Privacy, Complaints & Other Legals

Mercy Works supports long term development projects, working with some of the most challenged people in Australia and the Asia Pacific region, improving health, enhancing social wellbeing and expanding educational opportunities.

Mercy Works is an international development agency that respects, protects and promotes human rights for all, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, indignity, disability, age, displacement, caste, gender, gender identity, sexuality, sexual orientation, poverty, class, or socio-economic status.

POLICIES

Mercy Works Limited (MWL) is a member of the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID), the peak Council for Australian not-for-profit aid and development organisations. We are a signatory to the ACFID Code of Conduct, which is a voluntary, self-regulatory sector code of good practice. We are committed to and fully adhere to the ACFID Code of Conduct and ACFID Fundraising Charter. Complaints relating to alleged breaches of the code can be lodged with the ACFID Code of Conduct Committee at code@acfid.asn.au. Information about how to make a complaint can be found at www.acfid.asn.au

STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT TO CHILD SAFEGUARDING

MWL (Mercy Works Limited) has a zero-tolerance approach to child abuse and is committed to taking all necessary steps to ensure that all children and young people with whom we work (both here in Australia and overseas in our development programs) are provided a child safe environment at all times.

If you or anyone you know has been harmed or adversely affected by an employee or volunteer of MWL, please contact the MWL Executive Director:

By phone on 02 9564 1911
By email sally.bradley@mercyworks.org.au
By letter addressed to Sally Bradley RSM, Executive Director, PO Box 2023 North Parramatta NSW 1750

We will listen to your experience, respect your confidentially within legal requirements and explain the available options to you.

If you are aware of abuse by one of our personnel against a child or an adult at risk, you are strongly encouraged to report your concern to police.

Please use the following links to access our key safeguarding policies and procedures:

Child Safeguarding Policy (including our Management of Concerns, Complaints and Commendations)
Code of Conduct -October 2022

STATEMENT OF INCLUSION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

In everything we do, MWL strives to work for and with people with a disability, to promote their human rights and empowerment. Both in Australia and overseas we are working with partners and projects/programs to promote the importance of people with disabilities and to ensure a political commitment to disability in aid and development activities.

Our Privacy Policy

Use of Information

We will collect and maintain in our database certain personally identifiable information from you only when you provide it to us on a voluntary basis, for example, when you make an inquiry, contact us, subscribe to our newsletter or forums, or establish an email account. Your email address will only be used for the purpose for which you have provided it, and it will not be added to a mailing list or used for any other purpose without your consent. We will not share any information about you with third parties, except as provided by civil privacy legislation.

Information Collected

When you look at our web site please be aware that we do gather usage information about your visit through our Internet Service Provider and Google Analytics. This is the usual practice for web sites. This information may include but is not limited to:

Your server address
Your top level domain name (for example .com, .gov, .au, .uk etc)
The date and time of your visit to the site
The pages you accessed and documents downloaded
The site or link that referred you to Mercy Works web site
The type of browser you are using.

Your consent

By using our site, you are consenting to our Privacy Policy. We will review this Privacy Policy periodically, and if we ever change our Privacy Policy, we shall post any changes on this page so that you are always kept informed of the information we collect, how we use it and the circumstances under which we disclose it, if at all.
If you have any questions about our Privacy Policy please contact us on mercyworks@mercyworks.org.au

Copyright

This site is Copyright © Mercy Works.
All information on this site is solely for the purposes of reference by interested visitors. Information may be cited only with prior written permission and proper attribution.
Please direct enquiries about using information on this site to mercyworks@mercyworks.org.au

Disclaimer

Mercy Works accepts no responsibility for the content on external sites. External links are presented without warranty, express or implied. The descriptions of sites in these pages have been taken from the pages themselves and are not meant to express the opinions of Mercy Works.

Donations and Fundraising Policy Statement

MWL encourages donations which support the advancement of its mission and goals and recognises the importance of donations and fundraising opportunities to the operational and financial sustainability of MWL. The context in which donations and fundraising occur ensures that the many and varied ways in which people contribute to MWL are recognised and affirmed. All donations and fundraising must reflect our Mercy ethos and values.

MWL is committed to ensuring that all fundraising activities are carried out in an ethical and legally compliant manner.

Environmental Sustainability and Management Policy Statement

All staff members demonstrate an organisational commitment to environmental sustainability and improved environmental outcomes in their organisations internal operations.

Ethical Decision-Making Framework for Communications Policy Statement

The “Ethical Decision-Making Framework for Communications Policy” commits to the use of images and messages in communications in a way that portrays the affected people in a manner that respects their dignity, values, history, religion, language and culture, and is authentic to the context, person and terms of consent given.

Ethical Communication Statement

As a member of the Australian Council for International Development Mercy Works Ltd commits to not making statements about other ACFID Members with the intention of creating repetitional or other advantage to themselves.

Social Media Policy Statement

MWL utilises social media to engage with existing and potential volunteers, donors, partners and stakeholders. The following specific social media core values are applied when posting online:

All official MWL social media messages must be on official organisation accounts.
MWL social media represents the whole organisation and should seek to maintain a consistent message in accordance with its mission, vision and values.
Only authorised staff may represent MWL across social media and post to MWL channels. The same high standards of conduct and behaviour generally expected of MWL staff also apply when participating online through social media.
The Executive Director must approve new social media initiatives or channels. To ensure risk controls are implemented and monitored, a Risk Management Plan must accompany the business case for any new social media initiative.
MWL social media will portray people in a way that respects their dignity, religion, history, values, language and culture.
MWL social media content must adhere to all MWL policies and its Code of Conduct.
MWL social media content must be impartial and avoid conflicts of interest through endorsement or criticism of third-party providers, partners, products or services.
MWL representatives will not knowingly post incorrect, defamatory or misleading information, nor will they disclose or use confidential or proprietary information.
A designated MWL staff member will monitor social media channels. In the event social media content puts MWL at risk of receiving criticism, negative comments should not be removed from social media pages unless they are offensive, discriminatory, defamatory or violate the legal rights of others. Negative comments will be responded to promptly.