Privacy Policy

Privacy Collection Statement


Valley Healthcare Group Pty Ltd t/as Health Staffing Australia


This Privacy Collection Statement applies for each Valley Healthcare Group company operating in Australia from time to time, including:

  • Valley Healthcare Group Pty Ltd;
  • Health Staffing Australia – a Valley Healthcare Group company; and
  • Valley Healthcare Group trading as Valley Disability; and
  • Valley Healthcare. 


(collectively referred to as Valley Healthcare Group Pty Ltd (VHCG) in this Privacy Collection Statement)


This Privacy Collection Statement outlines how Valley Healthcare Group collects, discloses, uses, stores or otherwise handles your personal information.


1. protecting your privacy


At Valley Healthcare Group your privacy is important to us. We are committed to ensuring that your privacy is respected and maintained at all times. Valley Healthcare Group complies with all applicable privacy laws, including the 13 Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) in the Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act) as well as our existing obligations of confidentiality.


This Privacy Collection Statement explains how we collect information, including personal information, and how we maintain, use and disclose that information. It also provides some detail about your privacy rights along with our general rights and obligations in relation to the information we keep on record.


2. types of information that we collect and hold


The type of information that we typically collect and hold will vary depending on our relationship with you. These relationships are generally categorised as:

  • candidates - include all individuals who approach us, or who are engaged by us in the process of seeking or performing work with us or our clients;
  • clients - include all individuals/companies who we deal with for the purpose of providing recruitment solutions and services for their business;
  • referees - include all individuals who we contact in evaluating our candidates’ capabilities and suitability for employment; and
  • participants – include all individuals to whom career transition services, career management services, change programs, coaching or other services are provided to by our VHCG and its related Entities.


We may also collect personal information from you if you contact us, for example by phone or email, and do not fall into one of the above categories.


2.1 candidates


If you are a candidate we collect your personal information as reasonably necessary for us to determine your suitability for work with us or through us. The main types of personal information we collect about you as a candidate are:

  • your name and contact details, including your address, email address and phone numbers;
  • your date of birth;
  • your gender;
  • information in your cover letter, resume and application forms including your skills, qualifications, work history, references, goals and interests;
  • details of your work rights in Australia and other countries;
  • your tax file number and superannuation details;
  • information documenting your work history with or through us (including bank account details, salary, work performance information and salary sacrifice documents);
  • aptitude and psychological assessment results;
  • the results of police checks, working with children checks or other background checks;
  • medical reviews or assessments of you; and
  • other information that you, your referees or our clients provide to us, including personal feedback and notes of our interactions with you and/or others in relation to your suitability for work with us or through us.


Sensitive information is a special category of personal information. It includes information or an opinion about your:

  • racial or ethnic origin;
  • political opinion;
  • membership of a political association or religious beliefs, affiliations or philosophical beliefs;
  • membership of a professional or trade association or membership of a trade union;
  • sexual preferences or practices;
  • criminal record;
  • health or disability (at any time); and
  • expressed wishes about the future provision of health services.


We do not actively seek to collect sensitive information unless it is necessary for our business purposes. If we do have to collect sensitive information, we will do so in accordance with the APPs. Sensitive information will, in most cases, only be disclosed with your consent.


2.2 clients


If you are our client we collect information that is reasonably necessary for us to provide the best recruitment solutions for you and your business needs. The main types of information we collect about you as our client are:

  • your contact details including your address and telephone numbers;
  • details of your job title/description and organisational needs; and
  • records of our interaction with you and confidential feedback you may give us regarding our candidates.


2.3 referees


If you are a referee we collect information that is reasonably necessary for us to determine a candidate’s suitability for work with us or through us. The main types of information we collect about referees are:

  • your contact details including your address and telephone numbers; and
  • details of your job title/description; and
  • your confidential opinions about a candidate and their suitability for work with or through us.


2.4 participants


If you are a participant we collect information that is reasonably necessary for us to provide you with: supported independent living services (SIL); group home accommodation; home care services; https://www.airbnb.com.au/; facilities and maintenance services through another entity called South Coast Facilities Services. The main types of personal information we collect about you are similar to the information we collect about candidates (outlined       in section 2.1).


 3. who will be collecting your personal and sensitive information


Your personal and sensitive information will be collected by Valley Healthcare Group for its own use and on behalf of other members of the Valley Healthcare Group, who might require access to your personal and sensitive information in connection with its recruitment services.


Each time you visit our web site statistical data is collected. This data is not linked to a particular person and does not provide us with any personal information.


4. how your information will be collected


4.1 candidates


Personal and sensitive information will be collected from you directly when you attend an interview with one of our staff members. At this time, you will complete our registration paperwork or any other information in connection with your application to us for registration.


Personal and sensitive information will also be collected when:

  • we receive any reference about you;
  • we receive routine inquiries that we might make with your former employers, work colleagues, professional associations or registration body;
  • we receive the results of your work rights status;
  • we receive the results of any competency or medical test;
  • we receive performance feedback (whether positive or negative);
  • we receive any complaint from or about you in the workplace;
  • we receive any information about a workplace accident in which you are involved;
  • we receive a response from a job advertisement – either written, verbal or email;
  • we receive any information about any insurance investigation, litigation, registration or professional disciplinary matter, criminal matter, inquest or inquiry in which you are involved; and
  • you provide us with any additional information about you.


4.2 clients


If you are a client the ways in which we collect information about you are when:

  • we meet you or communicate with you in any way; or
  • when you provide your opinion or feedback regarding one of our candidates.


4.3 referees


If you are a referee the ways in which we collect personal information about you are when:

  • a candidate provides us with your contact details and informs us that you have consented to such collection; and
  • when we take notes of our dealings with you including your opinions of the suitability of a candidate for work with or through us.


4.4 participants


If you are a participant the ways in which we collect personal information about you are when you:

  • complete a survey or form requesting information from us;
  • either apply or are put forward for career transition services, career management services, change programs, coaching or other services provided by our VHCG and its related Entities; or
  • otherwise provide us with personal information in person or via telephone, email, fax, post or other means, whether at our request or at your own initiative.


4.5 general - visiting our web site & online


You can visit our web site and browse without the need to disclose any personal information.


When you visit the Valley Healthcare Group web site, we record anonymous information such as the date and time of your visit, the server/IP address, which site was visited and the information viewed and/or downloaded. The information gathered cannot be directly matched to an individual and is only used for administration and statistical purposes such as error logging. The information cannot tell us anything about you; it can only tell us about how you used our web site. This information can help us determine what areas of our web site are most beneficial to our visitors. No attempt is made by Valley Healthcare Group to identify users or their browsing activities.


If you visit the Candidate Registration web site and register on-line for employment opportunities or visit the client resources site to register a vacancy, we do collect some personal information about you which you volunteer by filling in your details. The information required may include providing basic personal details such as your name, address, phone number and email address etc. You may also submit your resume or a position description. The information gathered at this point is stored in our database for retrieval and use by Valley Healthcare Group staff only for the purposes for which it was intended. By submitting your personal information in this way, you acknowledge and accept this Privacy Collection Statement.


When submitting a time sheet via our web site, the information is transmitted directly to our payroll division, where it is only used for the intended purpose and is not disclosed to anyone outside the organisation. There is no collection of personal information until you have completed the time sheet and submit to Valley Healthcare Group for processing.


We do not disclose any information gathered about your visit to our web site, or personal information that you provide through the Candidate Registration process, such as your name, address etc. to any other organisation outside the Valley Healthcare Group unless you give your express consent, or if we are required to do so by law.


At times you may forward an email to us via the email link in our web site. The information collected through this email will only be used for the purpose for which you have provided it. Your details will not be added to our database, unless specified by you, nor will we disclose or use your information for any other purpose, than the intended purpose.


5. use of your personal information


5.1 candidates


Your personal and sensitive information may be used in connection with:

  • your actual or possible work placement;
  • checking your work rights status with any government department or body (or their agents);
  • to undertake directly or through agent criminal reference checking with relevant government agencies;
  • payment for work completed on a temporary/contract assignment;
  • follow up with you to offer you work or ascertain your availability for work;
  • your performance appraisals;
  • our assessment of your ongoing performance and prospects;
  • any test or assessment (including medical tests and assessments) that you might be required to undergo;
  • our identification of your training needs;
  • any workplace rehabilitation;
  • our management of any complaint, investigation or inquiry in which you are involved;
  • any insurance claim or proposal that requires disclosure of your personal or sensitive information;
  • to tell you about the other services that we may provide; and
  • ensuring our internal business processes are running smoothly which may include quality assurance audits, quality and services evaluations, fulfilling legal requirements and conducting confidential systems maintenance and testing.


5.2 clients


Personal information that we collect, hold, use and disclose about clients is typically used for:

  • client and business relationship management;
  • recruitment functions;
  • marketing services to you;
  • statistical purposes and statutory compliance requirements; and
  • risk management.


5.3 referees


Personal information that we collect, hold, use and disclose about referees is typically used for:

  • to confirm identity and authority to provide references;
  • candidate suitability assessment; and
  • recruitment functions.


5.4 participants


Your personal and sensitive information may be used in connection with (as relevant):

  • to communicate with and provide information requested by you;
  • outplacement or redeployment;
  • provision of career management programs and associated services;
  • provision of services in connection with change programs; and
  • executive coaching and associated services.


5.5 our policy on direct marketing


We may sometimes use personal information for marketing purposes but only in the following ways:

  • we will contact candidates and participants (where relevant) while they are registered us with updates in relation to employment opportunities, market information and promotions from time to time;
  • we will send subscribers to our website news and job alerts to which they have subscribed; and
  • we will contact clients with whom we have a relationship with market information and promotions from time to time.


When sending direct marketing material we will give you the option as to whether or not you wish to receive further marketing communications and we will remain compliant with anti-spam legislation. Personal information is not used by or disclosed to any third party for marketing purposes.


6. disclosure of your information


6.1 candidates


Your personal and sensitive information may be disclosed to:

  • potential and actual employers and clients of VHCG;
  • referees;
  • other members of VHCG, clients and third party service providers and suppliers located in VHCG’s nationwide locations. 
  • a professional association or registration body that has a proper interest in the disclosure of your personal and sensitive information;
  • our insurers;
  • a Workers Compensation body;
  • any government department or body (or their agents) to verify your work rights status;
  • a designated, registered training provider in relation to training and personal development opportunities; and
  • any person with a lawful entitlement to obtain the information.


We will advise you of our intentions and gain consent before we refer your personal information to our clients for possible work opportunities.


6.2 participants


Your personal information may be disclosed for the purpose for which it is collected. That is, generally, our VHCG and its related Entities will only disclose your personal information for a purpose related to the provision of career transition services, career management service, coaching, change programs or other services. This may include disclosing your personal information to clients who may be your potential or actual employer. VHCG and its related Entities may also disclose your personal information to the parties listed in section 6.1.


6.3 related purpose disclosures (relevant for candidates, clients, referee and participants)


We outsource a number of services to contracted service suppliers (CSSs) from time to time. Such CSSs may be located overseas. As part of the outsourcing arrangement with a CSS, they may need access to some of your personal information.


Typically our CSSs would include:

  • software solutions providers;
  • I.T. contractors and database designers and Internet service suppliers;
  • legal and other professional advisors;
  • insurance brokers, loss assessors and underwriters;
  • background checking and screening agents; and
  • talent marketplace platforms.


We take reasonable steps to ensure that terms of service with our CSSs recognise that we are bound by obligations under the Privacy Act to protect the privacy of your personal information and that they will not do anything that would cause us to breach those obligations.


Once we establish and maintain an employment, staffing or placement relationship with you, we use the data you provided to us, to comply with laws and regulations, including but not limited to employment law, tax and social security and national and international sanctions regulation compliance. For the purposes mentioned above Valley Healthcare Group may transfer your personal data to other Valley Healthcare Group entities that provide services on behalf of VHCG. Personal data is information which can be used to identify you such as name, date of birth, identification number or other factors specific to your identity.


7. if you do not give us the information we seek


You can refuse to provide us with your personal (including sensitive information). However, if you do not give us this information, we may not be able to provide our services to you. For example, if you are a candidate we may be limited in our ability to locate suitable work for you.


8. how does Valley Healthcare Group protect the security of your information


We take all reasonable steps to protect your personal information from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification and disclosure.


We have a number of safety measures in place to protect your information. For example, your personal information is stored in secured offices and in computerised databases which require a log in and password to gain access. Access to the database is only available to those who require such access. All staff are bound by a confidentiality agreement regarding company and customer information.


Visitors to our premises are always accompanied by a member of staff for the duration of the visit.


We use secure methods to destroy or de-identify personal information as soon as the law permits and provided that the information is no longer needed by us. When you advise us that you are no longer looking for work opportunities and therefore do not wish to be registered with us, we will de-identify your data base record and destroy your personal information, unless you advise us otherwise or unless it is a requirement by law such as retained tax/wages information.


9. you can gain access to your information to correct it if it is wrong


9.1 general


Subject to some exceptions which are set out in the APPs (APP 12 – Access and APP 13 - Correction), you have a right to see and have a copy of personal and sensitive information about you that we hold.


If you are able to establish that personal or sensitive information that we hold about you is not accurate, complete and up to date, we will take reasonable steps to correct it so that it is accurate, complete and up-to-date.


If we are unable to agree that personal or sensitive information that we hold about you is accurate, complete and up to date, you may ask us to place with the information a statement by you that claims that particular information is not accurate, complete and up-to-date.


If you wish to exercise your rights of access and correction you should contact our Privacy Officer, whose details are listed in section 13.


In some cases we may impose a moderate charge for providing access to personal or sensitive information. We will not charge you simply because you lodge a request for access.


9.2 candidates


If you are a candidate, information provided by referees or from clients about you is often given on a confidential basis. Accordingly, disclosing the opinions given by a referee or client may have an unreasonable impact on the privacy of those individuals. If referees or clients provide information about you on a confidential basis, you may not access this information, and we will not be able to share it with you without the consent of the referee or client (as applicable).


10. external sites


External sites that are linked to or from the Valley Healthcare Group web site are not under our control and you are advised to review their Privacy Statement. Users should note there are inherent risks associated with the transmission of information via the Internet and you should therefore make your own assessment of the potential risk to the security of your information.


11. changes to our privacy policy


If at any time our privacy policy changes, the updated details will always be available on our web site for your perusal. If at any time you have a question or concern regarding Valley Healthcare Group and privacy, please contact us at privacy@VHCG.com.au.


12. Information Statement: your rights as a candidate in New South Wales and Queensland


  • We will not charge you a fee for the purpose of finding employment including in contravention of section 408D of the Industrial Relations Act 1999 (QLD).
  • We will not engage in misleading or deceptive conduct (such as advertising a position as being available when we know no such position exists or knowingly giving misleading information to you about the nature of a position) and we will ensure that all placements are made in accordance with any legislative requirements.
  • We and our employees having a working knowledge of State and Commonwealth legislation affecting the placement and employment of persons seeking work.
  • If you believe that we have acted inappropriately, illegally, or in a false and misleading way you may contact the relevant department (e.g. Office of Fair Trading in New South Wales or the Department of Justice and Attorney-General in Queensland) for information on possible action that may be taken.


13. how to contact us


If you have any questions in relation to privacy or wish to make an access request or a privacy complaint, please contact the Privacy Officer on the details below during normal office hours 9.00am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday. Our Privacy Officer will contact you within a reasonable time (not exceeding 30 days) after receipt of your request or complaint to discuss your concerns and to outline options regarding how they may be resolved.


General information about privacy may be found at http://www.oaic.gov.au/


Valley Healthcare Group Privacy Officer

Phone: 1800 592 305

Email: privacy@VHCG.com.au

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