Privacy Policy

Victory Life - (formerly Riverland Christian) Church Privacy Policy
(Last updated: January 2009)

Introduction

Victory Life (“Wangaratta AOG”) is committed to protecting its Partners’, Attendees’ and Clients’ privacy. We have created a Privacy Policy to ensure that we uphold the trust people place in us when they provide us with their personal information. This means that when we collect personal information as part of our caring for Partners, Attendees and Clients, we will comply with the ten National Privacy Principles and other privacy laws.

This Policy will be made available to any person requesting a copy.

Personal Information Collection

When we collect personal information we will ensure that we do so lawfully and in a fair manner. We will only collect information that is necessary for conducting our activities.

We use personal information to provide personal ministry to an individual, to administer an individual’s relationship with Victory Life individuals with information on Church events and ministries. Without personal information details, Victory Life may not be able to interact with an individual or provide ministry opportunities in a meaningful way.

We will advise all individuals of the purposes for which their personal information is collected, and of those third parties to whom the information is usually disclosed.

Whenever we collect personal information from third parties concerning an individual, we will take reasonable steps to advise that individual that we have the personal information, the reasons why we have it, and how the individual may gain access to it.

Use of Personal Information

Personal Information will only be used:-
For the purpose it was collected and for related purposes that the person would reasonably expect it to be used;
Where consent is provided for the particular use;
If we are required by law to disclose it; or
For any other reasonable purpose as allowed or required by the Act.
Personal information is not generally available to persons who are not Staff or Volunteers of Victory Life and require the information for the purposes of ministry of Victory Life. We will regularly provide Church Partners and Attendees with the opportunity to update their details via Directory Update forms.

Sensitive information

Some personal information is sensitive information. Health information is sensitive information. We will only collect sensitive information with the consent of the individual, for the purposes required by the activities of Victory Life in the provision of health services (including counselling) or for other purposes allowed or required by the Act.

Any sensitive information that Victory Life collects in the course of its activities is covered by an exemption set out in NPP10. This exemption permits Victory Life to collect information regarding such things as the religious affiliations of Partners, Attendees and Clients (as this is naturally an important part of membership of the Church) without first receiving your consent to the collection. However, Victory Life does not disclose this information without an individual’s consent. We collect this type of personal information relying upon NPP10.1(d) only in relation to members of Victory Life.

Online Privacy

Victory Life is also committed to privacy on its Internet sites. We have a public website at www.victorylife.org.au which is available to anyone. Victory Life collects personal information on its Internet site when you fill out a form (eg. when purchasing products from our online shop). The information that we request is limited to what is needed to provide you with the service. When browsing our Internet site, cookies are only used for our on-line shop in order to facilitate transactions.

When you browse this website, our Internet Site Host may record your visit, and log the following information for statistical purposes only:-
Your server address;
Your top level domain name (for example .com, .gov, .au, .uk etc);
The date and time of your visit to the site;
The pages you accessed and documents downloaded;
The previous site that visited and/or the Search engine keyword used to find our site;
The type of browser and operating system you are using; and
The amount of data in bytes that you download from our site.
No attempt is made to identify users or their browsing activities except, in the event of an investigation, where a law enforcement agency may inspect logs.

We have sections on the website which are available only to Partners and Life Group Leaders of Victory Life. These sections include information similar to that which is distributed in hard copy form to our Partners and Life Group Leaders and have password protection.

We also have an internal Internet site and this is available only to staff and key volunteers of Victory Life. Access to this information is restricted by type of information on a need-to-know basis.

Management of Information

We will take all reasonable steps to ensure that the personal information collected from individuals is complete and up-to-date. We will regularly provide VictoryLife Partners and Attendees with the opportunity to update their details via Directory Update forms.

We will take all reasonable steps to protect the information from mis-use, loss, unauthorised access or disclosure. Victory Life has procedures to destroy all personal information which is no longer needed.

Counselling Service

Victory Life conducts a counselling service. Personal information we collect from individuals before and during counselling sessions is kept confidential and secure at all times. Some of this information is sensitive information (see above).

When files are not being used by a counsellor, they will be appropriately labelled and stored in locked filing cabinets. On occasion, the personal information collected by counsellors must be shared with third parties. For example, this personal information will be shared where:-
There is danger of harm being caused to the client or others;
When Victory Life is required by law to disclose the information; or
When there are matters of a serious moral nature which require the attention of Senior Leadership within the Church.

Anonymity

Where practicable and lawful, Victory Life will endeavour to provide individuals with the option of interacting anonymously. However, given the activities in which Victory Life is engaged in, this will generally not be a practicable option.

Access to Information

We will provide people with reasonable access to their personal information collected by Victory Life in the course of its dealings with the person. However, in certain circumstances we may deny access to this information to the extent that:-
Providing access would pose a serious and imminent threat to the life or health of any individual;
Providing access would have an unreasonable impact upon the privacy of other individuals;
Any other reason as consistent with the Act.
In such a situation we will explain to the person the reason for denying such access.

Victory Life will do everything it can do to respect the privacy of individuals and will only make an individual’s personal information available to those who have an absolute need permitted by privacy laws to provide a service to the individual.

The Public Officer shall keep and maintain a Register of Partners, in which shall be entered the full name and address and date of acceptance of the name of each partner. The Incorporated Associations Act requires that the register shall be available for inspection free of charge by partners upon request at the address of the Church. A partner may make a copy of the entries in the register.

Policy Updates

From time to time, Victory Life will review this policy and revise same if deemed necessary. When we do, we will also revise the "last updated" date at the top of the privacy statement. For material changes to this statement, Victory Life will notify you by placing a prominent notice on our Website.

Questions and contact

If you would like further information about the way Victory Life manages the personal information it holds OR would like access to your personal information held by Victory Life.

Please contact our Privacy Officer by email (office@victorylife.org.au) or by postal mail or contact us on our web page:

Privacy Officer
Victory Life
P.O.Box 196
Wangaratta Vic 3676