Privacy Policy

Our Privacy Commitment

Happy Valley Home Care provides a range of home care services and collects personal information to ensure a holistic approach to the care we offer. We recognise and respect every person's right to privacy, dignity, and confidentiality. We will:

• Provide environments that enable our clients and their families to maintain relationships with privacy and dignity
• Promote respectful relationships between all staff, clients, and their representatives
• Ensure compliance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the 13 Australian Privacy Principles (APPs)
• Comply with the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic) in relation to health information
• Handle information in accordance with the Aged Care Act 2024 (Cth) and the Aged Care Code of Conduct

Your Personal Information

We collect a variety of personal information so we can provide services and holistic care to our clients. Examples of personal information we regularly collect include:

• Name and contact details
• Date of birth
• Family and next of kin details
• Health and medical information
• Care needs and preferences
• Cultural, linguistic, and religious preferences
• Financial details, where relevant to service delivery and fee administration

Sometimes we will ask for other information depending on the type of service you would like to access.

Collecting and Storing Information

When you contact Happy Valley Home Care to access our services, we will ask you questions or receive information from a third party so we can provide support that meets your needs and preferences. We prefer to collect personal information directly from the person it relates to, however in some cases this may not be practicable.

Information may also be collected from:

• Your My Aged Care service provider or registered provider
• Medical records held by your current or previous health care provider (with your consent)
• Financial records
• Next of kin

You do not have to provide us with all the information we ask for, however this may limit the types of services we can offer you.

We store your information in secure forms, including:

• Web-based records stored in our secure digital filing system
• Web-based care management database
• Secured email system

Data is entered and stored securely, and access is restricted to those who need the information to provide services and care to you. We are required to keep records for legal and regulatory purposes. Your information is archived in secure online databases.

Anonymity or Pseudonymity

You can enquire about our services anonymously or by use of a pseudonym. We will be able to discuss services that might be suitable, including indicative costs. However, we cannot provide services to someone without confirming their identity.

How We Use Your Information

Generally, we will use your information to:

• Assess your eligibility to access our services
• Tailor services to meet your specific needs and preferences
• Determine if you need to make any payments
• Contact you to discuss the services you are receiving and give you the opportunity to provide feedback
• Communicate with your family, next of kin, registered provider, or My Aged Care, where you have given us consent

We may also use your information for a secondary purpose such as quality improvement or service development if:

• You have consented, or
• Where it is impracticable to seek consent, we will give you the opportunity to opt out

There are limited, serious circumstances where we will disclose personal information to third parties without your consent:

• Where we reasonably believe it is necessary to reduce or prevent a threat to a person's life, health, or safety
• Where the use or disclosure is required by law
• Where we reasonably believe it is necessary for law enforcement or to prevent serious improper conduct

If we use or disclose information without consent, we will record each instance.

Data Processing

Happy Valley Home Care uses third-party systems to process some of the data we collect. In all instances, we ensure the provider has appropriate controls in place to comply with the Privacy Act 1988 and this privacy policy. All data is processed within Australia.

Accessing and Correcting Your Information

If you ask us, we can normally give you access to your personal information. However, we may decline a request for access if:

• The information poses a serious threat to the life or health of any person
• Releasing the information would impact another person's privacy
• The information relates to existing legal proceedings
• Providing access would be unlawful

If you would like to access or correct your information, contact us. You will need to verify your identity. If we do not give you access, we will explain why.

Data Security

We implement measures to protect your personal information from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure. We will destroy or permanently de-identify personal information when we no longer need it and it is no longer required to be kept for legal or regulatory purposes. We protect the security of your information during transmission using encryption.

Data Breaches

The Notifiable Data Breaches scheme under the Privacy Act 1988 requires us to notify you if your information is affected by an eligible data breach. This means we will let you know if:

• There is unauthorised access to or disclosure of your information, or your information is lost and unauthorised access or disclosure is likely to occur
• There is a reasonable chance that this could cause you serious harm
• We have been unable to remedy the situation

If we are unable to contact affected individuals directly, we will post a notification on our website. We are also required to inform the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).

Sensitive Information

We will generally only collect sensitive information (such as health information, ethnicity, religious beliefs, or criminal records) with your consent, except where the collection is required or authorised by law, or where it is necessary to prevent a serious threat to health or safety. A full definition of sensitive information is in the Privacy Act 1988.

Website Privacy

IP Addresses

Our web servers gather your IP address to assist with the diagnosis of problems with our services. This information cannot be traced to an individual user.

Cookies and Analytics

This website uses Google Analytics to help analyse how people use our site. The tool uses "cookies" to collect standard internet log and visitor behaviour information in an anonymous form. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the website (including IP address) is transmitted to Google. This information is used to compile statistical reports for Happy Valley Home Care.

We will not use analytics tools to track or collect any Personally Identifiable Information (PII). Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. We will not associate any data gathered from this site with any Personally Identifiable Information from any source, unless you explicitly submit that information via a form on our website.

Links to Other Sites

Our website provides links to third-party websites. These linked sites are not under our control, and we cannot accept responsibility for the conduct of companies linked to our website. Before disclosing your personal information on any other website, we advise you to examine the terms and conditions of using that website and its privacy statement.

Personal Information Submitted Online

Personal information about visitors to our site is collected only when knowingly and voluntarily submitted (for example, through contact forms or enquiry forms). Copies of correspondence sent from the website are stored for record-keeping and backup purposes only.

Social Media

Happy Valley Home Care is active on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. We support each platform's terms of use and ask our community to do the same. We moderate our social media pages to ensure they remain friendly, informative, and welcoming. Spam content, offensive language, harassment, and business promotion unrelated to Happy Valley Home Care will be removed. We ask that visitors to our social media pages protect the personal privacy of themselves and others by not publicly posting personal information such as names, email addresses, phone numbers, or home addresses.

Complaints

We value your feedback on how we have treated you and your personal information. If you are not happy about how we have handled your privacy, please contact us:

Privacy Contact

• Contact: Ben Smith
• Phone: 03 8740 3236
• Email: ben@happyvalleyhomecare.com.au
• Mail: 2/50 Main Street, Croydon VIC 3136

It is helpful if you can tell us how you think your information might have been misused and any details of HVHC employees involved. We will keep you updated on how we are addressing your complaint. You can view our full Complaints Policy at happyvalleyhomecare.com.au/complaints.

If you are not satisfied with how we have handled your privacy complaint, you can refer it to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner:

• OAIC: 1300 363 992 or oaic.gov.au

Policy Review

This policy is reviewed regularly to ensure it remains current and effective and in line with relevant state and federal laws and regulations. Last updated: [Date].