Privacy Policy

Safe and Equal (ABN 77 965 665 912) (we, us, and our), formerly Domestic Violence Victoria and Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria, is committed to protecting the privacy of your personal information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles. This Privacy Policy explains how Safe and Equal manages the personal information that we collect, use, and disclose and how to contact us if you have any further queries about our management of your personal information.

What is personal information?

In Victoria, the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 defines personal information as “information or an opinion (including information or an opinion forming part of a database), that is recorded in any form and whether true or not, about an individual whose identity is apparent, or can reasonably be ascertained, from the information or opinion.”

What is sensitive information?

Under the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 sensitive information is a subset of personal information and covers information about an individual’s:  

• Racial or ethnic origin 
• Political opinions 
• Membership of a political association  
• Religious beliefs or affiliations  
• Philosophical beliefs  
• Membership of a professional or trade association  
• Membership of a trade union 
• Sexual orientation  
• Criminal record

How does Safe and Equal collect personal information?

We may collect personal information in a variety of ways, including: 

• from you directly (such as when you interact with us in writing, electronically or by telephone);  
• when you communicate with us through our websites (such as when you submit feedback using our feedback forms or register for one of our training courses);  
• when you participate in one of our training courses or events; and 
• if you download and use the Arc mobile app. 

Safe and Equal does not typically collect information about individuals from any third parties. In the event that it does, the information will be aggregated and deidentified.  

What kinds of personal information does Safe and Equal collect?

The kinds of personal information we collect and hold about you will depend on the circumstances of collection, including whether we collect the information from you as a user of our resources, participant in one of our training courses, donor, supplier or job applicant or in some other capacity.   

For example, if you email us as a user of our resources, we may collect your email address and any other information you choose to provide to us.  How much of your personal information you choose to disclose to us is completely up to you. 

If you register for one of our training courses, we may collect personal and contact details, employment information, academic history and background information collected for statistical purposes about prior education, schooling, place of birth, disabilities etc. 

If you deal with us through downloading, installing and using the Arc App, we will collect any information that you choose to disclose. This includes the records of your experience with family violence.  

If you deal with us in some other capacity (for example, as a donor, supplier or job applicant), we may collect your name and contact details and any other information you choose to provide to us.  We may also collect details of the interactions that you have with us. 

If you are or become an employee of Safe and Equal, the handling of your personal information may be exempt from the Australian Privacy Principles if it is directly related to your current or former employment relationship with us. 

Why does Safe and Equal collect personal information?

Safe and Equal collects personal information for a range of purposes, including to:  

• respond to enquiries;
• administer our training courses; 
• process donations; 
• manage our relationships with our donors and sponsors and prospective donors and sponsors; 
• manage our relationships with our advisers, suppliers and volunteers  
• send our newsletter to persons who sign up for our newsletter; 
• provide our supporters with information about us and updates on our programs and projects;   
• advocacy;  
• operate the Arc app; 
• conduct research and development; and 
• consider job applicants for current and future employment. 

We may use your information for other purposes required or authorised by or under law (including purposes for which you have provided your consent).   

If Safe and Equal is unable to collect personal information from or about you, we may not be able to communicate or do business with you. 

Communications

If you sign up for our newsletters, we may use your personal information to contact you with Safe and Equal news, sector insights, updates on our programs and resources and employment opportunities.

You can let us know at any time if you no longer wish to receive these communications, by using the unsubscribe facility on our electronic messages or contacting us using the contact details at the end of this policy.  Your consent will be deemed if you do not opt out when we offer you the opportunity to do so, and will remain current until you advise us otherwise. 

When does Safe and Equal disclose personal information to third parties?

In conducting our operations, we may sometimes need to disclose personal information to third parties. This includes, where appropriate:

• financial institutions for payment processing;
• our contracted service providers, including:
  • information technology service providers;
  • marketing, promotional and market research agencies;
  • external business advisors (such as auditors and lawyers); and
  • referees whose details you have provided to us.
• referees whose details you have provided to us; and 
• the personal information about students enrolled in a Course with Safe and Equal may be shared with the Australian Government and designated authorities, such as VRQA (the RTO’s registering body) and its auditors, the USI Registrar (as per above), and the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER). 

We may also disclose your personal information to other third parties and for other purposes where we are required or authorised by or under law to do so (including where you have provided your consent).  

Disclosure of personal information to overseas recipients

Data provided by users of the Arc app is stored in Australia.  

Quality and security of personal information

We take reasonable steps to ensure that personal information we collect, use and disclose is accurate, complete, up to date and relevant.  You can help us by letting us know (using the contact details at the end of this policy) about any changes to your personal information, such as your name, gender, address and phone number.   

We may store your information in hard copy and/or in electronic form. We take reasonable steps to protect the personal information we hold from misuse, interference and loss, and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. This includes taking appropriate security measures to protect electronic materials and materials stored in hard copy. 

Access to and correction of your personal information

Please contact us (using the contact details at the end of this policy) if you would like to access or correct the personal information we hold about you. We will generally provide you with access to your personal information (subject to some exceptions permitted by law), but may charge an access fee to cover the cost of retrieving the information and supplying it to you.  

Our websites (including http://www.safeandequal.org.au/) 

Collection of information other than personal information

Some of the information collected about your visit to our websites is not personal information, because it does not reveal your identity. For example, we may record your server address, the date and time of your visit, the pages you viewed, any documents you downloaded and the type of browser and operating system you used. 

If collected, this information will be used and disclosed by Safe and Equal in anonymous, aggregated form only, for purposes including statistical analysis and web site development. You are not individually identified, however Safe and Equal reserves its right to use or disclose this information to try to locate an individual where we reasonably believe that the individual may have engaged in any unlawful or inappropriate activity in connection with our websites, or where we are otherwise required or authorised by law to do so. 

Cookies

Our websites use cookies to collect information, including Google Analytics and Hotjar.

Complaints

Please contact us (using the contact details at the end of this policy) if you have any concerns or complaints about the manner in which Safe and Equal has collected or handled your personal information.  Safe and Equal will inquire into your complaint and respond to you in writing within 30 days.  If you are not satisfied with our response, you can contact us to discuss your concerns or lodge a complaint with the Australian Information Commissioner (www.oaic.gov.au).   

Contact details and additional information

If you would like more information about Safe and Equal’s approach to privacy, or if you wish to contact us regarding the information set out in this policy, please contact our Executive Director of Operations, Quality and Governance: 

• by phone: (03) 8346 5200
• by email: admin@safeandequal.org.au 
• by post: PO BOX 435, Carlton South, VIC, 3053   

Changes to this policy

We may amend this policy from time to time at our discretion. Amended versions will be posted on the Safe and Equal website at https://safeandequal.org.au/.