Privacy

Privacy Policy

Introduction

ACT Parents is the peak body for ACT public school parents, carers and P&C associations.

We collect personal information so we can support parents, carers and P&Cs, strengthen parent voice in public education, provide advice and resources, and advocate for better outcomes for children and young people in ACT public schools.

ACT Parents is committed to protecting your privacy and handling personal information responsibly. We comply with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, hold, use and disclose personal information, and how you can access or correct your information or make a complaint.

In this policy, ACT Parents, we, us and our means ACT Parents.

How this policy applies

This policy applies to personal information we collect through:

• our website and member portal
• online forms
• email
• telephone
• social media
• surveys and consultations
• event registrations
• meetings and workshops
• in-person conversations
• written correspondence

It also applies to personal information we may collect from third parties where this is permitted by law, reasonably necessary for our work, or where you have consented.

Website and online services

When you visit our website or member portal, we may collect limited technical information such as your browser or device type, pages viewed, files downloaded, the date and time of access, and referring pages.

We use this information for website administration, security, troubleshooting, performance monitoring and statistical purposes.

Our website, member portal and online communications may include links to external websites, social media platforms or third-party services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites or services, and we encourage you to read their privacy policies.

What information we may collect

The information we collect depends on how you interact with us.

For example, we may collect:

• your name
• contact details, including email address, phone number and postal address
• your school community connection, such as the school your child attends or your association with a P&C
• membership information, including whether you are an individual member, a P&C contact, office bearer or representative
• payment and billing information relevant to P&C membership or other services
• event registration details
• records of enquiries, feedback, complaints or support requests
• survey and consultation responses
• correspondence with us
• meeting attendance or participation information
• information you provide through forms, applications or nominations

In limited circumstances, we may also collect sensitive information where it is reasonably necessary for our work and permitted by law. This may include information relevant to a complaint, advocacy matter, inclusion or access need, or another issue you have asked us to assist with.

We will only collect sensitive information with your consent or where otherwise authorised or required by law.

How we collect personal information

Where possible, we collect personal information directly from you.

We may collect personal information when you:

• visit our website or member portal
• complete a membership, contact, event or feedback form
• subscribe to newsletters or updates
• email or call us
• contact us through social media
• attend a meeting, workshop, webinar or event
• seek advice, support or advocacy assistance
• participate in a survey, forum, consultation or campaign
• nominate yourself or someone else for a representative or volunteer role
• provide information in connection with a complaint, concern or enquiry

In some cases, we may collect personal information from a third party, such as:

• a P&C or parent association
• a school community representative
• another person where you have authorised them to act for you
• a service provider acting on our behalf
• another organisation where you have consented or where collection is otherwise permitted by law

Where required, we will take reasonable steps to let you know that we have collected your personal information and why.

If you choose not to provide information

You may choose not to provide personal information to us, or in some circumstances to use a pseudonym.

However, if you do, we may not be able to respond fully to your enquiry, assess a membership application, give you access to member-only resources, investigate a complaint, or provide tailored advice or support.

Unsolicited personal information

If we receive personal information that we have not asked for, we will decide whether we could have collected it under the Australian Privacy Principles.

If we could have, we will handle it in line with this policy. If we could not have, and it is lawful and reasonable to do so, we will destroy it or de-identify it.

Children’s information

In some circumstances, parents or carers may provide us with personal information about their child or children, for example through a form, a request for support, an advocacy matter, or another enquiry.

We only collect, hold, use and disclose children’s personal information where it is reasonably necessary for our work. In most cases, this will relate to providing advice about ACT public schools, supporting parents and carers to engage with the public education system, or assisting through our parent advocacy service.

We require written consent from a parent or carer with authority to share information about their child, unless disclosure is required or authorised by law.

We do not use children’s personal information for any other purpose except as required or authorised by law.

Why we collect, use and disclose personal information

We collect, hold, use and disclose personal information so we can:

• support parents, carers, P&Cs and parent associations
• respond to enquiries and provide advice, information and practical assistance
• manage memberships, including individual memberships and P&C memberships
• administer our member portal and member-only resources
• communicate with members, subscribers and supporters
• provide newsletters, updates and opportunities to get involved
• organise meetings, events, training, consultations and workshops
• carry out surveys, research and engagement activities
• develop resources, guides, templates and supports
• understand the issues affecting parents, carers and school communities
• advocate to government, schools and other stakeholders on matters affecting public education
• manage our relationship with members, representatives and website users
• process payments, invoices and membership records where relevant
• meet legal, governance and reporting obligations
• improve our website, communications and service delivery

Direct marketing and communications

We may use your personal information to send you newsletters, updates, event information, opportunities to contribute, campaigns, resources, or other information related to ACT Parents’ work.

You can opt out of non-essential communications at any time by using the unsubscribe link in an email or by contacting us directly.

Even if you opt out of general communications, we may still contact you about important matters related to your membership, account, event registration, support request, or other direct dealings with us.

How we may disclose your information

We may disclose your personal information where reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy, including to:

• ACT Parents staff, office holders and authorised representatives
• your P&C or parent association, where relevant to your role, membership or request
• service providers who help us operate our website, member portal, communications, data systems, payment systems or events
• insurers or insurance providers, where necessary to arrange or administer insurance for member P&C associations, including by providing relevant contact details for nominated P&C contact persons
• professional advisers such as accountants, auditors, legal advisers or insurers
• organisations or individuals delivering services on our behalf
• government agencies, regulators or other bodies where required or authorised by law
• other parties where you have expressly consented

We only disclose personal information where it is reasonably necessary and take reasonable steps to ensure that third-party providers handle information appropriately.

Overseas disclosure

Some of our service providers, including website, software, storage or communication providers, may store or process personal information outside Australia.

Where this happens, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that your personal information is handled in a way that is consistent with the Australian Privacy Principles, unless you have otherwise consented or an exception applies under the Privacy Act.

How we protect your information

We hold personal information in electronic and, in some cases, physical form.

We take reasonable steps to protect the personal information we hold from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. These steps may include:

• secure platforms and password protection
• user access controls
• restricted access to member and administrative systems
• secure storage of paper records
• staff and contractor confidentiality obligations
• appropriate procedures for handling enquiries, complaints and sensitive matters

When we no longer need personal information for the purpose for which it was collected, and we are not required by law to keep it, we will take reasonable steps to destroy it or de-identify it.

Member portal and restricted content

Some parts of our website and member portal are available only to current ACT Parents members.

Access to member-only content may be available to individual members and authorised representatives of member P&C associations. We use membership and account information to manage access to restricted content, resources, services and communications.

We may collect and hold information needed to create and administer member accounts, confirm membership status, manage logins and permissions, and support access to member-only areas of the website.

Government identifiers

We will not adopt a government-related identifier, such as a Medicare number or tax file number, as our own identifier for you.

We will only collect, use or disclose a government-related identifier where this is permitted by law and reasonably necessary for our functions or activities.

Accessing and correcting your personal information

You may request access to personal information we hold about you, and you may ask us to correct information that is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading.

To request access or correction, please contact our Privacy Officer. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

Privacy Officer
ACT Parents
17/27 Mulley Street
Holder ACT 2611
contact@actparents.org.au

We will respond within a reasonable period and, where possible, within 30 days. In some circumstances, the law allows us to refuse access. If that happens, we will explain why, unless we are not required to do so.

Privacy complaints

If you believe ACT Parents has breached your privacy or the Australian Privacy Principles, you may make a complaint in writing to our Privacy Officer.

Please include enough detail for us to understand and investigate the complaint.

Privacy Officer
ACT Parents
17/27 Mulley Street
Holder ACT 2611
contact@actparents.org.au

We will treat privacy complaints seriously, handle them confidentially, and aim to respond within 30 days of receiving a valid complaint.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may be able to make a complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The most current version will be published on our website.

This Policy was last updated in July 2026.