Privacy and Dignity Policy
1.0 Purpose
The organisation will manage and ensure that participants have access to services and always supports that respect and protect their dignity and right to privacy.
2.0 Scope
This policy and procedure is relevant to all staff members.
3.0 Policy
The organisation is committed to protecting and upholding all stakeholders’ rights to privacy and dignity, including participants, staff, management, and representatives of other service agencies. The organisation will at all times ensure that staff members respect and uphold the participants right to privacy and dignity. This applies to all assistance in a manner that actively encourages the positive portrayal of participants and provides effective quality services. This policy ensures that the participants’ rights to privacy and dignity are upheld in the processes of gathering, storing and handling information pertaining to them, their needs and the services provided to them. It is the expectation of the organisation that staff and management be consistent in practice when documenting details relevant to a participant and when deciding who has access to this information.
The organisation will ensure that each participant understands, and agrees to, the type of personal information collected and the reasons for collection of such information. The collection of information should consider without fail the provision of consent from the participant. The participant must also be informed at the time material is being recorded or collected why it is being collected and will be informed of the manner or format it is being collected as either audio or visual format.
Our Privacy and Dignity Policy will be shared with the participant using the language, mode of communication and terms that the participant is most likely to understand (Easy Read documents are made available to all participants). The organisation will ensure that the following are adhered to:
- that it meets its legal and ethical obligations as an employer and service provider, concerning protecting the privacy of participants and organisational
- that participants are provided with information about their rights regarding privacy and confidentiality.
- providing participants and organisational personnel with privacy and confidentiality when they are being interviewed or discussing matters of a personal or sensitive
- all staff, management and volunteers understand the necessary requirements to meet their obligations.
- participants are informed of the organisations confidentiality policies using the language, mode of communications and terms they’re most likely to
- The organisation will support participants with interpreters and will use easy access
4.0 Procedure
4.1 Handling personal
When handling personal information, the organisation will ensure the following:
- ensure privacy for the participants, staff, or management when they are being interviewed or discussing matters of a personal or sensitive nature.
- collect and store personal information that is only necessary for the functioning of the organisation and its activities.
- use fair and lawful ways to collect personal information.
- collect personal information only with consent from the individual.
- ensure that people know of the type of personal information collected; the purpose of keeping the information; the method used when information is collected, used, or disclosed; who’ll have access to information.
- ensure that personal information collected or disclosed is accurate, complete, and up-to-date and provide access to the individual to review information or correct wrong information about themselves.
- take reasonable steps to protect all personal information from misuse, loss and unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure.
- destroy or permanently de-identify personal information no longer needed or after legal requirements for retaining documents have expired.
- ensure that participants understand and agree with the type of personal information being collected and the reason/s for collection.
- staff members are to be sensitive to culturally based differences in attitudes and expectations of participants in relation to privacy.
- ensure participants are advised of any recordings in either audio or visual format. The participant’s involvement in any recording format must be agreed to, in writing, before collection of material takes place.
4.2 Managing Participant Records
The organisation will keep participant records confidential and ensure that they are only handled by authorised personnel. Information about a participant is shared with the consent of the participant, or their advocate, guardian, or legal representative. A written agreement providing permission to keep a recording must be stored in the participant’s file. All participant records will be kept in electronic format stored in secure data bases. It is the organisations responsibility to implement ICT security systems, designed to protect personal information storage, examples of such systems are Careview and Agile CRM.
4.3 Responsibilities for managing privacy
All staff are responsible for the management of personal information to which they have access. The organisations delegated management (CEO, Operations Manager) are responsible for the content appearing in the organisation publications, communications, and website. Information shared or published must consider the following:
- that consent is gained for the inclusion of any personal information about any individual, including organisational
- that information provided by other agencies or external individuals measures to the organisation’s privacy principles.
- that our website contains a Privacy Statement that clearly outlines the protocol that guides the collection of personal information from the public captured via their visit to the management is responsible for safeguarding personal information relating to the organisations staff, management, and contractors.
The CEO will be responsible for:
- ensuring that all staff are familiar with the Privacy Policy and administrative procedures for handling personal
- providing participants and other relevant individuals with information about their rights regarding privacy and
- handling any queries or complaints about a privacy and confidentiality
4.5 Privacy information for participants
During service access, participants are notified of the information being collected about them, how their privacy will be protected, and their rights concerning this data. Participants will be requested to provide consent to any information sharing between our organisation, government bodies and other relevant stakeholders.
4.5 Privacy for interviews and personal discussions
To ensure the privacy of both participants and staff is protected, the organisation will only collect personal information that pertains to the provision of supports and services and which:
- is provided voluntarily and not under duress
- is to be stored securely on the organisations The organisation will ensure that information is protected against loss, unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure, by such steps as is reasonable in the circumstances.
5.0 Relevant Statutory Legislation
- NDIS Practice Standards and Quality Indicators 2018
- Privacy Act (1988) Addendum to Policy