APA Code of Professional Practice - Your Beacon of Excellence

The APA Code has been created in consultation with leading PA’s as a measure of excellence and professionalism. Your compliance with it is proof that you aspire to high ideals and recognise the needs of your business, your employer and your colleagues.

Read, print and download it from here. Why not distribute it internally, to encourage your colleagues to aspire to quality standards and professional classification.

General Principles

All Individual Members of the APA, regardless of the level of Membership attained, are committed to operating according to the highest ethical standards and all Members have committed themselves to operating in accordance with this Code.

All Members of the APA are expected to behave by the highest ethical standards and this Code of Practice sets out the standards which are expected of them.

Any breaches of this Code will be investigated under APA's Complaints and Disciplinary Procedure and may be referred to the Professional Standards Committee. Sanctions include;

• suspension of APA Membership during the investigation,
• a compliance order,
• warning (with or without publicity),
• expulsion from the APA.

Standards of Professional Conduct

All Individual Members of the APA must;

1. seek to enhance the reputation of the Profession by upholding high standards in everything that they do. They should represent themselves fairly, honestly and courteously at all times, and should not engage in any activities which would bring the Profession, the APA or their employer into disrepute,

2. ensure that they continuously update their professional knowledge and commit themselves to a minimum of 20 hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) per year. They should record their CPD and enter their records to APA annually for acknowledgement,

3. seek to provide the best possible support to their Principal and uphold the standards set for their employment at all times and do all that is reasonably practicable to achieve this,

4. always comply with legislation and regulation as it affects their employer and must not assist or act in collusion with clients to knowingly circumvent the law or standards of ethical practice in any way to the disadvantage of their employer,

5. act at all times with integrity, honesty, due diligence and employ a level of appropriate behaviour that can be reasonably expected of a Personal Assistant,

6. promote at all times fair practices that are in accordance with all anti-discrimination law that is in place in the United Kingdom (or wherever practising) and APA best practice advice,

7. respect confidentiality at all times in relation to all Company matters,

8. exercise due diligence and high standards of timeliness, accuracy of information and advice given to your Principal,

9. not undertake tasks which are outside their personal level of skills, competence and qualifications and bring to the attention of their Principal any request that may exceed their level of competence,

10. report to APA any Member who has breached this Code of Practice with appropriate evidence,

11. use APA's designatory letters at all times whilst a Member of APA,

12. not use APA's designatory letters inappropriately.