Terms of Service

Services provided by Allay Occupational Therapists

As Occupational Therapists (OT’s), we will help you with your goals. Your OT will meet with you in person, over the phone or computer.

In person, your OT will meet with you at the clinic, your home, education setting, the community, or day program.

Sometimes we might ask if another OT, student or volunteer can come along.

Allay’s Responsibilities

Allay agrees to:

  • Review the service regularly
  • Work with you to reach your goals
  • Treat you with respect
  • Talk to you about plans for sessions
  • Listen to your questions or worries about our services and work together to solve problems
  • Keep records of work done
  • Keep your work confidential unless there are worries about safety

Your Responsibilities

You as the participant and your support people agree to:

  • Tell your OT what your needs and goals are
  • Treat your OT with respect
  • Talk to your OT if you have any questions or worries
  • Tell Allay how your sessions will be paid for and if this changes

Reporting

Allay will send letters to your doctor after the first and last sessions.

If you need an OT report, please discuss this with your OT with 8 weeks’ notice. The time taken to write the report will be invoiced to you or your insurer.

Cancellation Policy

If you cannot come to a session, you need to call Allay 2 business days before the session to cancel.

If you don’t call us with 2 business days’ notice, we will claim the cost of the session to you or your insurer.

Travel

Your OT might travel to you for sessions. Time taken to get to and from sessions will be invoiced to you or your insurer.

Payment Terms

Allay is a private practice and has costs covered by you or your insurer.

Allay reviews fees annually with incremental fee increases actioned each July 1.

Payments can be made via credit/debit card, bank transfer, or any other accepted payment methods as specified.

Payment is due at the time of service unless otherwise arranged in advance.

If you have not paid your invoice, we will send reminders to you. If you are unable to pay your invoice, we will pause OT until payment is finalised.

Pricing Schedule

Fees for services will be outlined prior to the commencement of services and on our website.

Any additional costs for materials or resources will be communicated.

Cancellations and Rescheduling

Occupational therapy and supervision services:

  • Appointments must be cancelled at least 48 hours in advance.
  • Cancellations made within 48 hours of the appointment time incur a cancellation fee equivalent to the service fees

Education services:

  • Education courses must be cancelled with at least 2 week’s notice.
  • Cancellations made within 2 week’s of the course incur a cancellation fee equivalent to 50% of the fee.
  • Course participants can elect to transfer their ticket to an alternate participant.

Service Inability

If we are unable to provide the scheduled service due to unforeseen circumstances, you will be notified as soon as possible.

In such cases, you will have the option to reschedule the service or receive a full refund.

Package Services

For clients purchasing a package of services, payment is due as the service, administration or report writing is completed.

Allay Quality Assurance

All Allay OT’s are registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and the Quality and Safeguards Commission as OTs. Allay follows policies and laws that make sure they work in a high quality and safe way.

Allay’s Privacy Policy and Child Safe Standards are on our website if you want more information.

 

 

Allay Fact Sheets

 

Feedback and Complaints

Everyone has the right to speak up when they are not happy about our services.

Making a complaint can help us at Allay to improve our services for you and others.

How can a complaint be made?

If you want to make a complaint, you can talk to your OT at your next session.

If you do not want to talk to your OT about it, you can talk to someone else at Allay.

Here are a few different ways you can get in contact with someone at Allay:

  • Call Allay on 03 5201 0527
  • Write a letter to 275 Ryrie Street, GEELONG, VIC 3220
  • Send an email to info@allayoccupationaltherapy.com.au

If you want to make a complaint, you can have a support person with you.

If you want to make a complaint, you don’t have to give your name if you don’t want.

What will Allay do with a complaint?

We will listen to your complaint.

We will talk with you and anyone involved to understand what has happened, if you tell us that is ok.

We might collect information and documents to help us understand what happened

We will find a solution and act on this solution.

 

Incidents

At times, incidents happen during our work with you.

What is an incident?

An incident can be when something happens that causes harm to you or someone else, or when something happens that causes damage to property or items.

When an incident occurs during a session, our goal is to make everyone safe.

Some examples of incidents are:

  • Hitting, kicking, biting, or throwing items
  • A medical emergency
  • Touching or being touched in an unwanted way
  • Sharing information that is private without permission

 What happens when an incident occurs?

The OT will try to make sure that everyone is safe and will call 000 if needed.

The OT will call their manager at Allay.

Someone from Allay will call you or your support people to talk about what happened.

 What happens after an incident occurs?

The OT will write a report about the incident.

The report will be shared with other agencies if needed.

Allay will use the report to improve safety for clients, staff and all involved.

Allay will work to prevent this incident from happening again.

Privacy

At Allay, we gather personal information to provide our services. We follow national guidelines to ensure protection of your private information.

Your private information may include health and disability needs, goals, informal and formal supports, strengths and challenges, and communication with other professionals.

How we gather personal information

We only gather information that is needed or might help us to work with you in the most effective way.

We may collect information from you, your caregivers, or your support team.

Information is gathered during referrals, phone calls, emails, face to face sessions or telehealth.

 How we use and store your personal clinical information

We keep records of our services on an online system called Lumary.

Sometimes we have single client files to store hard copy documents.

We use online programs for therapy and assessment scoring. For these, we need to enter name, age, gender, and assessment results.

Each online assessment scoring or therapy program has their own privacy policy. You can ask your OT for more information about programs used.

This information is stored confidentially for the clear and sole purpose of providing therapy and therapy items.

We often write up information into documentation such as reports, letters or session notes.

 How and when we share your personal information

To get the best outcomes for you in therapy, we may share information or documentation with other people that are working with you including doctors, therapists, teachers and trades (for equipment).

We only share information or documentation if you or your caregiver say that it is ok and if it is helpful for therapy. You give us a list of people that we can share your information with when we start working with you. This consent document can be changed over time at your request.

We won’t share personal information without your consent unless we believe that there is a risk to the safety of you or others, or as required by law.

 How we use non identifiable personal information that is collected as part of our services

  • Reviewing and improving services
  • Marketing
  • Research

You can consent or not consent to direct contact from us for the purpose of improving services in your Service Agreement.

How we use your personal banking information

  • Paying for sessions

If you pay for sessions using EFTPOS, your card number will be sent to NAB to process the payment. Our banking system is operated by National Australia Bank. They will have their own Privacy Policy so we advise you to contact NAB if you have concerns regarding your credit card details being entered into their facility.

Access to your personal information

If you would like to access the information that we have about you, you need to make this request in writing. If you need help, discuss this with your OT or Allay leadership team.

Once approved, you will be given a time that you can look through your personal information with an Allay team member.

Your OT will discuss possible costs of supplying access to your information.

If your request is not approved, Allay will give you reasons why according to the National Privacy Principles.

Resolving your concerns

If you have any questions or complaints about how your personal information is collected, stored, or used please contact us. We will listen to your question or complaint and respond as soon as possible.

If there is a privacy breach, we will follow the Privacy Act 1988 guidelines and work to resolve the problem. We will contact you if this occurs.

Extra Support

Additional support options are available if you encounter any issues or have concerns during your time with us.

Understanding your rights and the resources available to you is crucial, and sometimes you might seek guidance or representation from someone outside of Allay.

Whether it’s navigating a complaint, understanding your services, or ensuring your voice is heard, we want to make sure you feel fully supported and empowered.

What is an advocate?

An advocate is someone who can help you to with any concerns you have about your services.

They might help by talking to you on the phone and giving you advice or information.

An advocate may also be able to represent your rights to another person or organisation.

  • Needing to find help for a food, housing, financial or community need?
    Ask Izzy https://askizzy.org.au/
  • Needing help to manage your complain or incident?
    Disability Advocacy Resource Unit 1300 942 773
    VALID Advocacy Service 03 9416 4003
  • Questions or issues with your NDIS funded services?

    NDIS Quality & Safeguards Commissioner 1800 035 544
    Disability Services Consulting 03 8899 7804
    https://teamdsc.com.au/contact

  • Not happy with NDIA’s actions or decisions?
    NDIA or Commonwealth Ombudsman 1800 800 100

  • Not happy with a service provided by an agency?
    Disability Services Commissioner 1800 677 342

  • Not happy with a health service provided to you?
    Office of Health Ombudsman 133 646

 

Kid’s Rights

At Allay, we are committed to protecting children and young people from abuse and creating an environment where they feel respected, valued, and empowered to reach their full potential.

Kids Have Rights

At Allay, we believe kids have the right to:

  • Be treated with kindness and respect
  • Be safe at all times
  • Share their thoughts and feelings
  • Get the best care for their needs

Keeping Kids Safe

We work hard to keep kids safe by:

  • Following special rules called Child Safe Standards
  • Checking that all our staff are safe to work with kids
  • Training our staff to spot if a kid is upset or in danger
  • Making sure our therapy rooms are safe for kids

Talking to Kids

We make sure kids understand what’s happening by:

  • Explaining therapy in a way that kids can understand
  • Letting kids and their families know about their rights
  • Answering any questions kids or their families have

Kids Can Join In

We let kids have a say by:

  • Asking for their ideas when planning their therapy
  • Letting kids share their feelings and experiences
  • Offering different ways for kids to express themselves, like through art and play

Families and Caregivers are Important

At Allay, we believe families and friends are super important. They:

  • Are asked to be a part of therapy sessions
  • Help us understand what’s best for the child
  • Learn how to help the child at home
  • Can share their thoughts and feelings

We Follow Child Safe Practices

This means:

  • We make sure kids feel okay to tell us if they’re upset or worried
  • We take any worries about a kid’s safety very seriously
  • We always check our rules to make sure they’re the best they can be

At Allay, we look after every kid’s rights, safety, and happiness.

 

Emergency and Disaster Response

Your Safety, Our Priority

 At Allay, we prioritise your safety and well-being. This brief fact sheet explains how we prepare for and respond to emergencies such as fires, floods, or severe weather.

 Emergency and Disaster Plan Overview

 Allay’s Emergency and Disaster Policy includes measures to protect both clients and staff during unexpected situations. We ensure our team is well-prepared and our plans are always current.

 Key Components of Our Plan:

  • Personal Emergency Management Plans: We can give you a Person-Centred Emergency Preparedness (P-CEP) Workbook to help you create a tailored plan with your supports, including your health information and communication preferences. You can submit your plan to us to keep on file.
  • Training and Drills: Regular drills help everyone at Allay know how to act safely and swiftly during an emergency.
  • Immediate Response: During an emergency, we implement our plan to ensure everyone’s safety as quickly as possible and keep you informed throughout the process.
  • Post-Emergency: After an emergency, we check on everyone’s well-being and provide additional support if needed. We also review and improve our response strategies.

 Your Role: 

  • Stay Informed: Familiarise yourself with your personal emergency plan.
  • Speak Up: Communicate any concerns or uncertainties you have about the plan.

Consent for Services

During your sessions, we may provide the following supports to assist you.

If you do not want any of the following during OT services, talk with your OT so they can provide other options.

  • Therapy Assistants: Therapy assistants are trained support staff who work alongside your therapist to help deliver and enhance your treatment.
  • Key Workers: The key worker model assigns a primary staff member to coordinate all aspects of a client’s care, ensuring personalised support and streamlined communication across different services and providers.
  • Take Photos or Video: Your OT might ask to take photos or video of you during sessions to help build resources for you or your supports.
    Have Other OTs, Students or Volunteers Join Sessions: Your OT might ask if another person can join your session.
  • Use Therapeutic Items: Your OT might recommend using therapeutic items, such as weighted blankets, aromatherapy items, food or drinks, toys or movement equipment.
  • Use Therapy Dog: Our Therapy dog is trained to work with people and may be at our clinic and come to a session. Our Therapy dog is checked regularly to keep healthy. Let your OT know if you have any allergies or prefer not to be in close contact with animals. If an allergic reaction or injury happens when working with the dog, that is at your own risk.
  • Quality and Safeguards Audit: Allay gets audited on a regular basis to ensure we provide quality and safe services. This includes reviewing our policies, registers and filling.