Privacy Policy

1. About this policy

Speak Life WA Inc. (“Speak Life WA”, “we”, “us” or “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to handling personal information carefully, lawfully and transparently.

This policy explains how we collect, use, store and disclose personal information through our website, enquiries, volunteer applications, referrals and programs.

2. Information we may collect

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:

• your name, contact details and relationship to Speak Life WA;
• information submitted through contact, referral or volunteer forms;
• volunteer application information, employment or volunteering history, qualifications, referee details and screening information;
• information needed to assess whether a program, activity or volunteer role is suitable and safe;
• limited information about a child or young person where it is reasonably necessary for a referral, safeguarding concern or approved program;
• records of communications, complaints, concerns and incidents;
• technical website information such as IP address, browser type and basic server logs.

Some information may be sensitive, including information relating to health, disability, cultural background, religious beliefs, trauma, care arrangements or safety concerns. We seek to collect only what is reasonably necessary.

3. Children and young people

We take additional care when handling information about children and young people. Wherever appropriate, information should be provided by, or with the knowledge of, a parent, guardian, authorised carer, referring organisation or other person with lawful authority.

We also recognise that young people should be treated with dignity, listened to and given age-appropriate information about how their information may be used.

4. How we collect information

We may collect information directly from you, from an authorised representative, from a referring organisation, from a referee named in a volunteer application, or when reasonably necessary from another service or authority.

Please do not submit detailed medical records, court documents, trauma histories or other unnecessary sensitive information through a general website form. For an initial enquiry, provide only the minimum information needed for us to respond.

5. Why we use information

We may use personal information to:

• respond to enquiries and communicate with you;
• assess referrals, program suitability and support requirements;
• assess and manage volunteer applications and placements;
• conduct reasonable safeguarding, identity, reference and eligibility checks;
• administer programs, activities, complaints and incidents;
• meet legal, regulatory, insurance, governance and safety obligations;
• maintain and secure our website and systems.

6. When information may be shared

We do not sell personal information.

We may share information where reasonably necessary with authorised Speak Life WA personnel, referring organisations, carers, service providers, insurers, professional advisers or government authorities.

We may disclose information without further consent where required or authorised by law, or where we reasonably believe disclosure is necessary to respond to suspected abuse, neglect, exploitation, serious misconduct, an immediate safety risk, self-harm, harm to another person or another safeguarding concern.

Confidentiality cannot be guaranteed where a person may be at risk or Speak Life WA has a legal or safeguarding obligation to act.

7. Photography and recordings

Photography, video recording, audio recording and screenshots are strictly prohibited during Speak Life WA programs and activities unless expressly authorised in writing by Speak Life WA for a specific operational or legal purpose.

Participants, staff, volunteers and visitors must not publish or share identifying information, program locations, care arrangements or personal stories concerning a child or young person.

8. Website and service providers

Our website, email, hosting, form or technology providers may process limited information on our behalf. We seek to use suitable providers and limit access to what is reasonably required.

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. Their privacy practices are governed by their own policies.

9. Security and retention

We take reasonable administrative, technical and physical steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

We retain information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, to meet safeguarding, legal, insurance and recordkeeping requirements, or to resolve a complaint or incident. Information that is no longer required will be securely deleted, destroyed or de-identified where appropriate.

No online system is completely secure. Please contact us before sending highly sensitive information electronically.

10. Access and correction

You may ask to access or correct personal information we hold about you. We may need to verify your identity and may refuse or limit access where permitted by law, including where access could affect another person’s privacy or safety.

11. Privacy concerns and complaints

Privacy enquiries or complaints may be sent to:

We will review the matter and respond within a reasonable period. Where applicable, you may also be entitled to contact an external regulator.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy when our services, practices or legal obligations change. The current version will be published on this website with its updated date.