Purpose

Ability Assist is committed to operating ethically at all times, in accordance with relevant legislation and internal policies, protocols and procedures.

We understand that your privacy is important.

This document sets out how we protect your privacy and manage your personal information. It applies to all people who deal with us, including our staff and employees.

Application

This policy applies to all staff, volunteers, contractors, students, customers and their families.

Policy

1. Collection of your personal information

1.1 What kind of personal information do we collect and hold?

a. If you are a person we support or are connected to a person we support (eg family member, carer, advocate or nominated representative), the personal information that we hold about you may include:

• your name, address, telephone and email contact details;
• your gender, date of birth and marital status;
• information about your disability and support needs (see Section 1.2 below);
• health and medical information (see Section 1.2 below);
• things that are important to you, e.g., your likes and dislikes;
• your living arrangements and accommodation needs;
• your learning and educational needs;
• details concerning your daily life and routine;
• details concerning your employment goals and other life goals;
• details concerning your social and community activities;
• your visual image, via photograph or otherwise;
• any other information obtained from you when you use the National Disability Insurance Scheme Planning Tool (NDIS Planning Tool) which will enable us to provide you with a report of your needs and provide you with our disability support services;
• your Medicare number and other identifiers used by Government agencies or other organisations to identify you;
• financial information;
• records of our interactions with you such as system notes and records of conversations you have had with our employees;
• information about the services you are funded to receive, whether under the National Disability Insurance Scheme or otherwise and the current supports you are using;
• information about the services we provide to you including details of the outcomes or goals we are working with you to achieve, and other plans relating to the services you have asked for and the way in which we will deliver those to you; and your billing details.

b. If you are an employee, job applicant or volunteer, the personal information we hold about you may include:

• your name, address, telephone and email contact details;
• your gender and date of birth;
• your tax file number and other identifiers used by Government agencies or other organisations to identify you;
• information about your qualifications, training and work history;
• information from police checks, working with children checks (or similar), and information about your right to work in Australia; and
• records relating to your volunteer work with us.

1.2 Do we collect sensitive information?

1. We understand that protecting your privacy in relation to sensitive information is particularly important.b. To provide our services or to respond to inquiries about our services, we may be required to collect and hold your sensitive information including health and medical information and information relating to your disability and support requirements where you have consented to provide such information.c. You can ask us to withdraw or amend your prior consent at any time. Simply contact us to make your request.d. We will limit the collection of sensitive information to the minimum amount required in the circumstances to provide you with, or a person with whom you are connected with, our services.

1.3 Your health information

a. The privacy and security of your health information is a key priority for us.

b. When we collect and store your health information, we will ensure:

• that you are aware that we have this information, the full scope of the information we have, and the purpose for which we hold it
• that you are aware that you can access the information and correct errors in it at any time
• that you have the opportunity to require us to provide this information to another health provider upon your instruction to do so.

1.4 How do we collect personal information?

a. We may collect personal information from you in a range of ways including:

• when you inquire about services or supports;
• when you apply to receive services or supports from us;
• when you apply for or are successful in obtaining employment with us;
• when you contact us in person, by phone, via mail, email or online (or when we contact you through any means);
• when you receive services and supports from us (this may include images of you, such as those taken on a mobile phone camera);

b. If we collect personal information about you from a third party and it is unclear that you have consented to the disclosure of your personal information to us, we will take reasonable steps to contact you and ensure that you are aware of the circumstances surrounding the collection and purposes for which we have collected your personal information.

1.5 Unsolicited personal information

a. Sometimes we may receive personal information that we did not request. This is known as unsolicited personal information.

b. If the information is such that we could have lawfully collected it for an allowed purpose (see Section 2 below), then we will deal with the information in the same way as solicited information.

c. If the information is such that we could not have lawfully collected it, we will destroy or de-identify it as soon as practicable if it is lawful and reasonable to do so.

d. Personal information provided to us that is additional to the information that we requested will be treated as unsolicited personal information. For example, if an individual completes an application form but attaches financial records that we did not ask for, these are treated as unsolicited personal information.

1.6 If you do not provide us with your personal information.

a. If you do not provide us with the personal information we reasonably request, we may be unable to provide you with the information, services or supports that you are requesting.

2. Use of your personal information

2.1 Why does Ability Assist need your personal information?

a. The purposes for which we collect, hold, use, or disclose your personal information depends on how you deal with our organisation.

b. If you are a person we support or are connected to a person we support (eg, family member, advocate or nominated representative), we may collect, hold, use, or disclose your personal information to:

• provide you with information about our services and supports;
• provide you with a consolidated report of your (or the person you provide support to) personal information for the purposes of the NDIS Planning Tool;
• administer our services and supports;
• process payments;
• answer your inquiries and deliver customer service to you;
• conduct quality assurance activities;
• carry out internal functions including administration, training, accounting, audit and information technology;
• resolve complaints;
• comply with laws and regulations and to report to funding and government agencies;
• send you information about our organisation, services and supports;
• send you information about our events, community activities, research, fundraising appeals and donor activities;
• conduct surveys, research and analysis;
• enable third parties, such as the National Disability Insurance Agency, to conduct audits;
• invite you to participate in research projects and activities; and
• encourage further involvement with Scope Group, to seek and process donations, and for direct marketing and telemarketing.

c. If you are an employee or job applicant we may collect, hold, use, or disclose your information to:

• process your recruitment application and manage your recruitment as an employee.
• comply with laws and regulations and to meet our corporate governance requirements;
• send you information about our organisation, services and supports;

2.2 Who does Ability Assist disclose your information to?

a. In order to operate an efficient and sustainable organisation and to enable us to carry out our activities and provide our services and supports, we may be required to disclose your personal information to third parties. This may include disclosure to:

• Government and regulatory bodies, including the National Disability Insurance Agency, Medicare, the Department of Social Services, the Department of Health & Human Services
• people acting on your behalf including your nominated representatives, legal guardians, executors, trustees and legal representatives;
• lawyers, auditors, banks and other advisors appointed by us or acting on our behalf; and
• where disclosure is required by law, including where required to the police, or to the Disability Services Commissioner, or to comply with compulsory notices from courts of law, tribunals or government agencies.

b. In the event of unauthorised access, unauthorised disclosure or loss of your personal information, we will investigate and may notify you and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner in accordance with the Privacy Act.

c. We take reasonable steps to make sure that external organisations will protect the privacy of your personal information, in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

d. We will not sell your personal information.

2.3 How do we store personal information and for how long?

a. We take all reasonable steps to ensure that your personal information is securely stored and protected. These steps include password protection for accessing our electronic IT systems, securing paper files in locked cabinets and physical access restrictions to buildings where information is held. In addition, access to your personal information is restricted to those properly authorised to have access.

b. Unfortunately, there are inherent risks in the management of personal information, and we cannot and do not guarantee that unauthorised access to your personal information will not occur.

c. We keep your personal information for as long as it is needed for the purposes for which it was collected and to comply with legal requirements.

d. There may be instances where some personal information about you is collected on a mobile device that is not owned by Ability Assist (eg. photographs taken on a staff member’s personal mobile phone while out doing an activity). In such instances, we will reinforce to all staff the importance of removing the information or images from the personal device as soon as the content has been transferred into our systems for appropriate management.

e. When personal information we hold is no longer needed for any purpose, including legal purposes, and subject to our legal obligations, our information management policy and data retention schedule, we will take reasonable steps to destroy or alter that information so that it no longer identifies you.

f. In relation to health information, we take reasonable steps to destroy or permanently de-identify health information if it is no longer needed for the purpose for which it was collected or any other purpose authorised by the Health Records Act, the regulations made under the Health Records Act, or any other law.

3. Your Privacy Online

3.1 Online data collection and use

a. When you access the Ability Assist website, anonymous technical information may be collected about user activities on the website, including via Google Analytics. This may include information such as the type of browser used to access the website, the pages visited, and geographical location.

b. This information is used by Ability Assist to make decisions about maintaining and improving our websites and online services. This information remains anonymous and is not linked in any way to personal identification details.

3.2 Cookies

a. Like many websites, Ability Assist websites may use cookies for various reasons, including to recognise a computer which has previously visited our websites and customise our websites according to previous preferences and site behaviour.

b. You can choose if and how a cookie will be accepted by configuring your preferences and options in your web browser. For example, you can set your browser to notify you when you receive a cookie or to reject cookies. However, if you decide not to accept cookies, then you may not be able to gain access to all the content and functionality of our website.

3.3 How we handle email and ‘contact us’ messages

a. We may keep the content of any email, or “Contact us” or other electronic message or form, that we receive. The message content may be monitored by our service providers or staff for purposes including trouble shooting, compliance, auditing and maintenance, or where email abuse is suspected. Personal information will be handled in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

4. Feedback

a. Please direct all privacy questions, concerns or complaints to support@abilityassist.com.au

b. At all times, privacy complaints:

• will be treated seriously;
• will be dealt with promptly; and
• will be dealt with in a confidential manner.