Client Information Fact Sheets

Information about your rights, privacy, safety and working with Allay.

We want information to be easy to understand. Please tell us if you would like this information explained, read with you, or provided in another format.

At Allay Occupational Therapy, we want you to feel safe, respected and involved in your occupational therapy services. 

When you work with Allay, you have the right to: 

• Be treated with dignity, kindness and respect. 

• Feel safe when receiving our services. 

• Be involved in decisions about your therapy. 

• Make choices about your supports and tell us what is important to you. 

• Have your culture, identity, values, beliefs and individual needs respected. 

• Have your communication needs considered and receive information in a way you can understand. 

• Have your privacy and personal information protected. 

• Ask questions about your therapy or the services you receive. 

• Give or withdraw consent where you are able to do so. 

• Have a family member, support person or advocate involved if you choose. 

• Give us feedback or make a complaint without being treated differently or disadvantaged. 

• Tell us if something does not feel right or safe. 

• Ask for information about the services you receive and any associated costs. 

• Choose to stop receiving services from Allay. 

We will work with you, and the people you choose to involve, to understand what is important to you and support you to participate in decisions about your occupational therapy.

Everyone has the right to speak up about the services they receive. 

We welcome feedback, including when you are happy with our services, have an idea about how we could improve, or are unhappy about something that has happened. 

Making a complaint will not affect your right to receive services from Allay and you will not be treated differently or disadvantaged because you make a complaint. 

How can I give feedback or make a complaint? 

You can talk to your Occupational Therapist during or after a session. If you do not want to talk to your Occupational Therapist, you can speak with another person at Allay. 

• Call Allay on 03 5201 0527. 

• Email info@allayoccupationaltherapy.com.au

• Write to Allay Occupational Therapy at 275 Ryrie Street, Geelong VIC 3220. 

• Ask a family member, friend, support person or advocate to help you. 

You can make a complaint without giving your name. We will still consider your complaint, although sometimes this may limit what we are able to investigate or how we can respond. 

If you need help communicating your feedback or complaint, please let us know. 

What will Allay do with my complaint? 

• Listen to you. 

• Treat your concern seriously and respectfully. 

• Talk with you about what has happened. 

• Explain what will happen next. 

• Gather information where this is needed to understand the concern. 

• Give people involved an opportunity to provide relevant information. 

• Protect your privacy as much as possible. 

• Work with you to understand the concern and consider possible solutions. 

• Let you know the outcome where appropriate. 

• Use feedback and complaints to help us improve our services. 

Sometimes we may need to share information without your consent because we are required or permitted to do so by law. Where appropriate, we will explain this to you. 

What if I don’t want to complain to Allay? 

You do not have to make your complaint to Allay first. 

What is an advocate? 

An advocate is someone independent who can help you understand your rights and make sure your voice is heard. 

• Understand your rights. 

• Understand information about your services. 

• Make decisions. 

• Tell people what you want. 

• Raise a concern or complaint. 

• Communicate with Allay or another organisation. 

• Attend meetings or discussions with you. 

You can choose whether you would like an advocate involved. 

VALID: 03 9416 4003. You can also use the Disability Gateway to find disability information, services and advocacy supports. Ask Izzy can help locate broader community supports. 

Sometimes an incident may happen while we are working with you. 

An incident is something that happens, or could have happened, that causes harm or creates a risk of harm to you or another person. An incident can also involve damage to property, a breach of privacy or another event that affects your safety or wellbeing. 

Some examples of incidents are: 

• Someone being injured. 

• A fall or medical emergency. 

• Hitting, kicking, biting or throwing objects. 

• Violence, abuse, neglect or exploitation. 

• Unwanted physical or sexual contact. 

• Your private information being shared with the wrong person. 

• An event where someone could have been harmed, even if no harm occurred. 

What happens if there is an incident? 

Our first priority is safety.

Your Occupational Therapist will respond to the immediate situation and seek emergency assistance, including calling 000, if required. 

The Occupational Therapist will also notify the appropriate person at Allay and record what happened through our Incident Management process. 

We will talk with you about what happened and, where appropriate and with your consent, involve your chosen family members, support people or advocate. 

We will listen to your views, keep you informed and involve you in decisions about how the incident is managed where appropriate. 

What happens afterwards? 

• What happened. 

• Whether anyone was harmed. 

• What support you or others may need. 

• What contributed to the incident. 

• Whether anything needs to change. 

• What we can do to reduce the chance of it happening again. 

Some serious incidents must be reported to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission or another authority. Where appropriate, we will explain this to you. 

Information about an incident will only be shared with people or organisations who need the information, where you have provided consent or where Allay is required or permitted to share the information. 

At Allay, we collect personal and health information so that we can understand your needs and provide safe and effective occupational therapy services. 

Your information may include: 

• Your name and contact details. 

• Health and disability information. 

• Your goals. 

• Your strengths and support needs. 

• Information about your family, carers and formal and informal supports. 

• Assessment results. 

• Therapy notes and reports. 

• Information from other health professionals or services. 

• Information about your NDIS supports and funding where relevant. 

We protect your information in accordance with applicable Australian and Victorian privacy and health records laws. 

How do we collect information? 

We only collect information that we need, or that is reasonably necessary, to provide and manage our services. 

• Directly from you. 

• From a parent, guardian or authorised representative. 

• From people you have given us permission to communicate with. 

• During referrals and intake. 

• During therapy sessions. 

• Through assessments. 

• Through phone calls, emails or forms. 

• From reports or other documents provided to us. 

Where possible, we will collect information directly from you. 

How do we use your information? 

• Understanding your needs and goals. 

• Planning and providing therapy. 

• Completing assessments. 

• Writing clinical notes and reports. 

• Communicating with people involved in your supports where appropriate. 

• Managing appointments and services. 

• Maintaining safety and quality. 

• Meeting our legal, professional and regulatory responsibilities. 

When do we share information? 

We may share relevant information with people involved in your services, such as doctors, therapists, teachers, Support Coordinators, Plan Managers or other providers, where you have provided consent or we are otherwise permitted or required to do so. 

You can tell us who you consent for Allay to communicate with. You can change or withdraw your consent for us to share information at any time, unless the information must be shared because the law requires or permits us to do so. 

There may be circumstances where Allay is required or permitted to share information without your consent. This may include situations involving serious safety concerns, child safety, reportable incidents or other legal requirements. Where appropriate, we will explain this to you. 

How do we store your information? 

We keep clinical records and information about our services securely within Splose. 

We also use Microsoft 365 and other approved systems to manage organisational information and documents. Access to your information is limited to authorised team members who require it to perform their role. 

We may use secure online programs to provide therapy, complete assessments or score assessment results. Where these systems require personal information, their applicable privacy and security arrangements will also apply. 

Using information to improve our services 

Allay may use de-identified information to understand how our services are working and identify opportunities to improve. 

Identifiable personal information, photographs, stories or testimonials will not be used for marketing without appropriate consent. Any research use of information will be managed in accordance with applicable privacy, consent and ethical requirements. 

Payment information 

Where electronic payment services are used, payment information may be processed by an external payment provider. Payment providers have their own privacy and security requirements. Allay does not use payment information for purposes unrelated to managing payments for our services. 

Can I access my information? 

Yes. You can ask to access personal and health information that Allay holds about you. You can also ask us to correct information if you believe it is inaccurate, incomplete or out of date. 

We will respond to requests in accordance with applicable privacy and health records legislation. In some circumstances there may be lawful limits on access. If this applies, we will explain this to you. 

What happens if there is a privacy breach? 

A privacy or data breach may occur if personal information is accidentally or unlawfully accessed, disclosed, lost or shared with the wrong person. 

• Contain the breach. 

• Understand what has happened. 

• Assess the possible impact. 

• Reduce the risk of harm. 

• Take steps to prevent it happening again. 

• Meet any legal notification requirements. 

• Where required, affected people and relevant authorities will be notified. 

What if I have a privacy concern? 

If you have a question or complaint about how your personal information has been collected, stored, used or shared, please contact Allay. We will listen to your concern and respond in accordance with our privacy and complaints processes. 

At Allay, we are committed to making sure children and young people feel safe, respected, included and listened to. 

We want children to feel comfortable being themselves and to know that they can tell us if something does not feel right. 

Kids Have Rights 

• Be treated with kindness and respect. 

• Feel and be safe. 

• Have their thoughts, ideas and feelings listened to. 

• Have a say in their therapy. 

• Understand what is happening during therapy. 

• Ask questions. 

• Say when they are uncomfortable or do not want something to happen. 

• Have someone they trust support them. 

• Have their culture, identity, disability and way of communicating respected. 

• Receive therapy that considers their individual needs. 

• Know how to tell us if something does not feel safe or right. 

• Make a complaint and be taken seriously. 

Keeping Kids Safe 

• Following Victoria’s Child Safe Standards. 

• Completing required worker screening and recruitment checks. 

• Providing child safety training and supervision to our team. 

• Having clear expectations about how our team works with children. 

• Providing safe therapy environments. 

• Listening to children and taking concerns seriously. 

• Responding to child safety concerns. 

• Considering safety when using online and digital environments. 

• Reviewing our practices to make sure they continue to support child safety. 

Talking to Kids 

• Explaining therapy in ways that suit the child’s age, communication and understanding. 

• Asking children what is important to them. 

• Letting children and families know about their rights. 

• Answering questions. 

• Using different ways to communicate when needed. 

• Giving children opportunities to tell us if they are worried, unhappy or do not feel safe. 

Kids Can Join In 

• Asking children about their goals and ideas. 

• Involving them in planning their therapy. 

• Asking about their experiences. 

• Giving them choices where possible. 

• Offering different ways to express themselves, including talking, drawing, writing, playing or using communication supports. 

• Respecting their communication preferences and needs. 

Families and Support People are Important 

• Families, carers and other important people can play an important role in a child’s therapy. 

• Participate in therapy. 

• Help us understand the child’s strengths and needs. 

• Learn strategies to support the child outside therapy. 

• Share information and feedback. 

• Help the child understand information and communicate their views. 

• We recognise that every family is different and will work with children and families in ways that respect their culture, identity, relationships and individual circumstances. 

If a Child Feels Unsafe 

• Listen. 

• Take their concerns seriously. 

• Help them feel supported. 

• Respond to immediate safety concerns. 

• Follow our child safety procedures. 

• Make reports to relevant authorities where we are required to do so. 

Children and young people can also ask a parent, family member, trusted adult, support person or advocate to help them tell us about a concern. 

Emergencies and disasters can include events such as bushfires, floods, severe storms, extreme heat, power or technology outages, public health emergencies or other unexpected events. 

At Allay, we consider how emergencies and disasters may affect the safety of our clients, our team and our ability to provide occupational therapy services. 

Your Emergency Arrangements 

Allay considers emergency and disaster preparedness when you start services with us and as part of your annual review. 

If you already have an emergency or disaster plan developed with your family, Support Coordinator, Case Manager, daily support provider or other support network, we may ask about the parts of your plan that are relevant to the occupational therapy services we provide. 

Relevant information may be recorded in your Allay clinical record so that your Occupational Therapist understands arrangements that are important to your safety. 

Allay’s Role 

Allay generally provides capacity-building occupational therapy rather than daily or critical supports.

This means that we will work with you and your existing support network and follow relevant existing emergency arrangements rather than replacing the emergency planning undertaken by people or organisations providing your daily supports. 

If you do not have an emergency plan, or you identify an area where you would like to be better prepared, your Occupational Therapist may be able to provide capacity-building support where this is relevant to your occupational therapy goals and needs. 

• Your individual risks during an emergency. 

• Mobility or evacuation needs. 

• Communication, sensory or cognitive needs. 

• Assistive technology or equipment you rely on. 

• Environmental risks. 

• People you could contact for support. 

• Practical strategies to increase your preparedness. 

Your Occupational Therapist may also use resources such as the Person-Centred Emergency Preparedness (P-CEP) Workbook with you and your support network. 

If an Emergency Affects Your Allay Service 

Sometimes an emergency or disaster may mean that an appointment or service cannot happen as planned. 

• Change an appointment time. 

• Postpone an appointment. 

• Change the location. 

• Offer telehealth where this is appropriate and safe. 

• Make another temporary service arrangement. 

Where an emergency or disaster affects our ability to provide your occupational therapy service, we will communicate with you or your nominated support person as soon as reasonably practicable and discuss alternative arrangements where appropriate. 

If interruption to your occupational therapy service could create a particular risk to your health, safety or wellbeing, we will consider this when planning our response. 

During an Emergency 

In an immediate emergency, follow the directions of emergency services and relevant government authorities. Call 000 if you or another person requires urgent Police, Fire or Ambulance assistance. 

Please tell your Occupational Therapist if there is important emergency or disaster information that you think Allay should know.