Where reasonably practicable, information will be collected directly from you.

Information may also be collected from:

• a parent, carer or guardian

• a referring professional or organisation

• another health or support professional involved in your care

• a school or educational service where relevant and appropriately authorised

• an NDIS provider or other funding body where relevant and authorised

• another person where collection is permitted or required by law.

When collecting health information, Slow Practice Studio will generally seek your consent and provide information about why it is being collected and how it will be handled. Health service providers have specific obligations to notify clients about the collection and handling of health information.

Your information may be collected, used and held for purposes including:

• providing art therapy and counselling

• understanding your needs and circumstances

• developing and reviewing therapeutic goals

• maintaining accurate clinical records

• communicating with you about your care and appointments

• coordinating care with other professionals or services where authorised

• responding to enquiries

• processing payments and managing accounts

• administering NDIS or other funding arrangements where applicable

• managing the safety of clients and others

• obtaining professional supervision or consultation where permitted and where information can be appropriately de-identified

• meeting legal, regulatory, ethical, insurance and professional obligations

• responding to complaints or concerns

• maintaining and improving the practice.

Information will not be collected, used or disclosed for purposes unrelated to the provision or administration of services unless you have consented or the use or disclosure is otherwise permitted or required by law.

Information shared with your practitioner during therapy is treated as confidential.

Slow Practice Studio will generally only disclose your personal or health information to another person or organisation with your consent.

There are circumstances where information may be disclosed without your consent where this is authorised or required by law.

These may include circumstances where:

• disclosure is required by law

• disclosure is required by a court order, subpoena or other lawful authority

• disclosure is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious threat to a person's life, health or safety and the relevant legal requirements are met

• disclosure is authorised under applicable child wellbeing and safety information-sharing laws

• disclosure is otherwise permitted under applicable privacy legislation.

Where information must be disclosed, Slow Practice Studio will take reasonable steps to limit the disclosure to information that is relevant and necessary for the purpose.

Confidentiality cannot be guaranteed in circumstances where the law permits or requires information to be disclosed.

Slow Practice Studio provides services to children and young people as well as adults.

The privacy and confidentiality of children and young people will be considered in accordance with their age, maturity, capacity to make decisions, individual circumstances, parental responsibilities and applicable law.

At the beginning of therapy, Slow Practice Studio will clarify who has authority to consent to the provision of services and discuss appropriate arrangements for communication, confidentiality and information sharing.

A parent, carer or guardian may be involved in a child's or young person's care where appropriate and lawful. However, this does not necessarily mean that all information discussed by a young person during therapy will be disclosed to their parent, carer or guardian.

Where a young person has sufficient maturity and capacity to make decisions about their healthcare, their privacy and views will be respected in accordance with applicable law.

Information may be shared without consent where required or authorised by law, including in circumstances involving concerns about a child's safety or wellbeing.

Child Information Sharing Scheme

Where Slow Practice Studio is authorised or required to participate in the Victorian Child Information Sharing Scheme (CISS), information may be shared with another authorised information-sharing entity where the legal requirements of the Scheme are met and the purpose is to promote the wellbeing or safety of a child or group of children.

The Scheme operates under Victorian legislation and modifies the way certain privacy obligations apply to information sharing for child wellbeing and safety purposes.

Information sharing under CISS will be undertaken in accordance with the applicable legislation and relevant professional obligations.

Where a parent, carer or guardian is involved in a child's or young person's therapy, Slow Practice Studio will discuss appropriate arrangements for communication and information sharing at the commencement of the service.

Parents, carers and guardians may receive information about a child's general engagement, therapeutic goals or progress where appropriate and lawful.

This does not necessarily mean that detailed information shared privately by a child or young person during therapy will be disclosed.

The specific arrangements will depend on the child's age, maturity, capacity, safety, family circumstances and applicable legal requirements.

With your consent, Slow Practice Studio may communicate with professionals or services involved in your care.

This may include:

• GPs and other medical practitioners

• psychologists

• counsellors and psychotherapists

• allied health professionals

• schools or educational services

• disability or support services

• NDIS providers or support coordinators

• other relevant health or community services.

Information may also be shared without consent where this is permitted or required by law.

Where information is shared, Slow Practice Studio will aim to provide only information that is reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose.

As part of responsible and ethical therapeutic practice, Slow Practice Studio may participate in professional supervision, consultation or peer review.

Where client information is discussed for supervision or professional consultation, information will generally be de-identified wherever practicable.

Information that could reasonably identify you will not be disclosed to a supervisor or consultant unless this is necessary and authorised, permitted or required under applicable privacy obligations.

Slow Practice Studio may communicate with you by email, telephone, SMS or other electronic means for purposes such as appointment administration and communication about your care.

Electronic communication carries some inherent privacy and security risks.

Where reasonably practicable, Slow Practice Studio will take steps to protect information transmitted electronically. However, ordinary email, SMS and telephone communication cannot be guaranteed to be completely secure.

Please avoid including detailed or highly sensitive health information in ordinary email or text messages unless necessary.

You may discuss alternative communication arrangements with your practitioner if you have particular privacy or safety concerns.

Slow Practice Studio may use external providers to operate and administer the practice.

These may include providers of:

• clinical and practice-management software

• appointment and booking systems

• electronic health records

• email and cloud-storage services

• website hosting

• payment processing

• accounting and business administration services

• telehealth or video-conferencing services, where offered.

These providers may process personal information on behalf of Slow Practice Studio.

Slow Practice Studio will take reasonable steps to select and use service providers that provide appropriate privacy and security protections.

Some service providers may store or process information outside Australia. Where personal information is disclosed to an overseas recipient, Slow Practice Studio will comply with applicable privacy requirements relating to overseas disclosures.

Further information about particular technology providers can be requested by contacting Slow Practice Studio.

When you visit the Slow Practice Studio website, limited technical information may be collected automatically.

This may include information such as:

• IP address

• browser and device information

• pages visited

• approximate website usage information

• information collected through cookies or similar technologies.

If you voluntarily submit information through a contact, enquiry, newsletter or booking form, Slow Practice Studio will collect the information you provide.

Website information is used to:

• respond to enquiries

• provide requested information or services

• operate and secure the website

• understand website usage

• improve the website and user experience.

The Slow Practice Studio website may use cookies and similar technologies to support website functionality, security and analytics.

Cookies are small files stored on your device by a website. You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings.

Disabling cookies may affect some website functionality.

Where third-party analytics or other website services are used, those providers may collect information in accordance with their own privacy policies.

Slow Practice Studio will not use your health information for direct marketing without the consent required by law.

If you choose to subscribe to a newsletter or other marketing communication, you can unsubscribe at any time.

Marketing communications will not be used as a substitute for therapeutic communication or clinical care.

Slow Practice Studio takes reasonable steps to protect personal and health information from:

• misuse

• interference

• loss

• unauthorised access

• unauthorised modification

• unauthorised disclosure.

Electronic information will be stored using appropriate security measures, which may include password protection, access controls, encryption and secure cloud-based systems.

Physical records, where used, will be stored securely and access will be restricted.

As a sole practitioner, Slow Practice Studio is responsible for managing access to client information and maintaining appropriate privacy and security practices.

Slow Practice Studio will retain personal and health information for as long as required by applicable law, professional obligations, insurance requirements and legitimate business or clinical purposes.

Records will not be destroyed simply because therapy has ended if there is a legal or professional requirement to retain them.

When information is no longer required to be retained, reasonable steps will be taken to securely destroy or permanently de-identify it.

You have rights to request access to personal and health information held about you.

In Victoria, the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic) provides individuals with a legally enforceable right of access to health information held about them by private-sector health service providers.

You can request access by contacting Slow Practice Studio.

Your request will be considered in accordance with applicable privacy legislation.

In some circumstances, access may be limited or refused where this is permitted or required by law. If access is refused or limited, you will generally be provided with an explanation and information about any available review or complaint process.

You can ask Slow Practice Studio to correct personal or health information if you believe it is inaccurate, incomplete, out of date or misleading.

Slow Practice Studio will take reasonable steps to ensure information held about you is accurate, complete and up to date.

If you request a correction, Slow Practice Studio will consider the request in accordance with applicable privacy legislation.

If you have particular privacy or safety concerns, please discuss them with Slow Practice Studio.

For example, you may wish to discuss:

• how we contact you

• whether messages can be left by phone or voicemail

• whether particular people should or should not be contacted

• how correspondence should be addressed

• privacy concerns relating to family or household circumstances

• arrangements for children and young people.

We will consider reasonable requests and make appropriate arrangements where practicable and lawful.

Slow Practice Studio takes reasonable steps to prevent, identify and respond to privacy and data security incidents.

If a data breach occurs, Slow Practice Studio will assess the incident and take appropriate steps to contain it, reduce potential harm and prevent recurrence.

Where a breach is covered by the Commonwealth Notifiable Data Breaches scheme and is likely to result in serious harm, affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner will be notified as required by law.

If you have a concern about the way Slow Practice Studio has collected, used, stored or disclosed your personal or health information, you are encouraged to raise the concern directly.

You can contact:

Slow Practice Studio
Email: hello@slowpracticestudio.com.au

Your complaint will be handled respectfully and as discreetly as reasonably possible.

You will not be disadvantaged or treated unfairly because you have raised a genuine privacy concern or complaint.

External complaints

If you are not satisfied with the response, or would prefer to make a complaint externally, you can contact:

Health Complaints Commissioner (Victoria)
The Health Complaints Commissioner accepts complaints about health service providers in Victoria.

Phone: 1300 582 113
Website: https://hcc.vic.gov.au/

Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)
The OAIC handles privacy complaints relating to organisations covered by the Commonwealth Privacy Act.

Website: https://www.oaic.gov.au/

If you are an NDIS participant and your concern relates to an NDIS-funded support or service, you may also contact the:

NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
Phone: 1800 035 544
Website: https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/

Slow Practice Studio recognises that privacy is an important part of a safe therapeutic relationship.

You have the right to:

• understand why your information is being collected

• know how your information will be used and disclosed

• ask questions about privacy and confidentiality

• request access to your information

• request correction of inaccurate information

• make choices about how you are contacted where reasonably practicable

• raise privacy concerns or make a complaint

• receive information about external complaint pathways.

These rights are subject to any limitations or exceptions that apply under Australian or Victorian law.

This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time to reflect changes to legislation, professional requirements, technology or the way Slow Practice Studio operates.

The most current version will be published on the Slow Practice Studio website, together with the date it was last updated.

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, your personal information or your privacy rights, please contact:

Slow Practice Studio
Email:hello@slowpracticestudio.com.au
Website: www.slowpracticestudio.com.au