Privacy Policy
Why does Kara Family Violence Service collect personal information?
Kara Family Violence Service collects and handles a range of personal and sensitive information, relating primarily to the area of welfare. Sensitive information includes information relating to racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religion, trade union or other professional associations or memberships, philosophical beliefs, sexual orientation or practices, criminal records, health information or biometric information.
Kara Family Violence Service is bound by the Victorian Privacy Laws Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic); containing the Information Privacy Principles (IPPs), the Health Records Act 2001, Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme, Child Information Sharing Scheme and Notifiable Data Breach Scheme; which in addition to other laws, impose specific obligations in regard to handling information.
Kara Family Violence Service recognises the right of the client to have their information:
- stored securely, protecting it from unauthorised access, and
- made accessible to the client on written request, with the right to seek correction as authorised under the Freedom of Information Act 1982.
There are some limited circumstances in which we are required to share your information, even if you do not provide consent, including:
- if subpoenaed by a court or required by law
- if there are concerns for the safety of a child, and
- if we have a duty of care to ensure your safety and wellbeing, or the safety and wellbeing of another individual.
How does Kara Family Violence Service store personal information?
Kara Family Violence Service ensures all reasonable steps are taken to protect the personal information it holds from misuse and loss and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. A person’s personally identifiable information is securely kept.
Only staff with a direct professional involvement in a matter have access to files.
Where possible, disclosure of information to other organisations is performed in a way that does not personally identify individuals. Extreme care and vigilance are exercised in the use of any identifiers that may pass through to a government agency. Such identifiers are only ever used in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract that is held with the relevant agency.
How does Kara Family Violence Service keep personal information accurate and up to date?
Kara Family Violence Service is committed to holding accurate and up-to-date personal information.
Persons are encouraged to contact Kara Family Violence Service at any time to update their personal information.
Kara Family Violence Service will destroy or de-identify any personal information that is no longer required by the organisation for any purpose for which the organisation may use or disclose it, unless Kara Family Violence Service is required by law or under an Australian law or a court order to retain it.
How can a person access their personal information?
If a person wants to access a copy of their personal information that Kara Family Violence Service holds about them to seek correction of such information, the person may do so by contacting the Privacy Officer of Kara Family Violence Service.
In accordance with the IPPs, Kara Family Violence Service may refuse access to personal information in a number of circumstances, including where giving access to the information would pose a serious threat to the life, health or safety of a person.
Kara Family Violence Service will seek to handle all requests for access to personal information as quickly as possible.
For more information
Contact:
Kara Family Violence Service
Att: Privacy Officer
Email: admin@KaraFVS.org.au