Jesuit Refugee Service - JRS Australia Privacy Policy

JRS Australia Privacy Policy

Client Information

In the course of our work, we may collect information about our clients. Such information may include name, address, telephone number, employment history, visa status, next of kin, date of birth or email address.

JRS Australia has taken steps to ensure that clients’ personal information is protected from loss, unauthorised access, alteration, misuse or disclosure. This information is stored securely at our office and also, with respect to residents of Blaiket House, at the Catholic Parish of Saint Canice. Only personnel with a direct involvement in a client’s case have access to these files.

JRS Australia will not disclose any information about a client to a third party without that client’s prior consent. Such information includes, but is not limited to, a person’s racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, whereabouts, case history, health information or criminal or other records. Where possible this consent will be in writing. If this is not possible then notes will be kept of conversations pertaining to the granting or withholding of consent.

Where information may be collated and disseminated by JRS Australia, for example, for research purposes or to inform relevant funding bodies, we take great care to ensure that material is presented is such a manner as to render identification of persons impossible .

JRS Staff and volunteers are required to sign a JRS Code of Conduct, which includes undertakings in line with the above. It is a condition of their employment / engagement that staff or volunteers sign this Code before commencing work

JRS Australia will not disclose to other organisations any information concerning clients in a manner that leads to their identification.

Employee Records

Employee records include information about staff members collected for the purposes of administering an individual’s employment contract and meeting our legal obligations. We do not store employee records longer than is required to meet this purpose and we take steps to protect them from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

Donor Records

JRS Australia records the names, addresses, dates of birth, telephone numbers, bank accounts, credit card details and history of donations of donors. Please note that bank accounts and credit card information are only used to process payments authorised by you. These records provide a full record of the financial activities of JRS Australia and assist us with our fundraising activities. All details about our donors are held securely.

Donations for JRS work overseas is administered through Jesuit Mission. Information on overseas donors will be shared between the two organizations on a needs basis and will be subject to the same systems of access and storage.

Donors may review their details at any time to ensure they are accurate and up to date. Details of donations are retained for seven years for taxation purposes.

Volunteer Records

We collect and store personal information about our volunteers for the purposes of administering an individual volunteer’s contribution to the work of Jesuit Refugee Service Australia, insurance matters and satisfying our legal obligations. Similarly, we collect and store personal information on behalf of particular JRS offices overseas about volunteers whom we interview and assess for placements in JRS projects overseas. Information will only be stored for the period required to meet the purposes for which it might be used.

Volunteer records we hold include:

•    name, age, address and contact details,
•    employment history,
•    academic qualifications,
•    interests, skills and hobbies,
•    previous voluntary work and
•    contact details of referees and next of kin
We respect the confidentiality of volunteer records and have in place procedures to protect them from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

Access to Personal Information

We will provide persons with access to their personal information except in the limited circumstances recognised by privacy law. There will be occasions when access is denied, such as where release of the information would have an unreasonable impact on the privacy of others or where the release may reasonably be expect to cause a breach of the agency’s duty of care.

Access to personal information can be obtained by contacting our Privacy Officer on 02 9365 3888. Before providing such access we require proof of identity. For most requests, the information is provided free of charge, however a reasonable fee may be charged if the request requires substantial effort.

Complaints Process

At Jesuit Refugee Service Australia we are committed to fostering a culture that is respectful of the privacy rights of individuals. If, however, any person feels that there has been an unwarranted intrusion into their privacy, they can contact the Jesuit Refugee Service Privacy Officer on 02 9356 3888.