Apex Ability ("we" or "us") is committed to protecting the privacy of our clients who receive community participation support services through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). This privacy policy ("Policy") explains how we collect, use, and disclose personal information about our clients.

1. Collection of personal information We collect personal information about our clients in order to provide them with community participation support services. This information may include:

• Personal contact details, such as name, address, phone number and email

• NDIS participant number and plan information

• Health and medical information relevant to the provision of services

• Information about the client's goals and aspirations

1. Use of personal information We use personal information to provide clients with community participation support services, to invoice the NDIS for the services provided and to meet our legal and regulatory obligations. We do not use personal information for any other purpose without obtaining consent.

2. Disclosure of personal information We may disclose personal information to third parties for the purpose of providing community participation support services, including to NDIS support coordinators and plan/fund managers and other service providers. We may also disclose personal information as required by law or to comply with legal proceedings.

3. Security of personal information We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. We have implemented physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect.

4. Access to personal information Clients have the right to access personal information held about them by us. If you would like to access your personal information, please contact us using the contact details provided on our website.

5. Complaints If you have any concerns or complaints about our handling of personal information, please contact us using the contact details provided on our website. We will investigate any complaints and take appropriate action to resolve them.

6. Changes to the Policy We reserve the right to make changes to this Policy at any time. Any changes will be posted on our website. We encourage you to review this Policy regularly to stay informed about how we are protecting personal information.

   1. Contact us If you have any questions about this Policy or about our handling of personal information, please contact us using the contact details provided on our website.

7. Data Retention Policy We will retain client personal information for as long as is necessary to provide community participation support services and to comply with our legal and regulatory obligations. We have implemented a data retention policy that outlines how long different types of personal information will be kept and how it will be securely disposed of when it is no longer needed.

8. Your rights under the Australian Privacy Act We will comply with the Australian Privacy Act, which gives individuals the right to access their personal information, request corrections to it, and make a complaint if they believe that their privacy has been breached. Clients can also request to have their personal information deleted or de-identified, unless there is a legal reason for it to be retained.

9. Use of cookies and other tracking technologies We may use cookies and other tracking technologies on our website to improve the functionality and user experience of our website. We will provide clear and conspicuous notice and obtain the necessary consent before using these technologies.

10. Third-party service providers We may use third-party service providers to process client personal information, for example for hosting our website or providing analytics services. These providers will be bound by strict confidentiality agreements and will only be permitted to use client personal information for the purpose of providing their service to us.

11. International data transfer We may transfer client personal information to countries outside of Australia to provide community participation support services. We will ensure that any such transfer is carried out in accordance with the Australian Privacy Act, and that appropriate measures are in place to protect the personal information.