PRIVACY

CONFIDENTIALITY

& DIGNITY POLICY

Ross House, 1st Floor, 247 Flinders Lane

Melbourne 3000 Telephone: 9650 2722

Fax: 9654 8575

E mail: amida@infoxchange.net.au

Reviewed: 2-10-07……………………………..

Amended: 5-2-08………………………………

Approved 5-2-08………………………………

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?

AMIDA believes everyone has a right to privacy, confidentiality and dignity.

But what do these words mean?

Privacy

Privacy means respecting a person’s right to spend time on their own whenever they feel like it.

It also means letting people have their own thoughts and feelings which they can choose to keep to themselves.

Confidentiality

Confidentiality is another way of saying that AMIDA will not tell other people about anything you have told us. We will keep this information to ourselves.

Dignity

Dignity means having respect from other people.

It means having the right to make choices and to be involved in making decisions.

WHO IS COVERED BY THIS POLICY?

This policy covers the rights of consumers, members, volunteers and workers.

Consumers

A consumer is a person with a disability who uses AMIDA’s services.

A consumer is a person who asks AMIDA for information or individual advocacy. They may be a member of AMIDA but a committee of management member may not be a consumer of our individual advocacy services.

Members

A member is someone who has filled in a membership form and who has been accepted by the Committee as a member of the organisation.

Volunteers

A volunteer is a person who does work for AMIDA but who does not get paid.

Workers

A worker is a person who does work for AMIDA and who gets paid for doing this work.

?	How does AMIDA deal with Privacy, Confidentiality and Dignity?		?
1		AMIDA will only keep information about consumers that we need to know to provide a service. Consumers can decide what information they want to give and who to give it to. If AMIDA needs to share this information with another group we will ask the person if this is OK and get their signed consent before we do it. We will also ask you to sign a consent form to allow another service or person to tell us the information they have about you. AMIDA must keep a copy of information they give to anyone else and proof that the person involved said it was OK to do this.
2		No one else at AMIDA has a right to look at or hear about the information in another person’s file. If one worker thinks they need to show another worker someone’s file, they must first ask that person if this is OK. You have the right to say no. Workers will only get the information they need to help them do a good job. Under the funding agreement AMIDA has with the Department Family Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, we can be asked to provide any information including personal files to the Department. The Department have their own privacy policy, which says they will only reveal personal details in an emergency. So far AMIDA has only given the Department copies of files that have names and addresses removed and when the person involved has signed a consent form.
3		In accordance with Privacy Laws AMIDA must take reasonable steps to protect the personal information it holds. All personal information will be kept in a file in a safe, locked place. In your file we will keep a record setting out; a) the nature of the information b) the purpose for which the information is kept c) the classes of individuals about whom the information is kept d) the period for which the information is to be retained e) the person who is entitled to have access to the information contained in the client files and the conditions under which they are entitled to have that access f) the steps that should be taken by persons wishing to obtain access to that information
4		AMIDA will keep this information for 7 years from the date that the case closes. When we no longer need to keep personal information for the advocacy purpose for which it was collected, we will take reasonable steps to destroy it or permanently de-identify it.
5		You can see or have a copy of information in your own file if you want to. If you don’t understand the information in your file we will give you the support you need to do this.
6		Everyone at AMIDA, including workers, members, committee members and consumers, are expected to be thoughtful of others and responsible in the way they handle private information about consumers.
7		At meetings where private information will be talked about, only the people involved will be allowed to be there. Private information about consumers will not be talked about in Committee Meetings. If issues are talked about, no names will be used.
8		Everyone should be respected when speaking at meetings or in the office. Everyone has a right to have their own opinion and to have a say and be listened to.
9		Everyone at AMIDA has a right to privacy and respect in the office and in their private life. If a worker needs to talk about private things with a person from the Committee, this should be kept confidential.
10		Everyone at AMIDA has a right to have private talks with other people in the office or on the telephone. If you come into the office while a discussion with someone or a phone call is happening ask if you can come back later. If you do happen to hear someone else’s private talk you should keep this to yourself. Don’t tell anyone else what you heard.
11		Anyone using the AMIDA office should try not to be too noisy. This shows that everyone respects the rights of other people in the office.
12		If anyone at AMIDA thinks there is a problem with the way privacy is handled, they can make a complaint. You can find out how to do this in the AMIDA Complaints Procedure policy. If you need support to make a complaint you will get it.

· this policy on Privacy, Confidentiality and Dignity has to be used together with AMIDA’s Constitution – we cannot go against anything in the Constitution

· AMIDA will always try to help people by giving them the information they need without breaking our policy on confidentiality and privacy or freedom of information laws.

· if you have any ideas to make this policy better please let us know