my statement of ethics: the 5 c’s

Care

Ethics underpins everything I do. Every shoot or project is an opportunity to question my why, what, and how. Whether social documentary or socially engaged practice, I will treat those I create work with/by/for in a way that I would want to be treated myself i.e. as a human being and with respect and kindness.

I will only work with organisations whose values align with my own: honesty, integrity, transparency, and inclusivity.

Ethics is ultimately about respect; respect for the approach, my clients, co-creators, stories shared, and work produced. In short, I will care about the people, process and place where I’m working.

Clarity

I will be transparent in my motivations for my work and how it is being funded. I will ensure people fully understand what they are being invited to do before they do it, and that this portrayal accurately represents and reflects my intentions.

Openness is integral. I will be aware of, and open about, any limitations with my approach.

Communication

I will avoid using the word ‘participant’ wherever possible, as this often feels passive (with connotations of ‘done to’ rather than ‘done with’) and it does not accurately reflect the level of agency I aim to give those I create work with and for. I will take care in the language I privately and publicly use to describe participants, their stories, and their work.

I will be clear about authorship (and different levels of authorship) when sharing work from social documentary and socially engaged projects. I will document the process as best I can, so that the approach I have taken is transparent.

Consent

I will gain informed consent from participants and acknowledge that they can withdraw that consent at any time. I will listen to and respect participants’ stories, recognising that their lived experience may be different to my own.

I will provide opportunities for those taking part in socially engaged projects to define project outcomes and what success should ‘looks like’ (i.e. the benefit change or difference it should make to their lives) as well as any final outputs (i.e. if and how we share their stories or work). Any project evaluation will be co-created with participants and will adhere to Market Research Society Code of Conduct guidelines on consent, especially when working with groups who identify as vulnerable, or children.

Confidentiality

I respect the confidentiality of those I work with and am registered with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) as a data controller and processor. When people give me their personal data, I make sure they know how it is stored and used. I take care with people’s data and work within data protection and UK GDPR guidelines.

Updated: January 2023