Our commitment to privacy

Your privacy is a top priority for us. When dealing with your personal information, we observe our obligations under the Privacy Act 1988 and comply with the Australian Privacy Principles, as well as other relevant state legislation.

When personal information is no longer required, we destroy or delete it in a secure manner, according to regulations outlined by the Administrative Functions Disposal Authority (AFDA).

Our Privacy Policy sets out how we will collect, use, store, disclose and de-identify your personal information.

The types of information we collect

We collect:

  • contact details (name, address, telephone numbers, email, etc)
  • employment history
  • educational qualifications
  • complaint details
  • donation history and
  • credit card and/or bank account details.

The types of sensitive information we collect include records of communication between us, which may include, from time to time, information you provide us or we collect from others. This includes, but is not limited to, the following types of information:

  • health information
  • racial or ethnic origin
  • personal financial information
  • personal credit card data and
  • any idiosyncratic or personal formation we obtain from you or others about you.

How we collect your information

We collect your information in the following ways:

  • face-to-face contact
  • electronically, including through our website and online surveys
  • via social media messages or conversation
  • during phone calls
  • voice or image recordings
  • while delivering and administering services at our facilities; and
  • from forms, coupons and other correspondence (both in writing and electronically).

NCIRS uses tools provided by third parties, such as Google Analytics, to review website traffic information. Information collected may include the IP address of the device and information about sites that IP address has come from, the pages you visit on our site and the previous site visited. We use this information to maintain, secure and improve your online experience.

You can opt out of Google Analytics data collection by using the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

Cookies

NCIRS uses 'cookies' for maintaining contact with website users. Cookies are small files compiled when using the website which is stored by the web browser software on your computer. The Privacy Commission provides more information about cookies.

NCIRS does not identify users or their browsing activities unless legally requested by a law enforcement agency.

How we use your information

We will only use and disclose your personal information for the purpose(s) for which it was collected, or as otherwise permitted by law. We will not disclose the above information that we collect to affiliates or third parties without your consent. Sometimes we may be legally required to disclose your information, for example, to government departments where you request a criminal record check.

NCIRS does not use personal information for any medical-related research purpose. All medical research is conducted under the strict guidelines governed by legislation, and no information we collect from you in regular communications or by online interactions is used in medical research.

We may disclose your personal information to external support services such as volunteers, service providers, agencies and other not-for-profit organisations, like-minded organisations that contract and provide or perform services on our behalf.

We take reasonable steps to ensure that these companies are bound by confidentiality and privacy obligations when handling your personal information. If you don’t want your personal information disclosed to another company, please let us know at the time we collect your information.

Surveys

All academic/research surveys conducted by NCIRS staff and/or students, which involve the collection of personal information, will have received approval from the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network Ethics Committee. Contact details for the Ethics Committee will be included in each survey instrument.

Contact information from the surveys may be used to get in touch with the participant when necessary.

Registration forms

If personal information is collected via a website, this will be done by sufficiently secure means.

For certain applications, our site's registration forms require users to give contact information (like name and email address), and unique identifiers (like login identification and student number).

Unique identifiers (such as login identification) are collected from website visitors to verify the user's identity.

Disclosing your personal information overseas

Occasionally we may use overseas facilities or contractors to process or back-up information or to provide other services. As a result, we may disclose your personal information to our overseas facilities or contractors for these purposes. Any disclosure of your personal information overseas does not change our commitment to safeguarding your privacy. We do not otherwise disclose or transfer your personal information overseas.

Accessing and correcting your personal information

If you have a question about this privacy policy or think that your personal information retained by NCIRS requires changing please email us.

Complaints about a breach of your privacy

If you’re concerned about how we have collected or managed your personal information please call us on (02) 9845 1433. If you wish to raise an issue about your privacy, please contact us by email.

 

Last updated March 2023