Policies at IVI
Anti-bullying, Harassment & Discrimination Policy
Workplace Diversity Policy
Data Protection Policy
Child Protection Policy
Anti-bullying, Harassment & Discrimination Policy
India Vision Institute has zero-tolerance to bullying, harassment and discrimination and is committed to providing a workplace that is fair, flexible, safe and rewarding. In circumstances where bullying, harassment or discrimination is reported, the management takes prompt action to address issues.
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Anti-bullying, harassment and discrimination orientation or counselling is provided, to better reflect appropriate and inappropriate behaviours in the workplace.
Child Protection Policy
India Vision Institute is committed to protecting the rights and well-being of all children involved in our programs and activities. We adhere to local laws, international conventions such as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), and best practices in child protection.
Policy Guidelines:
Staff Conduct:
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All staff members must conduct themselves in a professional manner and maintain clear boundaries with children to prevent misunderstandings or violations of the professional relationship.
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Staff should treat all children with respect and inclusivity, regardless of race, gender, religion,
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Staff must comply with local laws, customs, and international laws on child protection.
Reporting:
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Any concerns or allegations of child abuse or exploitation must be reported immediately as per IVI’s procedures.
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Staff members have a duty to report any behaviour with cause for concern, observed among colleagues.
Interaction with Children:
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Staff members must avoid engaging in behaviour, language, or physical interaction that may harass, humiliate, or discriminate against children.
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Physical interaction with children must be appropriate, avoiding any actions that could be deemed culturally insensitive or invasive.
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Staff members should encourage open communication with children and involve them in decisions that affect them.
Photography and Recording:
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Photography or recording involving children must be done with consent from the child or their guardians.
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Images of children must be presented in a dignified and respectful manner, and personal information must not be revealed in any form of communication or publication.
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Staff members must refrain from taking photos for personal use or exploiting images of children.
Disclosure:
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Staff members must disclose any charges, convictions, or outcomes related to the exploitation or abuse of children to IVI.
Prohibited Actions:
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Engaging in behaviour intended to harm, harass, or exploit children is strictly prohibited.
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Staff members must not engage in any form of sexual activity with children or condone illegal behaviour by children.
Technology Use:
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Staff members must use technology responsibly and refrain from using it to exploit or harass children.
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Social media and communication platforms should not be used to contact or spend time with children outside program times.
Implementation:
This policy applies to all staff members, volunteers, and contractors associated with India Vision Institute. All individuals must review and adhere to this policy throughout their association with the Institute. Failure to comply with this policy may result in disciplinary action, including termination of association with IVI.
Review and Revision:
This policy is reviewed annually to ensure its effectiveness and relevance. Any necessary revisions will be made in accordance with changes in legislation, best practices, or organisational requirements.
IVI Clinical Data
Protection Process
The data protection process sets India Vision Institute’s obligations regarding the data collection, processing, storage, and disposal of patient personal and clinical data.
IVI follows a detailed data capturing process and maintains all patient examination details as needed, including basic information such as name, address, contact number, clinical details such as systemic health details, state of health of patient’s eyes & vision, and spectacle prescription etc. Clinical records, spectacle prescriptions, and dispensing information are stored electronically in our Google drive and processing of data are held within our organisation.
Data Collection
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IVI ensures that staff who help in the provision of optometric services and dispensing are appropriately trained and supervised for the tasks they undertake.
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All beneficiaries’ personal information captured during the programs are treated as confidential and used only for current project purpose(s).
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The project coordinator makes checks on data collection and recording forms to detect inconsistencies at regular time intervals.
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Quantitative data are checked for completeness and consistencies at project locations by project coordinators before reporting to the head office.
Secure Data Processing
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India Vision Institute ensures that all personal and clinical data collected, held, and processed is kept secure and protected against unauthorised or unlawful processing and against accidental loss, destruction, or damage.
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Data received from optometrists are captured immediately using an already used and validated Microsoft excel template.
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In addition, the Program Manager will also audit the data and reports generated as part of the program.
Data Security – Storage
The data captured on a day-to-day basis and the data recording forms are stored in a locked cabinet, which only the Program Manager/ Program Officer will have access to.
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All staff have a confidentiality clause within their contracts.
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All staff are aware of the importance of ensuring and maintaining the confidentiality of patients’ personal data and that such data have to be processed and stored in a secure manner.
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Electronic data is protected by suitable back-up procedures and software is updated regularly.
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Clinical records are retained for a period of at least 10 years.
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Any suspected breaches of security or loss of information are reported immediately and are dealt with appropriately.
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IVI shall ensure that the following measures are taken with respect to the storage of data:
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All hardcopies of patient data stored on physical, removable media are stored securely in a locked box or drawer/cabinet.
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All personal and medical data stored electronically are backed up. All backups are encrypted.
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No data is stored on any mobile device (including, but not limited to, laptops, tablets, and smartphones), whether such device belongs to IVI.
Workplace Diversity Policy
Recognises the importance of diversity and inclusion, IVI values the unique qualities, attributes, skills and experiences our employees bring to the workplace, coming as they do from different backgrounds. We believe this reflects and represents the diversity that is India.
IVI’s policy of Diversity relates to sex, gender, age, language, ethnicity, cultural background, disability, sexual orientation, intersex status, religious beliefs, educational level, professional skills, work experience, socio-economic background, career obligations and/or other factors that represents and reflects India.
An employee’s family, career and other responsibilities, and the need to balance these with work, also contributes to the diversity of our workforce. We take an intersectional approach to diversity and inclusion, and recognise that people may identify with multiple diversity groups.
IVI’s diversity and inclusion endeavours to:
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raise awareness and understanding of challenges and opportunities facing people on the basis of their diversity from time to time;
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remove barriers and ensure workplace equity;
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train and develop diversity and inclusion principles;
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draw on diversity and inclusion in undertaking our core activities more effectively;
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help employees to balance work, personal, cultural and other responsibilities.
Equal opportunities
Our diversity is reflected in the fact that more than half our staff are female. They are in no way discriminated against and are given equal opportunities at the workplace.