C4C Bendigo respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal, sensitive and health information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act), and other relevant laws.
We will only collect, use and disclose your information in ways that comply with these laws and take reasonable steps to ensure it is secure and protected.
Your rights
- You have the right to know why your personal information is being collected, how it will be used and who it will be disclosed to.
- You have the option of not identifying yourself or using a pseudonym.
- You can request access to your personal information.
- You can request correction of incorrect information.
- You can stop receiving direct marketing.
- You may also request information about how your personal information is used or disclosed.
Why do we collect your personal information?
We collect personal information to deliver services such as playgroups, community consultation, training and resources.
We only collect the information we need to provide services, communicate with you and meet legal or contractual obligations.
How we collect information
We usually collect information directly from you where possible. We may also collect information from:
- an authorised representative (such as a parent, carer or advocate),
- other services involved in your support,
- referrals or other lawful sources.
Where information is collected from a third party, we take reasonable steps to ensure you are aware of this.
What information do we collect?
We only collect information needed to support your situation and service needs
- In delivering services to families, we may ask for:
- your name, date of birth, address, gender, cultural identity and contact details.
- Information about your circumstances, wellbeing and support needs
- Information about your family, carers or other services involved with you
Some information we collect may be sensitive, including health or well-being information. We only collect this information where it is necessary to provide services or where required or permitted by law.
You do not have to provide us with any personal information that you do not want to, however, without relevant information we may not be able to provide you with the service you require. Some families may have significant reasons for not wanting to provide identifying information. In certain circumstances we can create pseudonyms for these families, as well as de-identify addresses and dates of birth.
- In delivering services to workers, we ask for:
- Your name, position title, employer, work phone number and e-mail address.
- In operating this website, we use Google Analytics and cookies to collect information about how visitors use our website, including pages viewed and visit duration. This helps us manage and improve our site.
Cookies are small files stored on your device that allow us to recognise your browser. They do not identify you personally.
Most web browsers accept cookies by default. You can change your browser settings to block or delete cookies, or to receive a warning before cookies are stored. Please note that some parts of this website may not function properly if cookies are disabled.
Disclosure of your personal information
We do not share your information unless you consent or it is required or permitted by law. This includes situations where disclosure is necessary to protect safety, comply with funding or regulatory requirements, or respond to court or government requests.
Information Sharing for Safety and Wellbeing
Under Victoria’s Child Information Sharing Scheme and Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme, information may be shared to support child wellbeing and safety or to assess and manage family violence risk.
Storage and security of your personal information
We do not disclose or store information outside of Australia and keep information only for as long as required by law or for service delivery and then securely dispose of it.
Any unauthorised use or loss of personal information is reported to external agencies as required, that is, the Office of the Australian Information Commission (OAIC).
C4C Bendigo takes all reasonable measures to ensure that your personal information – whether stored in computer systems or within paper files – is securely protected from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, disclosure, or alteration.
Despite all the measures we take, it is important to note that no data transmission over the Internet is totally secure. Therefore, C4C Bendigo gives no warranty and cannot ensure the security of any information which you send online. Accordingly, any information which you transmit to C4C Bendigo via the Internet is transmitted at your own risk.
If you are concerned about sharing your information with us via our website, you do not have to use the forms on our website. You can contact us by calling the relevant partner.
Embedded forms on our website use three third-party providers:
- Gravity Forms is used to create the Participation Forms and the Contact Us Enquiry Form. Gravity Forms Privacy Policy is located at https://www.gravityforms.com/privacy/
- MailChimp is used for the Community Connections sign up form. MailChimp’s privacy policy is located at https://mailchimp.com/legal/prior-privacy-policy/
- Qualtrics is used for the Early Years Family Violence Training surveys.
Qualtrics Privacy Statement is located at https://www.qualtrics.com/privacy-statement/
Accessing or correcting your information
C4C Bendigo recognises you have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you and to ask for corrections if it is inaccurate, incomplete or out of date.
Requests can be made to your worker or by contacting us directly. We will ask for proof of identity before providing access to ensure your information remains secure.
In some situations, access may be limited where required by law, such as to protect another person’s privacy or safety.
Requesting access to another person’s information
If you are requesting information on behalf of someone else (for example, as a lawyer, advocate, or authorised representative), you will need to provide evidence of your authority to act on their behalf.
Requests are assessed on a case-by-case basis in line with legal requirements.
How long do we hold your information?
Information collected by Participation Forms and the Contact Us Enquiry Form is stored securely for up to one month before deletion.
Information collected by the Community Connections sign up form is held on the MailChimp platform. Data is deleted when workers advise C4C Bendigo that they no longer want to be on this mailing list, or C4C Bendigo ceases using this provider.
Information collected via Early Years Family Violence Training surveys is held in accordance with our data retention practices.
When referrals for C4C Playgroups and Parent Child Mother Goose are submitted, the data is transmitted from the C4C Bendigo website direct to Shine Bright or BaptistCare via e-mail. The Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010 requires that BaptistCare and Shine Bright hold family information for 3 years from the date the family last received a service. This includes:
- Referral information,
- Assessments,
- Evaluations,
- Photos, and
- Attendance records.
After this date this information is destroyed.
There are exceptions to this such as:
- A record relating to an incident, illness, injury or trauma suffered by a child must be kept until the child is 25 years of age.
- A record relating to the death of a child while being cared for by the service or may have occurred as a result of an incident must be kept in a safe and secure place until seven years after the death.
Use of AI at C4C
As part of Anglicare Victoria, we aim to leverage the benefits of artificial intelligence while safeguarding client information. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is used only to enhance business efficiency and client information is not processed or disclosed on open AI platforms. Any new platforms are introduced only after a thorough review and assessment process.
Privacy concerns or complaints
If you have a concern about how your personal information has been handled, or wish to make a privacy complaint, you can contact C4C via email on c4cbendigo@anglicare.org.au or call (03) 5440 1100.
We take privacy complaints seriously and aim to respond in a timely, fair and respectful way. Complaints can be made verbally or in writing and may be made anonymously (noting that anonymity can sometimes limit how a complaint is investigated).
If you feel your complaint is not resolved to your satisfaction, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner www.oaic.gov.au or the Department of Social Services (DSS) Department of Social Services.
[i] https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-legislation/the-privacy-act/rights-and-responsibilities
Last updated: May 2026