Confidentiality and Privacy Policy
Plain-language guide to how we collect, use, protect and share your information
— including our use of AI and digital tools
Effective date: 1 September 2026
Last reviewed: 1 September 2026
Business: Sea Change Careers
Contact: sccareers@pm.me
Website: seachangecareers.au
In plain terms: this policy tells you what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we keep it safe, when we might share it, and how the everyday software and AI tools we use fit into that picture. We have written it in everyday language, without unnecessary legal jargon, so you can make an informed choice about working with us.
Sea Change Careers is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information respectfully and securely. This policy explains how we collect, hold, use, share and protect personal information when you visit our website or use our career development services.
We manage personal information in line with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles, and in line with our professional responsibilities as a career development practitioner under the CICA Professional Standards for Australian Career Development Practitioners.
By using our website, filling in a form, booking an appointment, buying a service, or otherwise giving us information, you are agreeing to this policy.
What Information We Collect
Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:
· Your name, contact details, address, date of birth and basic demographic details
· Details about your education, career history, skills, goals, résumé, job applications and professional profiles
· Information you give us in enquiry forms, intake forms, assessments and coaching sessions
· Payment details, handled by our payment provider — we do not usually store your card details ourselves
· Notes and records from our appointments and other communications with you
· Session transcripts and recordings created through our standard use of Heidi AI (see 'Our Use of AI and Automated Tools' below)
· Sensitive information you choose to share, such as details about your health, disability or family circumstances, where this is relevant to the service you have asked for. You never have to share sensitive information unless you want to
· Basic website information such as your IP address, browser type and the pages you visit
We try to collect only the information we genuinely need to help you, run our business properly, and meet our legal and professional obligations.
How We Collect Your Information
We usually collect information directly from you — for example, when you email or call us, book a session, fill in an intake form, make a payment, or send us documents like a résumé. We may also collect some technical information automatically when you browse our website, such as through cookies.
If we ever receive information about you from someone else, we will only use it appropriately, with your permission or where the law allows.
How We Use Your Information
We may use your information to:
· Provide the career development, coaching or advisory service you have asked for
· Contact you about bookings, invoices, changes to appointments and follow-up support
· Prepare career documents, notes and action plans tailored to you
· Process payments and manage our bookings and business
· Keep the professional and financial records we are required to keep
· Protect the security of our website and systems
· Improve our services using information that has been de-identified wherever practical
· Send you service-related messages and, only with your consent, occasional updates. You can opt out at any time
We do not sell, rent or trade your personal information.
Confidentiality
What you share with us during your engagement is treated as confidential. We will not pass your information to anyone else unless one of the following applies:
· You have clearly agreed to it
· It is reasonably necessary to deliver the service you have asked for, and it goes to a provider that respects privacy and confidentiality
· We are required to by law, or by a court or tribunal order
· We reasonably believe it is necessary to prevent serious harm to you or someone else
· We have a legal duty to report something, such as in child safety matters
If it is helpful for quality or ethical reasons to discuss your situation with a supervisor or professional adviser, we will remove or reduce identifying details wherever we reasonably can.
Career development is not therapy, legal advice or crisis support. If something comes up that is outside what we can help with, we will talk with you about other options for support.
Our Use of AI and Automated Tools
In plain terms: some of the software we use has artificial intelligence (AI) or automated features built in — for scheduling, note-taking, research or communication. We use these tools carefully, as helpers for our everyday admin, never as a replacement for our own professional judgement, and never to make important decisions about you automatically.
Heidi AI transcription is a standard part of how Sea Change Careers delivers its service, and is used for all client sessions to support accurate notes and continuity of care. This is a condition of engaging our service, and it is explained to you clearly before your first appointment so you can make an informed decision about working with us.
We take practical steps to protect your information when using AI tools generally, including that we:
· Only use AI or automated features where they genuinely fit the task and the level of privacy risk is acceptable
· Share only the minimum information needed for the task at hand
· Avoid entering identifiable client details into open or public AI tools unless you know about it and have agreed, or the law allows it
· Remove names and identifying details where practical before using information with an AI tool
· Check anything an AI tool produces for accuracy, fairness and appropriateness before we rely on it or share it with you
· Never let AI make a significant decision about you on its own — a real person is always involved
· Turn on the strongest available privacy and security settings in the tools we use, to limit unnecessary storage or use of your information
· Regularly check that the tools we use, and this policy, still make sense as technology and the law change
Because Heidi AI transcription is a standard, non-optional part of how we deliver our service, we are unable to provide services to clients who do not agree to its use. You are welcome to ask us questions about how Heidi AI works and how your information is protected, and you may ask us not to use other, non-essential AI or automated tools with your information. We will discuss reasonable alternatives with you for those non-essential tools, though this may affect what we can offer or how quickly.
We will not use identifiable information about you to train public AI systems unless we have clearly explained this to you first and you have agreed.
Software and Platforms We Use
We use a number of trusted software platforms to run Sea Change Careers. In plain terms: some of this software may store, process or otherwise handle your information on our behalf as part of delivering our service to you. The table below sets out what each platform is for and what kind of information it may handle.
We may change the software we use as our business, security needs or available technology change. If a change meaningfully affects how your information is handled, we will update this policy.
Each of these providers has its own privacy terms, and we encourage you to look at these if you use a platform directly. We choose providers carefully, but we cannot be responsible for the privacy practices of other companies' websites or services that we do not own or control.
Information Sent or Stored Overseas
In plain terms: some of the software companies we use may store or handle information on computer servers located outside Australia, or use support staff based overseas. This is common with modern cloud software.
Where this is likely, we take reasonable steps to check that the provider has appropriate privacy and security protections in place, such as reviewing their privacy terms, security practices and data-handling arrangements.
We aim to keep any overseas handling of your information limited to what is needed to deliver your service, and we will not share your information overseas for any other purpose without your agreement, unless the law requires or allows it.
If you would like more detail about where a particular platform stores or processes information at the time of your service, just ask — we are happy to explain.
Recordings and Session Notes
We may keep professional notes to help us deliver a consistent, accurate service and to meet our record-keeping obligations.
Session transcription via Heidi AI is a standard part of our service and applies to all clients, as explained above. Beyond this standard transcription, we will never audio or video record a session for any other purpose without asking you first and getting your clear agreement.
Unless we need to keep something longer for legal, insurance or professional reasons, we generally keep recordings and transcripts for no more than 12 months before securely deleting or de-identifying them. Other service records may be kept for longer where it is reasonably necessary.
How We Keep Your Information Safe
We take reasonable steps to protect your information from misuse, loss or unauthorised access. This includes:
· Secure passwords and, where available, extra sign-in verification
· Encryption or secure transmission features offered by the platforms we use
· Limiting access to your information to the practitioner and anyone else who genuinely needs it
· Using secure, reputable cloud storage and carefully chosen software providers
· Removing names or identifying details where practical
· Regularly reviewing our systems and privacy practices
· Securely deleting or de-identifying information once we no longer reasonably need it
No online system is completely risk-free, and while we take reasonable care, we cannot guarantee absolute security for anything sent over the internet.
If a data breach happens that is likely to cause serious harm, we will respond in line with our legal obligations, including under the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme where it applies.
Accessing or Correcting Your Information
You can ask us for access to the personal information we hold about you, or ask us to fix anything that is incorrect, incomplete or out of date.
To make a request, contact us at sccareers@pm.me. We may need to confirm your identity first. We will respond within a reasonable time, and we will explain if there is ever a reason we cannot give you access or make a correction.
Making a Complaint
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal information, please contact us first at sccareers@pm.me with 'Privacy Complaint' in the subject line, and include enough detail for us to understand your concern.
We will acknowledge your complaint, look into it fairly, and get back to you within a reasonable time. If we need longer, we will tell you why and when to expect a response.
If you are not happy with our response, you can contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), Australia's privacy regulator, through their website.
Updates to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time as our services, technology or legal obligations change. The most current version will always be published on seachangecareers.au, with the effective date shown at the top.
We encourage you to check back periodically, especially before sharing personal information or trying a new service with us.Write your text here...
Guidance
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