Hint of the Month and News Update - August, 2005
Past Hints
 
Do not give couples the Prepare-Enrich printout

The report is processed on behalf of the Prepare-Enrich Administrator: Not directly for the couple. 

It is your property, to be used in working to the benefit of the couple.  Giving it to them is likely to render some couples vulnerable to harm (confusion and even bullying to obtain reasons for a partner’s answers).  We commented on this issue in the newsletter about three years ago, but questions are still raised on this matter and so the material below may be helpful.

On occasions, a couple request that the feedback report be given to them to take home when their feedback sessions are completed.  We always discourage this practice since the interpretation of the report requires specialist knowledge, without which potentially damaging misinterpretations are all too possible. 

Of course, it is possible for a couple to become quite demanding at this point, although this is a rare event.  We have had reports of couples invoking the Privacy Act as providing them with the absolute right to possess the report.  This demand is not based on a sound understanding of the Privacy Act.  The issue concerns the release of test results and reports.  There are exceptions to unlimited access to such reports, and the reasons for these exceptions are covered by Principle 6 of the Privacy Act (NPP 6).  The Privacy Act and relevant resources may be read at www.privacy.gov.au.

The right provided by the Act is to access, not to possess the original report or to possess a copy of the report.  Furthermore, NPP 6.1 (g) and NPP 6.1 (h) state that access cannot be provided if a law is broken by doing so (such as a breach of copyright that would occur if the detailed report is simply given over into a couple’s possession).  Access can also be denied if access may pose a serious risk to life or health.

Reasonable access can be by inspection, explanation, discussion, a client taking notes, and by provision of a summary.  A typical feedback session certainly fulfils the first four of these requirements.  The provision of a summary may involve the completed sections of the exercises in the Building a Strong Marriages booklet, but it may also involve making a copy of the Item Summary (page 5 of the Report) for the couple to keep.  This will not break copyright and will not pose the same level of risk, as would be the case if the entire report were provided to the couple.  We encourage you to feel free to make a copy of that page and give to couples as part of the feedback process if you believe that this will be helpful to the couple.

Past Hints  Last Month :  It’s a  matter of timing. 

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