Privacy policy.

Introduction

Duet Speech Pathology (ABN 73 284 806 866) provides speech pathology for all ages (excluding aged care), by telehealth and through visits to childcare centres and schools. This policy explains how we collect, use, share and protect personal information, both on this website and when you work with us.

We follow the Australian Privacy Principles in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Health Privacy Principles in the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic). If anything here is unclear, please ask us. We're always happy to talk it through.

Information we collect

1. Personal information

We collect only what we need to provide care:

• your name and contact details, and your connection to the client (for example, parent or carer)
• the client's name, date of birth, and childcare centre or school, if relevant
• what you've noticed about their communication, and any health, developmental or family history you choose to share
• assessment results, goals, session notes and reports
• funding details, such as your NDIS plan manager, GP referral and Medicare details, or private health insurance
• reports from others involved in care, such as a GP, teacher or therapist, but only with your consent

Health information is sensitive, so we only collect it with your consent. You can choose not to share something. Just know it may sometimes limit what we can safely provide, or what funding we can claim.

2. Website usage information

We use Cloudflare Web Analytics to see how the site is used. That means pages viewed, the type of device, the country you're visiting from, and which site sent you here. It doesn't use cookies and doesn't follow you across other websites. We don't use advertising or tracking cookies. Cloudflare may set a short-lived security cookie that protects the site from automated attacks.

What you type into our booking and call-back forms is sent to us by email. It isn't stored on the website.

How we use your information

• to reply to your enquiry and book a first chat
• to assess, plan and provide speech pathology, and keep the clinical records the law requires
• to write reports and keep others involved in care up to date, with your consent
• to invoice and process funding claims
• to meet our legal and professional obligations
• to improve our services and website

We don't sell, rent or trade personal information. We'll never send you marketing without your agreement.

Sharing your information

We only share information when it's needed to support care:

• People involved in care, such as a GP, paediatrician, educator or other therapist. We always ask for your consent first.
• Funding bodies, to process claims you've asked us to make: NDIS plan managers, Medicare, and private health funds.
• Trusted providers who help run the practice:
  • our client records system, Cliniko
  • our telehealth platform, Google Meet. Sessions are never recorded, so no video of your sessions is stored.
  • our email provider
  • our website host, Cloudflare
  They may only use the information to provide that service.
• When the law requires it, or to lessen a serious threat to someone's life, health or safety.

Your client records are stored in Australia, in Cliniko. Some of our other providers may handle information outside Australia: our website host, Cloudflare, is a US company with a worldwide network, and our email provider may store emails, including enquiries sent through our website, overseas. We choose providers with strong security and privacy protections.

Keeping your information safe

• Records are kept in Cliniko, stored in Australia, protected by strong passwords and two-factor sign-in, and only your clinician can access them.
• We keep health records for as long as Victorian law requires: at least 7 years after the last session, and for anyone we saw as a child, until they turn 25, whichever is later. After that, they're securely destroyed.
• If a data breach is likely to cause anyone serious harm, we'll tell the people affected and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

Your rights

Seeing and correcting your information. You can ask to see what we hold about you or your child, or ask us to correct it. We'll respond within 30 days, and there's no charge to ask. If the law requires us to refuse in a rare case, we'll explain why in writing.

Questions and complaints. If you're worried about how we've handled your information, please talk to us first. We'll acknowledge your concern within 7 days and aim to resolve it within 30. If you're still not satisfied, you can contact:

• the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (oaic.gov.au)
• the Health Complaints Commissioner, Victoria (hcc.vic.gov.au)

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The latest version will always be here, with the date it was last updated.

Questions about your privacy?

We're happy to help. Get in touch with Usha Elete, Director and Senior Speech Pathologist.

• Phone: 0494 906 507
• Email: hello@duetspeech.com.au