South Coast Disability Services Privacy Policy

South Coast Disability Services is committed to safeguarding and protecting the confidentiality of personal or health information collected about our clients and staff. Individuals have the right to control how their personal information is collected and used, so we have created procedures that protect privacy with regard to the collection, storage and disclosure of personal and health information.
Our Privacy Policy applies to all services offered by South Coast Disability Services and complies with the Australian Privacy Principles under the Privacy Act 1998 (as amended).

Collecting personal or health information

South Coast Disability Services will only collect personal or health information with consent, except in specified circumstances including emergencies or as required or permitted by law. We may also collect personal information without consent under special conditions, when providing a health or related service or when undertaking certain management activities.
South Coast Disability Services collects information regarding the personal details and health history of clients to ensure that we provide the highest quality of service. Information regarding staff is collected for administrative and workplace health and safety purposes.

Individuals do not have to supply South Coast Disability Services with their personal or health information. However, if the individual chooses not to, we may be unable to provide the service required or employ the individual. Individuals are entitled to anonymity when interacting with South Coast Disability Services. We will support an individual’s right to this choice in all situations where it is lawful and practicable. However, this may limit our ability to provide services.

Use and disclosure of personal or health information

South Coast Disability Services intends to only use an individual's personal or health information:

in the case of South Coast Disability Services clients, in the provision of services; or
in the case of South Coast Disability Services employees and contractors, for administrative or workplace health and safety purposes.

We recognise the importance of individuals providing their personal or health information. We will not use or disclose any information about individuals for other purposes without consent, except in exceptional cases, such as if disclosure is required by law or is necessary to protect the rights or property of South Coast Disability Services or any other individual, or to lessen a serious threat to a person's health or safety.

South Coast Disability Services may contact individuals on the phone numbers or at the postal address provided to us for the purposes listed above. If an individual receives material from South Coast Disability Services that they no longer wish to receive, the individual can ask that their details be removed from our mailing list.

Accessing the information we keep

If at any time an individual wants to know what personal information has been provided to us, the contact details of the South Coast Disability Services Privacy Officer are at the end of this privacy policy. You will need to complete the Request For Information Form to initiate the process.

If an individual requests access to the personal information we hold about them, or to change that personal information, upon receipt of this request we will give the individual access, unless it is determined to be unreasonable for the reasons set out in this document.

If we deny access to information we will provide our reasons for denying access in writing. Where there is a dispute about the right to access information or forms of access, this will be dealt with in accordance with the South Coast Disability Services privacy complaints procedure. For more information, please contact the Privacy Officer.

Changing and deleting the information we keep

If at any time an individual wants to change personal information that is inaccurate or out of date, or if personal information needs to be deleted, the Privacy Officer should be contacted on the number at the end of this section. We will take all reasonable steps to amend or delete the information unless we need to keep it for legal or contractual reasons. If a request for change is refused, South Coast Disability Services will set out, in writing, the reasons for refusal. We will not charge the individual for making the request or correcting information. 

Storage and security of personal information

South Coast Disability Services will take all reasonable steps to keep secure any information that is held about individuals and to keep this information accurate and up to date, including information that is stored electronically. Our employees and contractors are obliged to respect the confidentiality of any personal information held by us. South Coast Disability Services is not, however, responsible for events arising from unauthorised access to an individual's personal information.

Concerns or Issues

Contact South Coast Disability Services if you have any concerns or issues with the personal information we hold, we take these matters seriously and will address them in a timely and professional manner. If you have any further queries regarding our Privacy Policy, need to change or delete information, or have a problem or complaint, please contact:

The Privacy Officer 

South Coast Disability Services 
Baylink

Flora Crescent
Batemans Bay NSW 2536

Phone   0408 634 2740408 634 271
Email     admin@scds1.com.au​​