Privacy Policy
Your privacy should feel clear—not hidden in fine print.
This policy explains what Held With Hope collects, why we use it, who may process it and the choices available to you.
Last updated: 8 September 2026
Privacy at a glance
We designed the service to work without your public identity.
- Member accounts use a made-up name. Email and mobile contact details are optional and visible only to the Support Team; a real name is not requested.
- Your worksheets and decision-guide answers remain in your browser and are not attached to your account.
- Community content and Support Team messages are stored so those features can work.
- We do not sell personal information or use it for targeted advertising.
1. Who this policy applies to
This Privacy Policy applies to the Held With Hope website, community, member areas, Support Team messaging and virtual guide (together, the Service). In this policy, “Held With Hope”, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to the operator of the Service.
Privacy questions, access or correction requests, and complaints can be sent to support@heldwithhope.com.
2. Information we collect
- A made-up member name, pathway, one-way password hash, account dates and account status
- An email address or Australian mobile number, only if you choose to add them for Support Team contact and account help
- Community posts, replies, reactions, check-ins and reports you choose to submit
- Messages sent to the Support Team, including a selected topic and made-up name
- Questions entered into Ella, our virtual guide
- Moderation decisions, safety flags and administrative records
- Necessary session and security information used to sign you in, prevent misuse and keep the Service operating
What membership does not require
- Email address, mobile number or real name—contact details are optional and a real name is not requested
- Exact address
- Clinic, Medicare or provider details
- Decision-guide answers or support-plan choices
- Contact lists or precise device location
- Member-to-member private messages—direct member contact is unavailable
3. How we collect and use information
We collect information when you create or use an account, publish or report community content, message the Support Team, use Ella, email us or otherwise contact us. We use it only to:
- provide accounts, community features, private conversations and requested support;
- moderate content, respond to reports and protect members and the Service;
- send administrative alerts to the Support Team;
- answer virtual-guide questions and provide relevant directory information;
- prevent spam, fraud, abuse and security incidents; and
- meet legal obligations and respond to lawful requests.
Pregnancy, health, safety, grief or relationship information you choose to write may be sensitive. Please share only what is needed and leave out real names, contact details, clinic details and exact locations.
4. Cookies and anonymous website-visit alerts
Anonymous website-visit alerts
We use strictly necessary, secure cookies to keep signed-in members and private browser conversations connected. These cookies expire after 30 days, can be removed through your browser and are not used for advertising.
Once per browser session, the site may email the Support Team that a page was visited. The alert includes only the page path, approximate suburb or area, and time. The approximate area is inferred by our hosting provider from the network request. The alert does not contain your street address, precise coordinates, name, email, message, IP address, device details or referring page. Like most hosting services, our provider may still process network and device information to deliver and secure the website under its own service terms.
5. Automated moderation and Ella
Community text may be sent to an automated moderation provider for a safety classification before publication. Questions entered into Ella are sent through an AI gateway to a model provider so a reply can be generated. Automated systems can make mistakes and do not replace human, medical, counselling or emergency support.
Do not enter identifying or highly sensitive details into these features. Provider processing and retention are also governed by their service arrangements and privacy practices.
6. When information may be shared
We do not sell personal information. Information may be available to:
- authorised Held With Hope administrators who operate, moderate and safeguard the Service;
- technology providers that host the website and database, deliver email or SMS alerts, and provide automated moderation or AI responses;
- professional advisers where reasonably necessary; and
- government, regulators, courts or emergency services where required or authorised by law, or where reasonably necessary to address a serious and imminent safety concern.
Our technology providers include Vercel, Supabase, Resend, Twilio where SMS alerts are enabled, and AI gateway or model providers. Some providers operate infrastructure outside Australia, so information may be processed in other countries. Privacy protections and remedies in those countries may differ from those in Australia.
7. Storage, security and retention
We use access controls, encrypted connections, one-way password hashing and restricted administrator tools. No internet service can promise absolute security. If you believe your account or information has been compromised, contact us promptly.
Account and community information is generally kept while the account remains active. Private messages and safeguarding records are kept only as long as reasonably needed to provide the feature, address safety or moderation issues, resolve disputes and meet legal obligations. Deletion may not immediately remove encrypted backups or records we must retain by law.
8. Your choices and privacy rights
Delete your accountDelete your posts and repliesReport community contentAsk for access or correctionMake a privacy complaintRemove cookies in your browser
Email support@heldwithhope.com for access, correction or a privacy complaint. We may need enough information to confirm the request relates to you. Because membership is pseudonymous, we may be unable to identify an account if you no longer have its member name or active browser session.
We will acknowledge a privacy complaint and aim to respond within 30 days. If you are not satisfied, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner ↗.
9. Adults only, external links and policy changes
The member community is for adults aged 18 or older in Australia. Links to external organisations are provided for convenience; their own privacy policies apply when you visit them.
We may update this policy when the Service or legal requirements change. The current version and update date will remain available on this page. Material changes affecting members will be communicated through the Service where reasonably practicable.
