Privacy Policy

Your privacy is important to us. We are committed to providing the information you need to make informed choices about the ways you use the Website and our services, make donations or otherwise engage with us.

This Privacy Policy describes how we manage the personal information we collect, hold, use and disclose from time to time.

“Personal information” means information about an identified or identifiable individual. Examples of personal information include your name, your mobile number, your email address and your photograph.

Roses in the Ocean is dedicated to continually improving the services we offer and work that we do. We value and encourage all feedback. Please submit any comments, complaints or feedback in writing to: [email protected].

The types of personal information that we collect and hold about you will depend on the nature of your engagement with us. We will only collect your personal information where it is reasonably necessary for us to pursue one or more of our functions or activities, or where we are required to collect the information by law.

When you use our Website or our services or otherwise engage with us, we may collect details such as your:

• full name;
• physical address;
• email address;
• age or date of birth;
• telephone number;
• organisation that you work for; or
• service or educational institution details.

Given the nature of our organisation, we may also collect sensitive information from you in some circumstances (such as your health information). We will only collect your sensitive information with your consent, and if the collection is reasonably necessary for us to pursue one or more of our functions or activities.

You have the option of interacting with us anonymously or using a pseudonym if you feel more comfortable dealing with us that way. For example, if you contact us by telephone with a general question, we will not ask for your full name unless we need it to answer your question.

If you want to share a story that includes another person’s lived experience of suicide in which that person will be identifiable, you must seek written permission from the individual or next of kin first, and let them know about our Privacy Policy. If you share a story without obtaining the written consent of the individual or next of kin, upon becoming aware of the lack of consent, Roses in the Ocean will remove the post and destroy any other records of the relevant information. Some people may not want their experience made public. It is important to consider the impact and respect the wishes of others affected by the same story as you.

If you make a donation to us, we may also collect your credit card details in addition to information of the type set out above.

In these circumstances, we may also ask to collect other information such as:

• your preferences for receiving further information about our programs, workshops, campaigns or activities;
• your title, the department you work for, company information or marketing spend; and
• demographic information about you and/or other unique identifiers in order to provide you with a more personalised experience, or to verify your passwords.

We may collect and use your personal information if you:

• deal with us over the phone, via email or in person;
• call or use our SP Peer CARE Companion Warmline service;
• participate in public or closed surveys, questionnaires or events;
• register to participate in our workshops, either as a participant or facilitator;
• register for face-to-face or digital events (such as webinars);
• donate to Roses in the Ocean; or
• apply for a position with us either as an employee, volunteer or contractor.’

Wherever possible, we will try to collect personal information from you directly, rather than from another person or source, unless it is unreasonable or impractical to do so.

We may collect your personal information for a number of purposes. Some of those purposes include to:

• provide you with the information or resources you have requested from us;
• provide you with support and refer you to other support services (including emergency services and crisis lines) when you call or use our SP Peer CARE Companion Warmline service;
• involve you in programs, workshops, campaigns, research, activities or other initiatives undertaken by Roses in the Ocean and organisations associated with Roses in the Ocean;
• receive and process your donation;
• show your name and the amount of any donation or sponsorship you may make on our Website (unless you choose a private or anonymous donation);
• register you to hold a fundraising event or for you to assist us as a volunteer;
• send you emails about our programs, workshops, campaigns or activities (if you have consented to this);
• improve the emails that are sent to you and to improve the personalisation, services, programs, content and resources that may be offered to you;
• enable like-minded organisations to contact you with information that may be of interest to you (if you have consented to this); or
• invite you to participate in surveys and provide feedback to us.

We do not share or disclose the personal information that we collect, except as specifically disclosed in this Privacy Policy.

Your personal information may be provided to third parties where they provide services that relate to the purpose for which the personal information was collected.

For example, in certain circumstances we may disclose your personal information to:

• the service providers that host our Website servers;
• other support services (including emergency services and crisis lines) we may refer you to when you call or use our SP Peer CARE Companion warmline service;
• our service delivery partners;
• marketing service providers;
• other like-minded charitable organisations;
• professional advisors such as accountants, auditors and lawyers; and
• Government Departments of Health.

Otherwise, we will only disclose your personal information if:
you have consented to the disclosure;

• it is necessary to prevent injury to life or health; or
• it is permitted, required or authorised by or under an Australian law or a court/tribunal order.

In certain circumstances, we may also use and disclose de-identified information (which can no longer be used to identify you) for the purposes of:

• compiling statistical information about our services or our organisation more broadly; or
  undertaking research.

We use “cookies” (small files sent to and stored by your browser on your device) to collect information and support certain features of the Website, and other web tracking/analytic tools that generate statistics about traffic to our website.

For example, we may use these technologies to:

• collect information about the ways you use the Website – which pages you visit, which links you use, and how long you stay on each page;
• recognise when you return to the Website; and
• improve our services, programs, content and resources.

Generally, the information we collect using these web technologies does not identify you personally.

If you do not wish to receive cookies, you can set your browser so that your computer does not accept them.

Our Website also uses marketing automation tools that send communications (such as email or SMS) using a number of different services.

Each service uses tracking technologies primarily to understand what subjects are interesting to you by monitoring whether you open emails and follow links. This information is then used to improve the messages that are sent to you and to improve the services, programs, content and resources that are offered to you.

If you register your email with us, from time to time, we may send you emails about our programs, workshops, campaigns or activities. Other like-minded organisations may also contact you with information that may be of interest to you.

You may opt-out of receiving these communications from us at any time by using any of the opt-out facilities provided in the communications or by emailing [email protected].

We take reasonable steps (including reasonable administrative, physical and technological measures) to protect the confidentiality and security of your personal information. Your personal information is maintained in a secure environment, which can only be accessed by authorised personnel.

Unfortunately, no website, server or database is 100% secure. Therefore, we cannot guarantee it’s absolute security.

Regardless of where in the world you reside, Roses in the Ocean may transfer your data to Australia and process and store it there.

We will generally only send or disclose your personal information outside Australia when we send it to our service providers located overseas. Those service providers are generally required by contract to keep your personal information confidential and to use it only to provide services to us or on our behalf.

We may also send your personal information outside Australia if we are authorised or required to do so by law.

The Website may provide links to other websites operated by third parties. You should check the privacy policy of the third party website before providing your personal information to those websites.

This Privacy Policy may change from time to time. Any updated versions of this Privacy Policy will be posted on the Website and will be effective from the date of posting.

This Privacy Policy was last updated in November 2020.

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us at:

Roses in the Ocean

Suite 102, Level 1

33 Longland Street

Newstead, Brisbane QLD 4006

Phone: 1300 411 461

Roses in the Ocean accepts all donations in good faith.
However, due to the nature of charity donations, Roses in the Ocean is under no obligation to give refunds.

We will consider requests for refund of donations in limited circumstances. These circumstances include where:

• we made an error in the processing of your donation;
• the donation was provided by a vulnerable person; or
• you entered the wrong amount.

If an error in the donation amount is detected and you make a request for a refund after 14 business days have expired, Roses in the Ocean will unfortunately be unable to issue a refund.

Decisions on refunds will be at the discretion of Roses in the Ocean’s management.

We will not refund your donation if you simply change your mind. For this reason, we ask that you make your decision to donate to us carefully.

If your donation is refunded, the associated tax receipt is no longer valid so it should be securely destroyed. Please note it is your responsibility to submit only correct receipts to the Australian Tax Office.

If you wish to apply for refund, please submit your request by providing your full name, full mailing address and phone number. Please include details of how you made the donation, the date and amount given, in addition to the circumstances justifying your request for a refund.

Requests and other enquiries may be sent to:

Roses in the Ocean
PO BOX 84, Wilston Qld 4051

PH: 1300 411 461
Email: [email protected]

It is widely accepted that the inappropriate use of language when describing suicide and discussion of method, can have a significant impact on people who have a lived experience of suicide, and other members of the community. It is often attributed to fuelling the stigma, prejudice and fear that we still experience surrounding suicide. This in turn can prevent people from seeking help, and indeed reaching out to help others too. For this reason, we must ensure that when talking about suicide we do not describe ‘how’ someone took their life, nor do we discuss specific details about a suicide attempt.

For a quick summary of safe language please read our Guide to Safe Language

For further reading on safe communications in suicide prevention visit the Life in Mind National Communications Charter. Roses in the Ocean is a signatory to the Charter, which provides a unified approach and promotes a common language in mental health, mental illness and suicide.

In an era of ‘fake news’ and misinformation, the dissemination of inaccurate, misleading or inappropriate statements about suicidality and suicide prevention can have extremely negative impacts on individuals in crisis and the people around them.

Likewise, misinformation about Roses in the Ocean, our services, programs or staff members may have a deleterious effect on the organisation.

Please ensure that your comments, posts and sources are reliable, accurate and authentic.

Roses in the Ocean values humility, empathy and respect. We are committed to creating welcoming and supportive safe environments that promote healthy living, positive behaviours, positive mental health, happiness and contentment.

While we encourage debate and robust exchange of ideas, we insist on polite and respectful conduct at all times.

We will not tolerate hate speech, discrimination, intolerance or bullying behaviours. At Roses in the Ocean we celebrate the diversity of humanity. We welcome and respect all races, genders, ages, sexualities, cultures, religions, politics and lifestyles.

Roses in the Ocean values lifelong learning and the opportunity for people to learn from those with lived experience of suicide. We also acknowledge the deeply personal and sensitive nature of each individual’s lived experience of suicide.

Please be respectful of everyone’s privacy and their personal stories as well as the potential psychological and emotional stresses that may come with sharing.

Don’t share your personal information publicly – including but not limited to, email addresses, phone numbers or home addresses. If you wish to share such information, please use direct messages. (DM)

Please refrain from sharing sales promotions or advertising materials that are not relevant to suicide prevention and postvention. Spam will be removed.

Roses in the Ocean Lived Experience Collective page is a closed Facebook page available exclusively to individuals who have completed one of our capacity-building workshops. The Page is a safe space for conversations, storytelling and sharing and we encourage you to speak freely and openly with fellow members of the Collective.

It is equally important that the content shows consideration and respect towards others in the Collective and follows the above guidelines.

Social Media – We do not vet social media posts prior to their publication. However, we regularly monitor posts and comments and respond to any questions, concerns, complaints or feedback ASAP (within 24 hours).

Reflections of My Lived Experience – All posts for Reflections of My Lived Experience are screened and approved by Roses in the Ocean prior to publication. This is mainly to ensure the content follows safe language principles as outlined in the National Charter. All comments on Reflections of My Lived Experience posts are approved by Roses in the Ocean prior to being published.

By accessing the Website, you accept these Terms of Use as updated from time to time. If you do not agree with these Terms of Use (including any subsequent amendments to such terms) you must immediately cease using the Website.

We may update or amend these Terms of Use from time to time. You should check this page from time to time to make sure you are aware of any changes.

You agree to only use the Website in accordance with these Terms of Use and applicable laws. You may be held personally liable for any unlawful use of the Website.

If you have a complaint or would like to make a comment about any of the content that may be published on the Website, please contact us at [email protected]

You are solely responsible for providing (at your cost) all equipment, software and internet access necessary to use the Website.

The Website has been established to provide information about suicide and the lived experience of suicide to the Australian community.

The information contained on the Website is provided by Roses in the Ocean in good faith and on an ‘as is’ basis. At the time the information is added to the Website, we believe it to be accurate and current. However, we make no warranty of any kind as to the reliability, accuracy or completeness of the information contained on the Website.

The Website is not intended to provide or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. You should seek the advice of an appropriately qualified healthcare professional before making decisions about your own circumstances. You should not disregard professional medical advice, or delay seeking it, because of any information contained on the Website.

We may, from time to time, change or add to the Website without notice. However, we do not undertake to keep the Website updated and we will not be liable to you or anyone else if errors occur in the information on the Website, or if the information is not up to date.

We use reasonable efforts to make sure that you can access and use the Website at all times, but we make no warranty of any kind that your use of the Website will be uninterrupted or error free.

Despite our efforts, our Website may not be accessible at all times and you may experience interruptions, delays, errors or faults in your use of and access to the Website. We will not be responsible to you or anyone else if these things occur. Your use of the Website is at your own risk and the Website is provided to you “as is” and “as available”.

Unless otherwise indicated, all intellectual property rights in the Website (including without limitation the text, graphics, logos, icons, images, video and audio clips, designs, interfaces and layout) are owned by Roses in the Ocean or used under licence.

You may access, download, and print the content from the Website (in its unaltered form) for your own personal use only. You may also reproduce content marked as being owned by Roses in the Ocean for non-commercial, personal or educational purposes free of charge, provided that reproduced Roses in the Ocean content:

• remains branded “Roses in the Ocean”, and includes an acknowledgement to Roses in the Ocean made prominently, including a link to the Website; and
• is not reproduced or published in a manner which damages or dilutes the reputation of Roses in the Ocean or which creates a misleading impression that Roses in the Ocean is associated with, or a sponsor of, the person reproducing the content; and
• is not altered or reproduced in a misleading context.

If you have downloaded any material from our website under a Creative Commons licence, then the material must only be used in accordance with that licence.

Except for these purposes, or as otherwise permitted under applicable law, you may not, in any form or by any means:

• permanently copy, adapt, reproduce, upload to a third party, link to, store, distribute, transmit, print, display, perform, publish or create derivative works by any process, any part of the Website; or
• commercialise any information obtained from any part of the Website, without the specific written consent of Roses in the Ocean.

The Website also includes trade marks which are protected by law. You may not use our trade marks in Australia or internationally without our prior written consent, except to legitimately identify our products or services.

Nothing contained on the Website should be construed as granting any licence or right of use to the intellectual property in any material which is displayed on the Website (other than as set out above) without the express written permission of Roses in the Ocean or the relevant owner.

To seek our consent, or to request further information, please contact us at [email protected].

The inclusion of a link to a website run by an organisation other than Roses in the Ocean (Linked Website) should not be construed as any endorsement, approval, recommendation or preference by us of the owners or operators of that Linked Website, or for any information, product or service referred to on that Linked Website.

Your use of any Linked Website is entirely at your own risk and you will be bound by the terms and conditions (if any) posted on the Linked Website and not by these Terms of Use. We have no control over or rights in any Linked Website.

We are not responsible or liable for third party content or information, and do not warrant the accuracy, currency or suitability of that information for any purpose.

You may link to our Website provided you do so in a way that accurately indicates that the link is to a Roses in the Ocean page and is not misleading.

We have a number of social media accounts, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn (collectively known as our Pages). We may remove your comments or other posts from our Pages if, in our opinion, your content is or may potentially be:

• misleading, false or deceptive or otherwise contrary to law or regulation;
• defamatory, discriminatory, abusive, threatening, offensive, obscene or racially vilifying;
• inappropriate, off topic or vexatious;
• spam, promoting a product or commercial service, or soliciting business; or
• breaching confidentiality, privacy or third party rights.

All content on our Pages is also subject to individual terms of use as outlined by the relevant social media provider. By interacting with our Pages, you agree to be bound by the terms of use of the relevant social media provider.

Any personal information we collect about you via the Website will be dealt with in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

We may also use cookies to identify your computer on our server and so we can track your use of the Website. In some instances, cookies may collect and store information about you. Such information will only be used by us in accordance with our Privacy Policy. If you do not wish to receive cookies, you can set your browser so that your computer does not accept them.

The transmission of information over the internet is not completely secure or error free. While we take steps and have reasonable measures in place to secure information provided or processed through the Website, we cannot guarantee the absolute security of information on or processed through the Website. In particular, emails to or from us and information submitted to or accessed via the Website may not be secure and you should use discretion in deciding what information you send to us via these means.

Emails to or from us may undergo email filtering and virus scanning, including by third party contractors. We do not warrant that such filters and scans will be effective in removing viruses or other potentially harmful code.

To the extent permitted by law, we and each of our directors, officers, employees and agents exclude all liability for any loss, damage or injury (including, without limitation, direct, indirect, special or consequential loss, loss of profits, loss of data or loss of opportunity) which you suffer whether arising under contract, tort (including negligence), equity, statute or any other cause of action, or otherwise resulting from your access to (or inability to access) or use of the Website, or as a consequence of any content, information or services obtained from or through the Website.

Nothing in these Terms of Use restrict, exclude or modify any rights that cannot be excluded under any applicable law including the consumer guarantees set out in the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth). If we are liable for a breach of a consumer guarantee (or any other term implied by law) and that liability cannot, by law, be excluded but can be limited, our liability is, to the fullest extent permitted by law, limited (where permissible) to, at our election, replacing or resupplying the relevant goods or services, or paying the cost of such replacement or resupply.

These Terms of Use are governed by the laws of Queensland. In the event that we have a legal dispute relating to the Website or these Terms of Use, you agree that Queensland courts will have jurisdiction.

Although Australian websites may be accessed outside of Australia, we make no representation that the content of the Website complies with the laws of any other country. If you access the Website from outside Australia, you are solely responsible for ensuring compliance with your local laws and for any reliance on Website content.

At Roses in the Ocean we celebrate the complex diversity of humanity.

We are fully committed to creating a welcoming, supportive and safe environment that is inclusive of all races, genders, ages, sexualities, cultures, religions, politics and lifestyles.

Welcome – you belong here.