LifeWorks is bound by the Privacy Act 1988 and the Health Records Act 2001.
Under both the Privacy Act and the Health Records Act you are entitled to:
• know why your personal information is being collected and how it will be used;
• ask for access to your records, including your health information;
• take up opportunities to stop receiving direct marketing material;
• correct inaccurate information about you;
• know which organisations will be given your personal information;
• ensure organisations only use your information for purposes they have told you about;
• find out what information an organisation keeps about you and how they manage it.

LifeWorks is committed to providing you with a quality service which includes ensuring that
your privacy is maintained.
Sensitive and confidential information
Except in certain circumstances we need your consent to collect, store, use and disclose
information about you.

COLLECTION AND STORAGE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

Under LifeWorks’ contract to provide services to the Commonwealth Department of Family
and Community Services, we are obliged to provide some information and statistical details
about services to our clients through an electronic data collection system called FaCSLink.
Data collected using FaCSLink is used for contract performance accountability and for
researching trends in service delivery and broad social indicators.
LifeWorks may, from time to time, enter into contracts with other agencies who might
specify similar accountability requirements. This Privacy Statement also covers those
contracts.
Your individual counsellor, mediator or education facilitator also needs to keep case notes
or participation records about matters or information presented by you in engaging our
services.
LifeWorks collects information from you through forms that you complete when attending
our service, through information which might be provided to LifeWorks by the person or
agency referring you to the service and through conversations you have with your
counsellor, mediator or education facilitator
All information collected by LifeWorks is stored as written case records, electronic files
and/or computerised data records.

USE AND DISCLOSURE OF YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

The electronic data collection system used by LifeWorks—FaCSLink—utilises an alphanumeric
code to ensure that your name, address and other personal details cannot be
identified by the information that is provided to the Commonwealth Department of Family
and Community Services.
LifeWorks’ staff members may see your personal information in the conduct of routine
business. All LifeWorks’ staff sign an Oath of Confidentiality at the commencement of their
employment.
LifeWorks operates a semi-networked computerised system that includes internet and
email access and has ‘firewall protection’ to stop people from accessing the data externally.
All LifeWorks’ personal computers are password controlled and passwords are routinely
changed.
Any paper-based records are kept in locked storage and archived in secured storage. Any
records which are destroyed are either shredded or disposed of through security document
destruction services.
In general, organisations cannot use or disclose an individual’s personal information for a
different purpose than that for which it was collected, unless the individual gives their
consent. However, there are some situations where personal information can be disclosed,
including:
where an organisation reasonably believes that the information will lessen or prevent
a serious threat to an individual’s or to public health and safety (this includes giving
information about children and young people to a non-residential parent, if the other
parent or the child has not given consent to access to that information).
If you would like further information about LifeWorks’ privacy policy and practices, to find
out how and when you are entitled to access your personal information or if you would like
to correct information you have previously provided please speak to our staff.