Your information and your safety

Information sharing procedures will be explained to you, and your consent will be sought when you are receiving a relevant service.

Generally, your information will not be shared without your consent. However, if there is a serious threat to a person’s life, health, safety, or welfare, your information may be shared without your consent to lessen or prevent the serious threat.

Your information may also be shared without consent if it is linked to a child experiencing family violence and is necessary to assess or manage the family violence risk to that child.

If your information is shared without your consent, it will be done in a manner that promotes your safety and considers your views, where appropriate, safe, and reasonable.

When appropriate, safe, and reasonable, you will be notified about your information being shared.

If you believe any information held about you is incorrect, you can request to review your file and ask for corrections.

If you believe your privacy has been unlawfully interfered with due to information sharing, you may make a complaint to the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner, the Health Complaints Commissioner, or the Australian Information Commissioner, as applicable.

Your information is strictly confidential and will only be shared with prescribed services that are legally bound to keep it secure.

Your information will never be shared with the person using family violence under the Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme established under Part 5A of the Family Violence Protection Act 2008.

An organisation may share information with you about the person using family violence to assist you in managing your own safety or that of your children.

You are not permitted to use the information provided for any purpose other than managing your safety.

You should not share the information you receive in ways that are unrelated to managing your safety (e.g., sharing on social media). Sharing your information with the wrong person could affect your or others’ safety.

Information can be shared with members of your safety management network as required, but only as it relates to implementing your relevant safety plans. If information is provided to a third party, you must inform them that the information can only be used to manage your safety or that of your children.