Download the St James the Apostle Parish Privacy Policy Feb2016 (2MB)
Your Privacy is important to us
St James the Apostle Parish (the parish), as part of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne, is bound by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act) and the Australian Privacy Principles (AAPs) in the Privacy Act. The parish respects and values the personal information that the parishioners and other members of the community are willing to entrust to it. This policy explains how the parish collects, holds, uses, discloses and otherwise manages that personal information. It does not relate to records collected and held by the parish Schools. The schools have a separate policy statement, which is available on request from St James the Apostle, St Francis of Assisi, St Clare’s and Thomas Carr College respectively.
What kind of personal information does the Parish collect and how does it collect it?
The 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 operation and practices, and to make sure that it remains relevant to the parish environment. This will be reflected on the parish website and available upon request.
Personal Information means information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable, regardless of whether the information or opinion is true or not, or whether it is recorded in a material form or not.
Sensitive information is a subset of personal information which is given a higher level of protection under the Privacy Act. It includes, amongst other things, health information about you, your criminal record and your religious beliefs or affiliations.
The parish collects and holds personal information which may include 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 schools, after school care facility, or youth ministry;
- Adults receiving sacraments or pastoral care and witness to sacraments;
- Job applications, volunteers and contractors; or
- Fundraising, including banking or other payment details.
Personal information you provide:
The parish will generally collect your personal information by way of forms filled out either by the individual 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 your personal information from a third party including other parishes, a reference about an applicant for a position, or enrolment of your child in one of the parish schools. In some cases where you do not provide personal information requested by the parish, you or your child may not be able to receive the sacrament or be enrolled in the parish program, or the parish may not be able to assess your job or volunteer application.
You may also choose to deal with the parish on an anonymous basis or using a pseudonym. However, in many circumstances (such as to administer certain sacraments, to provide care for your children or to process a job or volunteer application) we will need to identify you.
How will the Parish use the personal information you provide?
The Parish will use personal information it collects from you to:
- administer the sacraments and pastoral care
- keep you informed about matters relating to spiritual life through correspondence and newsletters
- look after your spiritual and physical wellbeing
- provide care for your child(ren) while under our supervision
- fundraise, seek and administer donations
- assess your job or volunteer application
- manage our volunteers
- satisfy the Parish’s legal obligations and allow the Parish to discharge its duty of care.
Who might the Parish disclose personal information to?
The parish may, in particular circumstances, disclose personal information held about an individual to:
- another parish or the Archdiocese of Melbourne
- government departments
- medical practitioners
- people providing services to the Parish, including volunteers and any third party service providers
- recipients of parish publications
- parents and/or guardians
- (if required or authorised by an Australian law or court/tribunal order) to a court of law
- anyone you authorise the Parish to disclose information to.
Overseas disclosures: The parish will only disclose personal information about you or your child outside Australia where you have requested that it do so. Where you make such a request, you agree and acknowledge that the parish will have no control over information disclosed, and that the parish will not be able to ensure that the overseas recipient handles that information in accordance with the Privacy Act and APPs and any other applicable Australian laws.
Direct Marketing
You may opt out of receiving communications from us about Parish services and activities including fundraising by contacting us on the details below.
Management and security of personal information
Parish 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, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modifications or disclosure by use of various methods including locked storage of paper records and password restricted access rights to computerised records.
Where the parish no longer requires personal information for a purpose for which it can use or disclose it under the Privacy Act, it will take reasonable steps to destroy or de-identify that information, unless it would be unlawful for it to do so.
Correction and updating personal information
The parish endeavours to ensure that the personal information it holds is accurate, complete, and up to date, and where using or disclosing it, relevant for the purpose of the use or disclosure.
A person may seek to update their personal information held by the parish by contacting the parish office at any time on the details below. If the parish is unable to correct your information, it will give you notice of this in writing and explain why and how you can take the matter further. You can also request that the parish issue a statement with the information that you believe is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading.
Access to your personal information held by the Parish
You may access any personal information which the parish holds about you. Parents or guardians can generally make such a request on behalf of their children. To make a request for access please put your request in writing and send it to the parish priest on the details below.
The parish may require you to verify your identity and specify what information you require before it can provide access. In some circumstances as provided for by APP12, the parish may be unable to provide access, in which case it will notify you of this in writing and explain why and how you can take the matter further.
The parish will not charge you for making a request, however it may charge you its reasonable costs of providing access to any information requested.
Consent and right of access to personal information of children
Whether a child has the capacity to make their own privacy decision is assessed by the parish on a case by case basis having regard to matters such as their age and circumstances. Generally an individual over 15 years will have the capacity to make their own privacy decisions.
For children under 15 years or who otherwise do not have capacity to make decisions for themselves, the parish will refer any requests for consent and notices in relation to personal information 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 guardian will act as notice given to the child.
Enquiries and complaints
If you would like further information about the way the parish manages personal information please contact the parish priest on the details below.
Parish contact details
St James the Apostle Catholic Church,
336 Derrimut Road
Hoppers Crossing VIC 3029
Phone No 03 9401 6367
Email hopperscrossingnorth@cam.org.au
If you believe the parish has acted contrary to this policy or the Privacy Act please put your complaint in writing and send it to the parish priest on the details listed above. The parish will investigate your complaint and try to resolve it. However if you are not satisfied with the response, you can contact the Office of the Australian Information Commission (OAIC) on 1300 363 992 to make a query about your privacy rights, or visit www.oaic.gov.au for more information about how to lodge a complaint. The OAIC has the power to investigate the matter and make a determination.
Policy Authorisation:
Policy Owner: Parish Priest, St James the Apostle Parish, Hoppers Crossing North
Policy Approval Date: February 2016
Policy Review Date:: February 2019
Attachment 1
Standard Collection Notice
- The parish collects personal information, including sensitive information to obtain Census data and Pledge details for the Thanksgiving Program from the parish primary schools at enrolment and, from time to time, to update information. The parish also collects census data and pledge details from parishioners for the Thanksgiving Program. The information collected on the census form, Baptism and other sacrament forms helps us to provide religious services to the community including administering the sacraments and pastoral care to the faithful, including to children of the faithful. Information may need to be collected to allow the parish to meet its legal obligations, to provide care for children while under the parish’s supervision and to discharge its duty of care. If you reside in the parish or otherwise use its services, the information may also be used to solicit donations and/or request and engage your services as a volunteer from time to time. As a member of the faithful or someone who wishes to become a member or participate at the parish, you agree that the parish will be collecting information about your religious affiliation or beliefs.
- The parish may need to disclose your personal information to third parties, eg parish schools for administrative and fundraising, purposes such as to other parishes, the Archdiocese, medical practitioners and people providing services to schools, including volunteers. If you ask us to send your personal information overseas you agree that the parish will have no control over the information disclosed and cannot ensure that the overseas recipient handles that information in accordance with the Privacy Act. If we do not receive the information requested, we may not be able to provide our services, such as administering the sacraments or supervising and providing care to children.
- Any consents that are required for the use and disclosure of the personal information collected about children will be sought from their parents or guardians unless the child is 15 years or more, in which case the parish may seek the child’s consent if it considers this appropriate in all the particular circumstances.
- For more information about how the parish handles your personal information, how to access and correct it, how to make a complaint and how we handle complaints, see our privacy policy available on our Website or by calling or emailing the Parish Office.
Attachment 2
Job Application Collection Notice
- In applying for this position you will be providing St James the Apostle Catholic Church, Hoppers Crossing North, with personal including sensitive information. We can be contacted by phone 03 9748 6800 or email parish@stjamesapostlehcn.com.au
- We will collect this information in order to assess your application and you agree that we may collect, use and disclose it for this purpose. If you do not provide or assist us in obtaining the information requested, we may not be able to consider your application.
- We may disclose your information to any referees whose information you have provided and to the Archdiocese of Melbourne.
- We are required to conduct a criminal record check and/or collect information regarding whether you are or have been the subject of an AVO and certain criminal offenses under Child Protection law before employment can be offered.
- For more information about how the parish handles your personal information, how to access and correct it, how to make a complaint and how we handle complaints, see our Privacy Policy available on our Website or by calling or emailing the Parish Office.
Attachment 3
Contractor/Volunteer Collection Notice
- In applying to provide your services, you will be providing St James the Apostle Catholic Church, Hoppers Crossing North, with personal including sensitive information, We can be contacted by phone 03 9748 6800 or email parish@stjamesaposlehcn.com.au
- We will collect this information in order to assess your application. If you do not provide the information requested, or assist us in obtaining the information, we may not be able to consider your application.
- We may disclose your information to a third party, including any referees whose information you have provided e.g. the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne.
- We are required to conduct a criminal record check and/or collect information regarding whether you are or have been the subject of an AVO and certain criminal offenses before a contract can be offered
- For more information about how the parish handles your personal information, how to access and correct it, how to make a complaint and how we handle complaints, see our Privacy Policy available on our website or by calling or emailing the parish Office.
