Privacy Policy

PURPOSE

The purpose of this Policy is to outline how Affirm With Me protect and uphold the privacy and confidentiality of the personal information that we manage. We do this in accordance with the requirements of the Commonwealth Privacy Act 1988, the Australian Privacy Principles, and the Victorian Health Records Act.

SCOPE

This policy applies to all personal information that is collected, used, disclosed and stored by Affirm With Me about any client or staff member. This may include sensitive and health information.

POLICY STATEMENT

Affirm With Me is committed to protecting and upholding the privacy and rights of individuals regarding the personal information it collects and uses. While it upholds its privacy commitment, there are legal responsibilities that must be upheld to prevent harm, injury and death in the context of family violence, and the safety and wellbeing of a child. These laws include the Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme and Child Information Sharing Scheme. If Affirm With Me are required to share information under these laws, we will ensure that:

o   it is done so by lawful and fair means.

o   the information is handled responsibly.

o   information about a person’s gender identity and sex is treated with extra care.

o   we have systems in place to maintain privacy, security and quality of personal information.

WHAT INFORMATION DO WE COLLECT?

We may collect personal information including but not limited to:

o   Name and date of birth

o   Contact details

o   Medical and health information

o   Background information relevant to the service you wish to access.

WHY DO WE COLLECT PERSONAL INFORMATION?

Affirm With Me recognize the importance of not making assumptions regarding a person’s needs. We collect personal information so that we can provide a service which is relevant to the person, and so we can provide high quality care which is likely to lead to positive outcomes.

HOW DO YOU STORE AND PROTECT PERSONAL INFORMATION?

We take responsible steps to protect information from loss, misuse, unauthorized access, modification and disclosure. We require our staff to handle personal information with care, and access only what is needed.

Any paper documentation will be stored under lock. Any electronic information will be stored in a secure location and will be backed up securely. We destroy or de-identify information when it is no longer needed and no longer required to be kept by law.

WHAT IF THERE IS A DATA BREACH?

In the case of a data breach, Affirm With Me follow the national requirements and will notify affected individuals. These requirements can be found here

CAN I ACCESS MY PERSONAL INFORMATION?

You have the right to access your personal information and can request this in writing. Affirm With Me will ask you to verify your identity before we process this request. There may be instances where we refuse to provide information, when legally required to do so. In these instances, we will do our best to explain why in writing.

POLICY REVIEW AND MONITORING

Affirm With Me review their policies annually or earlier if required, to ensure we keep up with current legal and best practice guidelines.

COMPLAINTS/FEEDBACK

Affirm With Me is committed to continual growth and welcome all complaints and feedback. Please contact us at affirmwithme@outlook.com or alternatively, use our Contact us page.