TCFV Privacy Policy

Last Updated October 2021

About this Policy

The Compassionate Friends Victoria ABN [51 374 578 204] (“TCFV”, “we”, “our” is committed to providing quality services to you and this policy outlines our ongoing obligations to you in respect of how we manage your Personal Information.

We have adopted the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (the Privacy Act). The APPs govern the way in which we collect, use, disclose, store, secure and dispose of your Personal Information.

A copy of the Australian Privacy Principles may be obtained from the website of The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at www.aoic.gov.au

By providing your personal information to us and, if applicable, the personal information of your sibling, child and other relatives, you agree that TCFV may collect, use and disclose that information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

What is Personal Information and why do we collect it?

Personal Information is information or an opinion that identifies an individual. Examples of Personal Information we collect include names, addresses, email addresses and phone numbers.

We collect, hold, use and disclose Personal Information in the ways described below in this Privacy Policy.

What Personal Information do we collect?

If you access our services by phone or online, we will collect your Personal Information and, in some circumstances, the Personal Information of your sibling, child or other relative. This information may include names, phone numbers, email addresses, and street addresses. In some circumstances, it may also include sensitive information such as health information or ethnicity.

We may also collect your Personal Information including your name, phone number, email and/or payment details if you make a donation, volunteer with us, or attend one of our events including fundraising events.

If you apply for employment with us, or you volunteer, we may collect additional Personal Information in relation to you including your educational and employment history and information provided by your referees.

How do we collect and hold personal information?

The main ways we collect your Personal Information is when you knowingly and voluntarily provide it to us, including when:

• you make an general enquiry on one of our websites www.compassionatefriendsvictoria.org.au; https://siblingsupport.tcfv.org.au/; or https://siblinggrief.org.au;
• you use our online chat service for siblings (18+ only);
• you make a donation;
• you subscribe or attend an on-line or in person event such a support meeting;
• you post photos, messages, artwork or other forms of communication on our memorial website;
• you apply to work with us as an employee or volunteer;
• you send us an email or other written communication; or
• you telephone us.

Where reasonable and practicable to do so, we will collect your Personal Information only from you. However, in some circumstances we may be provided with your information indirectly by third parties. This may include situations where one of your relatives provides us with your Personal Information, where another network organisation refers you to us and also situations where you are seeking employment and a recruiter or referee provides us with your Personal Information.                       We may also collect your Personal Information from media and publications, from other publicly available sources and from cookies.

When we collect Personal Information we will, where appropriate and where possible, explain to you why we are collecting the information and how we plan to use it.

Sensitive Information

Sensitive information is defined in the Privacy Act to include information or opinion about such things as an individual’s racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, membership of a political association, religious or philosophical

beliefs, membership of a trade union or other professional body, criminal record or health information.

• • We do not usually seek to collect sensitive information. If we do collect Sensitive Information, it will be used and disclosed by us only: For the primary purpose for which it was obtained
  • For a secondary purpose that is directly related to the primary purpose
  • With your consent; or where required or authorised by law.

Use and Disclosure of Personal Information

By using our website and/or our services, you acknowledge and consent to the use and disclosure of your Personal Information (and where relevant, that of a sibling or other family member) in circumstances that are:

• set out in this Privacy Policy;
• explained to you at the time the information is collected from you; or
• required or permitted by law.

We may use the Personal Information that you give us:

• to conduct our support services to bereaved siblings and parents;
• to post contributed artwork, poems or creative pieces on our memorial website;
• for reasonable business purposes including record keeping;
• to provide you with services, newsletters or information that you have requested;
• to send you information or enhancements or functional changes to our websites or policies or other information about our services;
• to market our services and seek donations;
• to consider your application for employment or to do volunteer work with us;
• to accept and process a donation; and
• for any other purpose that is stated to you at the time of collection or that you otherwise authorise.

We may also use your Personal Information for secondary purposes closely related to the primary purpose for which it was collected, in circumstances where you would reasonably expect such use or disclosure.

You may unsubscribe from our mailing/marketing lists at any time by contacting us in writing.

We may disclose personal information that we collect from you to a third party:

• to meet the purpose for which it was collected, such as where we speak to other professionals involved with your support;
• if we have your consent to disclose the information;
• if we are required or permitted by law to disclose the information, including for example to comply with a court subpoena;
• to protect the safety and security of our clients, our staff and our websites; or
• to enable us to deal with any concern, issue or complaint you have raised with us.

Disclosure of Personal Information interstate and overseas

You acknowledge and agree that your Personal Information may be transferred and stored in other states and territories across Australia, where that information is held securely in accordance with this Privacy Policy and the Australian Privacy Principles.

We will not disclose your Personal Information to an overseas recipient unless you consent to the disclosure or the disclosure is required under a law of Australia. In such circumstances, we will take reasonable steps, before disclosing your Personal Information overseas, to ensure that the overseas recipient does not breach the APPs in relation to that information.

Anonymity

We do not require personal information for you to gain access to our websites. However, you will not be able to use certain features of our websites that require registration, enter trade promotions or receive materials such as marketing communications unless such information is provided. Further, our ability to meet our obligations to you, to provide services or process any request, complaint or application by you may be adversely affected if you do not give us the requested personal information, or if the information you give us is incomplete or inaccurate.

Security of Personal Information

Your Personal Information is stored electronically in secure datacentres in Australia or physically in locked storage in a manner that reasonably protects it from misuse and loss and from unauthorized access, modification or disclosure.

However, no security system is impenetrable and no company, including us, can fully eliminate security risks associated with personal information or electronic databases.

When your Personal Information is no longer needed for the purpose for which it was obtained, or for legal record-keeping purposes, we will take reasonable steps to destroy or permanently de-identify your Personal Information. Most of the Personal Information is or will be stored in client files which will be kept by us for a minimum of 7 years.

Access to your Personal Information

You may access the Personal Information we hold about you and to update and/or correct it, subject to certain exceptions. If you wish to access your Personal Information, please contact us in writing.

TCFV will not charge any fee for your access request but may charge an administrative fee for providing a copy of your Personal Information.

In order to protect your Personal Information, we may require identification from you before releasing the requested information.

Maintaining the Quality of your Personal Information

It is an important to us that your Personal Information is up to date. We will take reasonable steps to make sure that your Personal Information is accurate, complete and up to date. If you find that the information we have is not up to date or is inaccurate, please advise us as soon as practicable so we can update our records and ensure we can continue to provide quality services to you.

Any requests for access to, or correction of, your Personal Information should be made directly by emailing us at 
support@compassionatefriendsvictoria.org.au.

In every case where we receive a request to either provide access to, or correct, personal information concerning you, we will inform you of the action taken as a result of that request (whether or not the request is granted).

Policy Updates

Any changes to this Privacy Policy will be posted on the Website. Unless stated otherwise, changes will be effective immediately upon being placed on the Website. Your continued use of the Website following such amendments being placed on the Website will represent an agreement by you to be bound by the Privacy Policy as amended.

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