DCO and your privacy
What is personal information?
Personal information means information about an individual whose identity is apparent, or can be ascertained, from the information.
DCO collects personal information in order to provide quality services on behalf of Command to Australian Defence Force (ADF) members and their families.
DCO, in collecting personal information of current ADF members and/or their family circumstances, is required to comply with the Privacy Act 1988 which regulates the manner in which the organisation collects, handles, stores, secures, maintains, provides access to, alters, uses and discloses personal information.
What information is recorded and from whom?
The type of information collected depends on the circumstances, nature of request and the service being delivered.
DCO may request information on family circumstances, relationships, health, or supports.
Information recorded is gathered through written reports or letters, specialist reports, interviews, consultations, or Defence forms.
DCO may request information from the ADF member, the ADF member’s family, medical practitioners, allied health workers, Command and military agencies, community services or agencies or teachers and educators.
This information may be recorded as a social work report, case notes, DCO case plan, and filed in a DCO client file.
How we use your information
Your information is collected so that we can provide you with appropriate professional assistance, and for planning and evaluation of our services.
Who has access to the information and under what circumstances depends on your circumstances and the nature of the request for DCO services. Information may be used by Command, a Commanding Officer, or other military agencies such as Service Career Managers.
Disclosure of your information
DCO may sometimes need to disclose personal information about your personal and/or family circumstances to other Agencies or organisations in the health, community, medical, educational or legal areas. This may be in circumstances where:
- disclosure of the information is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the life or health of yourself or another person,
- you have been told in a valid Privacy Statement, or you are reasonably likely to know, that information of that kind is usually passed to that person, body or agency (such as through a Privacy Statement),
- you have consented to the disclosure,
- the disclosure is required or authorised by or under law (such as a court subpoena or authority under child protection legislation), or
- the disclosure is reasonably necessary for the enforcement of the criminal law or of a law imposing a pecuniary penalty, or for the protection of the public revenue.
Accuracy of your information
DCO endeavours to ensure the information we collect, use and disclose is accurate and correct. Clients are informed of information in relation to them provided in reports prepared for Command. At this time the client can correct any inaccuracies or note differences. Where information cannot be provided due to limits of the organisation this is explained to the client.
Client consent
Clients are asked to provide written consent when their information is being disclosed to other organisations/Agencies or persons outside Defence, or where they have not been made aware in the Privacy Statement that the information they have provided may be disclosed, unless such disclosure is authorised by the Privacy Act 1988.
Access to your information
The right to access documents is given under section 11 of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 . Further guidance is provided in DI(G) ADMIN 27-1 Freedom of Information Act Implementation in the Department of Defence. (Available on the Defence intranet.)
All client requests to access their records or DCO file must in the first instance be forwarded in writing to the DCO Area Office.
Privacy statement
Providing a privacy statement is a legal obligation under the Privacy Act 1988. A privacy statement is a means by which Defence ensures that an individual, from whom it is collecting personal information, is generally aware of:
- The purpose for which the information is being sought.
- Whether the collection is required or authorised by or under law, and if so the appropriate references.
- To whom Defence would normally provide the information, both within, and external to, Defence.
Clients should receive a Privacy Statement prior to any personal information being requested.
You can download a copy of the privacy statement in PDF format. Download here
Contacting DCO
Visit the ‘Contact us’ section of our website.
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