Privacy
HSS Privacy Statement
Health Support Services is committed to protecting the privacy of your personal information. The purpose of this Privacy Statement is to provide you with information about:
- The types of personal information collected by HSS.
- How HSS collects, manages, uses and discloses personal information.
- How you can apply to access or correct your personal information.
- How you can lodge a privacy complaint.
This Privacy Statement supports Health Support Services transparency obligations under the Privacy and Responsible Information Sharing Act 2024.
Personal information collected by HSS
HSS performs various corporate functions for the WA health system. These functions include financial management, ICT, procurement and supply, recruitment, and employment and payroll services. As part of carrying out its functions and activities, it is necessary for HSS to collect personal and health information for the purposes of:
- Recruitment.
- Employment and HR Management.
- Criminal Record Screening
- Payment of salaries, superannuation, tax and allowances.
- Management of employee work health and safety and assessment of pre-existing health conditions.
- Payment of subsidies administered by HSS.
- Managing complaints.
- When HSS is required to provide information for the purpose of an investigation.
Ways we collect personal information
HSS collects personal information as part of carrying out its functions and activities, including
Where it is necessary to perform our statutory functions
Where we are authorised or required by law.
Where you choose to provide it voluntarily, including with consent, where required.
Types of personal information collected
Both personal information and sensitive personal information will be collected by HSS when you apply for a job within the WA health system, and/or when you are onboarded as an employee or contractor into the WA health system. Personal information collected will include:
- Name
- Gender
- Date of birth
- Place of birth
- Australian Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin
- Residential and postal address
- Contact details – email and phone number
- Emergency contact details
- Citizenship and Residency details
- Proof of identity documents such as birth certificate, driver’s licence, passport or visa, Australian citizenship or residency documents
- Australian Tax file number
- Banking and superannuation details
- Health information, related to your fitness to undertake the duties of the position you are being employed for
- Immunisation status and/or history
- Employment history and qualifications
Consent and Notification
When your personal information is collected, we will provide you with a collection notice to explain the reasons why the information is required, and how it will be used.
Sensitive personal information
Sensitive personal information is a subset of personal information as breaches of sensitive personal information can lead to greater harm in terms of discrimination or identity theft.
Examples of sensitive personal information include criminal history, ethnicity, political affiliations, religious beliefs, sexual orientation and medical / health records.
Sensitive personal information is collected and handled in accordance with the Privacy and Responsible Information Sharing Act 2024 (WA).
Depending on the circumstances, this may occur with your consent, or where authorised or required by law.
Storage, access and security of your personal information
HSS has established policies and procedures to protect the security of your personal information and processes are taken to protect the security of all personal information collected.
Information we collect is stored in HSS business information systems that require authentication to access.
Access to HSS systems is based on the requirements of the position.
Your personal information will only be accessed by a HSS employee or contracted service provider where appropriate and reasonably necessary to perform the duties associated with their role.
HSS staff and contracted service providers are made aware of the requirements to respect the confidentiality of personal information.
Responsible sharing and disclosure of information
Personal information collected by HSS will be disclosed or shared for the primary purpose it is collected. Where there is a requirement to share your personal information for a secondary purpose, HSS will share this information:
- When you have provided consent for it to be shared.
- Where it is permitted or required to be disclosed under law.
- To other Health Service Providers within the WA health system, for HR administrative purposes.
- Where HSS reasonably believes it to be necessary to prevent or lessen a serious threat to the life, health, safety or the welfare of any individual.
- Where HSS reasonably believes it to be necessary to prevent or lessen a serious threat to public health or public safety.
- To investigate disciplinary or misconduct matters.
- To organisations providing salary packaging benefits, and superannuation providers.
- For insurance purposes, including the management of workers compensation claims.
- To investigate or report suspected unlawful activity, or when it is reasonably necessary for a law enforcement purpose.
- In accordance with approved information sharing arrangements or schemes under the Privacy Responsible Information Sharing Act 2024 (WA).
When we share your personal information, it is a requirement under the WA health Information Security Policy that personal information to be transmitted via secure file transfer.
HSS Privacy Enquiries and Complaints
If you have a privacy compliant in relation to how HSS has managed your personal information, you can lodge your complaint to:
- HSS Privacy and Responsible Information Sharing Officer
- Health Support Services - Governance Risk and Compliance
- hss.grc@health.wa.gov.au
Access to your personal information
If you are employed within the WA health system, much of your personal information can be accessed via the HR system.
To access other personal information outside of this avenue, you can submit an enquiry to the HSS Contact Centre via the Contact Us page
Correction of personal information
If you are employed within the WA health system, some of your personal information can be changed via the HR system.
If you have enquiries relating to correcting your personal information outside of this avenue, you can submit your enquiry to:
- HSS Privacy and Responsible Information Sharing Officer
- Health Support Services - Governance Risk and Compliance
- hss.grc@health.wa.gov.au
In the event that the correction of your personal information is refused, you will be provided with a written notice setting out the reasons for refusal, and the mechanism to have this decision reviewed. This notice will be issued to you generally within 45 days of receipt of the application to have your personal information amended.
Data breaches
HSS will comply with the notifiable data breach requirement under the Privacy and Responsible Information Sharing Act 2024. Where we become aware of an eligible data breach that is likely to result in serious harm to any individuals, we will:
- Investigate the suspected breach to determine the scope of any breach that has occurred and the risk of harm to affected individuals whose information may have been compromised.
- Notify you and the WA Information Commissioner.
- Take steps to minimise any harm caused to affected individuals as a result of the breach.
When you visit this site
When you access this Site, a record of your visit will be kept. The logged information will only be used for statistical purposes.
In the unlikely event of an investigation, a law enforcement agency or other government agency may exercise its legal authority to inspect our logs.
Information provided via online forms may be stored in HSS databases. Your information will only be used for the purpose for which it was provided.
Your email address will be recorded if you send us a message. Your email address will only be used for the purpose for which you have provided and it will not be added to a mailing list or used for any other purpose without your consent.
Third party sites and social media
Health Support Services is not responsible for the content, policy or practices of websites operated by third parties that are linked to this website.
Links to third-party sites do not constitute endorsement or approval of the content, policies or practices of those third-party sites. When you follow a link from this website to another website, we recommend you read and consider the privacy statement of that website.
When you browse and make use of a HSS social media page you are using an external site and are therefore subject to the privacy policies and practices of that site. If you have any questions or concerns regarding that site’s privacy policies and practices, you should review the privacy statement of the relevant site.