Privacy and Personal Information Policy

Purpose

This policy ensures that Southern Youth and Family Services meets its legal and ethical requirements in regard to the collection, storage and disclosure of personal information it holds in regard to its current, potential and previous clients, staff, and interactions with external organisations.

Policy

1.  Principles

1.1       In collecting personal information Southern Youth and Family Services will comply with the requirements set out in the Privacy Act 1988 and the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2001.

1.2       Southern Youth and Family Services is committed to ensuring the confidentiality, integrity and security of all information.

2.  Collection of information

2.1       In the course of its business, Southern Youth and Family Services will collect information from students, potential students, and other clients either electronically or in hard copy format; including information that personally identifies individual people.

2.2      Southern Youth and Family Services will record various communications between the organisation and individuals, clients and associated organisations.

2.3       Southern Youth and Family Services will only collect personal information by fair and lawful means that is necessary for the functions of Southern Youth and Family Services.

3. Use of information

3.1       The information supplied by individuals will only be used to provide information about study opportunities, to enable efficient administration, and to maintain proper client records. If an individual chooses not to provide certain information then we may be unable to provide some services or provide appropriate information.

4.  Disclosure of personal information

4.1       Southern Youth and Family Services will not disclose an individual’s personal information to another person or organisation unless:

a)         the individual concerned is reasonably likely to have been aware, or made aware, that information of that kind is usually passed to that person or organisation

b)         the individual concerned has given written consent

c)         Southern Youth and Family Services believes on reasonable grounds that the disclosure is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the life or health of the individual concerned or of another person

d)         the disclosure is required or authorised by or under law

e)         the disclosure is reasonably necessary for the enforcement of the criminal law or of a law imposing a pecuniary penalty, or for the protection of the public revenue.

4.2      Any person or organisation to whom personal information is disclosed as described in this policy is not permitted to use or disclose the information for a purpose other than the purpose for which the information was supplied to them.

4.3       Where personal information is disclosed for the purposes of enforcement of the criminal law or of a law imposing a pecuniary penalty, or for the purpose of the protection of the public revenue, Southern Youth and Family Services shall include in the record containing that information, a note of the disclosure.

5.  Security of personal information

5.1       Southern Youth and Family Services will take all reasonable steps to ensure that any personal information collected is:

a)         relevant to the purpose for which it was collected

b)         up to date

c)         complete

d)         accurately recorded.

5.2       Southern Youth and Family Services will store securely all records containing personal information and take all reasonable security measures to protect personal information collected from unauthorised access, misuse or disclosure.

6.  Right to access records

6.1       Individuals have the right to access or obtain a copy of the personal information that Southern Youth and Family Services holds about them.  Requests to access or obtain a copy of personal information must be made in writing and sent to our head office address at PO Box 23, Wollongong, NSW, 2520 or by email to syfs@syfs.org.au

6.2      There is no charge for an individual to access personal information that Southern Youth and Family Services holds about them; however there may be a charge, if the request is deemed to be unreasonable. Individuals will be advised of how they may access or obtain a copy of their personal information within ten (10) days of receiving their written request.

7.  Amendment to records

7.1       If an individual considers the personal information that Southern Youth and Family Services holds about them to be incorrect, incomplete, out of date or misleading, they can request that the information be amended by contacting us.

7.2       Where a record is found to be inaccurate, a correction will be made.  Where an individual requests that a record be amended because it is inaccurate but the record is found to be accurate, the details of the request for amendment will be noted on the record.

8.  Publication

8.1       This Privacy and Personal Information Policy is available on our website in order to ensure that all individuals have given their informed consent for the collection and storage of personal information.