At Coast Community Connections we are committed to protecting your privacy. We believe that you should control who has your personal information and how it may be used. We are committed to respecting and safeguarding your privacy and confidentiality. We are committed to accountability and transparency. We will continue to strive for the highest possible standards as we comply with the Privacy Act and the National Privacy Principles. A copy of the National Privacy Principles can be found at http://www.privacy.gov.au/
 
What personal information does Coast Community Connections collect and why is it needed?
To enable us to fulfil our responsibilities as a provider of health and support programs, as an employer, and as a registered charity we may need to collect your name, contact details, Medicare details, next of kin, demographic background, photograph, health status, level of risk, care preferences, and personal goals. We may even need to collect your bank account details.

This information will be used to plan and provide the most appropriate services to service users, inform service users about other programs or service providers, conduct research on program performance, provide Government funding departments with information on program performance, and to conduct fundraising activities.

What will happen if I don’t provide some information?
You have the right to withhold information from us. If, however, information about your income is not provided, fees may be charged at the highest rate. Coast Community Connections may also decide not to provide a service or may change the type or location of the service if information regarding safety is not provided.

How do we collect my personal information?
You are our primary source of information. Wherever practicable, we will ask you for the information. However, we may need to contact others such as your doctor, your family, agencies that assist you, and referees. We will ask your permission before contacting anyone else.
 
We collect the information in person, in writing, by telephone, by fax and by email. We collect this information through our staff and through our contracted agents and other service providers.

Who will see or have access to my personal information?
Your information will only be seen or used by persons working in or for Coast Community Connections. These people may include our paid staff and volunteers. These people have all signed a confidentiality agreement and are fully aware of the need to treat your information with respect and confidentiality. Your information is restricted to those who need to use the information to provide you with a service and complete the administration for the service. There may be circumstances when we have to disclose information without your consent, such as when:

1. The law requires Coast Community Connections to consult with the Police Service or NSW Family and Community Services regarding children perceived to be at risk of harm, abuse or neglect;

2. The law requires Coast Community Connections to report incidences of serious criminal offence – in keeping with the current NSW Crimes Act (e.g. serious violent crime, drug trafficking);

3. he law requires Coast Community Connections to act if we have serious concerns for the health or safety of a client or another person;

4. A court of law may subpoena a personal information file and Coast Community Connections is required by law to provide the file.

In the event that any of the situations described above should occur, we will make reasonable efforts to discuss the matter with you as soon as possible.

When we have information provided by a third party, such as a government department, we will only use and retain this information for the time and purposes agreed with this party. If access to this information is requested by you or another party we will consult with the party that gave us the information before access is granted or refused.

Our information systems and files (electronic and paper) will be kept secured from misuse, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

Information that is no longer current will be isolated and eventually destroyed seven (7) years after your last period or instance of service or, for services to children, when you turn 25.

We will only use photographs, recordings or other personally identifying information of you in reports or promotions if we have your consent.

How can I view or change my file?
You can request information from or access to your personal information file. You must make this request in writing and can use the form available from us. Coast Community Connections will provide you with information on your file within 30 business days.

If any factors prevent us from meeting your exact request we will discuss with you the next best options. If your request is particularly complex or requires detailed searching of our records, we may charge you a financial fee in order for us to provide this information.

If you believe there are errors in our records about you, please let us know and we will be happy to investigate and correct any inaccuracies.

We may ask for verification of your identity when you request access to your information

If you have a concerns or a complaint about your privacy
Respecting your privacy is very important to us and we make every effort to ensure this occurs. However, if you believe we have breached your privacy rights in any way, or you would like to discuss any concerns you may have with our Privacy Policy, we urge you to contact us or the Privacy Commissioners:
CCC Privacy Officer: PO Box 512, Woy Woy NSW 2256
NSW Office of the Privacy Commissioner Phone: (02) 8019 1600 www.provacy.nsw.gov.au
The Australian Government’s Office of the Australian Information Commissioner Phone: 1300 363 992, or www.oaic.gov.au

Your Privacy and this website
If you would like to use information displayed on this displayed on this website, please write to us at info@cccl.com.au. Most materials on this website should retain, display and acknowledge our copyright and ownership.

Every attempt is made to ensure that information on this website is kept current. We do ask that you contact us for advice on your specific situation before acting on the basis of any material on this website.

We have made every attempt to ensure that this site is secure for financial transactions and is free of anything which may damage your computer or data.  However, to the maximum extent of the law, we exclude completely all liability to any person for loss or damage of any kind arising from or relating in any way to the material contained on this website and/or any use of the website.

Links to or from other sites
This website contains links to the websites of other organisations.  While we try to align ourselves with reputable, like minded organisations, we do not control, endorse, sponsor or approve any of these websites or any content on them, nor do we provide any warranty or take any responsibility for any aspect of these websites and their content.

Please advise us before you create a link from your website to us.