Privacy and Confidentiality Policy
PURPOSE AND SCOPE
Supplies 4U to manage and ensure that the rights of the participants remain private and only used for purpose that it is collected. This policy applies to all employees.
POLICY
Supplies 4U is committed to protecting and upholding the right to privacy of participants, staff, management and representatives of agencies we deal with.
Supplies 4U is committed to protecting and upholding the rights of our participants to privacy in the way we collect, store and use information about them, their needs and the services provided to them.
Supplies 4U requires employees and management to be consistent and careful in the way they manage what is written and said about individuals and how they decide who can see or hear this information.
Supplies 4U is subject to NDIS (Quality and Safeguards) Commission. The organisation will follow the guidelines of the Australian Privacy Principles in its information management practices.
Supplies 4U will ensure that each participant understands and agrees to what personal information will be collected and why, including recorded material in audio and/or visual format.
Supplies 4U will advise each participant of confidentiality policies using the language, mode of communication and terms that the participant is most likely to understand.
Supplies 4U will ensure that:
• It meets its legal and ethical obligations as an employer and service provider in relation to protecting the privacy of participants and organisational personnel.
• Participants are provided with information about their rights regarding privacy and confidentiality.
• Participants and organisational personnel are provided with privacy and confidentiality when they are being interviewed or discussing matters of a personal or sensitive nature.
• All staff, management and volunteers understand what is required in meeting these obligations.
• Participants are advised of confidentiality policies using the language, mode of communications and terms that are most likely to be understood. Our company will attempt to locate interpreters and use easy access materials such as those on NDIS website.
This policy conforms to the Federal Privacy Act (1988) and the Australian Privacy Principles which govern the collection, use and storage of personal information.
This policy will apply to all records, whether hard copy or electronic, containing personal information about individuals, and to interviews or discussions of a sensitive personal nature.
Participant Records
Participant records will be confidential to participants and staff directly engaged in delivery of service to the participant. Information about participants may only be made available to other parties with the consent of the participant, or their advocate, guardian or legal representative. All participant records will be kept on a securely protected database that is restricted to staff members directly engaged in delivery of service to the participant.
All paper participant records will be kept securely in a locked filing cabinet, in the office of Director.
Privacy information for participants
At the first interaction (in person only) participants will be told what information is being collected, how their privacy will be protected and their rights in relation to this information.
RELATED DOCUMENTS
• Code of Conduct Form
• Privacy and Confidentiality Agreement
• Policies and Procedures
REFERENCES
• NDIS Practice Standards and Quality Indicators 2018
• Privacy Act (1988)