Privacy Policy (updated December 2021)

Kempsey Families Inc. is committed to protecting your privacy and any personal or sensitive information that you share with us in confidence.

This includes:

• your name, date of birth, place of birth, address, and contact details
• names and dates of birth of your children
• specific information relating to family court, domestic violence, or child protection legal matters (including copies of relevant documents)
• case notes of crisis interventions, contacts, and counselling sessions

Information collection and storage

We take precautions to ensure your information is stored in a safe and secure way.

Information that we collect is recorded and stored in case files and in a client database. These files are stored in secure locked cabinets, and the database has a secure password and firewall system.

The premises of the Kempsey Families Inc. are in a building that has professional security measures in place, such as and external security camera system.

Information disclosure

Your personal or sensitive information will not be disclosed with anyone else without your prior verbal and/or written agreement.

Kempsey Families Inc. may need to contact other services and share your information. We will always attempt to let you know when we do this, and what services we will be contacting.

If another service is referring you to Kempsey Families, they’ll need your permission to disclose your information.

There are some other instances when we will need to disclose your information:

• if we’re required to by law e.g., if documents are subpoenaed by the court
• when we have a duty of care to protect the safety of clients, children, staff or third parties
• information provided for statistical purposes is de-identified, and statistical information is only provided for research
• if our funding body requests it to ensure that we’re delivering quality services to our clients (with client consent)

Information accuracy

Kempsey Families Inc. attempts to keep your personal or sensitive information accurate and up to date. However, you are responsible for letting us know about any changes to your personal details or circumstances.

Information access

You can ask for access to your information verbally or in writing. You’ll need to sign a consent form, then we can send it by registered post to you or your legal representative.

Complaints

If you have any complaints about the privacy of your personal or sensitive information, you’ll need to put this in writing and address it to the Executive Officer.

Complaints will be dealt with in accordance with our Complaint Policy.

Commonwealth Privacy Act 1988

The Kempsey Families Inc. Privacy Policy has been written in accordance with the Commonwealth Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles.

See: https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/the-privacy-act