interwoven the CARF standards into its business practices and service delivery.”
Our passionate Board of Directors are the hard workers behind ensuring MACL fulfills its mission and has a solid strategy for continued success.
