Introduction
This policy describes the way in which St George’s Battery Point (St George’s) will treat personal and sensitive information about individuals.
Scope and application
This policy applies to personal and sensitive information collected by the St George’s about people it interacts with in the course of its activities.
Purposes for collection, storage, use and disclosure of information
St George’s collects personal information for a variety of purposes, including:
- Creating a record of parishioners and members;
- Creating a safe environment for its ministries;
- Enabling a rapid response in health emergencies (e.g. collection of information about health conditions for children or young people taking part in a camp).
What sort of information does St George’s collect?
Generally, St George’s will collect information, including your name, address, phone, and email address, that enables us to contact you.
We may also collect information about your relationship to other people such as the name of your spouse and children.
The collection of some information may include sensitive information. We may collect information such as Working with Vulnerable People details and Safe Ministry Check details so that we can screen volunteers, staff and office holders.
If you access our websites, we may collect additional personal information about you including:
- Server address / IP address;
- Date and time of visit;
- Pages visited;
- Documents downloaded;
- If you have visited our website before.
Collection of this information enables us to tailor your electronic experience with St George’s.
How do we collect information about you?
Generally, we will only collect information from you directly or, if you are a child, from your parent or carer. This information may be collected via hard copy forms, email, over the phone, or in person.
Storage and security of information
Information is stored securely either in hard copy format in our office or archive, or in electronic format on secure servers. If your data is held with Tithe.ly ChMS, it will be stored on secure servers in Australia, America and Europe which are covered by Australian Privacy regulations. You can read more about this here (https://help.tithe.ly/en/articles/2572351-chms-security-faq).
We will retain data until it is no longer needed.
In most cases, the data will be retained indefinitely for the following reasons:
- to enable us to investigate matters that occur within the parish, including investigations that may occur many years after the events in question
- for historical and archival purposes.
Accuracy of information
St George’s will take reasonable steps to ensure that the information that we hold is accurate and up to date. If you are concerned that information that we hold about you is not accurate, you can contact us to update that information. We will then take all reasonable steps to ensure that the information is brought up to date. You can contact the St George’s office by email ([email protected]) or by phone (03 6223 2146).
Access to and correction of information
You can contact us to seek access to any information we hold about you. You can contact us by email ([email protected]) or by phone (03 6223 2146).
Please let us know as soon as any of your contact details change or if any other information, we hold in respect of you is inaccurate, incomplete or out of date.
If access is denied to your information, we will provide you will a reason and we will note that the information in question is disputed.
Use and disclosure of information
We will use or disclose information for the purpose for which we have collected the information, including but not limited to the spiritual, pastoral, social, educational, administrative, legal and historical functions of the church and for the business requirements of St George’s.
Examples of purposes for which we may use your data include (but are not limited to) administration and communication throughout the church, analysing the role of the church in society, recording the histories of church members, adherents and persons in regular contact with the church, and maintaining records in the public interest including baptism, wedding and funeral registers and other related purposes.
Third party service providers may process information, donations and credit card payments and provides support services on our behalf. Where such details are shared, agreements in place restrict the use of your information to the purposes for which it is provided and ensure it is stored securely and in accordance with applicable data protection and privacy laws.
We will also use information to contact you in connection with a purpose that is related to the primary purpose for which we collected the information. If we wish to use information for any other purpose, we will seek your consent.
We may also disclose information where we are required or authorised to do so by law.
Membership directory
Where you have elected to be included in the membership directory (held in paper, electronic and database form), your contact details, photo and other relevant information will be made available to all other members within the congregation. Should you wish for your information to be removed from the membership directory please let the office know by email ([email protected]) or by phone (03 6223 2146).
Use of images and stories
We will take all reasonable steps to obtain your consent for use of personal information that consists of images or stories.
Disclosure of information outside Australia
We will only disclose your information to somebody outside Australia if:
there are equivalent protections for your privacy in the overseas destination; and
the disclosure is related to the purpose for which you gave us information, or you have given us your consent for the disclosure.
Or where we are required or authorised to do so by law.
How can I make a complaint?
If you think that your privacy has been breached, or you wish to make a complaint about how your information has been handled, you can direct those complaints to our office ([email protected] | 03 6223 2146).
If you are still not satisfied, you can contact the Diocesan privacy officer (email: ua.gro.satnacilgna@ycavirp or phone: (03) 6220 2020).
If you are still dissatisfied with the resolution of your complaint, you can contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (www.oaic.gov.au).
Comments and feedback
St George’s is committed to continual improvement of its policies and processes. If you have any comment about how our privacy policy can be improved, please direct those comments to our office.
NB: This document is awaiting final approval by St George’s Parish Council