General Standards of Behaviour
As a Quest participant, you are expected to:
- Treat facilitators, staff, fellow participants and members of the local community with respect.
- Take part fully in scheduled activities, including the ones you do not feel like doing.
- Follow instructions from facilitators and staff promptly, especially during activities involving any element of risk.
- Take responsibility for your own gear, belongings and personal hygiene.
- Speak up if something is wrong, whether that is a safety issue, a conflict with another participant or a concern about your own wellbeing.
- Show up on time for meals, briefings, transport and activities.
Safety Rules
Safety rules on Quest programmes are non-negotiable. The following apply at all times:
- Follow all safety briefings and instructions given by facilitators without argument or delay.
- Never leave the group, campsite or designated area without permission from a facilitator.
- Wear all required safety equipment correctly, including harnesses, helmets and life jackets where instructed.
- Report any injury, illness or safety hazard to a facilitator immediately, no matter how minor it seems.
- Do not attempt activities you have not been briefed on or cleared for.
- Disclose any relevant medical conditions, medications or allergies to staff before the programme begins, and update staff if anything changes.
Prohibited Items and Substances
The following are strictly prohibited for the duration of any Quest programme:
- Alcohol, except where served to participants of legal age at the supervised, facilitator-run Quest bar in accordance with our bar supervision rules.
- Illegal drugs or any unauthorised use of prescription medication.
- Weapons of any kind, including knives beyond standard issue tools approved by facilitators.
- Fireworks, flares or other dangerous items.
- Any of these items found in a participant’s possession will be confiscated. Depending on the severity, this may also trigger the disciplinary process described in section 7.
Respect and Relationships
Quest brings together participants from different backgrounds, beliefs and experiences. You are expected to:
- Treat every member of the group with basic courtesy, even when you disagree with them.
- Avoid behaviour that excludes, mocks or singles out another participant.
- Respect personal space, property and privacy, including in shared accommodation.
- Resolve disagreements through conversation and, where needed, with the help of a facilitator rather than through confrontation.
Romantic or sexual relationships between participants during a programme are strongly discouraged due to the close living conditions and group dynamics involved. Any conduct of a sexual nature towards another participant or staff member will be treated as a serious breach of this Code.
Use of Phones and Devices
Personal phones and electronic devices may be restricted or collected during certain phases of the programme, particularly during activities focused on disconnection and reflection. Where devices are permitted, participants are expected to use them responsibly and avoid letting them interfere with group activities or with other participants’ experience of the programme.
Disciplinary Process
Breaches of this Code will be addressed proportionately. Depending on the nature and severity of the issue, the response may include:
- An informal conversation with a facilitator to address the behaviour.
- A formal warning, recorded and communicated to parents or guardians where appropriate.
- Temporary removal from an activity.
- Suspension from the programme, requiring the participant to be collected by a parent or guardian at their own cost.
- Permanent removal from the programme without refund, in cases of serious or repeated breaches.
Any breach involving a safety risk to the participant or others, illegal activity or behaviour that compromises the wellbeing of another participant may result in immediate removal from the programme regardless of prior warnings.
Acknowledgement
All participants and, where the participant is a minor, their parent or guardian are required to read and acknowledge this Code of Conduct before the programme begins. Acceptance of a place on a Quest programme constitutes agreement to abide by this Code.
Review
This Code of Conduct will be reviewed annually or sooner if needed to ensure it continues to reflect the realities of Quest programmes and the standards we hold participants to.
Such requests will be reviewed by the Programme Lead and approved by Quest Africa Management, on a case-by-case basis. Quest Africa will assess what arrangements are practical given the accommodation available at each programme location, and will communicate the outcome to the parent or guardian before the programme begins. Quest Africa cannot guarantee that every request can be accommodated, particularly where shared facilities are limited, but will make a reasonable effort to address genuine welfare concerns.