Privacy Statement

Privacy Statement

last updated: October 1, 2024

DVNQ is committed to protecting and upholding the privacy and confidentiality of our clients and employees. Our privacy practices comply with the Privacy Act 1988, the Information Privacy Act 2009, the Right to Information Act 2009 (QLD), the Human Rights Act 2019 (QLD), Part 5A of the Domestic and Family Violence Protection Act 2012, Domestic and Family Violence Information Sharing Guidelines (May 2017), and Section 159C of the Child Protection Act 1999.

How we protect your privacy:

• We only collect information necessary for effective service provision
• We have processes in place to ensure no personal information is collected, stored, used or shared with anyone, purposefully or by omission, unless the client provides informed consent, or we are required by law
• We store all data securely as per legislation
• We avoid inappropriate disclosure of information about clients and staff
• We take all reasonable steps to protect information from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure

Collection and storage of personal information:

• Information is stored electronically on case files and a client database, safeguarded through password protection and a firewall system
• Hard copies of documents are destroyed after being uploaded to the database
• Client records are kept for seven years (for children, records are kept for seven years after turning 18) and then destroyed
• When you engage with our service, we will provide you with brochures explaining ‘Your Rights, Responsibilities and Privacy’ and ‘Your Feedback is important to us’
• We’ll inform you about how and why we collect information, how it’s stored, and how it’s used
• You have the right to decline providing information or to withdraw consent later
• You can request access to your personal information
• You can request corrections to your personal information

Types of Personal and Sensitive Information Collected:

DVNQ may collect the following types of personal information:

• Contact details including your name, address, email address, and telephone numbers
• Information contained in identification documents, such as your driver’s license or passport
• Date and place of birth
• Information contained in referral forms or obtained during intake procedures
• Details about your situation and the services you require
• Occupation, current/previous employer(s), and education/work history
• Financial information (if relevant to the services we provide)
• Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and other online identifiers

We may also collect sensitive information, including:

• Information about your racial or ethnic origin
• Health information, such as relevant illnesses, disabilities, or injuries
• Criminal record (if relevant to your case or our services)
• Religious beliefs or affiliations
• Sexual orientation or practices

We only collect sensitive information when it’s necessary for our services and with your consent, except where required by law.

Sharing of Personal Information:

• We will obtain your consent before sharing your information with others, except in specific circumstances required by law
• A signed ‘Client Consent to Release Information’ form is used and uploaded to your file
• Verbal permission may be obtained when written consent is not possible
• Exceptions where we may share information without consent include:
  • Legal obligations (e.g., subpoenas for court proceedings)
  • Duty of care or significant safety risks
  • Reporting suspected child abuse or neglect
  • Participation in coordinated community responses to domestic and family violence (e.g., High-Risk Team discussions)

Online Privacy:

• Our website collects and analyses user information for statistical purposes
• We record your visit and log information including your IP address, date and time of visit, pages accessed, and documents downloaded
• This information may be analysed to improve our services
• Information submitted through our website forms will be stored on DVNQ databases and may be disclosed to third parties to provide you with a full service.

Your Rights:

• You have the right to know how and why your information is collected and used
• You can access your personal information upon request
• You can make a complaint about privacy and confidentiality at any time
• For clients participating in Perpetrator Intervention Programs (such as MenTER groups), limitations of confidentiality will be explained.

Notices and Accessibility:

• Signs are located throughout our premises detailing information on ‘Protecting Your Privacy’ and ‘Confidentiality and Safety’
• Privacy notices are included on documents, forms, and digital communications that collect information
• We use interpreters and translation tools to ensure clients are aware of their rights when language difficulties exist

Cookies 

We may use “cookies” and similar technology to collect certain information through our websites and other technology applications. The use of such technologies is an industry standard and helps to monitor how visitors use our website.

We may use such technologies to generate statistics, measure your activity, improve the usefulness of our website, and enhance the “customer” experience.  If you prefer not to receive cookies you can adjust your Internet browser to refuse cookies or to warn you when cookies are being used.

Updates to Our Privacy Policy:

We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, services, or legal requirements. When we make significant changes:

• We will post a notice on our website for 30 days after the change
• We will update the date stamp on this webpage

For more information about our privacy practices please contact us directly. If you would like to provide feedback or to make a complaint, please follow the Complaints and Feedback process detailed on this website.

DVNQ is committed to maintaining the highest standards of privacy and confidentiality in all our operations.