The Indigenous Consumer Assistance Network Ltd (ICAN) has created this privacy statement as part of our firm commitment to protecting your personal information and privacy. ICAN recognises the importance of the privacy of your personal information and is committed to the ethical and responsible guardianship of any such information provided. Privacy laws apply when we collect, use, disclose and dispose of your personal information. Personal information includes information that identifies you or could identify you, for example, your name, address or phone number, or identifying details from your financial matter. It also includes sensitive information such as your race, ethnicity and health information.

Collection of personal information

We collect your personal information both directly from you, by telephone, email, online or face to face, and from third parties as part of providing advice or casework. With your informed consent we may collect sensitive information, including information about your race, ethnicity and health information. You do not have to provide sensitive information if you do not want to.  You will still be provided with our services. The personal information we collect is stored on a secure internal database.

The Data Exchange System (DEX)

We are required by our funder, the Department of Social Services, to use the Data Exchange System (DEX). It is an IT system that is hosted by the Australian Government’s Department of Social Services. The Department of Social Services has strict privacy policies. ICAN uploads de-identfied client data to DEX.  We do not provide DEX or the Department of Social Services with identifying information such as your name and street address. DEX protects client privacy by applying data de-identification and aggregation methods, including the use of statistical linkage keys for data matching. De-identified information collected through the Data Exchange is used for research and policy analysis only. You can find out more information about the way the Department of Social Services handles privacy in the Department’s Privacy Policy

Use and Disclosure

We will generally only use personal information, including sensitive information about you, or disclose it to third parties, for the purposes of providing you with advice and financial counselling, or, if you agree, referring you to other organisations. We may also use or disclose personal information to third parties if required to do so by law; or in emergencies where life, health or safety of any person is at risk. 

Mailing Lists

Information that you provide to ICAN will also be used for the purposes of maintaining an information mailing list, which is used to send out notices of upcoming events, information regarding the activities or partnerships of ICAN and issues relating to Indigenous consumers. Any alternative uses of this information will only be undertaken once your explicit consent has been obtained. By providing information in such a manner you consent to its use for the purposes for which it was sought.

Case Studies

We will sometimes use case studies based on the experience of our clients to explain what our service does, or to convince the government or other relevant organisations that laws and/or industry practices need to change to improve consumer protection. Any case study relating to your matter will not identify you or your particular matter unless we have obtained consent from you. If you tell us that you do not want your personal information to be used for a particular purpose, we will agree to that request

Monitoring and Evaluation

We may use information you have provided us to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of our service. This includes file review and risk management purposes, including review by other financial counsellors providing Professional Supervision. We may also seek your consent for us or a third party to contact you to participate in research or other evaluation activities. You do not need to give your consent to this and we will provide you with the same services whether or not you provide such consent. We may also use or disclose personal information to third parties if required to do so by law; in emergencies where life, health or safety of any person is at risk.

Data quality, access and correction

We take all reasonable steps to ensure that personal information is accurate, complete, up to date and relevant, and generally ‘fit for purpose’. You can assist us by notifying us quickly of any changes or relevant new information. You have the right under privacy law to see any personal information that ICAN holds about you, and to seek changes to it if you believe it is wrong.

Security

We will take reasonable steps to ensure that the personal information held by ICAN is protected from misuse, loss and from unauthorised access, modification and disclosure. Any personal information you give to ICAN will be kept strictly confidential and will not be sold, rented, loaned or otherwise disclosed to enable any third party to contact you on their own behalf. You should however be aware that there are risks involved in transmitting personal information over the internet or by email.

Please tell us if you have any privacy or safety concerns about us leaving a message for you, especially if our message mentions ICAN or financial counselling services, or your financial problem. In particular, please tell us if you have any concerns about us leaving that type of message as a voice message on your land-line; or mobile phone (by text to your mobile phone or with someone who answers your mobile); or by email.

This might be a risk for you, for example, if you have a gambling problem or financial difficulty that you do not want other household members to know about, or if you are experiencing family violence, or because your messages are not secure. ICAN’s commitment to maintaining ethical privacy policies means that this policy may, from time to time, be revised and we reserve the right to change this policy at any time. Updated versions of the policy will be posted on this website. If you have any questions or comments regarding this policy please contact us at info@ican.org.au.

Statistical Information

When you browse our website, our system automatically makes a record of your visit and logs the following information for statistical purposes: your server address; top level domain name (eg: .com, .net, .gov, .au etc); date and time of your visit; which pages are accessed; the time spent on individual pages and the site overall; and which files are downloaded. However, we do not record your user identity or email address unless you choose to send us a message or sign-up to any of our online services. In that event your identity and email address will only be used for the purpose for which you provided it and will not be added to any mailing list unless you ask for this to be done. We will not use your identity or email address for any other purpose and will not disclose it to other persons or organisations without your consent.

Other Sites’ Privacy Policies

This website contains links to other sites. ICAN is not responsible for the content and the privacy practices of other websites and encourages you to examine each site’s privacy policies.

Keeping your information

We will take reasonable steps to de-identify or destroy personal information once it is no longer needed. In practice, personal information contained in both our hard copy and electronic files is kept for at least seven years after we close your file and may be kept for longer. We will return any of your original documents in our possession when your matter is finalised.

Enquiries or complaints

If you have any concerns about our use of your information, please discuss these with us. We will always try to resolve them with you.  You can contact us, make a complaint, or seek more details about this site or our privacy policies by:

Phone: 1800 369 878

Email: jillian.williams@ican.org.au

Or write to:
Operations Manager
Indigenous Consumer Assistance Network
209 Buchan Street, Bungalow Qld 4870

You have the right to complain about alleged breaches of privacy to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) See www.oaic.gov.au or call 1300 363 992.

Updated 30th May 2024