E3. Managing information

E3 outlines how personal and police information is collected, stored, managed and disposed of by NESA.

E3.1 Personal and police information

E3.1.1 NESA manages personal and police information

NESA uses the information obtained through the National Police Checking Service only to assess a person’s suitability to teach.

The information is securely disposed of in line with the requirements of the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC).

This Manual should be read in conjunction with:

• Education Standards Authority Act 2013 (NSW)
• Teacher Accreditation Act 2004 (NSW)
• Australian Crime Commission Act 2002 (Cth) (ACC Act)
• Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act (NSW) (PPIP Act).

When assessing suitability to teach, NESA may check an applicant’s/teacher’s criminal history via the National Police Checking Service (NPCS).

To access this service, NESA must:

• be accredited by the ACIC
• comply with ACIC privacy and security requirements when handling personal and sensitive information
• comply with NESA’s ICT security policies and Privacy Management Plan.

Information sharing between NESA and ACIC is governed by an Agreement for controlled access by duly Accredited Bodies to Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Checks under the ACC Act.

E3.1.2 NESA collects personal and police information

NESA collects personal information about accreditation applicants and accredited teachers in hard copy or electronic formats, including:

• name
• address
• date of birth
• copies of relevant identification documents.

In general, NESA collects this information so it can carry out its functions under the TA Act. In relation to the suitability to teach requirement, NESA collects information to:

• verify a person’s identity, and
• perform a national criminal history check.

NESA also collects applicants’ informed consent to conduct national criminal history checks. It does this as part of the initial teacher accreditation and re-accreditation application process or as required, in line with D1.

NESA ensures that handling of sensitive information (i.e. police information):

• is done by relevant NESA staff with appropriate training
• complies with NESA’s privacy and security requirements and ACIC requirements.

NESA complies with:

• information storage requirements imposed by ACIC and the ACC Act
• the PPIP Act and ISO 27001 Information Security Management Standard under its ICT security policies and Privacy Management Plan.

NESA does not store any information relating to national criminal history checks outside of Australia.

E3.1.3 NESA holds and destroys police information securely

NESA holds each applicant’s criminal check application materials for 12 months after receiving the check result, including:

• the application
• any identity documents presented remotely
• the applicant’s informed consent.

After the retention period is over, NESA destroys or securely disposes of these criminal check materials (both hard and electronic copies) within 3 months.

NESA destroys or securely disposes of all criminal history check results 12 months after receiving them.

E3.1.4 NESA can share personal and police information

NESA can share the personal and police information it collects to:

• the NPCS so they can do a criminal history check or investigate a disputed result
• an applicant who asks for it or where there is a disclosable court outcome.

E3.1.5 Applicants can dispute their criminal history check

Applicants can dispute their criminal history check result by submitting a dispute form to TAnotifications@nesa.nsw.edu.au.

NESA will lodge the dispute in a national database for further investigation.

The police agency(s) responsible for releasing information about the applicant’s criminal history check result:

• will investigate the dispute
• can request extra information to support their investigation
• will determine the outcome.

NESA will notify the applicant about the outcome of the dispute, which will be either:

• successful – the criminal history check result will be changed
• unsuccessful – the criminal history check result will remain the same.

If the outcome is unsuccessful, the applicant can appeal and provide extra information to support their challenge.