Policy

The Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000(Commonwealth) amended the Privacy Act 1988(Commonwealth) to include certain private sector organisations. As a private sector organisation that collects health information, Lifeline Canberra is covered by these amendments.

Purpose of the Policy

Lifeline Canberra takes its obligations under the Privacy Act seriously and will take all reasonable steps in order to comply with the Act and protect the privacy of the personal information that we hold. This policy sets out how we intend to do so.

This Policy applies to staff/candidates/volunteers/clients who provide us with their personal information.

Storage

Lifeline Canberra will take all reasonable steps to protect the security of the personal information that we hold. This includes appropriate measures to protect electronic materials and materials stored and generated in hard copy.

Contract

Lifeline Canberra does not contract out data storage or processing functions.

Personal Information of persons working within the organisation (including volunteers)

The personal information that the organisation holds in relation to staff or volunteers may contain:

• Name
• Date of birth
• Address
• Bank account details (in the case of paid employees)
• Occupation
• Career history
• Career plans
• References
• Results of aptitude and other tests
• Service history with the organisation

Why we collect it

Information is collected on individuals within the organisation to:

• Fulfil legislative or compliance responsibilities;
• Fulfil HR functions within the organisation;
• Enable insurance cover;

Enable the provision of services (eg for rostering, monitoring of competencies, provision of supervision and support, registration to use computer software etc.).

Use and disclosure

Lifeline Canberra may disclose this information to:

• prospective employers (where such disclosure is requested by the individual);
• some of our service providers (eg banks, Lifeline Australia,);
• our insurer/s;
• process payments or donations; or
• legal authorities when subject to a subpoena or court order.

Access to your personal information

Lifeline Canberra will provide access to the personal information that we hold about individual staff members/volunteers. Individuals have the right to request access to any personal information held about them and to request amendments if there are any inaccuracies in this information. Any individual wishing to inquire about any personal information held about them shall contact the Executive Director.

Personal Information of persons accessing the services of the organisation; Lifeline Canberra will comply with the National Privacy Principles (NPPs) in the Privacy Act 1988 (Commonwealth), which impose minimum privacy standards for the handling of personal and sensitive information (including health information) of an individual. A summarised version of the NPPs forms an attachment to this policy.

The personal information that the organisation holds in relation to clients of the service may contain:

• Name
• Date of birth
• Address
• Occupation
• Case notes or client management notes

Lifeline Canberra notes that individuals generally have the right to request access to any personal information held about them and to request amendments if there are any inaccuracies in this information. Any individual wishing to inquire about any personal information held about them shall contact the Executive Director.

Lifeline Canberra collects certain information on clients for statistical and professional purposes. This information is not necessarily considered personal or sensitive information (information is only considered to be personal information if the identity of the individual is apparent or can be reasonably ascertained from the information).

Disclosure (or exceptions) under the NPPs

While Lifeline Canberra generally treats personal and health information confidentially, it recognises that there are certain situations in which the National Privacy Principles authorise the collection, use or disclosure of personal or health information. This includes, but is not limited to situations where:

• Lifeline Canberra believes that the use or disclosure is necessary to lessen or prevent a serious and imminent threat to an individual's life, health or safety or a serious threat to public safety;
• The use or disclosure is authorised by law; or
• Collection of the information is necessary to provide a health service to the individual.

Complaints

Any individual wishing to make a complaint about a privacy issue should follow the Grievance Procedure.

Summary of the National Privacy Principles (NPP)

To print out the Lifeline Canberra privacy policy, click here to download the pdf file version.