WHAT INFORMATION IS COLLECTED?

Niche Allied Health collects general personal information, including:

• Your name, address, and contact details.
  
• Your date of birth and gender.
  
• Information about your living arrangements and support network.
  
• Information provided by others involved in your life, e.g. support agency, ​school, other health professionals, etc.
  
• Funding details, such as your NDIS Number and Plan.
  
• Any other information you provide voluntarily.
  

Niche Allied Health collects sensitive information so that we can provide you with ​top-quality service. This includes:

• Details of your disability and health.
  
• Progress notes and observations from therapy appointments.
  
• Body measurements.
  
• Photos and videos.
  

How is your personal information collected?

Your personal information may be provided by you or by people who support you. ​Your family, support coordinator, NDIS Planner, or other health professionals can ​give Niche Allied Health information about you. Information is collected:

• via the website located at https://www.nichealliedhealth.com.au,
  
• through in-person, virtual, and telephone conversations,
  
• through emails and text messages,
  
• when you fill in our forms, including the online Splose forms,
  
• when we interact on social media,
  
• when therapists document progress notes into practice management software,
  
• when therapists take photos and videos during appointments.
  

Using personal information

Your personal information is used to:

• Provide top-quality therapy services that are tailored to your individual needs ​and goals.
  
• Develop and implement a therapy plan that is consistent with your NDIS plan.
  
• Communicate with you and others who support you about our services, ​including scheduling appointments, providing progress updates, and addressing ​any concerns you or they may have.
  
• Prepare reports and documentation for the NDIS and other relevant parties.
  
• Manage our business operations, including billing, invoicing, and legally-​required recordkeeping.
  

With your consent, your personal information may be shared with:

• Your funding body, such as the NDIS or its representatives, as required by the ​NDIS Scheme if you are a participant.
  
• Your family, other healthcare professionals, or agencies who​ support you.
  
• Third-party service providers who assist Niche Allied Health​ in providing services, such as equipment suppliers, or bookkeeper/ac​countant/de​b​t collector.
  

We will not disclose your personal information to anyone without ​your consent, unless required by law. You can give consent and let us know your p​references by completing a consent form. Please let us know if you would like t​o update your ​c​onsent form.

We are required to disclose your personal information (regardless of​ your consent):

• If a therapist suspects there is a serious risk to the wellbein​g of a child or vulnerable person, we are required to release your informa​tion to regulatory/statutory organisations. Occupational Therapists are ​considered a “prescribed person” legally required to report concerns, according​ to the Children, Young Persons​, and Their Families Act (1997).
  
• When it is required or authoris​ed by law (e.g. court subpoena).
  

Data Storage and Security

We take reasonable steps to protect your personal information from misuse, ​loss, unauthorized access, modification, or disclosure. We store your personal ​information in secure electronic and physical records for a minimum of seven ​years for adults and for children, until they are 25 years of age. Information is ​backed-up regularly to avoid data loss.

Your Rights

• Access: You have the right to view your personal information.
• Correction: You have the right to request that I correct any inaccurate or ​incomplete personal information I hold about you. Please let us know if any of ​your details change.
  
• You have the right to withdraw consent for the exchange of information at any ​time.
  

Please contact us either in writing or by phone to access or correct your personal ​information, or to update your consent.

Complaints

If you have a complaint about the way your personal information has been handled, ​please email hello@nichealliedhealth.com.au. We will investigate your complaint ​and provide you with a response within a reasonable timeframe. If you are not ​satisfied with our response, you can contact the Office of the Australian Information ​Commissioner (OAIC).