Privacy Statement
The Parenting Research Centre is covered by 10 National Privacy Principles (NPPs) as set out in the Privacy Act 1988, amended by the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000. To comply with our obligations under the NPPs, the Centre has a Privacy Policy. The policy sets out how the privacy of individuals who deal with the Centre is respected and managed.
1. Purpose of Policy
The Parenting Research Centre takes its obligations under the Privacy Act seriously and would like to take all reasonable steps in order to comply with the Act and protect the privacy of the personal information that we hold. This policy sets out how we intend to so.
2. Collection of Personal Information
The type of personal information collected by the Centre regarding individuals generally includes the following:
- names
- addresses (including e-mail addresses)
- telephone and facsimile numbers
- date of Birth
- education
- qualifications
- occupation
- employment details
- gender
- marital status
- health information
- details about next of kin including spouse and children's names.
The information held by the Centre may come from a number of sources including:
- clients
- professional workers
- potential employees
- independent contractors
- existing and new contacts
- other sources
Some information the Centre holds may be sensitive information or an opinion about an individual's:
- race or ethnic origin
- religious beliefs, affiliations or philosophical beliefs
- membership of a professional or trade association or membership of a trade union
- criminal record
- tax file information.
Sensitive information also includes health information about an individual. The Centre will only collect sensitive information with the individual's consent.
The Centre will not collect personal information unless the information is necessary for one or more of its functions or activities. The Centre will collect the personal information only by lawful and fair means and not in an unreasonably intrusive way.
Decision not to provide personal information
Individuals are not obliged to provide the Centre with their personal information. However, this choice may result in the organisation not being able to provide the full range of services.
Whenever the Centre collects personal information about an individual, the Centre will take reasonable steps to ensure that the individual is aware of:
- the identity of the Centre
- the fact that he or she is able to gain access to the information
- the purpose for which the information is collected
- the organisations to which the Centre may disclose information of that kind
- any law that requires the particular information to be collected
- the main consequences (if any) for the individual if all or part of the information is not provided .
If it is reasonable and practical to do so, the Centre will collect personal information about an individual only from that individual. If however this information is collected from someone else, the Centre will act reasonably to ensure the individual is or has been made aware of the matters listed above, unless certain exemptions apply.
The purposes for which the Centre uses this information
The purposes for which the Centre uses the personal information referred to above include the following:
- information on children and young people. Because the nature of some of our business involves a close working relationship with children and young people we often gather personal information about young people from their parents, guardians or others responsible for their care. Where possible, particularly for teenagers and young adults, we will try to gather the information from the young person concerned.
- to consider potential employee's applications for employment by the organisation
- to open and administer customer accounts
- to provide services to potential clients and customers
- to administer contractors of the organisation
- for marketing and sales initiatives such as Centre publications, events and training programs
- for planning, product development or research purposes.
3. Use and Disclosure
As a general rule, the Centre will not use or disclose personal information about an individual other than for its primary purpose of collection, unless:
- the individual has consented to the use or disclosure
- the Centre has reason to suspect that unlawful activity has been, or may be engaged in, and uses or discloses the personal information as a necessary part of its investigation of the matter or in reporting its concerns to relevant persons or authorities
- the use or disclosure is required or authorised by or under law
- the Centre reasonably believes that the use or disclosure is reasonably necessary for a specified purpose by or on behalf of an enforcement body.
The Centre will use the information for our own direct marketing purposes only where:
- the professional has not made a request to not receive direct marketing communications
- in each direct marketing communication with the professional, the Centre draws to the individual's attention, or prominently displays a notice, that he or she may express a wish not to receive any further direct marketing communications
- each written direct marketing communication by the Centre with the professional sets out the Centre business address and telephone number and, if the communication is made by fax or e-mail or other electronic means, a number or address at which the Centre can be directly contacted electronically.
4. Data Quality
The Centre will take reasonable steps to make sure that the personal information it collects, uses or discloses is accurate, complete and up to date.
5. Data Security
The Centre will take all reasonable steps to protect the personal information it holds from misuse and loss and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. This includes appropriate measures to protect electronic materials and materials stored and generated in hard copy. The Centre will take reasonable steps to destroy or permanently de-identify personal information if it is no longer needed.
6. Openness
The Centre has set out in this document its policies of management of personal information and will make this document available to anyone who asks for it. On request by a person, the Centre will take reasonable steps to let the person know, generally, what sort of personal information we hold, for what purposes, and how we collect, hold, use and disclose that information.
7. Access and Correction
As a general rule, the Centre will, on request by an individual, provide them with access to their personal information. The Centre may however choose not to provide individuals with access to such information. This will include cases where:
- providing access would have an unreasonable impact on the privacy of other individuals
- the request for access is frivolous or vexatious
- the information relates to anticipated or existing legal proceedings and would not be discoverable in those proceedings
- providing access would reveal the intentions of the Centre in relation to negotiations with the individual in such a way as to prejudice those negotiations
- providing access would be unlawful
- providing access would be likely to prejudice an investigation of possible unlawful activity
- providing access would be likely to prejudice activities that are carried out by the Centre on behalf of an enforcement body.
The Centre may decide to impose a charge of $25 upon the individual to cover the cost of verifying a request for information and locating, retrieving, reviewing and copying any material requested.
7. Identifiers
The Centre will not adopt a government agency identifier as its identifier of an individual.
8. Anonymity
Wherever it is lawful and practical, the Centre will allow individuals the option of not identifying themselves when entering into transactions with us.
9. Transborder Data Flows
The Centre will only transfer personal information about an individual to a third party who is in a foreign country or another state or territory of Australia in specified circumstances. This would include:
- where the individual consents to the transfer
- where the Centre has taken reasonable steps to ensure that the information that has transferred will not be held, used or disclosed by the recipient of the information inconsistently with the NPPs.
10. Visiting our website
The Parenting Research Centre does not collect personal or non-identifying information from visitors to our website.
Complaint Handling Process
A complaint by an individual regarding an alleged breach of privacy by the Centre should be forwarded in writing to the following address:
Privacy Officer
Parenting Research Centre
24 Drummond Street
CARLTON VIC 3053
The Privacy Officer will be made available to investigate and resolve the complaint internally through mediation with the individual. If the individual is not happy with the resolution of their complaint by the Privacy Officer they may then complain to the Privacy Commissioner or Industry Code adjudicator about the act or practice they consider to be an interference with their privacy. The Commissioner then has the power to investigate the alleged breach by examining witnesses, obtaining documents and directing individuals to attend compulsory conferences. The Privacy Commissioner's determination in such cases is enforceable by the High Court.
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