Lifespan Therapy Services Privacy and Confidentiality Statement / Policy
Lifespan Therapy Services is committed to protecting the privacy and personal information of all clients.
Lifespan Therapy Services will ensure that it follows the state and national privacy legislation, including the National Privacy Principles.
Definitions:
Personal information – means information or opinions about a person from which that person is reasonably identifiable. Personal information includes sensitive information.
Sensitive information – includes information about a person’s beliefs, finances, associations or health.
Health information – means information or opinions about a person’s health. It includes information collected in connection with the delivery of health services.
Responsibilities:
Lifespan Therapy Services will:
Collect information from clients and about clients only with their knowledge and consent – please see consent form for further details.
Be transparent in the way information is collected and only collect information that is required for assessment and / or therapy purposes.
Follow confidentiality agreements and privacy policies.
Will not release information unless consent is obtained or required to by law.
Allow you access to personal information held about you (if requested) and provide opportunity to advise if you think information is incorrect, out of date or inaccurate.
Explain the reasons for collecting information and why it is required.
Provide you with a copy of the privacy statement if requested.
Lifespan Therapy Services recognises the rights of all participants to privacy, dignity and confidentiality of their personal records and information. This right will be upheld at all times through practices of obtaining and sharing information in a discreet manner and on a need-to-know basis. All Staff are required to read and implement Lifespan Therapy Services’ privacy and confidentiality policy. Staff are prohibited from reviewing or discussing client information or details for any reason other than to perform their duties and therapeutic intervention.
Lifespan Therapy Services will ensure the following:
Lifespan Therapy Services consent form is completed in full at the commencement of services.
Client information and / or files will not be reviewed or discussed for any reason other than to perform Therapy services.
Third parties will not gain access to client information either by seeing or hearing information they are not entitled to. Staff are to be aware that a breach of privacy can occur by allowing a third party to hear or gain access to personal information that are not entitled to.
Information will be obtained in locations that are as private as possible and to ensure that third parties are unable to hear information being discussed.
Phone calls will be discreet, and information will not be discussed in locations that are not private.
To be guided by the Australian Privacy Principles at all times.
To take reasonable steps to protect the personal information we hold against misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification and disclosure.
Lifespan Therapy Services will keep your personal information as long as we are legally obliged to keep it, or until the need for the personal information has passed. At that point it will be destroyed, deleted or de-identified.
Will not misuse, copy, share, release, alter or destroy any confidential information unless it is Lifespan Therapy Services role to do so.
If we receive unsolicited personal information, or information we would not ordinarily be permitted to collect, we will ordinarily destroy or de-identify that information.
If participants have a problem, query or complaint about how Lifespan Therapy Services collects, uses or discloses your personal information, they are encouraged to discuss this with Lifespan Therapy Services Director/s. Lifespan Therapy Services takes all aspects of privacy and confidentiality seriously and welcomes any feedback on relevant issues. If participants are unsatisfied with our response, they may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at www.oaic.gov.au