Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Youcentric Care Group Pty Ltd ABN 61 673 678 325 (“we”, “us”, “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy of personal information we collect. This Privacy Policy explains how we handle personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

As a healthcare provider delivering occupational therapy services, we also comply with health records legislation applicable in New South Wales and maintain strict confidentiality of all health information.

2. Information We Collect

Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of personal information:

• Medical history and current health conditions
• Date of birth and gender
• Date of birth and gender
• Emergency contact details
• Medicare number and healthcare identifiers
• NDIS participant number (where applicable)
• Health fund or insurance details
• Plan manager or support coordinator details

Health Information

As an occupational therapy provider, we collect sensitive health information including:

• Medical history and current health conditions
• Diagnosis and disability-related information
• Medication information
• Assessment results and clinical notes
• Treatment plans, therapy goals and progress notes
• Reports from other healthcare providers
• Functional capacity information
• Home environment details relevant to assessments

Referral Information

When a referral is submitted on your behalf, we may collect:

• Referrer contact information and professional details
• Reason for referral and specific goals
• Support requirements, risk alerts, or safety considerations
• Assessment results and clinical notes
• NDIS plan details and funding categories

3. How We Collect Information

We collect personal information:

• Directly from you – when you contact us, complete forms, or attend appointments
• From referrers – healthcare professionals, support coordinators, aged care providers, or family members who refer you to our services
• From other healthcare providers – with your consent, when coordinating care
• From our website – through contact forms, referral submissions, or analytics(see Website Data below)

4. How We Use Your Information

• Provide occupational therapy assessments and services
• Communicate with you about appointments, services, and care
• Prepare clinical reports and recommendations
• Process payments and claims (NDIS plan managers, Medicare, health funds, aged care providers)
• Comply with legal and regulatory requirements
• Coordinate care with other healthcare providers (with your consent)
• Improve our services and conduct quality assurance
• Respond to complaints and feedback

5. Disclosure of Information

We may disclose your information to:

• Other healthcare providers involved in your care (with your consent)
• NDIS plan managers for invoicing and service coordination
• Support coordinators to assist with your NDIS plan implementation
• Aged care providers (HCP/CHSP) for service coordination and billing
• Medicare and private health insurers for claims processing
• Government agencies as required by law (e.g., mandatory reporting)
• Our professional advisers (accountants, lawyers) under confidentiality obligations
• Equipment suppliers when prescribing assistive technology (with your consent)

We will not sell, rent, or disclose your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

Disclosure Without Consent

We may disclose information without your consent only where:

• Required or authorised by law
• Necessary to prevent a serious threat to life, health, or safety
• Required for law enforcement purposes
• Necessary to locate a missing person

6. Data Security

We implement appropriate security measures to protect your information, including:

• Secure electronic clinical management systems with encryption
• Password protection and multi-factor authentication for staff access
• Role-based access controls limiting who can view your information
• Physical security for any paper records
• Regular staff training on privacy and confidentiality
• Secure transmission of referrals and reports (encrypted email where supported)
• Regular security reviews and system updates

7. Data Retention

We retain clinical and personal records in accordance with:

• Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW)
• AHPRA and Occupational Therapy Board guidelines
• NDIS Practice Standards (where applicable)

Generally, health records are retained for a minimum of 7 years from the date of last service (or until a minor turns 25, whichever is later). After the retention period, records are securely destroyed.

8. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access your personal and health information held by us
• Request corrections to inaccurate or incomplete information
• Request information about how your data is used and disclosed
• Withdraw consent for certain uses of your information (this may affect our ability to provide services)
• Make a privacy complaint if you believe we have breached your privacy
• Request a copy of your clinical records (an administration fee may apply for extensive requests)

Accessing Your Records

To request access to your records, please contact us in writing. We will respond within 30 days. In some circumstances, access may be refused (e.g., if disclosure would pose a serious threat to health or safety). If access is refused, we will provide written reasons.

9. Website Data & Cookies

When you visit our website, we may collect:

• IP address and browser type
• Pages visited and time spent on site
• Referring website
• Information submitted through contact or referral forms

We use cookies and analytics tools (such as Google Analytics) to understand website usage and improve our services. You can disable cookies in your browser settings, though this may affect website functionality.

10. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to external websites (e.g., NDIS, Medicare, equipment suppliers). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external sites. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any linked websites.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. Updates will be posted on our website with the revised date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

12. How to Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to access or correct your information, or want to make a privacy complaint, please contact us:

13. External Complaints

If you are not satisfied with our response to a privacy concern, you may contact:

• Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)
  Website: www.oaic.gov.au
  Phone: 1300 363 992
• Health Care Complaints Commission (NSW)
  Website: www.hccc.nsw.gov.au
  Phone: 1800 043 159
• NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (for NDIS-related concerns)
  Website: www.ndiscommission.gov.au
  Phone: 1800 035 544