Social Responsibility

POLICY

PURPOSE

The NCIP recognises that the delivery of our services may have an impact on the environment, general public, our members and staff as well as local communities in general and that we have a responsibility to be a good professional organisation, a good employer and a responsible business partner and a trusted council representing profession with its high standards and quality of services.

The NCIP undertakes the following in order to contribute to our community, society, profession and mitigate our impact on the environment.

SCOPE

Our responsibility to our Employees and Volunteers

• To support and encourage employees and volunteers to be involved in charitable activities within the local community.
• To ensure that employees and volunteers have the opportunity to realise their full potential and have the tools necessary to develop and grow through training, both compulsory and optional.
• To operate an open-door policy allowing employees and volunteers to raise any concerns with team leaders and directors and to ensure that employees and volunteers are not victimised for doing so.
• To ensure that each employee’s or volunteer’s traditions, sexuality and beliefs are respected and encourage and promote diversity, acceptance and inclusion throughout the NCIP.
• To maintain communication with employees and volunteers so as to ensure this and all other policies, procedures, standards and guidelines are actively exercised.
• To encourage employees and volunteers to ‘think outside of the box’ and offer suggestions as to how any policy or process can be improved.
• To reward employees and volunteers for their hard work, dedication and innovative thinking should the idea help in the running of the NCIP.
• To protect each employee, volunteer or accredited by the NCIP training provider from third parties who may become abusive; this includes members, other businesses and organisations, clients and the general public.
• To ensure that employees and volunteers protect and do not misuse the NCIP name, mark, reputation, partnership with other organisations etc and only use them in an appropriate manner as set out relevant policies and/or employee/volunteer contract or agreement.
• To make certain that all employees and volunteers are aware of the impact that we as a business and they as individuals have on the external environment, including (but not limited to) direct and/or indirect impact on health and well-being and safety members of public, their trust, reputation of our profession, etc.
• To support and understand employee and volunteer well-being, ensuring staff are encouraged to maintain an appropriate work-life balance, encourage developing their well-being hygiene and routines.

Our business responsibilities

• To minimise our usage of electricity by ensuring all electrical appliances, where possible, are switched off at the end of each day.
• To minimise usage of paper form communications, where possible, by moving further towards online form of communication and encourage our members, where possible, do the same, of course, following standards, recommendations, policies and legislations regarding online work and communication to ensure safety, confidentiality and appropriateness of such way of working.
• To adhere to all relevant legislation surrounding our industry and, where necessary, will seek legal advice in order to ensure honest trade.
• To support charitable initiatives that align with the NCIP values.
• To compete fairly within our industry.

BRIBERY, MALPRACTICE AND MISCONDUCT 

• To comply with the Bribery Act 2010 and any amendments made to such legislation and acts and well as with other relevant legislations.
• To make certain that no employee and volunteer working on behalf of the NCIP shall be involved in malpractice, misconduct and bribery according to our Policies.
• To put in place necessary procedures in order to adhere to the Bribery Act 2010 s well as refer to our Anti-bribery policy, Malpractice and misconduct Policy.

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

To instil on our employees and volunteers that they must respect the privacy of each member of the company and each registered member as well as accredited by the NCIP training providers. Each member or the NCIP team is encouraged to avoid any activities which could conflict with their responsibilities to the NCIP.

CONFIDENTIALITY

To ensure all employees and all volunteers adhere strictly to the legislation included in and surrounding the Data Protection Act 1998 as it states in the NCIP’s Data Protection Policy.

CONFIDENTIALITY

To maintain a safe working environment for all employees and volunteers and also a safe consulting environment for our registered members and accredited training providers. Please see the NCIP’s Health and Safety policy for further guidance.

ENVIRONMENTAL

• To have a separate Environmental Policy which addresses all issues surrounding this area. We are committed to delivering on all of our individual targets.
• To utilise technology throughout our processes to reduce our paper usage and reliance on natural materials and resources.
• To suppress our requirement for energy by reducing case duration and operational processes.

CUSTOMERS (MEMBERS OF NCIP, TRAINING PROVIDERS), PARTNERS, CLIENTS

• To constantly strive to provide efficient, value for money, high quality and dependable services to all customers, partners and clients.
• To ensure all employees and volunteers are to act in an honest and professional manner when dealing with all customers according to our policies and standards.
• To make sure all employees and volunteers remain aware that they are being trusted with highly sensitive information and must not break the trust that our customers, partners, clients and the NCIP as a whole have in them.

MEMBERS OF THE NCIP

• To treat each member of the NCIP fairly, equally and with integrity as it is required by our Policies and regulations and legislations including Equality Act 2010.
• To provide each member of the NCIP to the best of our abilities and with high standard of services with the best level of quality.
• To operate an open-door policy allowing registered members to raise any concerns with members of staff of the NCIP (including team leaders and directors) and to ensure that registered members are not victimised for doing so.
• To engage with our registered members whenever they need our support.
• To adapt the ABC Concept: to ensure that each registered member feel Accepted, genuinely feel Belonging to the NCIP, ensured that membership in the NCIP is a sign of Competence. 
• To ensure that each registered member feels heard and feels assured that we listen. We adopted a range of vital policies, standards and procedures, for instance, Complaints policy, Whistleblower policy and other. 

COMMUNITY

SECURITY

• To ensure that the NCIP is compliant with relevant legislations and regulations related to GDPR and online work.
• To ensure that our IT systems are well guarded and secure for the security of data.
• To provide a safe working environment and conditions for all employees and volunteers.
• To encourage our registered members to professionally develop their knowledge and skills in online work and cyber psychotherapy as well as be compliant with online safety and work as it is stated in our Working online Policy and Data protection policy. 

EMPLOYMENT

• To create equal opportunities for all employees and volunteers. Please see the NCIP’s Equal Opportunities policy.
• To ensure all staff of the NCIP will not discriminate against colleagues, volunteers or employees as per, but not exclusive to, the protected characteristics as detailed in the Equality Act 2010. Any instance where an employee or volunteer is found to be non-compliant with this section will be treated seriously as this will not be tolerated.
• To ensure that any employee or volunteer who feels that they have grounds for complaint must follow the company’s grievance procedure which is accessible to all.

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