Privacy Policy

1.0 Purpose and Policy Statement

Welcome to Hartful Therapies (“we”, “our”, “us”). We are committed to protecting your personal information and respecting your privacy.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, hold, use, disclose and protect personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

Hartful Therapies places great importance on protecting the privacy of our clients, families, employees, contractors and other people we work with.

The purpose of this policy is to:

  • explain the kinds of personal information we collect and hold;

  • explain how and why personal information may be collected, held, used and disclosed;

  • explain how we protect personal information;

  • provide information about how you can access or correct your personal information; and

  • explain how you can make a privacy complaint and how we will respond.

2.0 Principles

2.1 What is personal information?

Personal information is information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable.

This may include your name, date of birth, age, contact details and other identifying information.

Hartful Therapies also collects sensitive information where necessary to provide our services. This may include health information, disability information, medical and developmental history, assessment results and other information relevant to the services we provide.

References to personal information in this policy include sensitive and health information where applicable.

2.2 Collection of personal information

Hartful Therapies may collect personal information that is reasonably necessary for us to provide our services and carry out our functions and activities.

Depending on our relationship with you, this may include:

  • identifying and contact information, such as your name, date of birth, gender, address, email address and telephone number;

  • emergency contact information;

  • government identifiers where relevant, such as an NDIS number or Medicare number;

  • health, disability, developmental and medical information;

  • assessment questionnaires, clinical observations and assessment results;

  • information about therapy goals, progress and services provided;

  • reports, correspondence and clinical records;

  • billing and financial information;

  • employment and professional information relating to employees and contractors;

  • other sensitive information where relevant to the services we provide; and

  • with appropriate consent, photographs, audio or video recordings relevant to treatment or service delivery.

We may collect personal information about clients, parents, guardians, carers and family members, teachers and educators, healthcare professionals, service providers, employees, contractors, students and volunteers.

Where practicable, we collect personal information directly from you. We may also collect information from people or organisations involved in your care or services, including:

  • a parent, guardian or carer;

  • family members;

  • treating healthcare professionals;

  • teachers, educators, schools or childcare services;

  • organisations funding or coordinating services, including the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA);

  • other service providers involved in your care; and

  • other third parties where you have consented to the collection or where collection is otherwise permitted by law.

You may choose to deal with us anonymously or using a pseudonym where this is lawful and practicable. In some circumstances, we may need to know your identity to safely and effectively provide services.

2.3 Why do we collect, use and disclose personal information?

We may collect, hold, use and disclose personal information for purposes including:

  • providing speech pathology, assessment, therapy, consultation and related services;

  • planning, documenting and reviewing services;

  • communicating and coordinating with clients, families and other relevant professionals;

  • preparing reports, letters, resources and other clinical documentation;

  • invoicing and processing payments;

  • managing appointments, enquiries and our relationship with you;

  • recruiting, managing, training and supervising employees, contractors, students and volunteers;

  • improving our services and business, administrative and technology systems;

  • responding to complaints, incidents or concerns;

  • meeting our legal, professional, insurance and regulatory obligations;

  • communicating important information about our services; and

  • other purposes for which you have provided consent or which are authorised or required by law.

Where you provide us with your email address or telephone number, we may use these details to communicate with you about your services, appointments, accounts and other relevant practice information.

2.4 Storing and protecting your personal information

Hartful Therapies generally stores personal information using secure electronic and cloud-based systems. Where hard-copy information is retained, reasonable steps are taken to store it securely.

We take reasonable steps to:

  • protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure;

  • maintain appropriate access controls and security practices;

  • keep personal information accurate, complete and up to date where reasonably practicable;

  • review our information-handling and technology practices; and

  • securely destroy or de-identify personal information when it is no longer required to be retained by law, professional requirements or other legitimate business requirements.

2.5 Digital technologies, artificial intelligence and automated systems

Hartful Therapies may use digital technologies, software and artificial intelligence (AI) enabled tools to assist with the delivery and administration of our services.

These technologies may assist with activities such as:

  • clinical and administrative documentation;

  • drafting or formatting correspondence and reports;

  • creating therapy resources;

  • scheduling and practice administration;

  • invoicing and financial administration; and

  • improving business processes and service delivery.

Where these technologies are used, Hartful Therapies takes reasonable steps to protect personal and sensitive information and to limit the information used to what is reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose. Where appropriate and practicable, information may be de-identified or minimised before being processed using technology or AI-enabled tools.

AI and automated tools may assist our clinicians and staff but do not replace professional clinical judgement. Clinical assessments, recommendations and decisions about the provision of therapy services remain subject to appropriate human review and oversight.

Hartful Therapies may use third-party technology providers to process or store information on our behalf. We take reasonable steps to consider the privacy and security arrangements of the technology and service providers we use.

Hartful Therapies does not generally use automated systems to make significant decisions about clients without appropriate human involvement.

If Hartful Therapies uses personal information in a computer program to make, or substantially and directly support, a decision that could reasonably be expected to significantly affect an individual's rights or interests, we will provide information about this use as required by applicable privacy laws.

We periodically review our use of digital technologies and AI as our systems, services and legal obligations change.

2.6 Who may we disclose your personal information to?

To provide our services and operate our practice, we may disclose personal information to third parties where reasonably necessary, authorised or required by law.

This may include:

  • referring or treating healthcare professionals;

  • other professionals or service providers involved in your care, with appropriate consent;

  • parents, guardians or carers where applicable;

  • schools, childcare services or educators where appropriate and with consent;

  • organisations funding or coordinating services, including the NDIA;

  • Medicare and other relevant government agencies;

  • clinical supervisors;

  • regulatory authorities;

  • insurers, legal advisers and other professional advisers;

  • practice management, cloud computing, data storage, communication, accounting, payment, IT and other technology service providers;

  • contractors and service providers assisting Hartful Therapies to operate its business; and

  • other parties where disclosure is authorised or required by law.

Third-party providers may process or store personal information on our behalf. Where relevant, their handling of information is also governed by their own privacy and security arrangements.

2.7 Overseas disclosure and storage

Some technology, cloud, software or service providers used by Hartful Therapies may store or process information using infrastructure located outside Australia.

Where this occurs, Hartful Therapies will take reasonable steps as required by applicable privacy laws when selecting and using service providers that may process personal information overseas.

The countries in which information may be processed can vary depending on the technology providers used by Hartful Therapies from time to time.

2.8 What happens if I don't provide personal information?

If you do not provide personal information requested by Hartful Therapies, we may be unable to provide some or all of the services you request.

Where possible, we will explain why particular information is required.

2.9 Communications and marketing

Hartful Therapies may use your contact information to communicate important information about our services, including changes to fees or policies, practice closures, holiday programs and information about new or changed services.

We may also send occasional news and updates where you have consented to receive these communications or where otherwise permitted by law.

You may unsubscribe from non-essential marketing communications at any time by contacting us at admin@hartfultherapies.com.

Communications that are necessary for the delivery or administration of your services may still be sent where appropriate.

2.10 Accessing or correcting your personal information

You may contact Hartful Therapies if you would like to access or correct personal information we hold about you.

Please contact:

Hartful Therapies
admin@hartfultherapies.com
0450 236 151

We will generally provide access to your personal information where required and reasonably practicable and will take reasonable steps to correct information that is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading.

In some circumstances, privacy laws may permit or require us to refuse access or correction. Where applicable, we will provide written reasons for the decision and information about available complaint mechanisms.

3.0 Privacy Complaints

If you have a concern or complaint about how Hartful Therapies has collected, used, disclosed, stored or otherwise handled your personal information, please contact us in writing at:

admin@hartfultherapies.com

We will endeavour to acknowledge a written privacy complaint within five business days.

We will investigate the matter and aim to respond within 30 business days. If we anticipate that additional time will be required, we will endeavour to contact you and provide an indication of the expected timeframe.

We will make reasonable efforts to resolve privacy concerns directly with you.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) or another relevant privacy regulator.

4.0 Review of this Privacy Policy

Hartful Therapies may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our services, technology, information-handling practices or legal and regulatory requirements.

The current version will be made available on our website.

Updated September 2026