How you can access and correct your personal information
You can contact us to request access to your personal information. We will arrange this as soon as possible, or we will assist you to put in a more formal request under the Freedom of Information Act 1982.
If you believe that our records of your information are inaccurate or out of date, you can ask us to amend our records.
Under the Freedom of Information Act you have the right to access documents in the possession of services such as Independent Mental Health Advocacy.
You can make a Freedom of Information request if you want to:
- access documents held by Independent Mental Health Advocacy
- change personal information that we hold about you.
What documents you can access
You can get copies of any documents from Independent Mental Health Advocacy if the document:
- is not already publicly available (for example in a library or on a public register)
- is not considered an ‘exempt’ document.
All requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act.
Making a request
As Independent Mental Health Advocacy is a service delivered by Victoria Legal Aid, requests for documents under Freedom of Information laws are handled by Victoria Legal Aid’s Freedom of Information officers. To make a Freedom of Information request, it must be:
- in writing by email or
- post to:
Freedom of Information
Victoria Legal Aid
GPO Box 4380
MELBOURNE VIC 3001
Your request must be clear and unambiguous - we can help you if you are not sure how to make your request.
We will make a decision on your request as soon as possible. The standard timeframe to process a freedom of information request is 30 days, but we may ask you for an extension of time in certain circumstances.
Application fee
Your request must be accompanied by a $31.90 application fee, or evidence you qualify to have the fee waived due to hardship. For example, a copy of a health care card will suffice as evidence of hardship.
Changing your personal records
We do our best to make sure our records are accurate, but sometimes there may be mistakes in the documents or information we hold about you. Under the Freedom of Information Act, you can ask to have this information corrected if it is wrong, incomplete, out of date, or would give a misleading impression.
To change your personal information you must still apply in writing, but you do not have to pay a fee.
If you are unhappy with our decision
If you are unhappy with how we have handled a request for information you can contact us to discuss your concerns. If this does not resolve your concerns, see the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner to find out how to make a complaint or seek review of our decision.
Contact
For more information contact:
Freedom of Information Officers
Email: foi@vla.vic.gov.au
Phone: (03) 9280 3789
Reviewed 29 August 2023