Privacy Obligations
Our policy is to respect and protect the privacy of all people connected with the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) inclusive of participants, providers, employees and contractors. In dealing with personal information Priority Disability Care Australia abides by the obligations imposed under federal law, inclusive of the Privacy Act 1998 (Cth), Mental Health Act 2014, and the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 (Cth).
The Privacy Act 1998 (Cth) authorises the collection of personal information where this is required to facilitate access to services provided under the NDIS and perform the other functions required for service provision. The National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 (Cth) sets the provisions for confidentiality and secrecy which limit how Priority Disability Care Australia collect and use personal information and when and to whom this information can be disclosed.
Types of information we collect and hold
Priority Disability Care Australia will collect information which is considered reasonably necessary to carry out our role as service providers. The kinds of information we collect and hold includes (but is not limited to) personal information about the participants and other users of our services, and about our employees, contractors and providers. Examples of personal information we might collect include:
− Name, DOB, contact details
− Gender
− Details about participants physical and mental health, including disabilities
− Information about participants support requirements
− Details of guardians and nominees, including names and contact details
− NDIS Reference Number
− Details of feedback or complaints received by Priority Disability Care Australia
− Employee records
Priority Disability Care Australia may also collect some ’health information’ as defined under the Privacy Act 1998 (Cth), such as information about your health or disability, doctors or other health professionals you have seen or health services you have received. Information about an individual that is or was held by Priority Disability Care Australia is considered ’protected information’ for the purposes of the NDIS Act 2013 (Cth).
Collection of personal information
Priority Disability Care Australia will often collect information from people directly, either in person or over the phone, or from people who have been authorised to provide such information.
While you do not have to provide us with all of the information requested, not providing this information requested may mean that:
We may not be able to decide whether you are able to become a client or an employee of Priority Disability Care Australia.
Decisions may be delayed whilst we seek out further information or clarification; and/or
We may not be able to provide services to you for which require a Service Agreement under the NDIS.
We sometimes collect information from a third party if you have consented to this collection. An example of this collection may be corresponding with your doctor (GP) about your health needs or your support coordinator about your support needs. We, or third parties acting on our behalf, may also collect personal information from third party disability support providers, state and territory governments and other Commonwealth entities (i.e. Department of Human Services) where this collection is authorised under law. The information collected is usually about participants, prospective participants, registered providers or persons with a disability who wish to access the NDIS.
We may contact you by phone to facilitate your access to the NDIS and the services offered by Priority Disability Care Australia. In the event we do ask for personal information over the telephone we will only request this information once explaining the purpose for requiring this information and seeking your consent to proceed. We may otherwise collect personal information from you in the form of Service Agreements, Assessments, Applications or consent forms. Other forms of private information collection may occur through communications such as email and website contact queries.
If you are ever unsure if the person calling you is from Priority Disability Care Australia, or calling on behalf of us before you provide them with any personal information, ask the person to verify their identity. Ensure that you document their name and number and you can call us directly at Priority Disability Care Australia on 1800 11 20 20 to verify the authenticity of the request.
When we use third parties, such as contractors, to perform certain functions, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that the third party will also be required to treat personal information they may see or handle with care and confidentiality.
We collect personal information about employees/contractors and prospective employees/contractors in order to conduct employment and employment-related activities such as payroll services, recruitment and selection, performance management, reporting and work health and safety. Our collection, use and storage and disclosure of personal information about employees and prospective employees are in accordance with the Privacy Act 1998 and the Fair Work Act 2009.
Storage of personal information
Priority Disability Care Australia has systems and procedures in place to protect personal information from misuse and loss, as well as from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. These steps include:
− Paper-based records which are held securely;
− Access to personal information is on a need-to-know basis, by authorised personnel; and
− Storage and data systems are regularly updated and audited.
When no longer required, personal information is either archived or destroyed in accordance with federal law.
Updating your personal information with Priority Disability Care Australia
Priority Disability Care Australia aims to ensure that all personal information held about a person is accurate, up to date, complete and relevant before acting on it. If a person learns that the personal information that Priority Disability Care Australia holds about them is inaccurate, outdated, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading that person can contact Priority Disability Care Australia by phone on 1800 11 20 20 so that the information can be updated accordingly.
Where a person requests Priority Disability Care Australia to correct the personal information we hold about them, we will action this request promptly. A person can request that we notify this change to any other agencies or organisations that we have previously disclosed the personal information too.
If we do not agree to correct our records as requested, we will give written notice of the decision, setting out our reasons for refusing this request and how the person can lodge a complaint about our decision.
How to make a complaint if you feel that we have breached your privacy
If you would like to leave feedback or complain about the service you have received from us or you feel that we have breached your privacy obligations, please contact us by email info@pdcau.com.au or phone us on 1800 11 20 20.
We will promptly investigate and resolve your complaint and provide you with a response as soon as possible. Sometimes this may mean that you will need to speak with Priority Disability Care Australia staff who are handling your matter. In all cases, we will inform you of the progress of your complaint. If you are not happy with the way that Priority Disability Care Australia has handled your complaint you may take your complaint further to the Office of the Australian Information Commission (www.oaic.gov.au).
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