Guild of Landscape Designers Professional Code of Conduct

1. Upholding the reputation of the profession

1.1 The member shall at no time bring the reputation of the profession or persons related to the profession into disrepute at any time.

1.2 The member shall not make any statement about the profession verbally or in writing which he / she knows to be false or which is likely to mislead the public with regard to the good name of the profession and others working in it.

1.3 The member shall always endeavour to uphold the professional reputation of the profession.

1.4 The member shall at all times consider best practice with respect to the care and benefit of the environment.

2. Promotion of the Guild of Landscape Designers

2.1 The member shall always act in the interests of the Guild and as representatives actively seek to further the professional reputation of the Guild wherever their work comes into contact with the public.

2.2 The member shall at no time make statements in writing or otherwise that they know to be false with regard to the professional conduct or abilities of the Guild and its members.

2.3 The member is permitted to use the logo in their own advertising, either in printed media or their website. The permitted use of the logo and / or Guild name may be withdrawn in the event that a member’s subscription to the Guild becomes terminated. The logo shall not be changed in any way.

2.4 The logo only applies to those registered members who have agreed to abide by the Professional Code of Practice and not to the design practice as a whole.

2.5 Use of the Guild’s logo does not imply that one practice is better than another, only that the member concerned has achieved the necessary requirements of membership and has agreed to abide by the Professional Code of Conduct herein.

2.6 All advertising should be accurate and not misleading in any way.

3. Member’s individual practice

3.1 Each member is responsible for the promotion of their individual practice and its subsequent development thereof.

3.2 At no time shall a member provide adverse comments about another member’s practice for any reason except where such a member has received a complaint from a client and the member has been found to be in violation of this code.

3.3 In the event of a member being engaged in a client contract, other members of the Guild who are aware of the situation shall not be permitted to gain that contract, unless invited to do so by the Guild member originally offered the contract, in agreement with the client.

3.4 Members must always adhere to the laws of the country in which they are practicing.

4. Designer’s responsibilities to the client.

4.1 Clear communication is an integral part of best practice. The client should be informed in writing, of the following, at the outset of any contract or verbal agreement:

4.11 The scope of works expected of the member, stating the main areas of responsibility of both the designer and any other contractual parties to be called upon during the course of works.

4.12 The statement of fees which will be charged by the member, together with any other charges imposed by other contractual parties for work carried out during the course of works.

4.13 The allocation of responsibilities on behalf of the designer and those parties contracted by the member to complete work for the client.

4.14 Any limitations of responsibilities on behalf of the member and those parties contracted by the member to complete work for the client.

4.2 In the event of providing information about services or products to a client, the member shall provide that information as accurately and truthfully to the best of their knowledge.

4.3 The member shall always act in the best interests of the client and keep the client regularly informed of a contract’s progress throughout the term of the contract.

4.4 The member shall only undertake work for which he / she is able to complete with all reasonable professional and technical competence and resources. Work should not be undertaken for which the designer does not have the necessary skills or knowledge to complete that work to a recognised high standard.

4.5 In the event of a member not having skills or knowledge in a particular field to complete a contract, additional advice or services must be sought from other professional individuals and the client informed accordingly, with their permission obtained in the first instance.

4.6 All work undertaken by a member’s employees or other subcontractor will be the responsibility of the individual member. The member must also in the first instance have knowledge that these persons are capable of completing the work to the required high standard and have the necessary training in order to fulfil the required tasks in accordance with current Health and Safety Standards.

4.7 The member shall at all times be courteous, polite and honest with a client and confirm to a client the responsibilities which the member is reasonably expected to fulfil.

4.8 No information about a client, including financial, shall be passed to any third party without the prior consent of the client, except where such information is required by a court of law.

4.9 In the event of a member having two clients with conflicting interests, the member shall ensure that the interests of one client do not adversely affect the other.

5. Professional development

5.1 Members shall be required to be aware of updated methods concerning constructional or environmental issues where these are relevant to a client’s requirements.

5.2 Members are advised to attend events beneficial to their understanding and competence within the profession.

5.3 Members should seek to improve their professional competence in areas relevant to their work.

6. Insurance cover

6.1 It is required that a member be insured for all work undertaken with the cover relevant to the type of work being completed. It is strongly recommended that Professional Indemnity Cover be obtained for all design work where reasonably expected.

6.2 The member should also check with contractors recommended or subcontracted, that these persons have insurance cover adequate for the type of work to be undertaken and check the necessary documentation where relevant.

7. In the event of a complaint from a client

7.1 Members will normally be expected to deal with complaints on an individual basis but in the event that a resolution is not achieved, the client should be informed that the matter can be referred to the Guild for further consideration.

7.2 In the event of a complaint being brought to the attention of the Guild, the member will be required to appear at a meeting at an arranged date no longer than 30 days from the date of the complaint and will be required to supply all necessary details in relation to the nature of the complaint. If the member is found to be in gross violation of this code by the majority of the membership, the member’s subscription to the GDN may be terminated and all privileges withdrawn.

7.3 In any event, a written reply will be forwarded to the client stating that the complaint is being dealt with and that a meeting is being held to determine the member’s position within the Guild, no later than 10 days from the date of the complaint where possible.

7.4 Following the meeting with respect to the complaint, a report will be compiled by the Guild and the complaint responded to, stating the findings of the Guild together with reasons for those findings. Any subsequent action being taken against the member will also be notified to the complainant.