This statement sets out the RANZCP's privacy policy and the practices that will be followed to respect the privacy of individuals who deal with the RANZCP. This statement is provided in accordance with the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000 and the National Privacy Principles (NPPs) which are set out in the Act.

Collection of information

The type of information collected by the RANZCP regarding individuals generally includes the following:
Names
Addresses (including email addresses)
Telephone and facsimile numbers
Date of Birth
Occupation
Gender
Education and training, both RANZCP and other types
Membership and professional associations

The information held by the RANZCP may come from a number of sources including:

Potential employees
Independent contractors
Members of the RANZCP
Trainees
Other sources

Some information the RANZCP holds may be sensitive information.

Sensitive information held may include information concerning an individual's:

Race or ethnic origin;
Political opinion;
Membership of a political association or religious beliefs, affiliations or philosophical beliefs;
Membership of a professional or trade association or membership of a trade union;
Sexual preferences or practices or criminal record.

Sensitive information also includes health information about an individual.

The RANZCP will only collect sensitive information with the individual's consent.

The RANZCP will not collect personal information unless the information is necessary for one or more of the Colleges functions or activities. The RANZCP will collect the personal information only by lawful and fair means and not in an unreasonably intrusive way. Whenever the RANZCP collects personal information about an individual, the RANZCP will take reasonable steps to ensure that the individual is aware of:

The identity of the RANZCP:

The fact that he or she is able to gain access to the information;
The purpose for which the information is collected;
The organisations to which the RANZCP usually discloses information of that kind;
Any law that requires the particular information to be collected; and
The main consequences (if any) for the individual if all or part of the information is not provided.

If it is reasonable and practical to do so, the RANZCP will collect personal information about an individual only from that individual. If however this information is collected from someone else, the RANZCP will act reasonably to ensure the individual is or has been made aware of the matters listed above, unless certain exemptions apply.

The purposes for which the RANZCP uses this information

The purposes for which the RANZCP uses the personal information referred to above include the following:
To consider potential employee's applications for employment by the College;
To consider applications for trainee and Fellowship entry and selection eligibility;
To provide services to members and non-members;
To administer the training and examinations program for Fellowship;
To administer contractors of the organisation;
To develop programs and policies in accordance with the aims and objectives of the College;
To comply with legal and bureaucratic requirements.

Use and disclosure

As a general rule, the RANZCP will not use or disclose personal information about an individual other than for its primary purpose of collection, unless:
The individual has consented to the use or disclosure; or
the RANZCP has reason to suspect that unlawful activity has been, or may be engaged in, and uses or discloses the personal information as a necessary part of its investigation of the matter or in reporting its concerns to relevant persons or authorities; or
The use or disclosure is required or authorised by or under law; or
The RANZCP reasonably believes that the use or disclosure is reasonably necessary for a specified purpose by or on behalf of an enforcement body.

The RANZCP will use the information for marketing purposes only where:
It is impractical for the RANZCP to seek the individual's consent before that particular use;
The individual has not made a request not to receive direct marketing communications;

Data quality

The RANZCP will take all reasonable steps to make sure that the personal information it collects, uses or discloses is accurate, complete and up to date.

Data security

The RANZCP will take all reasonable steps to protect the personal information it holds from misuse and loss and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

The RANZCP will take reasonable steps to destroy or permanently de-identify personal information if it is no longer needed.

Openness

The RANZCP has set out in this document its policies of management of personal information and will make this document available to anyone who asks for it.

On request, the RANZCP will take reasonable steps to let an individual know, generally, what sort or personal information is held, for what purposes, and how that information is collected, held, used and disclosed.

Access and correction

As a general rule, the RANZCP will, on request, provide access to an individual’s personal information. The RANZCP may however choose not to provide individuals with access to such information. This will include cases where:

• Providing access would have an unreasonable impact on the privacy of other individuals;
• The request for access is frivolous or vexatious;
• The information relates to anticipated or existing legal proceedings and would not be discoverable in those proceedings;
• Access would inappropriately or negatively affect trainee assessment or selection processes;
• Providing access would reveal the intentions of the RANZCP in relation to negotiations with the individual in such a way as to prejudice those negotiations;
• Providing access would be unlawful;
• Providing access would be likely to prejudice an investigation of possible unlawful activity;
• Providing access would be likely to prejudice activities which are carried out by the RANZCP on behalf of an enforcement body.

The RANZCP may decide to impose a charge upon the individual to cover the cost of verifying a request for information and locating, retrieving, reviewing and copying any material requested.

Identifiers

The RANZCP will not adopt a government agency identifier as its identifier of an individual.

Anonymity

Wherever it is lawful and practical, the RANZCP will allow individuals the option of not identifying themselves when entering into transactions with us.

Transborder data flows

The RANZCP will only transfer personal information about an individual to a third party who is in a foreign country in specified circumstances. This would include:
Where the individual consents to the transfer; or
Where the RANZCP has taken reasonable steps to ensure that the information which has transferred will not be held, used or disclosed by the recipient of the information inconsistently with the NPPs.

Complaint handling process

A complaint by an individual regarding an alleged breach of privacy by the RANZCP should be forwarded in writing to the following address:

Privacy Compliance Officer
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists
309 La Trobe Street
MELBOURNE VIC 3000

The Privacy Complaints Officer will be made available to investigate and resolve the complaint internally through mediation with the individual.

If the individual is not happy with the resolution of their complaint by the Privacy Complaints Officer they may then complain to the Privacy Commissioner or Industry Code adjudicator about the act or practice they consider to be an interference with their privacy. The Commissioner then has the power to investigate the alleged breach by examining witnesses, obtaining documents and directing individuals to attend compulsory conferences. The Privacy Commissioner's determination in such cases is enforceable by the High Court.

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists
ABN 68 000 439 047
309 La Trobe Street Melbourne Vic 3000 Australia
Tel +613 9640 0646
Toll free 1800 337 448 (for Australian residents)
Fax +613 9642 5652
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