Effective Date: 1 June 2026

Act with Care Psychology (“we”, “our”, or “the Clinic”) is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of your personal and health information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information in accordance with applicable Australian law, including:

• the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs)

• the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic) and the Health Privacy Principles (HPPs)

• the Psychologists Registration Act 2000 and the Psychology Board of Australia's guidelines

• the Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022 (Vic)

By accessing our website or engaging our services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.

1. About Us

Act with Care Psychology is a psychology clinic located in Victoria, Australia. We provide psychological assessment, therapy, and related mental health services to individuals.

Contact Details:

Address: 143-145 Hudsons Rd, Spotswood VIC 3015

Phone: 0435 030 019

Email: hello@actwithcare.com.au

Website: www.actwithcare.com.au

Privacy Officer: Mary Ta

2. Information We Collect

3.1. Personal Information

We may collect the following personal information:

• Full name, date of birth, and gender

• Contact details (address, phone number, email address)

• Emergency contact details

• Medicare number, private health insurance details, and/or NDIS details where applicable

• GP and other treating health professionals’ details

• Referral information

3.2. Health Information (Sensitive Information)

As a psychology clinic, we collect and hold sensitive health information, including:

• Mental health history and current presenting concerns

• Session notes, psychological assessments, and clinical reports

• Diagnoses, treatment plans, and progress notes

• Medication information

• Relevant family and social history

• Information obtained from third parties with your consent (e.g., GPs, schools, NDIS planners)

3.3. Website Information

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect:

• IP address and browser type

• Pages visited and time spent on the site

• Referring website or search terms

This information is collected via cookies and similar technologies. You may disable cookies through your browser settings; however, this may affect the functionality of the website.

4. How We Collect Your Information

We collect information:

• Directly from you - through intake forms, assessment tools, telephone calls, emails, and during sessions

• From third parties - with your written consent, from GPs, specialists, schools, employers, or other treating professionals

• From referrers - including under the Better Access to Mental Health Care initiative or NDIS

• From our website - via contact forms, online booking systems, or automated data collection tools

We will always seek to collect information directly from you where reasonably practicable.

5. Why We Collect and Use Your Information

Your information is collected and used to:

• Provide psychological assessment, therapy, and related clinical services

• Communicate with you regarding appointments, cancellations, and treatment

• Prepare clinical reports, correspondence with referrers, and Medicare or insurance claims

• Comply with our legal and professional obligations (e.g., mandatory reporting under the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005 (Vic))

• Conduct internal quality improvement, supervision, and clinical governance activities

• Respond to your enquiries submitted via the website or telephone

We will not use or disclose your information for any other purpose without your consent, unless required or authorised by law.

6. Disclosure of Your Information

6.1. When We May Share Information

We may disclose your information to:

• Your GP or other treating health professionals (with your consent)

• Medicare Australia, private health funds, or the NDIS for billing and claiming purposes

• External clinical supervisors, for the purposes of professional supervision (de-identified where possible)

• Other members of your treating team whom you have authorised us to liaise with

• Third-party service providers who assist us in operating our practice (e.g., secure cloud storage, practice management software), who are bound by confidentiality and data security obligations

6.1. Disclosure Without Consent

There are limited circumstances where we may be required or permitted to disclose information without your consent, including:

• If we are required by law (e.g., a subpoena or court order)

• If we have a mandatory duty to report child abuse or neglect under Victorian law

• If we have a serious and imminent concern for the safety of you or another identifiable person (duty of care)

• To the Psychology Board of Australia or AHPRA in connection with a regulatory complaint or investigation

We will advise you if a disclosure without consent has been made, unless doing so would be unlawful or would defeat the purpose of the disclosure.

7. Storage and Security of Your Information

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

• Secure electronic record-keeping systems with password protection and encryption

• Physical security measures for any paper-based records

• Staff and contractor training on privacy and confidentiality obligations

• Secure disposal of records when they are no longer required

Client records are retained for a minimum of seven (7) years from the date of last contact, or for a minimum of 25 years if the client was a minor at the time of the service, in accordance with Victorian legislative requirements.

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites and encourage you to review their privacy policies.

8. Access to and Correction of Your Information

Under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic), you have the right to:

• Request access to the personal and health information we hold about you

• Request correction of any information that is inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date

To make an access or correction request, please contact our Privacy Officer in writing. We will respond within 30 days. In some limited circumstances, we may be required to deny access - for example, where providing access would pose a serious threat to the health or safety of another person, or where the information is subject to legal professional privilege. If we deny access, we will provide you with a written explanation.

We may charge a reasonable fee for providing access to records, reflecting the cost of retrieval and copying.

9. Privacy Complaints

If you believe we have breached your privacy rights, we encourage you to contact us in the first instance so that we can attempt to resolve your concern:

Privacy Officer: Mary Ta

Email: hello@actwithcare.com.au

Phone: 0435 030 019

We will acknowledge your complaint within 5 business days and aim to resolve it within 30 days. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with:

•       The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC): www.oaic.gov.au | 1300 363 992

•       The Health Complaints Commissioner (Victoria): www.hcc.vic.gov.au | 1300 582 113

10. Overseas Disclosure

We do not routinely disclose your personal information to overseas recipients. If we use any cloud-based service providers whose servers are located outside Australia, we take reasonable steps to ensure those providers are subject to privacy protections that are at least equivalent to the Australian Privacy Principles.

11. Children and Young People

Where psychological services are provided to children or young people under the age of 18, we will generally seek consent from a parent or legal guardian prior to collecting health information, subject to the Gillick competency principle and applicable Victorian law regarding a young person's capacity to consent to health services.

Parents or guardians may access records relating to their child in accordance with the child's best interests and any applicable legislative provisions.

12. Website and Online Services

12.1. Online Booking and Contact Forms

Information submitted through online booking systems or contact forms on our website is transmitted securely and stored within our practice management system. Please do not submit sensitive clinical information via web forms.

12.2. Cookies

Our website uses cookies to improve user experience and analyse site traffic. You may configure your browser to refuse cookies; however, some functionality may be affected. We do not use cookies to collect sensitive personal information.

12.3. Third-Party Platforms

Our website may use third-party platforms such as Google Analytics or online booking software. These providers may collect limited non-identifiable usage data subject to their own privacy policies.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, our practices, or technology. The current version will always be available on our website. We encourage you to review this Policy periodically. Continued use of our services after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Policy.

14. Contact Us

For any privacy-related queries, requests, or complaints, please contact:

Act with Care Psychology

Attention: Mary Ta

Address: 143-145 Hudsons Rd, Spotswood VIC 3015

Phone: 0435 030 019

Email: hello@actwithcare.com.au