Platinum Safety and Training takes the privacy of participants very seriously and complies with all legislative requirements. These include the Privacy Act 1988. The Privacy Amendment (Enhancing Privacy Protection) Act 2012 (Privacy Amendment Act) made many significant changes to the Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act). The main change is that all businesses that collect or handle personal information will be required to comply with a new set of Principles, the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) as of 12 March 2014.
In our operation as a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) we are required to collect certain information by external agencies such as the National VET Regulator and other licensing bodies in order to meet our compliance requirements as an RTO. All information shared is kept in the strictest confidence by both parties and is available on request. The
Privacy Notice at Schedule 1 of the National VET Data Policy explains these requirements, which can be accessed through: https://www.education.gov.au/privacy-notice.
The Privacy Notice states that:
Under the Data Provision Requirements 2012, Platinum Safety and Training is required to collect personal information about you and to disclose that personal information to the National Centre for Vocational Education Research Ltd (NCVER).
Your personal information (including the personal information contained on the enrolment form), may be used or disclosed by Platinum Safety and Training for statistical, administrative, regulatory and research purposes.
Platinum Safety and Training may disclose your personal information for these purposes to:
- Commonwealth and State or Territory government departments and authorised agencies; and
- NCVER.
- Personal information that has been disclosed to NCVER may be used or disclosed by NCVER for the following purposes:
- populating authenticated VET transcripts;
- facilitating statistics and research relating to education, including surveys and data linkage;
- pre-populating RTO student enrolment forms;
- understanding how the VET market operates, for policy, workforce planning and consumer information; and
- administering VET, including program administration, regulation, monitoring and evaluation.
You may receive a student survey which may be administered by a government department or NCVER employee, agent or third-party contractor or other authorised agencies. Please note you may opt out of the survey at the time of being contacted.
NCVER will collect, hold, use and disclose your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the National VET Data Policy and all NCVER policies and protocols (including those published on NCVER's website at www.ncver.edu.au).
The relevant Privacy Principles are summarized as:
- Collection- We will collect only the information necessary for our primary function and you will be told the purposes for which the information is collected.
- Use and disclosure- Personal information will not be used or disclosed for a secondary purpose.
- Data quality- We will take all reasonable steps to make sure that the personal information we collect, use or disclose is accurate, complete and up to date.
- Security- We will take all reasonable steps to protect the personal information we hold from misuse and loss and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.
Photography privacy
At Platinum Safety and Training we recognise that in some circumstances there are sensitivities relating to the taking of photographs. This is particularly relevant to capturing images of children. We may, from time to time, wish to take photos of training activities we are conducting. When these instances arise in an environment external to our own training facilities, we will first obtain permission from the premises owner or Managing Director, as well as from the participants themselves.
If you have concerns about how Platinum Safety and Training is Managing your personal information, we encourage you to inform our staff and discuss your concerns. You are also encouraged to make a complaint directly to us using our internal complaint handling arrangements outlined in this handbook. Under the Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act) you also have the right to make a complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) about the handling of your personal information. You can find more information about making a privacy complaint at the website of the OAIC located at:
http://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-complaints.
Student Data
Under the Standards for RTOS 2015, we are required to capture student data at the time of enrolment. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure they provide accurate information in regard to themselves and their enrolment. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure they inform us of any change of personal details in writing within seven days of the change occurring.
This data is known as AVETMISS data – Australian Vocational Education and Training Management Information Statistical Standard. We must gather information in regard to the following data: who the student is, where they study and what they study.
We are also required to confirm the identity of the student enrolling into the course. This may involve requesting copy of photo ID or other documents that will verify the student ID. For more information on specific ID requirements for your course, refer to the ‘Student Information’ for your course available on the Platinum Safety and Training website.
Please Note: Enrolment into a course will not be confirmed unless the required student data and proof of ID has been collected and confirmed.
Record Management
All short courses are scanned and entered into our database. Files are stored for the legislated period of time and electronic files are backed up regularly and are stored on a protected server.
Information concerning contact details, financial status, academic status, attendance status, registration details, identification details, evaluations, feedback, and surveys are all confidential. The files are securely locked within a strong room safe.
Accessing your records
Students have access to personal records upon written request to the Managing Director. A Request for access to Student Records Form is available for this purpose, or to allow access to records by a third party. In all cases Platinum Safety and Training will require proof of identity to protect the privacy of all client information. Student assessment records are only retained by Platinum Safety and Training for the legislated minimum timeframe of 6 months as per the ASQA General Direction on ‘Retention requirements for completed student assessment items’.
Students are obligated to keep Platinum Safety and Training informed of their current contact details and to inform us immediately of any change in these details. Students should be advised that if they do not receive any correspondence due to incorrect contact details, they are fully responsible.