Your Privacy Matters to Us
 

At Care keeping your information private and secure is an important priority. We understand that when you come to us for help, you trust us with your personal details and sensitive information. We take this responsibility very seriously.

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We are bound by the Australian Privacy Principles contained in the Commonwealth Privacy Act and the Privacy Amendment (Enhancing Privacy Protection) Act 2012.

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Care will, from time to time, review and update our policies and procedures relating to privacy, management of information and data, including to take account of new laws and technology, changes to or organisation’s operations and practices and to make sure they remain appropriate to the changing legal environment.

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What is Confidential Information?

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Confidential information includes any personal details you provide to us that are private. This can be anything from your name and address to the details of the legal and financial matters you discuss with us.
 

We generally collect personal information held about our clients by way of phone calls, forms, documents you provide to us and during meetings with you.
 

You have the right to deal with us anonymously or using a pseudonym. In these circumstances we can only provide general information in relation to your enquiries.

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How we will use the personal information you provide

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We will use personal information collected from you for the primary purpose, which is provision of financial counselling, no-interest loan, legal and related assistance, such as information, referral, legal advice or casework and/or legal representation.

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We may also use your personal information for other secondary purposes that are related to provision of legal and related assistance as reasonably expected, or to which you have consented.

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To whom we may disclose your Personal Information

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We may disclose your personal information, including sensitive information, to:

• government departments

• people providing services to the centre

• anyone you authorise us to disclose information to.

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How we treat Sensitive Information​

Sensitive information is information relating to your racial ethnic origin, political opinions, religion, trade union or other professional or trade association membership, sexual orientation or criminal record, that is also personal information; and health information about you.
 

Sensitive information is used by us and disclosed only for the purpose for which it was provided by you or a directly related secondary purpose, unless you agree otherwise, or the use or disclosure of the sensitive information is required by law.

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How we protect your Information

 

We protect your information by:

• Keeping paper and electronic records secure.

• Training our staff to respect your privacy.

• Having strict rules on who can look at your information.

• Using technology like passwords and encryption to prevent unauthorised access.

 

Our staff are required to respect the confidentiality of personal information and the privacy of individuals. We have in place steps to protect the personal information we hold from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification, interference or disclosure by use of various methods including locked storage of paper records and passworded access rights to computerised records. We have a data breach policy and procedure which our staff is required to follow in the unlikely event of a privacy or data breach.

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Your right to access and update your Information

 

Under the Commonwealth Privacy Act and the Health Records Act, you have the right to access and check what personal information we hold about you.

We endeavour to ensure that the personal information we hold about you is accurate, complete and up to date.​

 

You may seek to update your personal information held by our centre by contacting Care’s Privacy Officer via phone on (02) 6257 1788 or in writing to The Privacy Officer, Care, GPO Box 2951, Canberra ACT 2601

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We may require you to verify your identity and specify what information you require. Although no fee will be charged for accessing your personal information or making a correction, we may charge a fee to retrieve and copy any material if the information sought is extensive. We will advise you of the likely cost in advance.

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Sharing your Information

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We will not share your information with anyone outside Care without your permission, unless we are required to by law. For example, if a court orders us to provide information, we must comply.

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How long we may keep your Information

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Under our destruction and de-identification policies, your personal information that is no longer required will be de-identified or destroyed after 7 years, unless there are exceptions to the rules.

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Questions or concerns

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If you have any questions about how we handle your information or if you have concerns about privacy, please speak to any member of our staff. We are here to help you understand your rights and our responsibilities.

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Remember, your privacy is as important to us as it is to you.

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If you need more detailed information or have specific questions, our staff are always ready to assist. We want you to feel confident that your privacy is being protected while you receive the assistance you need from us.