Background 
It is everyone’s responsibility to minimise the spread of COVID-19.  We all have to do our bit to ensure the way in which we work and run our businesses is safe and maintains the principles of social distancing in order to reduce the spread of the virus. 
 
Face to Face (F2F) is an incredibly engaging and effective means of connecting brands with prospective customers and supporters. Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is essential that social distancing guidelines are adhered to. This can present new challenges for F2F, but with the right policies, procedures, education and technology in place, F2F activity can continue to thrive and deliver amazing outcomes and results for both customers and supporters, and for commercial companies and charities. 
 
 
The following is guidance is not exhaustive and covers how F2F can be safely conducted by brand ambassadors across residential, street and private site activity. Each brand ambassador needs to ensure that all work carried out on behalf of clients is done so with safety and compliance in mind. We also recommend that brand ambassadors check the references at the bottom of this guidance note for further information and ideas about how to operate compliantly and safely.  
 
 
All brand ambassadors must consider fully the safety elements of how they interact with members of the public and work with other contractors and companies and take on board the additional sensitivities and circumstances of individuals during this time.  
 
It is more important than ever to reassure members of the public around safety and that all necessary precautions have been taken before conducting any face to face activity. 

Personal Health Check 


1. In order to interact with members of the public and represent clients, each brand ambassador needs to conduct a personal health check, by assessing if they have any of the following symptoms: 

• New, continuous cough 
• Difficulty in breathing 
• Fever 
• Loss or change to sense of taste or smell 

If any of the symptoms are present, please refer to the NHS website ASAP regarding next steps and requirements around self-isolation https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/ 
 
2. In order to manage other people’s safely please advise the marketing company Owner if you have the above symptoms, or believe you have been in contact with a member of the public who is infected and need to self-isolate. This will allow the marketing company Owner to advise others who you have been in close contact with. 
 
3. Marketing companies (MCs) will also be conducting temperature and oxygen level checks on brand ambassadors if they chose to enter the marketing company business premises and attend meetings there. Please note: 

• Temperatures above 38°C are considered high
• Blood oxygen levels below 90% are considered low 

 
4. If the temperature and blood oxygen check records no areas of concern or abnormalities, the MC will issue a sticker to the brand ambassador confirming that the checks have been conducted on that day. 
 
5. Each brand ambassador will be educated on how to spot signs of potential symptoms, and the need to advise the MC Owner in case of any concerns. 
 
6. Any brand ambassador who has been in contact with someone who has tested positive with Covid-19 will not be allowed to canvass / work until they have self-quarantined for 14 days: 

Personal Hygiene

1. It is essential that everyone maintains good hygiene levels, including:

a. washing hands for 20 seconds and/or sanitising hands with anti-bacterial gel regularly (at least once per hour) 

b. cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze and discard any tissues into a bin immediately afterwards 

c. not touching your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean 

d. regularly disinfecting touched objects and surfaces. 

Please refer to the NHS website for further information 
 
2. Carry a personal supply of hand sanitiser / anti-bacterial gel, and use regularly to ensure hands are cleaned regularly 
 
3. When approaching any members of the public please ensure that you keep a safe distance of 2m between yourself and the member of the public.  
 
4. Do not offer to shake hands or make physical contact with members of the public.  
 
5. Use the protective tools (for example a no-contact door opener) to ensure contact and touching of surfaces to kept to a minimum. 
 
6. Ensure all clothing (including client branded items) is laundered daily and clean for each days’ use. 
 
7. Remain vigilant and ensure that hygiene levels are maintained throughout the day. 

Brand Ambassador Education & Protecting Vulnerability

1. To ensure that brand ambassadors are educated on all client information and changes to procedure and protocol, new information, client training and policies will be communicated via the MC owner. 
 
2. This information will be uploaded on to the client portal on the iPad. Each brand ambassador will be required to read, acknowledge doing so, and pass questions on the new information before brand ambassadors will be allowed to sign up new customers/donors. Brand ambassadors who do not complete the questions and acknowledgement will not be permitted to sign up customers/donors on the platform. 
 
3. Brand ambassadors will need to be extra vigilant for signs of vulnerability or where members of the public are choosing to self-isolate, or if members of the public are more aware or sensitive about the issue of face to face contact and interactions. 
 
4. It is important to take on board people’s requirement for personal space, right of way and access, and if they want to engage in conversation or not. 
 
5. Brand ambassadors should not approach or engage with elderly and/or vulnerable members of the public (including individuals with underlying health conditions), please observe a safe distance with the person and keep the conversation to a minimum, thank them for their time and move on. 
 
6. For further information on this, please refer to the Vulnerability Policy, which outlines identifying the signs of potential vulnerability. 
 
7. The sections below on Interactions with the Public cover specific points for D2D and Private Site/ Street activity. 

Protective tools

Each brand ambassador should be equipped with the following materials, which are to be used when engaging with the public or travelling to territories/sites. These tools are in use to protect, keep safe and reassure members of the public that the F2F activity is being conducted safely.

1.  Face shield:
For use whilst conducting F2F activity residentially or at private sites 

• CE marked, UK manufactured 
• NHS endorsed*  
• Soft foam head band , Velco adjustable fastening 
• No colour distortion / anti-fogging 
• 500 mic - 1mm polycarbonate 
• Large coverage 
  

2.  Face mask: 
Reusable washable masks to be used whilst travelling to and from areas especially if using public transport and/or unable to socially distance  
(To be washed at a high temperature after each use) 

3.  No-contact door opener: 
For use when ringing door bells / knocking on doors for residential activity and opening doors 

4.  Hand sanitiser/anti-bacterial gel 
For use regularly to ensure hands are clean 

5.  Anti-bacterial wipes 
For wiping down any surfaces contacted or in regular use

6.  Social Distancing Badges 
76mm in diameter and to be worn on outer clothing to remind all of key message to socially distance.  

No items are to be shared with other brand ambassadors / contractors or members of the public.

The following items are optional depending on client requirements:

1. High-Vis jackets  
Can be client branded to reinforce message of F2F activity being conducted safely and with social distancing in mind 

2. Social distancing signs / door mats / banners 
For use in high traffic areas, private site or street activity 

Customer / Donor Sign Up Processes 
 
 
The sign-up process for the customer is wherever possible contactless, and there are options for this process, dependent on each client. If any items are to be handed between the brand ambassador and a customer / donor this is restricted to an absolute minimum and each item must be thoroughly wiped down with an anti-bacterial wipe. 
 
Option 1:  
a. The brand ambassador will start the sign-up process on the iPad app/website, taking the customer’s/donor’s details whilst observing the 2m social distancing.  
 
b. If there are details which the customer/donor needs to complete, this can be done via sending the customer a text message which will enable the customer/ donor to complete the remaining fields required on their own device.  
 
c. Once they then complete this, a reference number will be provided to the customer which they can then give to the brand ambassador to complete the sign-up process and reconcile the 2 parts of the customer data. 
 
Option 2:   
a. The brand ambassador will start the sign-up process on the iPad app / website, taking the customer’s / donor’s details whilst observing the 2m social distancing.  
 
b. Once the customer/donor needs to complete the remaining details, the brand ambassador wipes down the iPad and provides this to the customer/ donor to complete the missing sections and provides them with a wrapped hygienic stylus. 
 
c. The customer/donor unwraps the stylus and uses this to complete the missing fields on the iPad with.  
 
d. The customer/donor then hands back the device which the brand ambassador wipes down again and applies anti-bacterial gel to their hands. The customer/donor can retain the stylus. 

Travelling to Territory & Sites 
 
 
1. Wherever possible, when travelling to specific territories or chosen sites, brand ambassadors should walk, cycle or take their own vehicle.  
 
2. If this is not possible, and public transport needs to be used, it’s important to try and stagger start times to avoid busy periods of travel. 
 
3. As recommended by the government, use face coverings / face masks in areas where it is not possible to socially distance (for example on public transport).  
 
4. Car sharing is not recommended, and another method of travel should be used, unless it is unavoidable, and in which case it is recommended by the government to wear a face mask if in a confined space with people not from your household. 
 
5. Ensure to wash your hands thoroughly and use hand sanitiser after using public transport and before and after using a face mask. 
 
6. Travel between cities (and road trips) for marketing activity are restricted during this time. 

Interactions with the Public: D2D 
 
1. Each brand ambassador must ensure they have all the correct equipment with them for safe interactions with members of the public, including: 
a. Face shield 
b. Face mask 
c. No contact door opener 
d. Anti-bacterial wipes 
e. Anti-bacterial hand gel 
f. iPad and wrapped styluses (if required) 
 
2. Only 1 brand ambassador may approach each door at any time.  
 
3. When coaching it is recommended that brand ambassadors maintain 2m social distancing at all times with each other and only 1 brand ambassador to approach each door. Brand ambassadors should work alternate doors where possible. 
 
4. Brand ambassadors should use the no-contact door openers to press door bells or knock on doors, and then step back 2m to wait for the door to open. If there is no response within 30-60 seconds, brand ambassadors should move on (bearing in mind that residents may be self-isolating). 

5. If the resident answers, the brand ambassador can engage in the conversation, but must maintain a safe distance of 2m. At no point can any materials be handed over to a member of the public (unless they have been wiped down with anti-bacterial wipes and are part of the sign-up process). 
 
6. The sign-up process is completely contactless – depending on the client this may involve the customer completing the sign-up process on their own mobile device. And in some cases, it may involve providing the donor with a wiped down device, with a wrapped stylus which the customer/supporter may use to complete their specific information on to the tablet. 
 
7. At no point should Brand ambassadors enter a resident’s home even if invited to do so 
 
8. Brand ambassadors should mark on any call back trackers if any members of the public are self-isolating so that those doors are not knocked again. 
 
9. Brand ambassadors need to be mindful of stickered doors, or notices which indicate that members of public do not wish to be contacted. 
 
10. If a brand ambassador comes into contact with a member of the public who is displaying any of the symptoms of Covid-19, it is essential that they cease the conversation and advise the marketing company owner of any concerns. 

Meetings & Briefings 
 
 
1. Brand ambassadors will be required to attend regular briefings on customer service, product and client training and to meet with fellow brand ambassadors for skill sharing. 
 
2. Wherever possible meetings should be conducted online, in order to minimise contact and interactions with others. 
 
3. If meetings are to take place in the marketing company office, they will be done with social distancing in mind. Please refer to the marketing company office guidelines or policies on meetings and social distancing. 
 
4. Brand ambassadors should only attend the marketing company office if they feel well and healthy and are not displaying any of the symptoms of Covid-19. 

Escalation procedures 
 
 
1. If you have any queries or concerns, please discuss these with the marketing company Owner in the first instance. 
 
2. If you feel that you need to escalate these concerns or queries, please contact support@britevox.com and a member of the team at BriteVox will come back to you. 
 
 
 

Additional Information 
 
 
For additional information please see below for sites which may be helpful 
 
Government guidelines 
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19 
 
For further information on the virus please refer to the NHS website  
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/ 

Brand Ambassador Code of Conduct   
   
The independent Brand Ambassador Code of Conduct helps to ensure a standard level of operating compliance requested by the clients when representing the clients’ brands. This Code of Conduct also creates a standard against which the Company can measure quality via mystery shopping/observation visits/ call recordings for training and monitoring purposes.    
   
The presence of a standard also offers transparency in terms of what level of customer service should be offered by the Brand Ambassador.  
  

•  Act in a professional manner at all times   
• Appearance expectation should be smart and professional, business attire or client specific, and visible or unusual facial piercings are not permitted.   
• At all times, act honestly and in such a manner so that customers are not misled.   
• At all times, conduct yourself with integrity, ensuring that your actions do not harm the reputation of the clients you are representing.    
• Always clearly display your identification when customer facing.    
• Will not knowingly, recklessly, or maliciously injure the professional reputation of the clients you are representing.    
• Always explain clearly why you are approaching customers. 
• When carrying out a sale activity, ensure you gain a verbal agreement to go ahead with the sale from the customer as a clear YES that they wish to proceed.   
• Will not knowingly give false information, omit relevant information, or mislead any potential customer about the clients’ services or products.   
• Always end a conversation in a polite and respectful manner.   
• Must always handle personal details from customers in a secure manner. Remember to observe the Data Protection Act at all times and protect customers’ information at all times   
• Use all supplied materials for each client promotion, and you are not permitted to use any other materials for which you have not been supplied by the client or the    Company.   
• In the event of any problems, please call the Company you are contracted to as soon as possible.   
• Keep social distancing in line with the government guidelines and company policy and wear appropriate personal protection equipment at all times when customer facing.   

  “I have read and understood the client compliance requirements and agree to adhere to the conditions and any additional compliance subsequently added by a client. I understand and agree that any breaches or not complying with the client requirements listed in this document may result in cessation or suspension from the campaign where deemed appropriate. “

General Risk Assessment

Company Name: CUTTING EDGE INC.
Company Address: Regus, Cumberland Place, Southampton, SO15 2BG
Product: Scottish Power

Vulnerability Policy: Treating Individuals Fairly 
1st June 2020 

Background 
BriteVox UK understands the importance of protecting the vulnerable and people in vulnerable circumstances when speaking to members of the public face-to-face on behalf of its commercial and charity partners. BriteVox has policies and procedures in place, which comply (and in some cases exceed the requirements) with the legislative rules under Consumer Protection: Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 and The Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Act 2016, and in addition BriteVox has adopted and supports the Institute of Fundraising ‘Treating Donors Fairly’ approach when it comes to face-to-face fundraising.  
 
We believe that every individual should have the opportunity to purchase, or commit or donate should they want to do so and we should not treat groups depending on their circumstance (such as disability or age) differently to any other as this could lead to discriminatory practice.  
However, it is essential the potentially vulnerable customers and donors are protected to be able to make the right decisions and choices at the right time and if necessary, with their relevant support network to guide them. 
 
 
 
Support & Upskilling 
Typically, there is a day of theory and classroom-style induction sessions before a brand ambassador can start practicing in a live environment and approach members of the public door to door, at a private event or on a street site.  
The marketing companies will address the following requirements for brand ambassadors: 

Client product training  and upskilling sessions will cover the following specific areas: 
 

• Brand ambassador behaviours: Brand ambassadors must not act in any way that might reasonably cause members of the public to be or become startled or anxious. 
• Brand ambassador conduct of entry:  
  a. Brand ambassadors when working D2D must only knock on the front door or main entrance to a home (and usually the closest or most directly accessible entrance from the street), unless directed otherwise by a resident.  
  b. Extra care should be taken when visiting households after dark. If working in isolated locations, brand ambassadors should consider whether the approach would cause unnecessary anxiety to the residents.  
  c. If a brand ambassador is working in a building containing multiple residences, the brand ambassador must buzz each flat and speak to each resident individually to gain access to the building for each household to be approached. 
  d. Brand ambassadors will visibly show their ID badges and where relevant may be wearing client-provided clothing or tabards.  
   
• Brand ambassador approaches at private / street sites: brand ambassadors should not approach members of the public who appear to be vulnerable, and if they do engage in conversation and it becomes apparent that the customer/ donor may be vulnerable they should thank the person for their time politely and not talk further regarding the product or service or brand being represented. 
   
• Stickered doors: brand ambassadors should not intentionally knock any doors which contain ‘no cold callers’ or ‘no canvassers’ stickers. 
   
• Social distancing: brand ambassadors will respect social distancing guidelines (please refer to F2F Guidelines – Interacting with the Public Safely) 

Recognising Signs of Vulnerability 

Policies on vulnerability can be complex, however it is essential that all brand ambassadors are alert to potential indicators of vulnerability. If the brand ambassador believes that an individual is showing signs of vulnerability, then they are handed a client ‘Thanks for Listening’ card (if applicable), which has information about the product or charity, and the brand ambassador will politely end the conversation. 
 
The following are potential signs that a person is vulnerable: 
 
Is the individual: 

• Unable to read and understand the information they are provided with, and asking for it to be continually repeated?  
• Asking irrelevant and unrelated questions, or displaying signs of forgetfulness?  
• Responding in an irrational way to simple questions?  
• Saying ‘yes’ or ‘no’ at times that it is clear they haven’t understood?  
• Taking a long time or displaying difficulty in responding to simple questions or requests for information?  
• Repeating simple questions such as ‘Who are you?’, ‘What company (or charity) is it?’ ‘What do you want?’  
• Wandering off the subject at hand and making incongruous statements?  
• Saying that they are not well or not in the mood to continue?  
• Displaying signs of ill-health like breathlessness or making signs of exasperation or discontent?  
• Giving a statement such as ‘I don’t usually do things like this’, ‘My husband / wife / son / daughter takes care of it for me?’  
• Indicating in any way that they are feeling rushed, flustered, or experiencing a stressful situation?  
• Having trouble remembering relevant information, for example that they are already a regular donor to that charity or have recently donated?  
• Signs by their door that say ‘remember to lock’ or similar messages.  
• If the answer is Yes to any of the above, this is an indicator of potential vulnerability and the brand ambassador should politely end the conversation and move on. 

Minimising Interaction with the Vulnerable 

In order to minimise the interaction with potentially vulnerable members of the public the following procedures are used. 
 
1. Brand ambassadors will not conduct D2D activity after 8.30pm unless requested to attend a call back appointment with an individual with whom they had arranged an appointment earlier in the day. This is 30minutes earlier than the current regulations for D2D activity, and during the winter months, it is recommended that activity after dark is minimised or reduced to only well-lit areas. 
 
2. In conjunction with Experian, and their geodemography data (Mosaic)areas which statistically have a high proportion of elderly residents (and therefore a higher chance of vulnerable individuals) are removed from territories which are to be worked.  Mosaic profiles every household in the UK into 66 types under 15 groups. For example Group L (Vintage Value) Type 51 (Aided Elderly) is removed from brand ambassador available territory areas for D2D activity. The result of this means a far lesser chance of signing an individual with vulnerability. 
 
3. Where requested by clients, brand ambassadors can be provided with ‘Thanks for Listening’ cards which has information about the client’s product or services and how a customer can obtain the product or become involved with the client directly should they wish to do so.  This card is given to customers or donors to disengage a conversation where a brand ambassador might feel the person is in a vulnerable circumstance.  

Escalation Procedures 

Some signs will be more or less apparent depending on the individual and their circumstances. It can be the case where no signs of vulnerability can appear during a conversation, but we learn later that the person should not have been signed up for a client’s product or service. This happens more often with individuals diagnosed with dementia or early on-set of dementia and statistically older people are more likely to have the disease.  
Furthermore, over two-thirds of people aged 85 and over have a disability or limiting longstanding illness.  
In order to mitigate against a vulnerable individual incorrectly becoming a customer or donor, some fail safes and escalation procedures are in place:

 
1. Field incident form: if anything untoward or concerning occurs whilst representing a clients’ brand, a brand ambassador may complete a Field Incident Form, to inform the marketing company of the incident and this information can be used to investigate and if necessary, take further action to prevent an incorrect sign up.  
 
2. Verification calls: For specific clients, any customer or donor over the age of 75 years of age will be validated and confirmed separately by an outbound call to the customer or donor within 24-48 hours of the sign up to ensure they fully understand their commitment to the product or service or donation. During this phone call, they have to satisfy the call centre agent of the client and specific product they have signed up for or the amount and frequency of their donation. A verification phone call made a few days after the sign-up is in line with trading standards practices as it is an appropriate length of time for a person with dementia to remember what they had signed up to. If the customer or donor does not recall this, or the call centre fail to get in touch with the customer or donor, this sign up is not processed. 
 
3. Complaints procedures: Many clients operate a complaints procedure which includes a demerit or red flag system which codes each reviewed interaction with a customer or donor. Any brand ambassador who intentionally has signed up a vulnerable individual will be retrained fully or will be removed from the campaign. 
 
4. Customer service numbers: if an individual or family member is concerned, they can contact the client team on the number displayed on the brand ambassador ID badge to speak to the customer service team. 

F2F Guidelines: Protecting Personal Data  
1st June 2020 
 
 
Background 
The Data Protection Act 2018 is the UK’s implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).  

Brand ambassadors when working on client campaigns are data processors, and as such need to ensure that they understand, are educated on and comply with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the below principles. 

Information and personal data must be:

• used fairly, lawfully and transparently 
• used for specified, explicit purposes 
• used in a way that is adequate, relevant and limited to only what is necessary 
• accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date 
• kept for no longer than is necessary 
• handled in a way that ensures appropriate security, including protection against unlawful or unauthorised processing, access, loss, destruction or damage 

There is also stronger legal protection for more sensitive information, such as: race, ethnic background, political opinions, religious beliefs, trade union membership, genetics, biometrics (where used for identification), health, sex life or orientation, and there are stronger safeguards in place for personal data relating to criminal convictions and offences. 

Brand ambassadors must ensure that they at all times keep customer personal data safe and secure. 
It’s important to remember that data protection applies to not only electronically stored or processed data, but also personal data in manual form (such as paper records) where it is, or is intended to be, part of filing system.  
 
Devices  
Brand ambassadors should: 

• take extra care that devices, such as USBs, phones, laptops, or tablets, are not lost or misplaced.  
• ensure that the computer, laptop, or device, is used safely, for example where they can keep sight of it and minimise who else can view the screen, particularly if working with sensitive personal data  
• lock the device if it has to be left unattended for any reason and set a time-out function to lock the screen if left unattended for 30 seconds.  
• make sure devices are turned off, locked, or stored carefully when not in use.  
• use effective access controls (such as multi-factor authentication and strong passwords) and, where available, encryption to restrict access to the device, and to reduce the risk if a device is stolen or misplaced.  
• when a device is lost or stolen, you should take steps immediately to ensure a remote memory wipe, where possible.  
• turn off Bluetooth to minimise the risk of the device being hacked 
   
   

Emails & Cloud & Network Access 
Brand ambassadors should: 

• not use personal email accounts to contact customers. 
• not access their personal emails or files whilst using client portals/apps/websites to collect and process customer data. 
• use the phonetic alphabet to confirm customer emails and should double check the information provided is completely accurate.  
• be cautious when using public Wi-Fi and where possible avoid using. If this cannot be avoided then connect to secured public networks, or if necessary, an unsecured network if the connection requires some sort of login or registration. 
• not at any stage save any customer data to their personal cloud or network, this information is client personal data and is not to be replicated in any other place, unless given permission to do so either by the customer or the client 

Paper Records 
Brand ambassadors should 

• Not keep any customer information for longer than is necessary i.e. for sales reconciliations 
• not keep a paper record/copy or share any customer private or personal information provided to them.  
• ensure that any paper records with customer information are not left anywhere they could be viewed by someone else, misplaced or stolen 
• shred or destroy any paper records of personal data when the purpose of collecting the data has been fulfilled. 

 
Escalation Procedures 
In the event that a brand ambassador believes any personal data may have been compromised, stolen or lost, they must inform the marketing company owner as soon as possible, with details including: 

• the number of data records affected 
• nature and detail of the data  
• date, time and location of the incident 
• any measures that have been taken to minimise immediate further loss of data 

This information can initially be provided to the marketing company verbally and then must be followed up in writing.