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Disclaimer & Privacy Policy

UnitingCare Wesley Port Adelaide Privacy Statement

UnitingCare Wesley Port Adelaide (UCWPA) is bound by the requirements of the National Privacy Principles. All employees will respect the privacy and dignity of each client and will ensure that personal information is managed in appropriate ways. UCWPA is committed to the protection of personal privacy and has adopted a set of privacy principles based on the provisions in the Privacy Act 1988.

Information about us can be obtained by contacting our Privacy Officer on 08 8440 2255 or by Facsimile on 08 8341 2325 or by e-mail privacy@ucwpa.org.au.

Last modified: 18/3/2008

Privacy Policy 

1. Purpose and Scope

This policy covers personal information held by UCWPA about individual clients. It does not apply to employee records where those records directly relate to a past or current employer/employee relationship.

2. Definitions

Personal information - Information or an opinion (including information or an opinion forming part of a data base), whether true or not, and whether recorded in a material form or not, about an individual whose identity is apparent or can reasonably be ascertained from the information or opinion.

Sensitive information - information or an opinion about an individual’s racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, membership of a Political Association, religious beliefs, philosophical beliefs, membership of a professional or Trade Association, membership of a trade union, sexual practices, criminal record and health information.

Client - any individual to whom UCWPA provides a service, including residents of Residential Aged Care Services.

3. Background

This policy has been developed in response to the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000 and is based on the 10 National Privacy Principles contained in the Privacy Act 1988.

1. Collection of information- UCWPA will only collect legitimate information by lawful means.
2. Use and disclosure- Personal information will not be disclosed to others without gaining informed consent.
3. Data quality- Personal information that is collected, used or disclosed is accurate, complete and up to date.
4. Data security- UCWPA will take reasonable steps to protect the personal information it holds from loss and misuse and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.
5. Openness - UCWPA must take reasonable steps to let the person know the type of information it holds, for what purposes, and how it collects, holds, uses and discloses that information.
6. Access and correction by individuals- Providing the individual reasonable access to the information requested by the individual.
7. Identifiers - UCWPA must not use or disclose an identifier assigned to an individual by an agency, or by an agent or contracted service provider.
8. Anonymity - Wherever it is lawful and practicable, individuals must have the option of not identifying themselves when entering into transactions with UCWPA.
9. International transfers of information- UCWPA will not transfer personal data outside Australian unless it complies with privacy legislation requirements.
10. Sensitive information- UCWPA must not collect sensitive information about an individual unless the information is related solely to members of the organisation or to individuals who have regular contact with UCWPA in connection with its activities or the information is necessary to provide a health service to the individual.

4. Policy

UCWPA services only collect personal and sensitive information from clients where that information is required in order to provide an appropriate service for that client.

Each client must give his or her consent to the collection and use of personal and sensitive information prior to the collection of that information. Where clients do not give consent, no information is to be collected. This may result in limited, or no, service being provided.

Personal and sensitive information about clients is only available to those staff who need that information to provide a service for that client. All staff will ensure that electronic data is kept within secure network storage, and undertake to only access that data which is necessary to perform their role.

Information will not be disclosed to a third party without the written consent of the client concerned unless health or other information is required for statistical purposes, where it is not possible to identify an individual from the information.

UCWPA may also release information in circumstances where it reasonably 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 health or public safety. Where this occurs, notification that such an action has occurred will be placed on the client’s record.

All clients are able to view personal and sensitive information collected about them and held by UCWPA, and to request UCWPA to make corrections where they feel the information is not up-to-date, incomplete or inaccurate. Each service has its own procedure for accessing client records. This procedure details:

• The way in which the request to view information can be made
• Ways of establishing that the individual asking for the information is who they say they are
• How that information is made available to the person requesting to view the file and
• How changes to the information collected will be made

Personal and sensitive information is kept in secure storage areas.

When no longer required, that is, when the individual is no longer receiving a service from UCWPA, or the information is not required to be kept by law, personal and sensitive information is destroyed using a secure means.

If an individual wishes to make a complaint about privacy, that person is to contact the Manager, Quality, who will resolve the complaint by using the steps described in the UCWPA Policy - Complaints Resolution.

5. Documentation

UCWPA Consent to Obtain Personal and Sensitive Information Form

UCWPA services’ Procedure to Access Personal and Sensitive Information
(including Health Information)

6. References

Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000

Extract from the Privacy Act 1988 - National Privacy Principles

Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986

Racial Discrimination Act 1975

Sex Discrimination Act 1984

Disability Discrimination Act 1992

UnitingCare Wesley Port Adelaide Policies: Complaints Resolution, Network Information Management