Your privacy is important to us

This statement outlines the St. Jude’s Parish policy on how it uses and manages personal information provided to or collected by it. It does not relate to records collected and held by the Parish school. The school has a separate policy statement, which is available on request from St. Jude’s School, (03) 9789 7581, or web.sjlangwarrin.catholic.edu.au or principal@sjlangwarrin.catholic.edu.au .

St. Jude’s Parish may from time to time review and update this policy to comply with all relevant legislation and to take account of changes in technology, changes to the Parish’s operations and practices and to make sure that it remains relevant to the Parish environment.

St. Jude’s Parish is not bound by the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000. However, the Parish respects and values the personal information that the parishioners are willing to entrust on it, and will abide by the spirit and principles enshrined in that legislation.

What kind of personal information does the Parish collect and how does it collect?

St. Jude’s Parish collects and holds includes personal information, including sensitive information about:

  • Children and their parents and/or guardians and may be related to children receiving sacraments or pastoral care. It may relate to the child’s enrolment at the Parish school, after school care facility, Secondary Regional College or sporting association.
  • Adults receiving sacraments or pastoral care and witnesses to sacraments.
  • Job applicants, staff members, religious undertaking work in the Parish, volunteers and contractors.
  • Fundraising.
  • Personal information you provide.

The Parish will generally collect personal information held about an individual by way of forms filled out either by the person or the parent/guardian, face to face meetings, interviews and telephone calls.

Personal information provided by other people.

In some circumstances the Parish may be provided with personal information about an individual from a third party, eg a reference about an applicant for a position.

Exception in relation to employee records.

This policy does not apply in relation to the treatment of an employee record, where the information is directly related to a current or former employment relationship between the Parish and the employee as these records are exempt from the application of the Commonwealth Privacy Act.

How will the Parish use the personal information you provide?

The Parish will use personal information it collects from you for the primary purpose of collection, and for such other secondary purposes that are related to the primary purpose of collection, or to which you have consented.

Children and their parents and/or guardians.

The Parish’s primary purpose of collection is to enable it to administer the sacraments and pastoral care to children of the faithful. Collection may be required if the Parish offers after school care or social/sporting facilities. This information may be required to provide care for the child while under supervision.

The purposes for which the Parish uses personal information of children and their parents and/or guardians include:

  • Keeping parents and/or guardians informed about matters relating to the child’s spiritual life, through correspondence and newsletters
  • Day to day administration
  • Looking after the child’s spiritual and physical wellbeing
  • Seeking donations
  • Satisfying the Parish’s legal obligations and allow the Parish to discharge its duty of care.

In some cases where the Parish requests personal information about a child or parent and/or guardian and the information is not obtained, the child may not be able to receive the sacrament or be enrolled in the Parish sacramental program.

Where the Parish is collecting information of this kind, it will issue a copy of the standard collection notice. (Attachment 1).

Adults.

The Parish’s primary purpose of collection is to enable it to administer the sacraments and pastoral care to adult parishioners. Information is used for purposes similar to the use for children.

Where the Parish is collecting information of this kind, it will issue a copy of the standard collection notice. (Attachment 1).

Job applicants, staff members, religious, volunteers and contractors.

The primary purpose of collection is to assess the suitability of the person or persons for the role and, if successful, employ or engage the person or persons concerned.

The purposes for which the Parish uses this information include:

  • Administering the person’s employment or contract.
  • For insurance purposes.
  • Seeking funds.
  • Satisfying the Parish’s legal obligations, eg, in relation to child protection legislation.
  • All applicants for jobs will be sent a copy of the employment collection notice. (Attachment 2).

All new contractors and volunteers will be sent a modified version of the employment collection notice. (Attachment 3).

Fundraising.

The primary purpose of collection of information is for raising funds now and into the future. It is also used for accounting purposes, including complying with taxation requirements.

Purposes for which the Parish uses this information include:

  • Seeking funds
  • Providing taxation receipts, where subject to a tax deduction.
  • Where the Parish is collecting information of this kind, it will issue a copy of the standard collection notice. (Attachment 1).

Who might the Parish disclose personal information to?

Subject to the Privacy Act, the Parish may disclose personal information held about an individual to:

  • Another Parish
  • Government departments
  • Medical practitioners
  • People providing services to the Parish
  • Recipients of Parish publications.
  • Parents and/or guardians
  • Anyone you authorise the Parish to disclose information to.

The Parish will not send personal information about an individual outside Australia without:

  • Obtaining the consent of the individual (in some cases this consent will be implied).
  • Otherwise complying with the National Privacy Principles.

How does the Parish treat sensitive information?

In the Parish context, sensitive information could mean information relating to a person’s parentage, racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religion, trade union or other professional or trade association membership, sexual preferences or criminal record.

Sensitive information will be used and disclosed only for the purposes for which it was provided or a directly related secondary purpose unless you agree otherwise, or the use or disclosure of the sensitive information is allowed by law.

Management and security of personal information

The Parish’s staff are required to respect the confidentiality of the information and privacy of individuals.

The Parish has in place steps to protect the personal information the Parish holds from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure by use of various methods including locked storage of paper records and pass worded access rights to computerised records.

Updating personal information

The Parish endeavours to ensure that the personal information it holds is accurate, complete, and up to date. A person may seek to update their personal information held by the Parish by contacting the Parish Secretary at any time.

The National Privacy principles require the Parish not to store personal information longer than necessary for our purposes for use and disclosure.

You have the right to check what personal information the Parish holds about you

Under the Commonwealth Privacy Act and with some exceptions, an individual has the right to obtain access to any personal information, which the Parish holds, about them and to advise the Parish of any perceived inaccuracy.

Children will generally have access to their personal information through their parents and/or guardians.

To make a request to access any information the Parish holds about you or your child, please contact the Parish Secretary in writing.

The Parish may require you to verify your identity and specify what information you require. The Parish may charge a fee to cover the cost of verifying your application and locating, retrieving, reviewing and copying any material requested.

Consent and right of access to the personal information of children

The Parish respects every parent and or guardian’s right to make decisions concerning their children’s religious upbringing and care.

Generally, the Parish will refer any requests for consent and notices in relation to personal information of a child to the parent and/or guardian. The Parish will treat consent given by a parent and/or guardian as consent given on behalf of the child and notices to parent and/or guardians will act as notice given to the child.

Enquiries

If you would like further information about the way the Parish manages the personal information it holds, please contact the Parish Priest, (03) 9770 9921, or stjudelwarrin@aanet.com.au .

ATTACHMENT 1

Sample Standard Collection notice

The Parish collects personal information, including sensitive information about members of the faithful. The primary purpose of collecting this information is to enable it to administer the sacraments and pastoral care to the faithful, and often to children of the faithful. Information may be required to allow the Parish to meet some of its legal obligations, provide care for the child while under supervision and discharge its duty of care. If you reside in the Parish or otherwise continue to use its services, the information may also be used to solicit donations and/or request your services as a volunteer from time to time.

The Parish from time to time discloses personal and sensitive information to others for administrative purposes. This includes other Parishes, the diocese, medical practitioners and people providing services to the schools including volunteers.

If we do not obtain the information requested, we may not be able to administer the sacraments.

Personal information collected from children is disclosed to their parents or guardians. Parents or guardians may seek access to personal information collected about them and their son/daughter by contacting the Parish Secretary, (03) 9770 9921, or stjudelwarrin@aanet.com.au .

Adults may also seek access to information collected about them in the same manner.

As the Parish is largely reliant upon locally raised funds and local effort for its continuation, information received from those who reside in the Parish or avail themselves of its services may be used to solicit donations and other forms of support from them. On occasions it uses the resources of the Archdiocese to support this process and in the course of this, information is made available to those people. We will not disclose your personal information to other third parties for other fundraising purposes without your consent.

ATTACHMENT 2

Sample Employment Collection Notice

In applying for this position you will be providing St. Jude’s Parish with personal information. We can be contacted (03) 9770 9921, or by e-mail: stjudelwarrin@aanet.com.au .

If you provide us with personal information, for example your name and address or information contained on your resume, we will collect the information in order to assess your application.

You agree that we may store this information for six months.

You may seek access to your personal information that we hold about you if you are unsuccessful for the position. However, there will be occasions when access is denied. Such occasions would include where access would have an unreasonable impact on the privacy of others.

We will not disclose this information to a third party without your consent. Disclosure of this kind of information may be given to those parish organizations over which the Parish Priest has jurisdiction.

If applicable, we are required to conduct a criminal record check, collect information (regarding whether you are or have been the subject of an AVO and certain criminal offences) under Child

Protection law before employment can be offered.

If you provide us with the personal information of others, we encourage you to inform them that you are disclosing that information to the Parish and why, that they can access that information if they wish, that the Parish does not usually disclose the information to third parties and that we may store their information for six months.

ATTACHMENT 3

Contractor/Volunteer Collection Notice

In applying to provide your services you will be providing St. Jude’s Parish with personal information. We can be contacted (03) 9770 9921, or by e-mail: stjudelwarrin@aanet.com.au .

If you provide us with personal information, for example your name and address or information contained on your resume, we will collect the information in order to assess your application. We may also make notes and prepare a confidential report in respect of your application.

You agree that we may store this information for six months.

Access to this information may be available to you if you ask the Parish for it.

We will only disclose this information to a third party if related to the services you are providing or with your consent. We usually disclose this kind of information to the following types of organisations (insert list).

If applicable, we are required to conduct a criminal record check and collect information regarding whether you are or have been the subject of an Apprehended Violence Order and certain criminal offences before a contract can be awarded.

If you provide us with the personal information of others, we encourage you to inform them that you are disclosing that information to the Parish and why, that they can access that information if they wish, that the Parish does not usually disclose the information to third parties and that we may store their information for six months.