Your Privacy
Oac Privacy
Only About Children (“Oac”, “we”, “us” and “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy.
This privacy policy identifies how Oac collects, holds, uses and discloses personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1998 (Cth) as amended (including the Australian Privacy Principles) (Privacy Act). It also sets out how, if we hold your personal information, you may access and seek correction of your data or register a complaint about how we have collected, used or disclosed your information.
If you are the parent, guardian or carer of a child enrolling or enrolled with Oac services, then references to “your” personal information or privacy in this privacy policy should be taken to include references to your child’s, or children’s, personal information or privacy (as appropriate).
We may change our privacy policy from time to time by publishing changes to it on our website. We encourage you to check our website periodically to ensure that you are aware of our current privacy policy.
Purpose
Oac collects and holds personal information about parents and carers, children, employees and stakeholders for the primary purposes of providing high quality, personalised early childhood education, care and health services. We do things a little bit differently by taking the time to offer a holistic approach to high quality education centred not just on learning, but also the overall health and wellbeing of your child. Our campuses are purpose-built to create an environment in which 0-6 year olds can learn, grow, and begin to form their own creative and individual identities.
We expect the particular purpose for which your personal information is collected will be clear at the point and time it is obtained, but the reasons for collection and use of personal information may include: providing early childhood education, health, medical and care services; documenting children’s development, experiences and learning; managing children’s current or prospective enrolment; for administrative and billing purposes; employment and related purposes; and providing you with information about our organisation, services and activities.
You always have the right to opt-out of receiving information about our organisation, services and activities. You may exercise that right by contacting our Privacy Officer, whose details are set out at the end of this policy.
Oac will only use personal information:
- for the purpose it was collected;
- for a purpose related to those described above which would reasonably be expected by you;
- for a purpose for which you give your consent; or
- as otherwise permitted by law (including for law enforcement or public health and safety reasons).
Personal information and sensitive information we may collect and hold:
Parents and carers
If you are a parent, guardian or carer of a child enrolling with (currently enrolling or waitlisted) or using Oac services, we may collect the following personal information about you: name, gender, address, phone numbers, email address, date of birth, bank account details, credit card number, tax file number, Centrelink Customer Reference Number, photographic identification documents and other information relevant to providing you with childcare and related services.
Additional or Emergency Contacts
If you are a person listed as an Additional Contact for a child enrolling with (currently enrolling or waitlisted) or using Oac services, or an Emergency Contact for an employee, we may collect the following personal information about you: name, phone number and email address. You may be requested to show suitable photographic identification if you are called upon in your capacity as an Additional Contact, however, this information is not stored by Oac.
Children
We collect the following personal information about a child or children enrolling with or using our services: name, gender, address, Centrelink Customer Reference Number, date and place of birth, birth certificate, Medicare number, care arrangements including custody agreements or parenting orders, dietary requirements, languages spoken, physical and social developmental information, any additional or special needs, photographs and videos of children and general material about your child and your family that assists us in providing high quality, personalised learning and care services. This personal information may be collected during the enrolment process and/or on an on-going basis while children are in Oac’s care.
We also collect certain sensitive information about children enrolling with or using our services. The sensitive information we collect about a child or children enrolling with or using our services includes: immunisation status, specific religious or cultural requirements, medical conditions and details of medical care needs.
In relation to children screened or treated by our allied health professionals, we may also collect additional sensitive information such as previous and current developmental and medical history, clinically relevant family medical history, the name of any health service provider (including but not limited to private medical insurance) or medical specialist to whom the patient is referred, copies of any letters of referrals and copies of any reports back.
Employees
If you apply for a job with Oac, we may collect and hold personal information about you relevant to your application for employment, including your name and contact details, resume, employment history, academic records, working with children and police checks and, (for those employed), medical information and medical records (including immunisation status), where relevant.
Methods of collection
Personal information
We will collect your personal information directly from you, unless it is unreasonable or impractical to do so. Where practicable we will notify you that we will collect or have collected your personal information at the time of or as soon as practicable after collection.
Some of the ways in which we may collect your personal information, include: in our standard forms, through our website, via email or mobile apps, over the phone, in direct conversation with you, through a third person (such as a parent or guardian) or from nominated third parties (such as employment references). Photos and videos of children may also be collected and used with the specific consent of families and/or carers. These photos and videos are usually collected at our Campuses using cameras or tablets.
If you visit our website, we may collect certain technical details about your computer and web browser (such as your IP address) and, like many, we use cookies and analytical technologies to track and enhance your online experiences and for the purpose of direct marketing. Cookies and similar tools do not access your personal information, or enable you to be identified as an individual, and you can choose to reject them by changing your browser settings, however this may prevent you taking full advantage of our on-line functionality.
Generally, if you choose not to provide certain personal information, we may not be able to process your application or provide you with the level of service we would like to provide.
Sensitive information
Oac acknowledges that some of the information we collect is sensitive personal information (for example health information or religious affiliations). We collect this information when it is reasonably necessary for delivery of our services (in particular our health services) and ensuring the well-being, protection and development of children in our care. We may also collect this information when required or authorised under National or State laws relating to the regulation of education, child protection and care services in Australia.
We will notify you when we need to collect your sensitive information. We will only collect your sensitive information with your consent and will ensure that it is stored securely. If you do not wish for your sensitive information to be collected by us, please let us know.
Government related identifiers
Oac acknowledges that some of the personal information we collect are also ‘government related identifiers’ within the meaning of the Privacy Act (for example, tax file number, drivers’ licence, birth certificate, Centrelink Customer Reference Number, Medicare number and other photographic identification documents). We will not use or disclose a government related identifier unless this is permitted by the Privacy Act (for example, to verify your identity for the purposes of providing our service to you, or where use or disclosure is required or authorised by or under an Australian law).
Storage and security of information
We take all reasonable steps to protect personal information that we hold from unauthorised access, modification, misuse, loss and disclosure. The information may be stored in paper or electronic format (or both), at our Campuses and/or at our Oac Support Office and/or in storage facilities that we own and operate ourselves, or that are owned and operated by our service providers. We may store, process or back-up your personal information on computer servers or storage facilities that are located within Australia and overseas including through third parties who provide services to our business. Oac has specific systems in place that are designed to maintain a high level of security over information that Oac holds, particularly around the management of medical records which are kept confidential and only made available to authorised persons.
Notifiable Data Breaches scheme
In the event of any loss or unauthorised access or disclosure of your personal information that is likely to result in serious harm to you, Oac will investigate and notify you and the Australian Information Commissioner as soon as practicable, in accordance with the Privacy Act.
Disclosure
Oac will only disclose your personal information for the purpose it was collected or a reasonably expected and related secondary purpose or otherwise with your consent. This may include a disclosure to third parties that provide services to our business and operations and organisations and contractors that assist us with the purposes for which we use your information. When we do, we will take reasonable steps to ensure these service providers do not breach the Australian Privacy Principles. These providers may be based overseas or use overseas infrastructure to perform services for us. For example, we may disclose your information to our service providers in the United States of America, United Kingdom, India, the European Economic Area, Holland, and New Zealand.
Unless you have given us your consent, Oac will only disclose your sensitive information for the purpose for which the sensitive information was collected, or for a secondary purpose that is directly related to purpose of collection.
We may also be authorised or required by law under certain circumstances to disclose personal information or sensitive information or government related identifiers we hold to child protection and/or family or community services agencies and to health authorities.
Access, correction and complaints
You may seek access to your personal information by making a request in writing directed to our nominated Privacy Officer using the details set out below. Employees other than the Privacy Officer are not generally able to provide you with access. In some circumstances we may need to decline access to your personal information but will tell you why, if this is the case. Circumstances where access may be denied include where release of the information would have an unreasonable impact on the privacy of others, or where the release may result in a breach of Oac’s duty of care to another person or their child.
If at any time you believe that our record of your personal information is incorrect, please let us know. We will take reasonable steps to correct any errors or omissions in your information so that it is accurate, complete and up to date.
If you have any questions or concerns about our collection, use or disclosure of personal information, or if you wish to make a complaint about a breach of the Privacy Act in relation to personal information we hold about you, please contact us and we will take reasonable steps to investigate the complaint and respond to you in a timely and efficient manner. If you are not happy with our response, you may complain directly in writing to the Australian Information Commissioner (the regulator responsible for privacy in Australia) as follows:
Email:
Write to
Director of Compliance
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
GPO Box 5218
Sydney NSW 2001
Phone
1300 363 992
For more information about privacy in general, you can visit the Australian Information Commissioner’s website at www.oaic.gov.au. You may also request a copy of this privacy policy which we will endeavour to provide you within a reasonable timeframe (free of charge).
Consent and rights of access to the personal information of children
Oac respects every parent’s right to make decisions concerning their child’s care.
Generally, Oac will refer any requests for consent and notices in relation to the personal information of a child, to the child’s parent(s), guardian(s) or carer(s).
Oac will treat consent given by a child’s parent, guardian or carer as consent given on behalf of the child, and notice to parents will act as notice given to the child.
Only About Children Privacy Officer
Postal Address: Level 3, 207A Pacific Highway, St Leonards NSW 2065
Email address: [email protected]
Telephone: 138 OAC (622)
Oac updates this privacy policy regularly. The privacy policy was last reviewed in November 2022.
