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Privacy and Dignity Policy

1. Policy Purpose

Swift FNQ (“us”, “we”, or “our”) are a training and personal development provider that specialises in the provision of animal assisted learning programs and experiences. We are fully committed to ensuring participants are aware and supported in their ability to exercise their rights and responsibilities.

 

2. Policy Objectives

The intention of our Privacy and Dignity policy is to provide direction to the organisation and staff to ensure each participant’s right to privacy and dignity is both respected and upheld at all times. This means participants have the right to access supports that:

  • Respect and uphold their dignity and right to privacy.
  • Respect their values, beliefs, culture and diversity.
  • Promote, uphold and respect their legal and human rights.
  • Are without discrimination, abuse, violence or neglect.

 

3. Our Responsibility

It is our responsibility to do the following:

  • Inform you about your rights and uphold them.
  • For the supports we provide we will assist participants to maximise their independence, make informed choices and exercise control.
  • Provide supports in a way that promotes, upholds and respects participants’ rights to self determination, freedom of expression and decision making.
  • Deliver services to participants which support their needs and goals, are safe, appropriate and culturally relevant.
  • Ensure our service provision accounts for and is respectful of participants’ culture and lifestyle as well as their religious and linguistic preferences.
  • Act towards participants respectfully, without discrimination and with dignity, courtesy and fairness.
  • During our service delivery we should provide adequate time for participants to seek advice (if required) and consider and assess their support options.
  • Provide details about our services, support options and fees, as well as alternative support options, both internal and external to us.
  • Support a participants’ choice in accessing an independent (or otherwise) advocate.
  • Respect participants’ right to intimacy, sexual expression and autonomy.
  • Uphold participants with the ways in which they engage with their family, friends and community.
  • Engage with participants about decisions regarding both their supports and our policies/programs.
  • Ensure participants have the right to experience and learn from situations, including where an element of risk is involved.
  • Safeguard participants personal information and only use it for the reasons for which it was collected.
  • Assist participants in providing us with complaints and feedback about our services.
  • Address complaints, feedback and enquiries about participants’ supports promptly.
  • Where necessary, assist participants to connect with services external to us including advocates, interpreters and translators.
  • Assist with the provision of participants having a person to speak on their behalf.
  • Ensure we always portray participants positively in all public facing mediums.
  • Ensure we interact with participants in an age appropriate and respectful manner.
  • Ensure participants will be communicated about in a positive and accurate manner, upholding their human dignity.
  • Ensure participants are treated with discretion, dignity, confidentiality and respect when dealing with matters involving their personal care.

 

4. Participants’ responsibility

It is the participants/family’s responsibility to do the following:

  • Provide details that will assist us to best support you.
  • Behave safely and respectfully towards our staff and other participants using our services.
  • Inform us of relevant changes, or cancelling a commitment with us.
  • Pay our invoices for fees associated with your services promptly.
  • Provide us with feedback concerning our service and any improvements we can make.
  • Inform us as soon as possible if you wish to terminate our services with you.

 

5 Privacy and Dignity Procedures

The following procedures are intended to be carried out by staff in the delivery of services and supports when necessary (e.g. parent/carer is not present).

5.1 Assistance with Personal Care

Any contact between staff members and participants should be consented to and involve minimal physical contact. Any cultural or religious expectations for dealing with privacy should be met by staff at all times.

5.2 Sexuality and Human Relationships

5.2.1
Participants’ privacy is respected in relation to their lifestyle choices and staff members should support these.

5.2.2
Staff members should respect participants’ rights to maintain human relationships and develop/express their sexuality.

5.2.3
Staff should support the following in relation to participant’s personal relationships and sexual expression:

  • Support participants to express their lifestyle choices suitably and where appropriate choose partners.
  • Provide details (where appropriate) or be able to refer participants to another support/advisory agency.

 

6. Privacy and Complaints

We treat all Privacy complaints confidentially, should a participant want to make a complaint they should refer to our Complaints Policy. Our Privacy and Dignity policy does not stop a participant from making a complaint at any time.