Privacy Policy | Speak Wonders Speech Pathology

Privacy Policy – Speak Wonders Speech Pathology
Last updated: May 2026

Our Commitment to Your Privacy
At Speak Wonders Speech Pathology, your privacy is extremely important to us. We understand that you are entrusting us with sensitive personal and health information about your child and your family. We are committed to protecting that information and handling it with care, transparency, and respect.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and disclose your personal information. It applies to all interactions with Speak Wonders, including our website, phone enquiries, appointment bookings, and the delivery of our speech pathology services.
We comply with the:

Privacy Act 1988 (Cth)
Australian Privacy Principles (APPs)
National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Practice Standards
Speech Pathology Australia's Code of Ethics (2020)

By engaging our services, visiting our website, or providing us with personal information, you consent to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

1. Who We Are
Speak Wonders Speech Pathology
Location: Suite 8/27 Railway Pde, Westmead NSW 2145
Website: www.speakwonders.com.au
Email: admin@speakwonders.com.au
Phone: 0451 742 540
Speak Wonders is a paediatric speech pathology practice providing assessment, therapy, and support services for children across Western Sydney, including home visits, clinic-based sessions, and telehealth.

2. What Information We Collect
We collect personal information that is necessary to provide you with safe and high-quality speech pathology services. This may include:
Personal and contact details:

Full name, date of birth, gender
Residential address, phone number, and email address
Emergency contact details

Health and clinical information:

Developmental, medical, and family history
Speech, language, and communication assessment results
Reports, therapy notes, and clinical records
Information from other healthcare providers (with consent)

Financial and funding information:

Medicare card details
Private health insurance details
NDIS plan information (including plan number, funding categories, and plan manager details)

Website and technical information:

IP address and browser type when you visit our website
Pages visited and time spent on the site (collected via analytics tools)
Information submitted through contact forms or online bookings

Sensitive health information is only collected with your informed consent and is treated with the highest level of confidentiality.

3. How We Collect Your Information
We collect information:

Directly from you (or your child's parent/guardian) through intake forms, phone calls, emails, or in-person communication
From referral sources such as GPs, paediatricians, or schools (with your knowledge)
From other healthcare providers involved in your child's care (with consent)
Automatically through our website when you visit or submit an enquiry

4. Why We Collect Your Information
We collect and use your personal information to:

Deliver speech pathology assessments and therapy services
Communicate with you about appointments, progress, and recommendations
Coordinate your child's care with other healthcare providers (with your consent)
Process Medicare, private health insurance, or NDIS funding claims
Meet our legal and professional obligations as a registered healthcare provider
Improve our services and respond to your enquiries
Send appointment reminders or service-related communications

We will not use your information for unrelated purposes without your consent.

5. Disclosure of Your Information
We may share your information with third parties in the following circumstances:
Healthcare coordination:
Other healthcare professionals involved in your child's care (e.g., paediatricians, occupational therapists, educators) — only with your consent.

Funding bodies:
Medicare, private health insurers, the NDIS, plan managers, or support coordinators — as required to process claims and funding.

Service providers:
Third-party platforms we use to deliver our services, such as:

Practice management software (e.g., Halaxy)
Secure cloud storage and communications tools (e.g., Microsoft 365, OneDrive)
Payment processing providers

These providers are bound by confidentiality obligations and are not permitted to use your information for any other purpose.

Legal requirements:
We may disclose information where required or authorised by law, including mandatory reporting obligations under child protection legislation.
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party.

6. NDIS-Specific Privacy Obligations
For clients funded under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), we handle all personal and plan information in accordance with the NDIS Practice Standards and the NDIS Code of Conduct. This includes:

Collecting and using NDIS information only for the purpose of delivering agreed supports
Sharing NDIS-related information only with parties directly involved in your child's plan (e.g., plan manager, support coordinator) with your consent
Maintaining accurate, up-to-date records of services delivered and funding used

7. Storage and Security of Your Information
We take the security of your personal information seriously. We implement a range of measures to protect your data from unauthorised access, misuse, loss, or disclosure, including:

Secure, password-protected practice management systems
Encrypted cloud storage and file sharing platforms
Strict internal access controls — only authorised staff can access client records
Confidentiality obligations for all staff and contractors

Your records are retained for a minimum of 7 years from the last date of service (or until a child turns 25, whichever is longer), in accordance with NSW health records legislation.
When your records are no longer required, they are securely deleted or destroyed.

8. Website Privacy
When you visit our website, we may automatically collect certain technical data including your IP address, browser type, and pages visited. This is used solely to improve the performance and usability of our website.
Our website may use third-party tools such as Google Analytics. These tools may collect anonymised, aggregated data about how visitors use the site. This data does not identify you personally.
Our website may contain links to external websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those websites and encourage you to review their privacy policies independently.

9. Your Rights
You have the right to:

Access the personal information we hold about you — you may request a copy of your records at any time
Correct any inaccurate or out-of-date information
Withdraw consent for certain uses of your information (noting this may affect our ability to deliver services)
Make a complaint if you believe we have handled your information inappropriately

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us directly (see Section 11). We aim to respond to all access or correction requests within 30 business days.

In limited circumstances, we may need to refuse access — for example, where disclosure would affect the privacy of another individual. If we refuse a request, we will explain why in writing.

10. Data Breach Notification
In the event of a serious data breach that is likely to result in harm to you, we will notify you as required under the Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). We will also notify the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) where required by law.

11. Contact Us and Complaints
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to access your information, or want to make a complaint about how we have handled your personal information, please contact us:
Speak Wonders Speech Pathology
Email: admin@speakwonders.com.au
Phone: 0451 742 540
Website: www.speakwonders.com.au
Suite 8/27 Railway Pde, Westmead NSW 2145

If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to escalate your complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):

Website: www.oaic.gov.au
Phone: 1300 363 992

12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal obligations. The most current version will always be available on our website at www.speakwonders.com.au. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.
Speak Wonders Speech Pathology is committed to protecting your family's privacy and maintaining your trust.

Privacy Act 1988 (Cth)

Australian Privacy Principles (APPs)

National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Practice Standards

Speech Pathology Australia's Code of Ethics (2020)

Full name, date of birth, gender

Residential address, phone number, and email address

Emergency contact details

Health and clinical information:

Developmental, medical, and family history

Speech, language, and communication assessment results

Reports, therapy notes, and clinical records

Information from other healthcare providers (with consent)

Financial and funding information:

Medicare card details

Private health insurance details

NDIS plan information (including plan number, funding categories, and plan manager details)

Website and technical information:

IP address and browser type when you visit our website

Pages visited and time spent on the site (collected via analytics tools)

Information submitted through contact forms or online bookings

Sensitive health information is only collected with your informed consent and is treated with the highest level of confidentiality. 3. How We Collect Your Information We collect information:

Directly from you (or your child's parent/guardian) through intake forms, phone calls, emails, or in-person communication

From referral sources such as GPs, paediatricians, or schools (with your knowledge)

From other healthcare providers involved in your child's care (with consent)

Automatically through our website when you visit or submit an enquiry

4. Why We Collect Your Information We collect and use your personal information to:

Deliver speech pathology assessments and therapy services

Communicate with you about appointments, progress, and recommendations

Coordinate your child's care with other healthcare providers (with your consent)

Process Medicare, private health insurance, or NDIS funding claims

Meet our legal and professional obligations as a registered healthcare provider

Improve our services and respond to your enquiries

Send appointment reminders or service-related communications

Practice management software (e.g., Halaxy)

Secure cloud storage and communications tools (e.g., Microsoft 365, OneDrive)

Payment processing providers

Collecting and using NDIS information only for the purpose of delivering agreed supports

Sharing NDIS-related information only with parties directly involved in your child's plan (e.g., plan manager, support coordinator) with your consent

Maintaining accurate, up-to-date records of services delivered and funding used

7. Storage and Security of Your Information We take the security of your personal information seriously. We implement a range of measures to protect your data from unauthorised access, misuse, loss, or disclosure, including:

Secure, password-protected practice management systems

Encrypted cloud storage and file sharing platforms

Strict internal access controls — only authorised staff can access client records

Confidentiality obligations for all staff and contractors

Access the personal information we hold about you — you may request a copy of your records at any time

Correct any inaccurate or out-of-date information

Withdraw consent for certain uses of your information (noting this may affect our ability to deliver services)

Make a complaint if you believe we have handled your information inappropriately

Website: www.oaic.gov.au

Phone: 1300 363 992

Sensitive health information is only collected with your informed consent and is treated with the highest level of confidentiality.

3. How We Collect Your Information
We collect information:

4. Why We Collect Your Information
We collect and use your personal information to:

7. Storage and Security of Your Information
We take the security of your personal information seriously. We implement a range of measures to protect your data from unauthorised access, misuse, loss, or disclosure, including: