Terms of Service Use and
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service Use Policy
ABOUT LEMON DROPS KIDS THERAPY
Lemon Drops Kids Therapy (Lemon Drops/we) offers a range of therapeutic services aimed at promoting the mental health of children, young people and their parents and strengthening their family and community relationships.
We provide a safe, therapeutic environment to facilitate children’s innate capacity to strive towards their full potential. We prize each individual and family as unique and endeavour to meet the differing needs of our clients.
TERMS OF SERVICE USE
When you use the services provided by Lemon Drops, you agree to be bound by this Terms of Service Use Policy (Policy) that applies to all the Lemon Drops services used by you at all times, along with all other Lemon Drops policies and procedures that are in place from time to time.
Lemon Drops may decide to amend the Policy and any other policy and procedure from time to time without prior notice. All relevant Lemon Drops Policies are maintained on the Lemon Drops website www.lemondropskidstherapy.com.au and we recommend that you make yourself aware of and review this information from time to time.
In the event that Lemon Drops makes changes to this Policy and any other policy and procedure, the change is applicable to you and has effect from the date that the change occurs.
QUALIFICATIONS OF THERAPISTS
Therapists at Lemon Drops Kids Therapy are qualified in the mental health field. Qualifications may include Social Work, Psychology, Occupational Therapy, Counselling, Art Therapy, Mental Health Nursing, other. Therapists must hold registration with the professional body associated with their mental health qualification as well as Working With Children checks. Therapists are required topractice in accordance with the Code of Conduct issued by their registering professional body. Therapists at Lemon Drops Kids Therapy also adhere to the NDIS Code of Conduct.
COUNSELLING PROCESS
The counselling process is a cooperative effort on behalf of the therapist and the parent/s or guardian/s. Therefore your willingness to display motivation for change, partake an active role in the counselling program and work towards treatment goals is essential. Therapy may feel difficult at times as challenging emotions and experiences are explored and further issues may arise throughout the process. Open communication with the therapist is strongly encouraged as a collaborative approach is more likely to elicit positive outcomes.
While Lemon Drops cannot guarantee a particular outcome associated with the counselling and therapeutic process and services provided, we will use all best endeavours to ensure that your child receives the best care possible that is tailored to their circumstances and needs. In some circumstances, Lemon Drops may recommend a particular type of therapeutic process, for instance, nature therapy. If there is any type of process required in respect of which additional information, education and consents are required, the Lemon Drops therapist will work through that process with you at the appropriate time.
ADDITIONAL MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
Receiving mental health services from two or more practitioners or organisation can often be counterproductive and confusing. If you (or your child) decide to receive alternate therapeutic intervention while continuing at Lemon Drops Kids Therapy it is important to discuss this decision with the therapist at Lemon Drops Kids Therapy. If you have any concerns about the therapy you or your child is receiving we expect you to discuss these concerns with the therapist so that adjustments can be made. If it develops that a different mental health provider would better serve you or your child, we will help with the referral process.
TREATMENT PLANS
The frequency and length of service will be determined by several factors. The number of sessions will vary on a case-by-case basis. This will be determined between you and your (child's) therapist through the creation of a treatment plan and goals. The treatment plan and progress towards goals will be reviewed by you and your therapist throughout the counselling process and adjustments made as necessary. The aim of counselling is the achievement of treatment goals. It is not ethical or possible to guarantee specific results.
INFORMED CONSENT
Generally, and prior to commencing any therapy with the child, Lemon Drops will use its best endeavours to obtain the informed consent of the persons legally responsible for the child who is to receive the therapy i.e. parents/guardians of the child, other legal representative. Informed consent is an authorisation and written confirmation from those parties that consent is given for the child to receive the therapy and counselling from Lemon Drops and requires a form to be signed to this effect. This consent form will be issued to the child’s parents/guardian(s) for their signature after the intake session or after communication with the therapist.
In circumstances where there are two parents or guardians who are legally responsible for the child, the consent of both parties will be sought by Lemon Drops. Where one but not both parents/guardians have provided their consent, in those circumstances, Lemon Drops will use its best endeavours to obtain the consent of both parties, and the individual circumstances of the child and the family will also be considered. Lemon Drops is also required to consider what is in the best interests of the child, any legal requirements that may apply to the circumstances and additional documentation may be required from the consenting parent or guardian. Lemon Drops may also need to seek its own independent legal advice to clarify its legal responsibilities in some matters.In some circumstances and under the law, Lemon Drops advises that it may also be appropriate for a child to give informed consent where the child is under the age of 18 years to enter into a therapeutic relationship with Lemon Drops. In these circumstances, Lemon Drops will discuss with the child whether the parent/guardian should be informed and will adhere to all legal requirements in this regard. Where possible, Lemon Drops will also seek to engage with the parent(s) or guardian(s) of the child in relation to the support being provided to the child by Lemon Drops.
RELEASE OF INFORMATION CONSENT TO THIRD PARTIES
As children are part of a life and support system that are often made up of a number of key people and organisations, it is often in their best interest to work holistically and communicate with the different parts of their system. This means that from time to time, it is beneficial for therapists to receive updates or feedback from schools, day-care, health professionals or grandparents for example.
Prior to communicating with anyone, Lemon Drops Kids Therapy must obtain acompleted “Informed Consent” form from the parents of the child. You are welcome to change or retract consent at any time; please discuss this with your therapist.
CONFIDENTIALITY OF THERAPY
Therapists are required to write session notes, treatment plans and goals and other forms of clinical documentation. The relationship between yourself and Lemon Drops Kids Therapy is considered confidential and all statements and records, both verbal and written will be kept securely. The exception is if the therapist believes that you or your child poses a threat to self or other. In this circumstance appropriate action to ensure safety must be undertaken. In the instance of any form of suspected abuse, the therapist is mandated to report such concerns to the relevant authorities and is required to do so without your awareness and consent. Lemon Drops Kids Therapy is required to comply with all legislative requirements in this regard and will make a parent/guardian aware of any action taken if it is appropriate and safe to do so.
PRIVILEGED INFORMATION
Other exceptions to confidentiality and privileged communication include client request of release of information, court orders, clinical supervision, legal or clinical consultation and special consideration when the child is below the age of maturity. If the therapist is court ordered and a properly issued subpoena is received, then information in your/your child's file may be released. There is the potential of the therapist being called into court to testify regarding counselling provided. You will be notified if such an event occurs in relation to your child.
RECORDINGS
Audio-visual recordings may be taken of Play Therapy sessions with signed consent from parents. These recordings are used for the purpose of clinical supervision only and are deleted immediately following the supervision session unless further consent is provided for recordings to be used for training purposes. Typically, the therapist/client relationship is considered privileged communication and treated accordingly.
PRIVACY AND SECURITY OF INFORMATION
The Lemon Drops Privacy Policy applies to all client engagement and counselling and therapy sessions that are undertaken by Lemon Drops. Please refer to the Lemon Drops Privacy Policy for a description of the application and retention of all personal information collected from you by Lemon Drops. Lemon Drops uses software for the collection and retention of all documentation and information and email may be used for communication or to send reports. We do not warrant that the functional aspects of the Lemon Drops software will be uninterrupted, error or free, however we maintain anti-virus software to ensure that this information and use is protected so far as practicably possible. There are risks associated with online use for all parties and we do not guarantee against third party interference. However, all reasonably and practicable steps are taken by Lemon Drops to ensure the safety and security of the personal information provided to Lemon Drops and the use of the systems used by Lemon Drops.
STORAGE OF INFORMATION
In accordance with state and federal law, records generated by Lemon Drops Kids Therapy will be confidentially kept for seven years or until the child reaches the age of 25 and then destroyed.
PAYMENT FOR COUNSELLING AND THERAPEUTIC SESSIONS
Payment of the full invoice amount for all Lemon Drops counselling and therapeutic sessions is required on the day of the session. A credit card or direct debit may be used for payment and must be accurately supplied by the card and/or account holder. If payment for the Lemon Drops counselling or therapeutic session is alternatively being made by a third party provider, Lemon Drops must be advised of this payment source by the relevant party at least 7 days before the session. Lemon Drops will then invoice the third party provider who must make payment within 7 days of the date of the invoice.
If you are experiencing financial hardship and challenges with making payment, please speak to the Lemon Drops Practice Manager at your earliest convenience and prior to the counselling or therapy session to discuss your individual circumstances.
CANCELLATION OF A COUNSELLING AND THERAPY SESSION
At least 24 hours’ notice is required for the cancellation of sessions, however we ask that you notify us as soon as possible if you need to cancel a session.
Failure to comply with this Policy requirement will result in a charge of 50% of the session fee. This fee will be charged to the credit card used to pay for the service at the time that the cancellation is notified late and within 24 hours of the scheduled appointment time.
FEEDBACK OR CONCERNS
If you are dissatisfied with the service provided to you or your child please discuss your concerns with the therapist or director who will endeavour to resolve issues of concern to your satisfaction. If you would prefer to make an anonymous complaint please refer to the “Complaints and Incidents Policy, Procedure Form” that is provided on the Lemon Drops website www.lemondropskidstherapy.com.au and which provides information and the opportunity to write and submit concerns. If a complaint or incident is not anonymous, you are still welcome to use this form to document and submit your account. A meeting can be arranged to address concerns and develop a resolution plan if immediate resolution is not possible. If necessary the appropriate registering professional body will investigate.
EMERGENCY CONTACTS
Lemon Drops Kids Therapy is not an emergency service. If you or your child in a life-threatening situation, suicidal or in a mental health crisis and you are unable to schedule and attend a session immediately please contact an emergency service:
Police, Ambulance, Fire: 000,
Barwon Health Mental Health Access Team: 1300 094 187
Lifeline: 13 11 14
Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800
Privacy Policy
About:
Lemon Drops Kids Therapy (Lemon Drops/we/our) is committee to the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) that are set out in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act).
The Privacy Act is a significant law that operates in Australia to protect the privacy of people’s personal information.
The intention of this Privacy Policy is to inform you of how Lemon Drops collect, use and manage your personal information in a way that complies with the relevant law, and to outline our complaints handling process. This will include a description of:
1. The types of personal information that we collect and hold about you.
2. How we collect your personal information.
3. How we hold your personal information.
4. The purposes for collecting, holding, using and disclosing your personal information.
5. How you may access your personal or sensitive information held by us and correct that information when it is incorrect.
6. How you may make a complaint about the way we collect, hold, use or disclose personal information, and how we deal with privacy related complaints.
1. Types of personal information we collect
When used in this policy, ‘personal information’ has the meaning given in the Privacy Act. Generally it means information or an opinion, whether true or not, and whether recorded in a material form or not, about an identified individual, or an individual who is relatively identifiable.
The types of personal information Lemon Drops collects will depend on the nature of our interactions with your or our relationship with you and may include:
Your name, gender, date of birth, phone numbers, contact details (including
email and postal address), photos and personal interests and preferences.
Any information included in the clinical notes.
Any information collected from external agencies, entities and clinicians eg
Medicare, NDIS, Barwon Health, general practitioner referrals etc.
Any other information you provide us in any form you may have presented to us, or in other forms of interaction with you.
Information about your usage of our website, services and engagement on social media pages.
Information you submit in questionnaires, feedback forms and survey responses.
This information may include specific health and sensitive information. We will collect and hold this type of information from you as we interact with you from time to time.
2. How we collect your personal information
We will collect personal information using only lawful and reasonable means and where this is reasonably necessary to carry out our Lemon Drops service. This may include collecting information from you during a consultation, in person, over the phone, by email or via our website.
When we collect your personal information we will take practical steps to advise you of this Privacy Policy and in particular, what information is being collected, for what purpose, and how the information may be used and released in your circumstances.
Wherever it is possible and practical to do so, we will collect personal information directly from you. This may be in person, over the telephone, by mail, over the internet, by e-mail or fax, or when you complete a form.
3. How we hold your personal information
We may hold your personal information in either electronic or hard copy form. We hold your personal information in our data protected computer systems and databases and in our physical files.
Lemon Drops uses technologies and processes such as access control procedures, network firewalls, encryption, password protected databases and physical security measures to protect your personal information. However, the confidentiality of any communication by electronic communication cannot be guaranteed and we are not accountable for the security of information transferred by internet.
We keep your personal information for only as long as is necessary for the purpose for which we collected it or where otherwise required or authorised by relevant legal obligations, in accordance with our applicable policies.
We will take practical steps to ensure that the personal information that we store is protected from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.
4. The purposes for collecting, holding, using and disclosing your personal information
We may disclose an individual’s personal information to other individuals or organisations for any reasons that are expressly authorised, required or permitted by law. We will only disclose personal information to third parties in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
We collect, use and share your personal information to:
Verify or authenticate information provided by you and your identity.
Conduct necessary background, reference and other checks and verify the information provided to us.
Maintain and update our records.
Operate, protect, improve and optimise the Lemon Drops services.
To create a safe environment for all of our clients.
Send you messages, reminders, notices, updates and information requested by you.
Send program, marketing and promotional messages and other information that may be of interest to you.
Responding to questions and obtaining feedback.
Comply with our legal obligations and processes, resolve disputes, enforce agreements with third parties, protect our legal rights and respond to claims.
Provide, manage and administer Lemon Drops’ insurance coverage.
If you decide and advise us that you do not want us to use your personal information in the manners described above, there may be an impact on the way in which Lemon Drops is able to provide its services and relevant information to you.
5. How you may access your personal or sensitive information held by us and correct that information when it is incorrect.
You have the right to request access to the personal information that we hold about you and you can also ask us to correct your personal information by contacting Lemon Drops. We may need to verify your identity before giving access or correcting your information. Lemon Drops will give access to your personal information unless an exception in the Privacy Act applies and will not make the requested changes unless it does not agree that the information is incorrect. If we refuse to give you access to all or part of the information you have requested or to make the corrections you have requested, we will write to you and explain why.
We want the personal information we hold to be correct and accurate. If information we hold about you is incorrect or inaccurate, we would like to know so that we can promptly correct it. We encourage you to contact us if the information we hold is incorrect or inaccurate.Lemon Drops may charge you its reasonable costs associated with providing you with access to your personal information.
6. How you may make a complaint about the way we collect, hold, use or disclose personal information, and how we deal with privacy related complaints.
If you have questions about how Lemon Drops handles your personal information or if you have a complaint about Lemon Drops’ information handling practices, you can contact Lemon Drops directly. Lemon Drops will acknowledge receipt of your complaint, verify your identity and will investigate and respond within a reasonable time of receiving a complaint from you. If you are not satisfied with the decision, you can contact us to discuss your concerns. If the complaint is unresolved, you can contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, website www.oaic.gov.au to make a complaint.
Contact
If you wish to contact us directly about any matter associated with this Privacy Policy or your personal information, please do so by contacting us at 115 Pioneer Road, Grovedale, by phone on 0481 304 975 or via email at admin@lemondropskidstherapy.com.au
End of Policy