Refugee Legal is committed to protecting and upholding the right to privacy of clients, staff, volunteers, Committee of Management members and representatives of agencies we deal with. In particular The Refugee Legal is committed to protecting and upholding the rights of our clients to privacy in the way we collect, store and use information about them, their needs and the services we provide to them.
Refugee Legal requires staff, volunteers and Committee of Management members 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.
Refugee Legal will follow the guidelines of the National Privacy Principles in its information management practices.
Refugee Legal will ensure that:
- it meets its legal and ethical obligations as an employer and service provider in relation to protecting the privacy of clients and organisational personnel.
- clients are provided with information about their rights regarding privacy.
- clients and organisational personnel are provided with privacy when they are being interviewed or discussing matters of a personal or sensitive nature.
- all staff, Committee of Management members and volunteers understand what is required in meeting these obligations.
This policy conforms to the Federal Privacy Act (1988) and the National 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.