Privacy notice

Step Together’s privacy obligations under NSW law

As a NSW government agency, DCJ must comply with its obligations under NSW privacy laws when handling your information:

• For personal information: Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (NSW)
• For health information: Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW).

These laws have privacy principles that tell us:

• what personal and health information we can collect and how we collect it
• how we store and protect personal and health information
• how you can find out what information we hold about you and correct it if it is wrong
• how you can complain about how your personal or health information has been handled.

What information we collect

Step Together only collects information that is provided to us by individuals who contact Step Together. This can be during a call made to the Helpline, via webchat, or through emails.

When a call is made to the Helpline, we also collect the phone number of the caller, unless it is a private number, and the state or territory from where the call is being made. All calls to the Helpline are recorded.

Why we collect information and how we use it

Step Together uses the information it collects to answer questions you may have, give advice and or connect you to relevant support services.

We also use the information we collect to assess your enquiry. In some circumstances, we are required to share your information with a specialist team in your State or Territory so that they can offer additional supports and programs available locally. This will be discussed with you prior to your information being shared. More information about the programs in each State or Territory is available here.

We may also use your information at an aggregate level to help plan, coordinate and improve Step Together services.

In certain circumstances, DCJ may be permitted, authorised or required to disclose certain information by law. This includes where there is an immediate risk to a person’s health or safety or in circumstances where there is a concern about the safety, welfare or wellbeing of a child.

More information about how Step Together handles information

Providing information to Step Together is voluntary, and you are in control of how much you share with us.

We are committed to responsibly and properly managing the information we collect and protecting the privacy of our stakeholders, staff and members of the public. All information collected is stored securely in access-controlled systems and can only be viewed by Step Together staff.

For further information, to seek access to or correction of your information, or to make a privacy complaint, please contact:

• Phone: 1800 875 205
• Email: contact@steptogether.gov.au

DCJ's Privacy Policy and DCJ’s Privacy Management Plan outline how the Department handles personal and health information and complies with its obligations under the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 and the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002.

Personal and health information collected by the Step Together Program is collected by:

NSW Department of Communities and Justice

Locked Bag 5000

Parramatta, NSW 2124.