Privacy Policy

Small Sparks Pty Ltd trading as Small Sparks Speech Therapy

Our commitment to privacy

Small Sparks Speech Therapy respects the privacy of our clients, families and website visitors. We understand that health and personal information is sensitive, particularly when it relates to children.

This Privacy Policy explains how Small Sparks Speech Therapy collects, holds, uses and shares personal and health information.

Small Sparks Speech Therapy manages personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles, the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW) and other applicable privacy requirements.

In this policy, “Small Sparks”, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to Small Sparks Pty Ltd trading as Small Sparks Speech Therapy.

Information we may collect

The information we collect depends on the services being provided. It may include:

the client’s name, date of birth, address and contact details
parent, carer, guardian and emergency-contact details
information about the client’s communication, development, health, disability, education and family circumstances
medical, developmental, educational and allied-health reports
assessment results, therapy goals, session notes, correspondence and recommendations
information provided by parents, carers, educators, health professionals or other authorised people
Medicare, private health insurance, NDIS or other funding information, where relevant
appointment, billing, payment and invoice information
photographs, audio recordings, video recordings or samples of work where specific consent has been provided
information contained in enquiries, feedback or complaints
technical information collected through our website, such as device, browser and website-usage information.

We will only collect information that is reasonably necessary for providing our services or operating our business.

How we collect information

Where practical, we collect information directly from the client or their parent, carer, guardian or authorised representative.

Information may be collected through:

telephone, email or website enquiries
screening, intake, consent and service-agreement forms
assessments and therapy sessions
conversations with clients and families
telehealth appointments
written reports or correspondence
observations at homes, schools, preschools or other community settings
communication with educators, medical practitioners, allied-health professionals, support coordinators, plan managers or other people involved in the client’s care, where authorised
third-party service providers used to operate our website, practice-management, billing and payment systems.

You may make a general enquiry without providing all requested details. However, we may be unable to provide assessment or therapy services without sufficient identifying, contact and health information.

Why we collect and use information

We may collect, hold and use personal and health information to:

respond to enquiries
determine whether our services are suitable
provide screening, assessment, therapy, consultation and telehealth services
develop, review and monitor therapy goals
communicate with clients, families and authorised representatives
prepare clinical notes, reports, letters and recommendations
collaborate with educators, health professionals and other members of the client’s support team
arrange and manage appointments
process invoices, payments, rebates or funding claims where applicable
meet clinical, professional, insurance, taxation and legal obligations
manage risks, complaints and incidents
improve the quality and administration of our services
maintain the security and proper operation of our business systems.

We will not use personal or health information for a purpose unrelated to the reason it was collected unless consent has been provided or the use is otherwise permitted or required by law.

When information may be shared

Small Sparks Speech Therapy only shares personal or health information where it is reasonably necessary, authorised, or permitted or required by law.

Depending on the circumstances, information may be shared with:

the client’s parent, carer, guardian or authorised representative
educators, schools or preschools
medical practitioners and other allied-health professionals
support coordinators, plan managers or funding bodies
Medicare, private health insurers or other payment and rebate services, where applicable
professional supervisors or consultants, subject to appropriate privacy and confidentiality arrangements
service providers supporting our practice-management, website, email, telehealth, accounting, payment, information-technology and document-storage systems
our accountant, insurer, legal adviser or other professional advisers
regulatory, law-enforcement or government bodies where required or authorised by law.

We may also disclose information where reasonably necessary to prevent or lessen a serious threat to a person’s life, health or safety, or as otherwise permitted by privacy legislation.

We take reasonable steps to confirm that a person requesting information has the legal authority or appropriate consent to receive it.

Service providers and payment information

Small Sparks Speech Therapy uses reputable third-party providers to help deliver and administer its services. These providers may process limited personal information on our behalf.

Where payments are processed through a third-party payment provider, Small Sparks generally receives transaction and payment-status information rather than complete payment-card details. The payment provider manages payment information under its own privacy and security arrangements.

Storage and security

Client records are primarily held electronically using secure practice-management and business systems.

We take reasonable steps to protect information from loss, misuse, interference, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. These steps may include:

password-protected systems and devices
multifactor authentication where available
access controls
secure cloud-based systems
encryption and secure data transmission where supported
keeping devices and software updated
limiting access to people who require information to perform their role
securely disposing of information when it is no longer required.

No electronic system or method of online transmission can be guaranteed to be completely secure. If Small Sparks becomes aware of a data breach, we will assess and manage it in accordance with applicable privacy and data-breach notification requirements.

Retention of health records

Small Sparks retains health records for at least the minimum period required under NSW law.

Generally:

health information collected while a client is under 18 years of age is retained until the client turns 25
health information collected when a client is an adult is retained for at least seven years from the last occasion on which a health service was provided.

Information may be retained for longer where required for legal, insurance, professional or clinical reasons.

When information is no longer required, we take reasonable steps to securely destroy or permanently de-identify it.

Use of artificial intelligence-assisted tools

Small Sparks Speech Therapy may use approved artificial intelligence-assisted tools to support administrative or clinical-documentation tasks.

Any use of AI-assisted tools is subject to appropriate privacy, security, consent and professional-review processes.

Where a client has consented only to the use of de-identified information, identifying details will be removed before information is entered into an AI-assisted tool. Identifiable client information will only be used with an approved system where this is appropriate and the required consent has been obtained.

AI-generated content is reviewed by the treating speech pathologist. Clinical decisions, recommendations and records remain subject to professional judgement and human oversight.

Small Sparks does not permit client information to be used to publicly identify a client or for unrelated advertising or marketing purposes.

Website information and cookies

When someone visits our website, our website provider may automatically collect technical information such as:

internet protocol address
browser and device type
pages visited
approximate location
time spent on the website
referring website or search engine.

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to operate correctly, remember preferences and understand how visitors use the website.

Visitors can usually control or disable cookies through their browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect some website functions.

Information submitted through a website enquiry form will be used to respond to the enquiry and may be transferred into our secure practice-management system where the person proceeds with services.

Overseas storage and processing

Clinical information held within our primary practice-management system is intended to be stored in Australia.

Some providers used for website hosting, email, accounting, payments, communications or other administrative functions may store, process or permit access to information outside Australia.

Depending on the provider and service being used, overseas locations may include New Zealand, the United States, Singapore, China and other countries identified in the relevant provider’s privacy policy.

Where an overseas disclosure occurs, Small Sparks takes reasonable steps to use reputable providers and manage personal information in accordance with applicable Australian privacy requirements.

You may contact us for further information about the service providers we use and their data-storage arrangements.

Accessing or correcting information

Clients and their authorised representatives may request access to personal or health information held by Small Sparks Speech Therapy.

They may also ask us to correct information that is inaccurate, incomplete, out of date, irrelevant or misleading.

Requests can be made using the contact details below. We may need to confirm the requester’s identity and authority before providing access.

We will respond within a reasonable period and aim to respond within 30 days. In some circumstances, access may be limited or refused where permitted by law. If this occurs, we will provide an explanation unless the law prevents us from doing so.

We do not charge for making an access or correction request. A reasonable fee may apply for costs associated with locating, reviewing, copying or providing records, where permitted by law. Any applicable fee will be discussed before the request is processed.

Privacy enquiries and complaints

Questions, concerns or complaints about privacy should first be directed to:

Small Sparks Speech Therapy
Email: info@smallsparks.com.au
Phone: 0451 513 818

Please provide enough information for us to understand and investigate the concern.

We will treat privacy complaints seriously and confidentially. We will acknowledge a complaint within a reasonable period, investigate the circumstances and aim to provide a response within 30 days.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact:

the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
the Information and Privacy Commission NSW
the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission, where the concern also relates to the provision of a health service.

Changes to this policy

Small Sparks Speech Therapy may update this Privacy Policy when our practices, technology, service providers or legal obligations change.

The most recent version will be published on our website with the date it was last updated.

For questions about this policy or the way we handle personal information, please contact:

Small Sparks Speech Therapy
Email: info@smallsparks.com.au
Phone: 0451 513 818