Kinnections Privacy Policy

Kinnections Australia Pty Ltd (ABN 56 631 141 412) ("Kinnections", "we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting the privacy, confidentiality, and security of personal information.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, disclose, and protect personal information when providing the Kinnections platform, mobile applications, website, reporting tools, and related services.

We are committed to complying with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), including the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

1. About Kinnections

Kinnections is a wellbeing and child-safety platform designed to support educators and educational organisations in understanding and monitoring children's experiences of:

• Connection
• Hope
• Safety
• Wellbeing
• Help-Seeking

The platform enables educators to conduct structured wellbeing conversations with children and generate reports that support early intervention, safeguarding, and student wellbeing.

2. The Information We Collect

Depending on how Kinnections is used, we may collect the following information.

Personal Information

Personal information may include:

• Names
• Email addresses
• Organisation or school details
• Job titles and positions
• User account information
• Login credentials

Student Information

Where authorised by a school, preschool, or early childhood education and care service, we may collect:

• Student names
• Class or room allocation
• Responses provided during Kinnections conversations
• Wellbeing indicators and survey responses
• Educator observations and notes
• Reports generated by the platform

Sensitive Information

Sensitive information may include information relating to:

• Child wellbeing
• Perceived safety
• Social connection
• Help-seeking behaviours

Sensitive information will only be collected where:

• Consent has been obtained;
• Collection is authorised by law; or
• Collection is reasonably necessary to provide the Kinnections service.

Technical Information

When users access our website, apps, or platform, we may automatically collect:

• IP addresses
• Device information
• Browser information
• Operating system information
• Usage analytics
• Date and time of access

3. How We Collect Information

We collect information through:

• School and service registrations
• User account creation
• Platform usage
• Surveys and wellbeing conversations
• Customer support interactions
• Website forms
• Cookies and analytics technologies

Schools and educational organisations are responsible for obtaining any required parent, guardian, student, or staff consents before using Kinnections.

4. How We Use Information

We use personal information to:

• Deliver and operate the Kinnections platform
• Facilitate wellbeing conversations and surveys
• Protect children and users from harm
• Generate reports and insights
• Support educators and administrators
• Improve platform functionality
• Provide customer support
• Meet legal and regulatory obligations
• Monitor platform security and performance

We do not sell personal information.

5. School and Service Responsibilities

Schools, preschools, early childhood education and care services, and other educational organisations using Kinnections are responsible for:

• Obtaining all required parent, guardian, student, educator, employee, and volunteer consents required by law;
• Ensuring the lawful collection, use, storage, and disclosure of personal information within their organisation;
• Maintaining compliance with all applicable privacy, child protection, safeguarding, education, and workplace laws;
• Determining whether information generated by Kinnections requires further assessment, investigation, referral, intervention, support, or reporting;
• Maintaining appropriate child safety, wellbeing, safeguarding, and mandatory reporting procedures;
• Ensuring users access and use the platform only for authorised educational and administrative purposes; and
• Maintaining appropriate internal policies and procedures relating to the use of wellbeing and child safety information.

Kinnections provides a digital platform designed to assist educational organisations in capturing and presenting information relating to student wellbeing, connection, hope, safety, help-seeking, and related indicators.

Responsibility for interpreting information, exercising professional judgement, making decisions, and acting remains solely with the educational organisation and its authorised personnel.

6. Children's Information

Protecting children's information is central to our mission.

Kinnections is designed for use by educational organisations acting on behalf of children and families.

Schools, preschools, and education providers are responsible for:

• Obtaining appropriate parent or guardian consent where required;
• Informing families about the collection and use of information; and
• Ensuring lawful use of the platform.

We only use children's information for the purposes of providing the Kinnections service and supporting wellbeing, safety, help-seeking, and educational outcomes.

7. Important Limitation

Kinnections is not a medical, psychological, counselling, therapeutic, legal, diagnostic, crisis intervention, or child protection service.

The platform is intended solely as an information gathering, reporting, and wellbeing support tool for educational settings.

Information generated through the platform should not be relied upon as the sole basis for decisions affecting any child, student, educator, employee, volunteer, contractor, parent, guardian, or other person.

Educational organisations and authorised users must exercise professional judgement and obtain appropriate professional advice where necessary.

Kinnections does not replace professional expertise, safeguarding procedures, mandatory reporting obligations, wellbeing programs, risk assessments, or organisational decision-making processes.

8. No Guarantee of Outcomes

While Kinnections is designed to support early identification of wellbeing indicators and promote conversations relating to connection, hope, safety, wellbeing, and help-seeking, Kinnections does not warrant, represent, or guarantee that use of the platform will:

• Prevent harm, abuse, neglect, bullying, or other adverse events;
• Detect every risk or concern affecting a child or student;
• Identify every child who may require support;
• Improve educational, wellbeing, behavioural, social, or safety outcomes;
• Prevent incidents involving children, students, educators, or other persons; or
• Eliminate the need for professional judgement and human oversight.

Kinnections assists educational organisations by presenting information and indicators that may warrant further attention.

Educational organisations remain solely responsible for all decisions, actions, interventions, referrals, investigations, safeguarding responses, reporting obligations, and duty of care responsibilities.

9. Child Safety and Professional Responsibility

Kinnections supports educational organisations in strengthening child safety, wellbeing, and early intervention practices.

However, child safety remains a shared responsibility of educational organisations, educators, leaders, families, communities, and government agencies.

Use of the Kinnections platform does not replace any legal, professional, ethical, or organisational obligations relating to child protection, safeguarding, mandatory reporting, supervision, risk management, or duty of care.

Educational organisations must ensure that information generated through the platform is reviewed appropriately and acted upon in accordance with their policies, procedures, and legislative obligations.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, educational organisations acknowledge that Kinnections acts solely as a technology provider. Responsibility for child safety, wellbeing, supervision, safeguarding, mandatory reporting, intervention, and duty of care remains with the educational organisation and its authorised personnel.

10. Disclosure of Information

We may disclose information to:

• Schools and educational organisations using Kinnections
• Authorised educators and administrators
• Technology and hosting providers
• Professional advisers
• Regulatory bodies where required by law
• Law enforcement agencies where required by law

Any third-party providers engaged by Kinnections are required to maintain appropriate privacy and security standards.

We do not disclose personal information for third-party marketing purposes.

11. Data Storage and Security

Kinnections takes reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure.

Security measures may include:

• Secure Australian-based hosting
• Encryption of data in transit and at rest
• Role-based access controls
• Multi-factor authentication where available
• Secure password management
• Security monitoring and auditing
• Restricted administrator access

Kinnections stores personal information and platform data on secure systems hosted in Australia. Where approved third-party providers are used, Kinnections takes reasonable steps to ensure appropriate privacy and security protections are maintained.

12. Data Retention

We retain information only for as long as necessary to:

• Deliver our services;
• Meet contractual obligations;
• Comply with legal requirements;
• Resolve disputes; or
• Maintain appropriate business records.

When information is no longer required, we take reasonable steps to securely delete or de-identify it.

13. Cookies and Analytics

Our website and services may use cookies and similar technologies to:

• Improve functionality;
• Analyse website usage;
• Enhance user experience; and
• Support platform performance.

Users may adjust browser settings to manage cookie preferences, although some functionality may be affected.

14. Access and Correction

Individuals may request access to personal information held by Kinnections.

Individuals may also request correction of inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated information.

Requests can be submitted via email: [email protected].

We may require identity verification before releasing information.

15. Marketing Communications

Where consent has been provided, we may send updates regarding:

• Platform improvements
• Research findings
• Educational resources
• Service announcements

Recipients may unsubscribe at any time.

16. Cross-Border Disclosure

Kinnections primarily stores and processes information within Australia.

If any information is processed outside Australia by approved service providers, we will take reasonable steps to ensure equivalent privacy protections apply.

17. Notifiable Data Breaches

If Kinnections becomes aware of an eligible data breach under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), we will:

• Assess the incident promptly;
• Take steps to contain the breach;
• Notify affected parties where required; and
• Comply with the Notifiable Data Breaches Scheme.

18. Complaints

If you believe your privacy has been breached, please contact us:

Privacy Officer
Kinnections Australia Pty Ltd
Email: [email protected]

We will acknowledge your complaint and endeavour to respond within 30 days.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact:

Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)
Phone: 1300 363 992
Website: www.oaic.gov.au
Post:
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
GPO Box 5218
Sydney NSW 2001
Australia

19. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time.

The most current version will always be available on the Kinnections website.

Continued use of the Kinnections platform following publication of an updated Privacy Policy constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact Us

Kinnections Australia Pty Ltd
ABN 56 631 141 412
Email: [email protected]
Website: kinnections.com.au