Hummingbird policies
Community Guidelines
Last Updated: May 15, 2024
When you provide or receive Outreach Support with the Hummingbird Platform, you are contributing to a community that delivers care to those who have the least access to it. As a member of this community, we kindly ask you to try your best to treat everyone with equal respect and mutual kindness.
To help ensure respectful and safe interactions and experiences, we have established these Community Guidelines to help guide behaviour and codify the values that underpin our community.
In this article
📄 Always choose respect and kindness
📄 Authenticity and reliability
Safety first
We want everyone to be safe while receiving or providing Outreach Support. You can help by holding yourself accountable to everyone throughout the process.
🤗 Dos
Be a good observer
At any stage of a situation, note potential dangers and accessible exit paths in case of an emergency. Be aware of all verbal and non-verbal communication that you receive when interacting with others.
Know when to back off
If you are talking to someone who doesn’t agree with you or understand what you are saying don’t get discouraged or angry. Stay away from the scenes of drug trades or other illegal activities. Avoid anyone with a weapon, people fighting, or someone obviously under the influence. Be aware of people displaying aggressive behaviour. If there’s a risky situation, leave before it escalates to the point of danger. Always respect a threat and take it seriously.
🚫 Donts
Harming yourself or others
You should not commit physical or sexual assault, sexual abuse, sexual harassment, domestic violence, robbery, human trafficking, other acts of violence, or hold anyone against any other member of this community, including Outreach Workers and Clients who might be in crisis. Members of dangerous organisations, including terrorists, organised criminals, and violent racist groups, are not welcome in this community. Hummingbird is committed to working with law enforcement as appropriate and responding to valid law enforcement requests.
Threatening anyone
You should not convey an intent to harm anyone by your words or physical actions. We also take threats of self-harm as seriously as we do actions and may intervene if we become aware of a threat.
Creating hazardous situations
You should not keep unsecured weapons, disease risks, illegal substances, or dangerous animals with you when you receive or provide Outreach Support, nor should you create conditions that increase the likelihood of a fire or impede escape in the event of an emergency.
Escalating the situation
You should not engage in any behaviour that may escalate the situation represented in your request or increase the likelihood of potential dangers before an Outreach Worker arrives or while an Outreach Worker is providing Outreach Support, such as arguing with a Client.
Taking things too personally
You cannot know what issues a stranger may be dealing with. Don’t give them an excuse to take them out on you and put yourself and those around you in danger.
Always choose respect and kindness
Hummingbird is a diverse and inclusive community. And this is how you can help keep our community kind and welcoming for everyone.
🤗 Dos
Acting with empathy, curiosity, and grace
You adopt a sense of non-judgemental curiosity about where others are coming from and what is driving their behaviours. You also empathise to understand. It’s easy with people who share similar backgrounds as you or agree with you but it’s especially important with people who have had different life circumstances or have opposite opinions. You don’t know what issues someone has dealt with in life or is currently dealing with. Finally, you have grace with yourself and others for mistakes.
Respect personal boundaries and differences
You respect personal boundaries and keep your hands to yourself. You also respect personal differences and keep your judgements to yourself.
Share kind words and appreciation
You share your kind words or appreciation with each other, for their excellent understanding, support, or just some good old-fashioned manners.
🚫 Donts
Discriminatory behaviour or hate speech
You should treat everyone with respect in every interaction. So, you should follow all applicable laws and not treat others differently because of their race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, sex, gender, gender identity, disability, or serious diseases. Similarly, insulting others on these bases is not allowed.
Bullying or harassing others
You should not share personal information to shame or blackmail others, target others with unwanted behaviour, or defame others.
Authenticity and Reliability
🤗 Dos
Provide all relevant details of a request upfront
Ensure that all details of the request are clearly communicated and articulated up front (in the initial request description).
🚫 Donts
Misrepresenting yourself or your requests
You should not provide inaccurate information about yourself by providing a false name or qualifications, use Outreach Support for commercial purposes, or create an account if you are under 18.
You should not provide inaccurate information in your Outreach Support requests, mislead Outreach Workers about the type, nature, or details of your requests, substitute one request for another, set up fake and fraudulent requests, leave fraudulent reviews, or engage in deceptive behaviours.
Sponge 