Confidential Advisor & Ombuds
The Confidential Advisor and Ombuds roles within FORRT exist to support members by providing independent, fair, and confidential support when concerns arise regarding conduct, collaboration, or community practices within FORRT. While the two roles have distinct responsibilities, they work together to help maintain a respectful, inclusive, and professional community.
Depending on the nature of a concern, matters raised with one role may be discussed or referred to the other (anonymously wherever possible), unless the individual explicitly requests otherwise, to ensure that issues are addressed appropriately and that opportunities for learning and improvement are identified. Below is a brief introduction to both roles.
Confidential Advisor
confidential-advisor@forrt.org
Members of the FORRT community can reach out to the Confidential Advisor regarding inappropriate behaviour, interpersonal conflicts, concerns related to integrity or professional conduct, or other issues that affect their experience within the community. The Confidential Advisor provides a safe and confidential space in which individuals can discuss concerns, reflect on their situation, and explore possible next steps.
The Confidential Advisor has three main roles:
- Support and guidance: Providing a confidential space where individuals can discuss concerns, clarify their situation, and explore possible next steps. The advisor listens, offers support, and provides information about possible options and procedures.
- Information and prevention: Promoting awareness of respectful conduct, integrity, and safe collaboration within FORRT by providing information about community expectations, relevant policies, and available support structures.
- Signalling and advising: Identifying broader patterns or structural concerns that may affect the community and, where appropriate, advising FORRT leadership on potential improvements without sharing personal or identifiable information.
Contacting the Confidential Advisor does not initiate a formal process or complaint. The role is supportive and advisory; the Confidential Advisor does not investigate cases, determine outcomes, or make decisions on behalf of others. Individuals remain in control of what happens next.
Conversations are treated with care and confidentiality. Information will not be shared without consent, unless there is a serious risk of harm to someone’s safety.
FORRT community members can contact the Confidential Advisor via email at: confidential-advisor@forrt.org
Ombuds
ombuds@forrt.org
The Ombuds role is designed to ensure that the culture, structures and systems of FORRT are fair, inclusive and effective. As such, members of the FORRT community who have been impacted by, or who identify potential concerns within, FORRT policies, practices, or processes are encouraged to raise these with the Ombuds as a means of promoting positive change. Examples might include: unfair methods of recognising contributions to a project, projects that have been designed in such a way that they exclude certain groups, inadequate mechanisms for providing constructive feedback, improper handling of Code of Conduct violations, etc.
Issues brought to the Ombuds will typically involve multiple groups or stakeholders and reflect broader cultural, systemic, or structural factors rather than specific interpersonal disputes. Concerns centred on individual interactions are often better suited to the Confidential Advisor role. Where appropriate, and with due regard for confidentiality, the Confidential Advisor and Ombuds may consult one another to explore wider factors contributing to recurring concerns.
The Ombuds has the following main roles:
- Support and provide independent perspectives: Providing a confidential space where individuals can discuss concerns and make recommendations for improving structures and processes within FORRT. The Ombuds listens, offers support, and engages with possible options and procedures.
- Explore opportunities for improvements: Discuss with the individual (and subsequently with other FORRT members, where relevant, without sharing personal or identifiable information if possible) the broader patterns or structural concerns within FORRT, and secure agreement on how all parties should move forward.
- Champion positive change: The Ombuds will represent and champion the developmental changes proposed, removing burden or potential implications from those raising such concerns/recommendations, and provide leadership to support implementation across FORRT.
You can reach out to the Ombuds with any situation where you consider the FORRT Code of Conduct has been breached, or has the serious potential to be breached, that may impact yours and/or others’ experiences within the FORRT community. Contacting the Ombuds does not constitute a formal process or complaint, but will lead to discussion(s) which will determine how both parties agree to move forward. This is likely to involve the Ombuds subsequently taking responsibility for championing and implementing any positive changes within FORRT.
Conversations are treated with care and confidentiality. Information will not be shared with others without consent, unless there is a serious risk of harm to someone’s safety.
Community members can contact the Ombuds via email at: ombuds@forrt.org