Privacy Policy
Supportive Care Counselling is committed to providing quality services to our participants, 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
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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, phone, and fax numbers.
Supportive Care Counselling respects your right to privacy and is committed to safeguarding the privacy of our customers and their families, carers, guardians, and our website visitors.
This Personal Information is obtained in many ways including interviews, correspondence, by telephone and fax, by email, via our website www.supportivecarecounselling.com.au, from your website, from media and publications, from other publicly available sources, or from cookies and third parties.
We collect your Personal Information for the primary purpose of providing our services to you, providing information to our clients, and for marketing. We may also use your Personal Information for secondary purposes closely related to the primary purpose, in circumstances where you would reasonably expect such use or disclosure.
Sensitive Information
Sensitive information is defined in the Privacy Act to include 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.
Sensitive information will be used 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 written consent; or where required or authorised by law.
Third Parties
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 information by third parties. In such a case we will take reasonable steps to ensure that you are made aware of this transaction.
If with your consent, your personal information is required to be given to a third party for your continuing service provision, we will require the third party to follow this Policy regarding handling your personal information.
Our website may from time to time have links to other websites not owned or controlled by us. These links are meant for your convenience only; this does not constitute our sponsorship, endorsement or approval of these websites and their own privacy policies. We encourage our users to be aware of the privacy statements of other websites that collect personal identifiable information.
Disclosure of Personal Information
Supportive Care Counselling will protect your personal information per the APPs, and not sell or distribute to third parties without your written consent for the purposes of conducting our services.
We may otherwise only release your personal information when required under legislation, regulation, court order, subpoena, warrant, in the course of a legal proceeding, or in response to a law enforcement agency requirement.
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.
Security of Personal Information
Your Personal Information is stored in a manner that reasonably protects it from misuse and loss and from unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure. Transmission and exchange of information is carried out at your own risk.
Although Supportive Care Counselling takes measures to safeguard against unauthorised disclosures of information, we cannot assure you that personal information we collect will not be used in a manner inconsistent with this Privacy Policy, in acts such as hacking or transmission breaches.
When your Personal Information is no longer needed for the purpose for which it was obtained, we will take reasonable steps to destroy or permanently de-identify it. However, 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 to update and/or correct it, subject to certain exceptions. If you wish to access your Personal Information, please contact us in writing. In order to protect your Personal Information, we will require identification from you before releasing the requested information.
We may charge a small administrative fee for providing a copy of your Personal Information. Supportive Care Counselling reserves the right to refuse to provide information in certain circumstances as set out in the Privacy Act.
Maintaining the Quality of your Personal Information
It is important to Supportive Care Counselling that your Personal Information is current and we will take reasonable steps to make sure that this 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.
Policy Updates
This Policy is subject to regular updates; the current version will be available on our website.
Privacy Policy Complaints and Enquiries
If you have any queries or complaints about our Privacy Policy, please send details to:
Supportive Care Counselling
Suite 504D - 1 Bryant Drive
Tuggerah NSW 2259
info@supportivecarecounselling.com.au