Privacy Policy

Hop & Learn Children's Therapy ("we", "us", or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy of children and families who use our services. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

1. Information We Collect

We collect information necessary to provide our occupational therapy and speech pathology services, including:

• Personal Information: Name, address, phone number, email address of parents/guardians and children
• Health Information: Medical history, developmental assessments, therapy notes, progress reports
• NDIS Information: NDIS participant numbers, plan details, funding information, service agreements
• Medicare Information: Medicare numbers for billing purposes where applicable
• Educational Information: School reports, educational assessments, teacher feedback
• Payment Information: Billing details for private-paying clients

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide occupational therapy and speech pathology services
• Develop and implement therapy plans
• Communicate with you about appointments and progress
• Process payments and manage NDIS/Medicare claims
• Comply with our professional and legal obligations
• Improve our services and client experience
• Coordinate care with other healthcare providers (with your consent)

3. NDIS and Healthcare Data Handling

When we work with self-managed and plan-managed NDIS participants, we handle participant data carefully and in line with applicable privacy, confidentiality, and record-keeping obligations. This includes:

• Maintaining secure electronic and physical records
• Retaining records for a minimum of 7 years (or until a child turns 25, whichever is longer)
• Providing participants access to their records upon request
• Reporting to the NDIA and NDIS Commission as required by law

Health information is handled in accordance with the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic) and relevant health privacy principles.

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We may share your information with:

• Other healthcare providers: With your consent, to coordinate care (e.g., paediatricians, GPs, psychologists)
• Schools and educators: With your consent, to support your child's educational needs
• NDIS and Medicare: For billing and reporting purposes as required
• Professional supervisors: For clinical supervision and quality assurance
• Legal authorities: When required by law or to protect the safety of a child

We will not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

5. Data Security Measures

We take reasonable steps to protect your information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure. Our security measures include:

• Secure, password-protected electronic systems
• Encrypted data transmission
• Locked physical storage for paper records
• Staff training on privacy and confidentiality
• Regular review of security practices

6. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access: Request access to the personal information we hold about you or your child
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Withdrawal: Withdraw consent for certain uses of your information
• Complaint: Make a complaint if you believe your privacy has been breached

To exercise these rights, please contact our Privacy Officer using the details below.

7. Children's Privacy

We provide services to children, and we take extra care to protect their information. We collect children's information only with parental or guardian consent. As children mature, we encourage age-appropriate involvement in decisions about their information. We retain children's health records in accordance with legal requirements.

8. Third-Party Services

Our website may use third-party services for analytics, booking systems, or payment processing. These services have their own privacy policies. We encourage you to review them. We use services that comply with Australian privacy requirements where possible.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by posting a notice on our website or contacting you directly. The "last updated" date at the top of this policy indicates when it was last revised.