This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, hold, use and disclose your personal information and how we maintain the quality and security of your personal information.
Footsteps Community Services (FCS) is committed to ensuring individuals’ personal and sensitive information is managed safely in line with relevant legislation. This statement outlines what you can expect of FCS when personal information is collected, held, and used.
Footsteps Community Services Pty Ltd (“Footsteps”, “FCS”, “we”, “us”, “our”) values and respects the privacy of the people we serve. Footsteps is committed to protecting your privacy and complying with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act) and other applicable privacy laws and regulations.
This document contains detailed information about FCS’s responsibilities, rights of individuals, and the information that FCS may collect and how it might be used.
FCS also has a Privacy and Confidentiality Policy (and associated procedures) that further details the actions FCS takes to protect individuals’ privacy. This Policy is available on request.
“Personal information” means any information or opinion, whether true or not, and whether recorded in a material form or not, about an identified individual or an individual who is reasonably identifiable. In general terms, this includes information or an opinion that personally identifies you either directly (e.g. your name) or indirectly.
The primary purpose for FCS collection of personal information from individuals is to support marginalised Australians through the provision of specialist services. This includes planning, funding management, monitoring, and internal/external evaluation of our services. We collect your personal information so that we may contact you for several reasons, including but not limited to providing you with services, information, and marketing distribution in relation to our services, initiatives, and products we provide.
The personal information we collect about you depends on the nature of your dealings with us or what you choose to share. The personal information we collect about you may include:
Under certain circumstances, Footsteps may need to collect sensitive information about you. This might include any information or opinion about your mental and physical health, gender or sexual orientation, racial or ethnic origin, criminal record, political opinions, political association, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union or other professional body membership, or sexual preferences. If we collect your sensitive information, we will do so only with your consent, if it is necessary to determine whether we can provide you with services, prevent a serious and imminent threat to life or health, or as otherwise required or authorised by law, and we take appropriate measures to protect the security of this information.
You do not have to provide us with your personal information. Where possible, we will give you the option to interact with us anonymously or by using a pseudonym. However, if you choose to deal with us in this way or choose not to provide us with your personal information, we may not be able to provide you with our services or otherwise interact with you.
We collect your personal information directly from you when you:
FCS usually collects personal information directly from individuals.
However, we sometimes collect personal information from a third party such as a carer, authorised representative or from a publicly available source, but only if:
We use personal information for many purposes in connection with our functions and activities, including the following purposes:
We may disclose your personal information to third parties per this statement and associated Policy in circumstances where you reasonably expect us to disclose your information. For example, we may disclose your personal information to:
We might also disclose your personal information if we have received your approval to do so in the context of the services we provide to you and when other parties are involved.
Some of the third-party service providers we disclose personal information to may be based in or have servers located outside of Australia, including, but not limited to, in the United Kingdom and United States.
Where we disclose your personal information to third parties overseas, we will take reasonable steps to maintain data security and appropriate privacy practices. We will only disclose to overseas third parties if:
Footsteps will take reasonable steps to ensure that the personal information that we hold about you is kept confidential and secure, including by:
Wherever possible FCS also uses information in a de-identified form.
FCS’s privacy principles apply to all emails originating from FCS email addresses.
FCS’s internet service provider or information technology staff may monitor email traffic only for system troubleshooting and maintenance.
If individuals are listed on one or more of FCS’s mailing or e-mail lists, they can unsubscribe and opt-out (as detailed in the Direct Marketing section below).
The Footsteps website uses cookies. A cookie is a small file of letters and numbers the website puts on your device if you allow it. These cookies recognise when your device has visited our website(s) before, so we can distinguish you from other users of the website. This improves your experience and the Footsteps website(s).
We do not use cookies to identify you, just to improve your experience on our website(s). If you do not wish to use the cookies, you can amend the settings on your internet browser so it will not automatically download cookies. However, if you remove or block cookies on your computer, please be aware that your browsing experience and our website’s functionality may be affected.
Our website uses Google Analytics and other similar services to help us better understand visitor traffic, so we can improve our services. Although this data is mostly anonymous, it is possible that under certain circumstances, we may connect it to you.
We may send you direct marketing communications and information about our services, opportunities, or events that we consider may be of interest to you if you have requested or consented to receive such communications.
These communications may be sent in various forms, including mail, SMS, fax and email, in accordance with applicable marketing laws, such as the Australian Spam Act 2003 (Cth).
You consent to us sending you those direct marketing communications by any of those methods. If you indicate a preference for a method of communication, we will endeavour to use that method whenever practical.
You may opt-out of receiving marketing communications from us at any time by following the instructions to “unsubscribe” set out in the relevant communication, or by contacting us using the details set out in the “How to contact us” section below.
In addition, we may also use your personal information or disclose your personal information to third parties for the purposes of advertising, including online behavioural advertising and website personalisation, and to provide targeted or retargeted advertising content to you (including through third-party websites).
We will not keep your personal information for longer than we need to. In most cases, this means that we will only retain your personal information for the duration of your relationship with us unless we are required to retain your personal information to comply with applicable laws, for example record-keeping obligations.
Footsteps will endeavour to keep your personal information accurate, complete and up to date. If you wish to access and/or correct the personal information we hold about you, you should request by contacting us using the details in the “How to contact us” section below.
Footsteps website(s) may contain links to websites operated by third parties. If you access a third-party website through our website(s), personal information may be collected by that third-party website.
We make no representations or warranties regarding the privacy practices of any third-party provider or website and are not responsible for their privacy policies or content. Third-party providers/websites are responsible for informing you about their own privacy practices, and we encourage you to read their privacy policies.
If you have complaints about how FCS handles, processes, or manages your personal information, please use the details in the “How to contact us” section below.
Note we may require proof of your identity and full details of your request before we can process your complaint in accordance with our complaint process.
If you are dissatisfied with our response to a complaint regarding your privacy, you have the right to contact the Office of Australian Information Commissioner (www.oaic.gov.au).
FCS recognises there may be risks in transmitting electronic information (for example, e-mail). We will notify you in the unlikely event that any personal information is not transmitted securely.
In accordance with the requirement of the Privacy Act, FCS will develop a Notifiable Data Breach Policy when and if necessary.
If you have a question or concern in relation to our handling of your personal information or if you would like further information about FCS’s Privacy Policy and practices, please contact us:
Telephone: (04) 67 374 123
E-mail: admin@footstepscs.com.au
Mail: 26-28 Oakleigh Court, Woodhill, Qld 4285