Privacy Policy

1. What personal information we collect

The personal information we collect depends on your relationship with us, for example whether you are an NDIS participant, a family member or guardian, a job applicant, or simply a visitor to our website.

General information

• Name, date of birth and gender
• Contact details, including address, phone number and email
• Emergency contact details
• Details of guardians, nominees, support coordinators or authorised representatives
• Records of your correspondence with us (phone, email, forms, social media)

Sensitive and health information (participants)

Because we provide NDIS supports, we may need to collect sensitive information, including:

• Disability-specific information, including type and extent of disability, and support needs
• NDIS plan details, including funding, goals and budget
• Medical history, diagnoses, medications, allergies and treatment information
• Functional assessments and support plans
• Information relevant to your cultural background, language or religious beliefs, where relevant to providing appropriate support

We only collect sensitive information with your consent, or the consent of your nominee or guardian, except where we are otherwise permitted or required by law.

Employees, contractors and job applicants

• Employment history, qualifications and referee details
• Working with Children Check, NDIS Worker Screening Check and other background checks
• Bank, tax and superannuation details
• Performance and training records

2. How we collect your information

We may collect personal information directly from you, or from:

• Your guardian, nominee, support coordinator or authorised representative
• The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) or NDIS Commission
• Healthcare providers who refer you to us, or who we refer you to
• Our website, enquiry forms and social media pages
• Publicly available sources, where relevant

We may also collect information automatically through our website, such as your IP address, browser type, and pages visited, using cookies and analytics tools (see Section 10).

3. Why we collect and use your information

We collect and use your information to:

• Assess your eligibility for, and deliver, our NDIS supports and services
• Manage your NDIS plan, funding and service agreements
• Communicate with you about your services, appointments and any changes
• Maintain accurate records for continuity and quality of care
• Comply with our obligations under the NDIS Act, the Privacy Act, and other applicable laws
• Respond to feedback, complaints or enquiries
• Manage recruitment, employment and volunteering, where applicable
• Improve our services and website

If you do not provide the requested information, we may not be able to provide some or all of our services to you.

4. Who we disclose your information to

We only disclose your personal information where necessary, and generally to:

• Our support workers and staff directly involved in your care
• Your nominee, guardian, support coordinator or authorised representative
• The NDIA and the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
• Healthcare providers involved in your care, or to whom we refer you
• Contractors and service providers who support our operations (for example, IT or software providers)
• Regulators, courts, or law enforcement where required by law

We do not sell your personal information. We will not disclose your information to any other third party without your consent, unless required or authorised by law, for example to prevent a serious threat to someone's health or safety, or to report suspected abuse or neglect.

We do not currently disclose personal information to any recipients located outside Australia.

5. How we store, protect and dispose of your information

We take reasonable steps to protect your personal information from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. These steps include:

• Password-protected access to our electronic systems
• Secure storage of paper records in locked cabinets
• Restricting access to personal information to authorised staff only
• Regular review of our data handling practices

We retain your information only for as long as necessary to provide our services and to meet our legal and regulatory obligations. When information is no longer required, we securely destroy, delete or de-identify it.

6. Data breach notification

In the event of a data breach that is likely to result in serious harm to any individual whose information we hold, we will notify affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), in accordance with the Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme under Part IIIC of the Privacy Act 1988.

7. Consent, nominees, guardians and minors

If you are providing personal or sensitive information on behalf of someone else, for example as an NDIS participant's nominee, support coordinator, guardian, or family member, you confirm that you have their consent to do so. We may request evidence of this consent.

If you are providing information on behalf of a person under the age of 18, you confirm that you are their parent or legal guardian, and that you consent to their information being collected, used and disclosed in accordance with this policy.

We will not use photos or video footage of participants without their consent, or the consent of their nominee or guardian.

8. Our staff's privacy obligations

All Network of Care employees, contractors and support workers are required to:

• Only access personal information where it is required for their role
• Not discuss or disclose personal information with anyone not professionally connected to your care, without consent
• Keep personal information secure and never leave it in unsecured areas

These obligations continue after a staff member's engagement with Network of Care ends.

9. Accessing or correcting your information

You have the right to request access to, or correction of, the personal information we hold about you. To make a request, please contact our Privacy Officer using the details in Section 13.

We may need to verify your identity before providing access. We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe, generally within 30 days. If we are unable to provide access to some or all of your information, we will explain why.

10. Cookies and website analytics

Our website may use cookies and analytics tools like Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our site and to improve your experience. You can disable cookies through your browser settings, though this may affect some website functionality.

11. Complaints

If you have a concern or complaint about how we have handled your personal information, please contact our Privacy Officer using the details in Section 13. We will investigate and respond within a reasonable timeframe.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at www.oaic.gov.au, or with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission at www.ndiscommission.gov.au.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The updated version will be published on this page, along with a revised "last updated" date. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

13. Contact us / Privacy Officer

If you have any questions, requests or complaints about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact our Privacy Officer: