PRIVACY POLICY

The protection of personal information is important to Elder Abuse Action Australia Limited (EAAA).  EAAA is committed to respecting the right to privacy and the protection of personal information.

This document sets out how EAAA may collect, hold and use personal information. By providing your personal information to EAAA, you consent to its use, storage and disclosure in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

What personal and sensitive information does EAAA collect?

Personal Information

Personal information is information or an opinion (including information or an opinion forming part of a database) from which it is possible to determine someone's identity.

The information collected by EAAA about a particular person will vary depending on the circumstances of collection. It may include, but is not limited to, a person's contact details (name, email and/or postal address, phone number), date of birth, gender, credit card details, driver's licence number, passport number, insurance details, employment history, qualifications or communication history with EAAA.

Sensitive Information

Sensitive information is a type of personal information that also includes information or an opinion about someone's:

  • racial or ethnic origin;
  • political opinions;
  • membership of a political association, professional or trade association or trade union;
  • religious beliefs or affiliations or philosophical beliefs;
  • sexual preferences or practices;
  • criminal record; or
  • health, genetic information or disability.

If it is reasonably necessary in the circumstances, EAAA may also collect sensitive information such as a person's medical history, nationality, their ethnic background or disabilities.

EAAA is required to obtain consent when collecting sensitive information. EAAA will assume consent to the collection of all sensitive information that is provided to it for use in accordance with this Privacy Policy, unless told otherwise.

How does EAAA collect personal and sensitive information?

Information may be collected when you:

  1. subscribe to any publication of EAAA or another body which is affiliated with EAAA (EAAA Affiliate), including electronic publications;
  2. provide details to EAAA or an EAAA Affiliate in an application, consent form, survey, feedback form or incident report;
  3. enter personal information into, or agree to having your personal information entered into, one of EAAA's online systems;
  4. access the EAAA website, or a website of an EAAA Affiliate;
  5. contact EAAA via email, telephone or mail or engage with EAAA via social media;
  6. participate in any program, activity or event run by EAAA or an EAAA Affiliate;
  7. purchase products or services from EAAA or an authorised agent or licensee;
  8. are elected or appointed to the board, a committee or working group of EAAA;
  9. apply for employment or a volunteer position with EAAA or an EAAA Affiliate; or
  10. where EAAA is required to do so by law (for education, child protection, work health and safety laws, charitable collections, medical treatment or other legislation in Australia).

Providing information

Depending on the circumstances, some types of information will be required and others might be optional. If you do not provide some or all of the information requested, this may affect EAAA's ability to communicate with you or provide the requested products or services.

By not providing requested information, you may jeopardise your ability to participate in programs, receive services, or apply for employment or volunteer positions with EAAA or an EAAA Affiliate. If it is impracticable for EAAA to deal with you as a result of you not providing the requested information or consent, EAAA may refuse to do so.

Collection from third parties

EAAA or an EAAA Affiliate may collect personal information regarding a child from the parent or other responsible person associated with that child.

In many circumstances, EAAA collects information from EAAA Affiliates or other third parties.

Examples of such third parties could include government and law enforcement bodies.

Information storage and protection

EAAA stores information in different ways, including in paper and electronic form.

Much of the information we collect from and about people we interact with is added to EAAA's database. When your information is entered into EAAA's database, the information may be combined or linked with other information held about you.

Security of personal information is important to EAAA. EAAA has taken steps to protect the information we hold from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. Some of the security measures EAAA uses includes strict confidentiality requirements of our employees, volunteers, EAAA Affiliates and service providers, security measures for system access and security measures for our website.

We seek to protect your personal information from any unauthorised loss, disclosure or access. However, if a serious data breach occurs, we must notify you if required under the Privacy Act regarding the circumstances of the breach and may also need to advise the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

How does EAAA use and disclose personal and sensitive information?

Use

EAAA, and third parties to whom we may disclose personal information in accordance with this Privacy Policy, may use your personal information to:

  • verify your identity;
  • complete background checks;
  • research, develop, run, administer and market services, programs, activities and other events relating to EAAA;
  • research, develop and market products, services and special offers made available by us and third parties;
  • respond to emergency situations involving or requiring medical treatment;
  • administer, manage and provide you with access to EAAA's website and social media channels;
  • administer EAAA's customer relationship database;
  • provide you with news and information about EAAA's services;
  • manage and enhance EAAA's services;
  • communicate with you;
  • investigate your activity that we suspect to be a breach of any of EAAA's terms and conditions; and
  • keep you informed of news and information relating to EAAA's activities and opportunities via various mediums.

EAAA may use health information to ensure that services we offer are provided safely and in accordance with any special health needs participants may require. Health information may also be kept for insurance purposes. In addition, we may use de-identified health information and other sensitive information to carry out research, to prepare submissions to government, or to plan events and activities.

Disclosure

EAAA may disclose your personal information to a range of organisations which include, but are not limited to:

  • EAAA Affiliates and other organisations involved in EAAA's services and programs in Australia;
  • companies we engage to carry out functions and activities on EAAA's behalf, including direct marketing and events such as conferences; 
  • ·our professional advisers, including our accountants, auditors and lawyers;
  • ·our insurers; and
  • in other circumstances permitted by law. 

In some circumstances, personal information may also be disclosed outside of Australia.  In such circumstances, EAAA will use its best endeavours to ensure such parties are subject to a law, binding scheme or contract which effectively upholds principles for fair handling of the information that are suitably similar to the Australian Privacy Principles.

Direct marketing

We will assume consent to use non-sensitive personal information to provide better services and for marketing purposes (including disclosure of such information to service providers).

Every person whose data is collected by EAAA has the option to refuse e-mail, SMS or posted offers by making a request in writing to EAAA's Privacy Officer via the contact details set out below or by making use of the opt-out procedures included in any communications from us (however, information relating to the option to unsubscribe from those communications may be retained).

Other disclosures

In addition, EAAA may also disclose personal information:

  • with your express or implied consent;
  • when required or authorised by law;
  • to an enforcement body when reasonably necessary; or
  • to lessen or prevent a threat to an individual or public health or safety.

EAAA website

When users visit the EAAA owned and/or managed websites, our systems may record certain information about their use of the site(s), including the web pages visited and the time and date of their visit. EAAA uses this information to help analyse and improve the performance of the EAAA owned and/or managed websites.

In addition we may use “cookies” on the EAAA owned and/or managed websites. Cookies are small text files that help a website to remember the preferences of users to improve the experience of using that website. In some cases, the cookies that we use may collect some personal information. EAAA will treat this information in the same way as other personal information we collect. You are free to disable cookies on your internet browser to prevent this information being collected; however, you will lose the benefit of the enhanced website experience that the use of cookies may offer.

Websites linked to the EAAA owned and/or managed websites are not subject to EAAA's privacy standards, policies or procedures. EAAA cannot take any responsibility for the collection, use, disclosure or security of any personal information that you provide to a third-party website.

Accessing and seeking correction of information held by EAAA

EAAA will take all reasonable steps to ensure that the personal information it collects, uses or discloses is accurate, complete and up-to-date. However, we rely on the accuracy of personal information as provided to us both directly and indirectly.

We encourage all users to regularly review and update their personal information. If you would like to access personal information that we hold about you, we require you to put your request in writing. If we do not allow you access to any part of the personal information we hold about you, we will tell you why.

Individuals may also request access to their personal information held by us by making a request via the contact details set out below. We will respond to your request for access within 14 days and endeavour to provide the requested information within 30 days. If you find that the personal information we hold about you is inaccurate, incomplete or out-of-date, please contact us immediately and we will see that it is corrected.

Resolving privacy issues and complaints

Any issues or complaints in relation to the collection, use, disclosure, quality, security of and access to your personal information may be made to the EAAA Executive Officer at this address:

Executive Officer
Elder Abuse Action Australia
PO Box 31, Westgate 2048 NSW 
Email:  [email protected]
Phone: 1800 960 026

We will respond to your complaint within 30 days and try to resolve it within 90 days. If we are unable to resolve your complaint within this time, or you are unhappy with the outcome, you can contact the Office of Australian Information Commissioner via its enquiries line 1300 363 992 or website http://www.oaic.gov.au/ to lodge a complaint.

For further information on EAAA's management of personal information, please contact EAAA.

EAAA may amend this Privacy Policy from time to time.