1. Policy Statement

EveryStep Support Services  Australia is committed to maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of personal information. Our privacy practice accords with privacy legislation relevant to the State or Territory in which we operate. 

We are committed to treating the personal information we collect in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (the Privacy Act). This Privacy Policy sets out how we handle personal information.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all EveryStep Support Services  Australia services, staff and persons who use our services.  It details how EveryStep Support Services  Australia generally collects, retains, uses and discloses personal information and an individual’s rights in relation to that personal information.

3. Implementation

a. Collection of personal information

The personal information EveryStep Support Services  Australia may collect will depend on the circumstances of collection, including whether EveryStep Support Services  Australia collects the information from:

1. persons referred to EveryStep Support Services Australia;
2. persons who use our services;
3. persons seeking employment from or are employed by EveryStep Support Services Australia; or
4. persons providing services to EveryStep Support Services

 

The types of personal information collected depends on the nature of the relationship with the individual or the particular service we provide. EveryStep Support Services  Australia:

• may collect and hold the following categories of information from people accessing our services as appropriate to its dealings with them: name, address, e-mail address, telephone number, date of birth, health information and other sensitive information, financial details (including banking details) and history with the organisation (including communications between EveryStep Support Services Australia and the individual);
• May collect and hold the following kinds of personal information about contractors, service providers and suppliers: name, job title, business contact details of company representatives with whom EveryStep Support Services Australia deals, financial information and banking details; and
• In the context of EveryStep Support Services Australia’s recruitment process for employees and contractors, may collect and hold the following kinds of personal information: name, email address, telephone number, address, financial details (including banking details), date of birth, history with EveryStep Support Services  Australia (including communications between EveryStep Support Services  Australia and the individual), citizenship, employment references, criminal records, working with children check, driver’s licence information, education, employment history, marital status, membership of a professional or trade association, and health information.

In most cases, EveryStep Support Services  Australia collects personal information about an individual directly from the individual, through meetings with the individual in person, or through other contact methods such as by telephone, facsimile, email and mail, or when the individual completes application or consent forms or transacts with EveryStep Support Services  Australia.  

EveryStep Support Services  Australia may also collect personal information about the individual from the following third parties such as family members or guardians, government agencies, publicly available records, service providers, parties to whom the individual refers EveryStep Support Services  Australia or from whom the individual authorises collection, on-line searches and social media. 

b. Use of personal information

EveryStep Support Services  Australia generally collects, holds, uses and discloses personal information for the following purposes:

• to provide specific services to the individual;
• to maintain, manage and develop our relationship with the individual;
• to respond to any questions or enquiries from the individual;
• to contract out some of our functions to external service providers and suppliers

(such as mailing houses and printing companies, advertising and marketing); 

• to assess and consider applications from prospective job applicants, contractors and service providers;
• to manage our human resources and provide information requested by external parties, including our funders;
• such purposes for which EveryStep Support Services Australia may obtain consent from time to time; and
• to comply with EveryStep Support Services Australia’s legal and regulatory obligations.

 

EveryStep Support Services  Australia collects and may use an individual’s personal information collected to send the individual information about its programs or services that may be of interest to the individual.  If at any time the individual no longer wishes to be notified about EveryStep Support Services  Australia’s programs or services, the individual can contact EveryStep Support Services  Australia at the contact details set out in Part 4. 

Personal information will not be disclosed to overseas recipients.

c. The quality and accuracy of personal information

Protecting and maintaining the quality and accuracy of personal information is one of EveryStep Support Services  Australia’s key priorities.  EveryStep Support Services  Australia takes reasonable steps to keep an individual’s personal information as accurate, complete and up to date as possible.  An individual may assist EveryStep Support Services  Australia by notifying EveryStep Support Services  Australia if their circumstances change.  An individual may request that EveryStep Support Services  Australia correct personal information it holds about that individual that is inaccurate or out of date.  

EveryStep Support Services  Australia will take reasonable steps to rectify the situation free of charge if satisfied that the information is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading.  If EveryStep Support Services  Australia refuses to correct an individual’s personal information, EveryStep Support Services  Australia will give the individual written notice setting out reasons for the refusal and setting out the mechanisms available to complain about the refusal. 

d. Security of personal information

It is important to EveryStep Support Services  Australia to ensure the security and confidentiality of personal information in both the physical and electronic environments.  In this regard, EveryStep Support Services  Australia has implemented physical, organisational, contractual and technological security measures to protect personal information from loss or theft, unauthorised access, disclosure, copying, use or modification.  EveryStep Support Services  Australia maintains standards for the security and protection of information and endeavours to ensure that personal information is stored securely in lockable cabinets or password protected electronic files and access is restricted to authorised personnel only. 

e. Access to personal information

Subject to any exceptions in the Privacy Act, where EveryStep Support Services  Australia holds personal information about an individual in such a way that it can readily be retrieved, the individual has a right to request confirmation of whether or not EveryStep Support Services  Australia holds that individual’s personal information and to have access to it.  Within a reasonable period after receiving a request from the individual, EveryStep Support Services  Australia will take reasonable steps to provide the individual with access, if it is reasonable and practicable to do so.  

If an individual wishes to request access to or update their personal information, they can contact EveryStep Support Services  Australia on the details provided below. 

4. Complaints

EveryStep Support Services  Australia will respond to complaints within a reasonable period of time.  If an individual disagrees with EveryStep Support Services  Australia’s decision, the individual may refer the complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner by visiting www.oaic.gov.au, calling 1300 363 992 or by emailing enquiries@oaic.gov.au.

5. Risks

Failure to ensure compliance with privacy obligations exposes EveryStep Support Services  Australia to breaches of privacy legislation and associated penalties.  

Breaches of a person’s privacy rights may also damage EveryStep Support Services  Australia’s reputation as a community managed organisation.

6. Review Cycle 

This policy will be reviewed:

• Every two years.
• When changes are made to relevant Acts, Conventions or Standards.

7. Relevant Legislation / Standards

1. Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986
2. Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and associated Privacy Principles
3. Information Privacy Act 2014 (ACT) and associated Privacy Principles
4. Health Records (Privacy and Access) Act 1997 (ACT)
5. Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (NSW) and associated Privacy Principles
6. Information Privacy Act 2009 (Qld) and associated Privacy Principles
7. Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic)
8. Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW)
9. Privacy Amendment (Notified Data Breaches) Act 2017 (Cth)
10. National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 (Cth)
11. NDIS Practice Standards and Quality Indicators
12. NDIS Code of Conduct
13. National Standards for Disability Services
14. NSW Disability Service Standards
15. Queensland Human Service Quality Standards
16. National Standards for Mental Health Services
17. ISO 38500 Corporate Governance of Information Technology
18. United Nation Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability