Policy Name: 3.5 Privacy & Online Information (Public Document)
Date(s) Revised: Feb 2013, April 2014, January 2019, Nov 2022, March 2023
We are firmly committed to protecting the privacy of any personal information we collect about you and we aim to maintain a safe and secure system of handling your information. We seek to ensure that your personal information is handled in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles in the Privacy Act 1988.
This Privacy Policy (and references to ‘we’ and ‘us’) relates to both The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award – Australia and The Friends of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award in Australia Inc.
What is the Award?
The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award – Australia (the Award) is a leading structured (non-formal education) youth development program, empowering all young Australians between ages 14 to 24 to explore their full potential regardless of their location or circumstance. Each young person who takes part in the Award learns a skill, improves their physical wellbeing, volunteers in their community and experiences a team adventure in a new environment. You can find out more about the Award by visiting www.dukeofed.com.au (our Website).
Why do we collect and handle personal information?
We collect, store, use and disclose personal information for purposes including to:
We also handle personal information to communicate with our stakeholders including providing information about the Award activities and events, and where agreed, activities, events and special offers from carefully selected partners. If you do not wish to be contacted for promotional purposes, you may advise us using the contact details below.
We may not be able to do these things – or may not be able to do them effectively – without your personal information. For example, we may not be able to communicate with you or consider your application for registration, employment or event attendance. In relation to our personnel, we may in some cases take appropriate disciplinary action if you refuse to provide certain information.
What personal information do we collect?
The types of personal information we collect include current and historical details about your name, contact details, identification, organisation, activity details, employment, education, forms submitted, payment details and enquiry/complaint details. We also collect personal information about your communication, transactions and dealings with us, including any contact by telephone, email or online and details of your involvement in or association with the Award.
For job applicants, we may also collect information about qualifications, skills, experience, character and screening checks (including health, reference, background, directorship, financial probity, identity, eligibility to work, vocational suitability and criminal record checks). For those that go on to work with us, we may additionally collect information about training, terms and conditions, staff benefits, emergency contact details, performance, conduct, use of our IT and communications resources, payroll matters, drug/alcohol tests, leave and tax/financial affairs. Some of the personal information we collect about our people is collected pursuant to laws including the Fair Work Act, Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act, the Income Tax Assessment Act and other tax laws, Corporations Act, occupational health and safety acts and workers’ compensation acts.
In certain circumstances, we may collect sensitive information about you. For example, an individual may provide information on their health or racial origin in a Participant Application Form. The Award only collects, uses and discloses sensitive information with consent or otherwise in accordance with law.
How do we collect personal information?
We generally collect personal information directly from the relevant individual or their authorised intermediaries, unless unreasonable or impractical. In some cases, we collect personal information from third parties including public sources, your organisation, your representatives, information service providers, social media and the parties with which we exchange information as described in this Privacy Policy.
Where you provide us with personal information about someone else you must have their consent to provide their personal information to us based on this Privacy Policy.
Who do we share personal information with?
Personal information may be shared between the various organisations and persons responsible for administering the Award in Australia. This includes us and Award Operating Authorities (also referred to as Divisions), Award Centres (e.g. schools and clubs who assist in delivering the Award), Assessors, Volunteers and Award Leaders (the contact persons and mentors for Award Participants). See our Website under ‘Deliver it’ for more information about these organisations and persons.
We exchange personal information with our contractors and service providers that assist in the operation or administration of the Award program from time to time (for example, our mailing house, internet, data storage, auditing, accounting, legal, business consulting, delivery, research, online store and technology providers).
If you apply for a position with us, we may exchange your personal information with academic institutions, recruiters, screening check providers, health service providers, professional and trade associations, law enforcement agencies, referees and your current and previous employers. In addition, if you go on to work with us, we may exchange your personal information with your representatives (including unions), other employers seeking a reference about you and our service providers including providers of payroll, superannuation, banking, staff benefits, surveillance and training services. We may also exchange personal information (including sensitive information) with Award organisations located outside of Australia such as The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation (IAF) who grants us the licence to operate the Award in Australia (for example delegate details including health information for international exchanges/camps) The IAF may also access information for the purpose of monitoring that the award in Australia is meeting its licence obligations, for example by sampling Award Participant’s activity choice and activity hours logged.
Some of the third parties described above may be located in the United Kingdom, Czech Republic and the Philippines.
How do we handle personal information in connection with our online services?
This section applies to our Website and to our other online services we operate including our Online Record Book, Award phone apps, any website, chat room, wiki, messaging service, bulletin board, app, email communications, social media profiles or other online facility (together, ‘Online Services’). If you use our Online Services to read, browse or download information, our system may record information such as the date and time of your interaction, the pages accessed and any information downloaded. This information is used for statistical, reporting and website administration and maintenance purposes.
Like many other websites, our Website may use ‘cookies’ from time to time. A cookie is a piece of information that allows our system to identify and interact more effectively with your browser. The cookie helps us to maintain the continuity of your browsing session and remember your details and preferences when you return. You can configure your web browser software to reject cookies however some parts of our website may not have full functionality in that case.
Our Online Services may use Google services such as Google Analytics and Google Maps from time to time. For more about how Google collects and processes data, please see Google’s privacy policy and their information at www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/.
The Online Services may contain links to other sites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or policies of those sites.
Children
We require that children under the age of 15 years obtain their parents’/guardians permission before sending any information about themselves to anyone over the Internet. All under 18s are required to obtain parental consent on Licensed Organisation enrolment forms before they can be registered for the Award.
Talent Release Forms need to be signed by the parent or guardians of any child under the age of 18 who has their photograph taken for use by the Award. Anyone over the age of 18 is also asked to sign a Talent Release Form to authorise us to use their photographs.
How do we protect the security of personal information?
We use both technological and physical methods to protect personal information from misuse, loss or unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. Depending on the circumstances, these methods may include electronic access controls, premises security and network firewalls. While we take reasonable steps to protect the personal information we hold, we are unable to guarantee the security of that information. Please be aware that there are inherent risks in transmitting information across the internet. If you are concerned about sending information of a sensitive nature to us online, you may prefer to contact us by telephone or mail. We hold personal information electronically and in hard copy form, both at our own premises and with the assistance of our service providers.
How can you access and correct your personal information?
If you would like to access your personal information that we hold, you make an access request by contacting us using the details below. You can also request to update and correct your information.
In some circumstances, we may not be required by law to provide you with access or to correction of your personal information. In these circumstances, we will provide you with the reason(s) for refusal. If you disagree with our refusal to make a correction, you can request us to take reasonable steps to associate a statement with the information noting your disagreement.
How can you contact us for questions and feedback?
If you have a question or complaint about how we handle personal information or want to access or correct your personal information, you can contact:
Attn: Privacy Officer
National Award Operator
Level 3, 189 Kent St
Sydney NSW 2000
Phone: +61 2 8241 1500 (prompt 3)
Email: admin@dukeofed.com.au
If you are making a complaint, we may request additional details from you and may need to engage or consult with other parties in order to investigate and deal with your issue. We will keep records of your request and any resolution.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award – Australia ABN 70114 267 195
The Friends of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award in Australia Inc ABN 85 021 371 716
Last updated 13/05/2020
The Award maintains a Governance Policy manual. This policy is referenced as Policy 3.5 Privacy & Online Information. Please also refer to Policy 1.12 Privacy Compliance Policy.
