Privacy Policy

Little Octopus Therapy is committed to protecting the privacy, confidentiality and security of the personal information entrusted to us by children, families, carers, referrers and other stakeholders.

We comply with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), including the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), as well as any other applicable legislation relating to health records and confidentiality.

As a paediatric occupational therapy practice, we recognise that families trust us with sensitive information. We are committed to ensuring that this information is collected, stored and used responsibly.

To provide occupational therapy services, Little Octopus Therapy may collect personal information including:

• Parent or guardian names
• Child's name and date of birth
• Contact details
• Address
• Medicare, NDIS or private health insurance information
• Emergency contacts
• GP, paediatrician and other treating professionals
• Medical history
• Developmental history
• Therapy reports and assessment results
• Progress notes
• Funding information
• Referral information
• Relevant educational information
• Correspondence relating to your child's care

We only collect information that is reasonably necessary to provide safe and effective occupational therapy services.

Information may be collected through:

• Initial enquiry forms
• Intake forms
• Phone calls
• Emails
• Face-to-face appointments
• Telehealth appointments
• Parent interviews
• Assessments
• Referrals from healthcare professionals
• Schools or early childhood services (with consent)
• Reports provided by parents or other professionals

We collect personal information to:

• Provide occupational therapy assessment and intervention
• Develop therapy goals
• Write reports
• Communicate with parents and carers
• Liaise with schools, educators and other treating professionals (with consent)
• Manage appointments
• Process payments and invoices
• Manage NDIS funding where applicable
• Meet legal and professional obligations
• Improve the quality of our services

All personal information is treated as confidential.

Little Octopus Therapy will not disclose your personal information to another person or organisation unless:

• you have provided consent;
• disclosure is required or authorised by law;
• there is a serious and imminent threat to someone's life, health or safety;
• mandatory reporting obligations apply; or
• disclosure is otherwise permitted under Australian privacy legislation.

Where appropriate, written consent will be obtained before sharing reports or information with schools, medical practitioners or other health professionals.

Occupational therapy often works best when professionals collaborate.

With your consent, we may communicate with:

• General Practitioners
• Paediatricians
• Speech Pathologists
• Psychologists
• Physiotherapists
• Teachers
• Early Childhood Educators
• Behaviour Support Practitioners
• Support Coordinators
• NDIS representatives
• Other professionals involved in your child's care

Information shared will be limited to what is necessary to support your child's therapy.

Little Octopus Therapy takes reasonable steps to protect personal information from:

• unauthorised access
• misuse
• loss
• alteration
• disclosure

Information may be stored securely using encrypted electronic practice management systems, password-protected devices and secure cloud-based systems. Only authorised personnel have access to client information.

While every effort is made to protect electronic communications, email cannot be guaranteed to be completely secure.

By communicating with Little Octopus Therapy via email, you acknowledge this risk.

Sensitive information will only be sent electronically where appropriate and with reasonable safeguards.

Occasionally photographs or videos may be taken during therapy sessions for:

• clinical documentation
• therapy planning
• progress monitoring
• home program demonstration

These will only be taken with parent or guardian consent and will never be used for marketing purposes without separate written consent.

Parents or legal guardians may request access to their child's records.

Requests should be made in writing.

We may require proof of identity before releasing information.

Access may be refused where permitted by law.

Reasonable administrative fees may apply for extensive copying or preparation of records.

If you believe information we hold is inaccurate, incomplete or out of date, you may request that it be corrected.

Little Octopus Therapy will take reasonable steps to update information where appropriate.

Client records are retained in accordance with Australian legal and professional record-keeping requirements.

When records are no longer required, they will be securely destroyed or permanently de-identified.

Occupational therapists are mandatory reporters under Australian law.

If there are reasonable grounds to believe a child is at risk of significant harm, Little Octopus Therapy may be legally required to disclose information to the relevant authorities without parent or guardian consent.

If you have concerns about the way your personal information has been handled, please contact Little Octopus Therapy at cassidy@littleoctopustherapy.com.au

We will investigate all complaints promptly and work with you to resolve your concerns.

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

This Privacy & Confidentiality Policy may be updated from time to time to reflect changes in legislation, professional standards or practice procedures.