Privacy Policy

Sound Beginnings Allied Health (ABN 60 658 671 893) is committed to protecting the privacy of the children and families we work with. This policy explains how we collect, use, disclose and protect your personal and health information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) and applicable Queensland health records legislation. A copy of the APPs is available from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at www.oaic.gov.au.

Anonymity and pseudonymity

Due to the nature of the health services we provide, it is generally impracticable for us to deal with individuals who have not identified themselves. Accurate identification is required to ensure the safety and continuity of clinical care, to comply with our legal and professional obligations under applicable health legislation, and to meet the requirements of Medicare, the NDIS and private health insurance billing.

The information we collect

The personal information we collect may include the name, date of birth, contact details and Medicare, NDIS or private health fund details of a child and their parent or carer. Because we provide health services, we also collect health information, which may include developmental and medical history, assessment findings, therapy notes, communication and feeding goals, referrals, care plans, reports from other professionals, and information about consultations and claims. Health information is sensitive information and is given a higher level of protection under the Privacy Act.

How we collect information

We collect information directly from you wherever reasonable and practicable, including by phone, email, through this website, and during appointments. With your consent, we may also receive information from third parties such as your GP, other treating professionals, or your child's school or early learning centre.

From time to time, we may receive personal or health information that we did not solicit. Where we receive unsolicited personal information, we will promptly assess whether that information is of a kind we could have collected under our standard collection practices, and will deal with it in accordance with the APPs.

How we use your information

We use your information to provide and coordinate your child's care, to communicate with you, to process funding and billing, to meet our legal and professional obligations, and to improve our services. We only use it for a secondary purpose where you would reasonably expect us to, or where you have consented, or where we are required or authorised by law.

Direct marketing

We will only send you marketing communications where you have consented to receive them. Every marketing message includes a simple way to opt out, and you can ask us to stop at any time by contacting us. We do not use your health information for marketing.

Disclosure of your information

We may disclose your information to third parties where you have consented (for example, to your GP, specialists, your child's school or your funding body), or where we are required or authorised by law. We do not sell your information.

Overseas disclosure

We store your information on servers located in Australia and do not routinely disclose personal information to overseas recipients. Some of the third-party technology providers we use to run our practice and website may store or process limited data overseas. Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to ensure your information is handled consistently with the APPs.

Government related identifiers

We only collect and use government related identifiers, such as Medicare, NDIS or Individual Healthcare Identifier numbers, where this is reasonably necessary to provide our services or to meet our legal obligations. We do not use them as our own identifier for you.

Cookies and website analytics

Our website uses cookies and analytics tools to understand how the site is used and to improve it. You can control cookies through your browser settings. Because browsing a health website can reveal sensitive interests, we take care with the data these tools collect.

Security and data breaches

Your information is stored in a manner that reasonably protects it from misuse, interference, loss and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. If we experience a data breach that is likely to result in serious harm, we will comply with the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme under Part IIIC of the Privacy Act, including notifying the OAIC and affected individuals.

How long we keep your information

We retain clinical records for the period required by applicable Queensland and Commonwealth health records law. For an adult, this is generally at least seven years from the date of the last entry. For a child, records are generally kept until the child turns 25. When information is no longer required, we take reasonable steps to securely destroy or de-identify it.

Accessing and correcting your information

You may request access to the personal information we hold about you, and ask us to correct it, subject to certain exceptions under the Privacy Act. To protect your privacy, we may ask you to verify your identity before releasing information. Please contact us in writing to make a request.

My Health Record

Where relevant to your child's care and with your consent, we may interact with the My Health Record system in accordance with the My Health Records Act 2012 (Cth) and its access controls.

Complaints and contact

If you have a question or complaint about how we handle your information, please contact us first and we will do our best to resolve it:

• 214 Waterworks Road, Unit 7, Ashgrove QLD 4060
• info@soundbeginnings.com.au
• 0417 190 929

If you are not satisfied with our response, you can contact the OAIC at www.oaic.gov.au.

This policy may be updated from time to time. The current version is always available on this page.