At Swan Hill Specialist School we are committed to ensuring that your child's and your family's privacy is protected in accordance with the Department of Education and Training (DET) guidelines.  

Here is an excerpt of the most important information from the Privacy Policy: 

​What information do we collect?
Our school collects the following type of information:

• information about students and their families, provided by students, their families and others
• information about job applicants, staff, volunteers and visitors; provided by job applicants, staff members, volunteers, visitors and others.

​How do we collect this information?
Our school collects information in a number of ways, including:

• in person and over the phone: from students and their families, staff, volunteers, visitors, job applicants and others
• from electronic and paper documentation: including job applications, emails, invoices, enrolment forms, letters to our school, consent forms (for example: enrolment, excursion, Student Support Services consent forms), our school’s website or school-controlled social media
• through online tools: such as apps and other software used by our school
• through any CCTV cameras located at our school.

 
Why do we collect this information?
Primary purposes of collecting information about students and their familiesOur school collects information about students and their families when necessary to:

• educate students
• support students’ social and emotional wellbeing, and health 
• fulfil legal requirements, including to:
  • take reasonable steps to reduce the risk of reasonably foreseeable harm to students, staff and visitors (duty of care)
  • make reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities (anti discrimination law)
  • provide a safe and secure workplace (occupational health and safety law)
• enable our school to:
  • communicate with parents about students’ schooling matters and celebrate the efforts and achievements of students
  • maintain the good order and management of our school 
• enable the Department to:
  • ensure the effective management, resourcing and administration of our school
  • fulfil statutory functions and duties 
  • plan, fund, monitor, regulate and evaluate the Department’s policies, services and functions
  • comply with reporting requirements
  • investigate incidents in schools and/or respond to any legal claims against the Department, including any of its schools.

 
When do we use or disclose information?
Our school uses or discloses information consistent with Victorian privacy law, as follows:

1. for a primary purpose – as defined above
2. for a related secondary purpose that is reasonably to be expected – for example, to enable the school council to fulfil its objectives, functions and powers
3. with notice and/or consent – including consent provided on enrolment and other forms
4. when necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to:
   • a person’s life, health, safety or welfare
   • the public’s health, safety or welfare
5. when required or authorised by law – including as a result of our duty of care, anti-discrimination law, occupational health and safety law, reporting obligations to agencies such as Department of Health and Human Services and complying with tribunal or court orders, subpoenas or Victoria Police warrants
6. to investigate or report unlawful activity, or when reasonably necessary for a specified law enforcement purpose, including the prevention or investigation of a criminal offence or seriously improper conduct, by or on behalf of a law enforcement agency
7. for Departmental research or school statistics purposes
8. to establish or respond to a legal claim.

Please click on the link below for the DET Privacy Policy in full. 

DET Privacy Policy (weblink)