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OUR PRIVACY POLICY

Privacy Policy 

At Northside Counselling and Play Therapy, we are committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of our young clients and their families when it comes to the information we collect. This privacy policy outlines the type of information we collect, how we store this information, the purposes in which we collect, store, use and disclose information, procedures for releasing files or treatment notes, and the practitioner's rights to disclose or withhold files or treatment notes. This policy is in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). 

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The types of Information we may collect at Northside Counselling and Play Therapy Include: 

  1. General details such as name, address, contact details, date of birth 

  2. Personal enquiries – including symptoms/concerns/goals 

  3. NDIS information including NDIS #, plans, plan manager details 

  4. Appointments and billing details 

  5. Contact details of additional practitioners or parties that are a part of your care team (social workers, schools etc) 

  6. Court orders including but not limited to parenting agreements or DV orders 

  7. Additional health information such as referrals, reports from other specialists, diagnoses, family history and prescriptions 

  8. Additional information that may be deemed necessary 

 

We collect this information through:  

  1. You directly – via phone, face to face, email, intake form or our online enquiry form 

  2. Someone responsible for you – such as a parent or legal guardian 

  3. A third party, in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) or other relevant law. This includes but not limited to practitioners from your care team, specialists, schools, plan managers  

 

We store this information using our secure practice management software called Cliniko: 

https://www.cliniko.com/security/ 

 

We collect, hold, use and disclose this information for the purposes of: 

  1. Providing a service to you 

  2. Communicating with yourself, a parent or legal guardian or approved third party regarding the service being provided 

  3. Consultations with those involved in your health care – schools, allied health specialists, social workers etc 

  4. Management of our accounts and billing – this includes communication with NDIS plan managers 

  5. Responding to feedback or formal complaints  

  6. Advising of important updates or events in relation to our practice  

 
Information regarding clients including case records is confidential, kept secured and will only be released under the following conditions: 

  1. For the purposes of individual and group supervision, and professional development activities. In such cases, to preserve confidentiality, clients will be identified by first names only or may have names changed to protect the identity of the individual or family 

  2. If it is determined by the therapist that the client is a danger to themselves or to someone else 

  3. The child or family discloses abuse or there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that a child has been abused, is at risk of being abused, ill-treated or is exposed or subjected to behaviour that is psychologically harmful to the child 

  4. There is a court order to disclose the information, or a request made through the Freedom of Information Act 

  5. If you require your child's therapist to communicate with any other professional, person or organization and a release of information form has been signed in advance 

 

Practitioners will communicate openly and transparently with parents/caregivers about the treatment process and progress, while also respecting the child's right to privacy. Practitioners have the professional discretion to determine when and how to disclose information based on the best interest of the child and will only disclose information when it is deemed necessary and appropriate for the child's well-being and treatment. 

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Our team is committed to respecting and safeguarding your privacy. All employees, contractors, and agents sign a confidentiality agreement upon joining our organization to ensure the protection of individual privacy.  

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We take proactive measures to secure your health and financial information against misuse, loss, and unauthorized access, alteration, or disclosure. Your data is stored securely using Xero and the Cliniko practice management software, which features an encrypted server. Access to this information is individually restricted and requires two-factor authentication for added security. Any paper-based documents are securely uploaded into Cliniko and are properly destroyed afterward. 

 

Changes to Privacy Policy: 

Northside Counselling and Play Therapy reserves the right to update or modify this privacy policy at any time. If you have questions regarding our Privacy Policy or want to report an issue, please reach out with your concerns in writing to: 

Jennifer Stewart 

Practice Manager 

Email: admin@northsideplaytherapy.com.au 

 

If you're not happy with our answer, you can contact the OAIC: 

- Phone: 1300 363 992 

- Email: enquiries@oaic.gov.au 

- Fax: +61 2 9284 9666 

- Mail: GPO Box 5218 Sydney NSW 2001 

- Website: https://www.oaic.gov.au/individuals/how-do-i-make-a-privacy-complaint 

 

Review Date: 17th December 2025 

For more information, reach out to Northside Counselling and Play Therapy below:

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