If you are seeking or receiving a service from Quantum you will have the right to:

• Make your own choices about your life and future
• Respect and dignity, including respect for your culture and to be free from discrimination
• Privacy and to have services provided in a confidential manner in line with government legislation
• Feel safe and free from physical, sexual, emotional and/or verbal abuse
• Assistance during a crisis and support to find and maintain long term options suitable to your situation
• Assistance to access other services, where Quantum is unable to support you
• Make informed decisions about services and support provided to you
• Participation in decision making about the services provided to you, including making suggestions on how Quantum can make improvements to its services
• Make a complaint and appeal a decision if you feel you have been treated unfairly
• Have an advocate of your choice involved in the provision of services to you

In addition, Quantum is a Child Safe Organisation and upholds the right of all children to be safe and have their developmental needs met.

Clients of Quantum will be responsible for:

• Respecting the privacy of others.
• Treating others with dignity.
• Undertaking agreed tasks.
• Respecting the rights of others to feel safe.
• Respecting the cultural backgrounds of clients.
• Providing correct and necessary information to the best of your ability.

Quantum also acknowledges the Charter for Children in Out-of-Home Care, and the Home and Community Care Statement of Rights and Responsibilities.

Whenever you receive support from Quantum you have the right to:

• Be treated fairly at all times
• Have a say and be listened to
• Be kept informed of and participate in decisions affecting you
• Have your privacy respected and personal information kept safe and secure in line with legislation
• Receive services in a respectful and safe environment. Free from harm, abuse, neglect, violence and preventable injury
• Tell us about any concerns or suggestions and be kept informed about what happens with the feedback you provide us
• Raise concerns about how a complaint was handled if you weren’t happy with the process
• Access interpreters and other services required
• Have your cultural background prioritised and understood to ensure your cultural safety

Quantum is under the MCM Group Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy. Click here to read the policy

To read the Quantum Child Safety and Wellbeing Code of Conduct Click here

Quantum respects the right of clients to privacy of their personal information. To protect your privacy Quantum follows the ten principles described by privacy legislation:

1. Collection
2. Use and Disclosure
3. Data Quality
4. Data Security
5. Openness
6. Access and Correction
7. Unique Identifiers
8. Anonymity
9. Trans-border Data Flows
10. Sensitive Information

These principles set the guidelines for us to handle your personal information.

Personal information is  information which identifies a person. It can include your name address, gender, age, financial details, education, personal circumstances such as housing arrangements, health conditions and or your employment history.

Quantum only collects the information which is necessary to provide you with a service. It is your responsibility to provide us with the correct and necessary information to enable us to provide you with the best possible service. Your consent will be requested before your information is used for purposes such as surveys or research.

You have a right:

• To be fully informed about the type of information being held about you and how it is treated
  Assurance that personal information held about you will be protected from loss and misuse
• Being advised about what happens to personal information (why it is being collected, who will see it, where it will be stored and who will have access to it). In some Family Violence and Child Protection cases this may not be applicable.
• Access to your personal information in most circumstances. Please ask a staff person for more information about applying for access to your personal
• To make changes to your personal information if you believe it is not accurate or up to date
• You have a right to the option of transacting seeking help from  Quantum without identifying yourself. (You must be aware that without full information about you we may not be able to provide you with the best possible service)

Quantum Support Services is committed to the safe and respectful handling of personal and health information.  The handling of information is managed in accordance with the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014, the Health Records Act 2001 and other legal obligations.

The Children, Youth and Families Act 2005, the Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005, the Family Violence Protection Act 2008, govern the sharing of information held by Quantum Support Services and privacy obligations.

Quantum Support Services is a prescribed information sharing entity under both the Child Information Sharing Scheme and Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme and may disclose information provided in accordance with those schemes.

Complaints regarding the handling of information can be submitted:

Online: Send us your feedback – Quantum; Email: feedback@quantum.org.au; Phone: 1800 243 455;

Post: Send Us Your Feedback, PO Box 222, Morwell 3840; In Person: at any of our offices; or directly to your Quantum worker.

If unsatisfied with the outcome, a direct complaint can be made to the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner (OVIC), visit website www.ovic.vic.gov.au or phone 1300 006 842; or

The Health Complaints Commissioner on 1300 582 113

Both Commissioners can investigate your complaint in relation to privacy practice and are able to serve compliance notices inclusive of penalty units if a breach of privacy has occurred.

You may also choose to seek assistance from the Homelessness Advocacy Service if preferred which can be contacted on 1800 066 256.

To access the Quantum Code of Conduct Click here

Clients shall be given access to the personal information held by Quantum about them unless:

• Providing access would pose a serious threat to the client or another individual.
• Providing access would unreasonably have an impact on another’s privacy.
• The request has no reasonable grounds.
• The information is related to legal proceedings between Quantum and the client and the information could not be made available during the course of the proceedings.
• Providing information would prejudice negotiations between Quantum and the client.
• Providing access would be illegal or denying access is required by law.
• Providing access would be likely to prejudice an investigation, prevention, detection, prosecution, or punishment of illegal activities.

In all of these cases Quantum will consider the best possible action to meet the client’s and organisational needs.

Quantum will take the necessary action to ensure that personal information is current and accurate.

If the client and Quantum disagree about the accuracy of personal information a client may request that a statement be attached to the file concerning the accuracy and currency of the information.

Quantum will provide the client with reasons why personal information may be withheld.

A response to a request for access to personal information must occur within a reasonable time frame.