Privacy Statement

Privacy, Confidentiality & Information Management Statement
This statement is for this website and client records.

Client Records

The confidentiality and security of all client information held by The Upside of Me, and used as a part of
counselling and support services is of the utmost importance. All clients of the Upside of Me not only have
rights under the law with respect to privacy – as detailed by the Privacy Act (1988) and ACT Health
Records (Privacy and Access) Act 1997- but should also have a reasonable expectation that the
information that they share with us is strictly used for the purposes of providing the highest level of care
and service for the client, and only that. The Upside of Me abides by the Australian Counselling Association’s Code of Practice for both the delivery of counselling and support services, and for the collection, confidentiality and storage of client information.
What information do we collect?
As an important part of providing the best possible counselling and support services, The Upside of Me
may collect information with respect to:
Identifying data for the client
Referral information (if applicable)
Dates and types of services and fees
Details of services provided; for example: intake or assessment information; details of
the counselling or psychotherapy contract; intervention plans; consultation notes; reports; psychometric
testing results.
As counselling practitioners, we are required to maintain accurate, current, and pertinent records of
services provided, and to maintain records in sufficient detail for regulatory and administrative review of
service delivery.
What do we do with your information?
The collection of personal information will be a necessary part of the counselling assessment and practice
that is conducted with clients by The Upside of Me. Limited client information will also be used to provide
invoicing and other support services for individual clients as part of the day-today running of the practice.
Individual practitioners within The Upside of Me may also discuss de-identified client case information
with their individual counselling supervisor for the purposes of practitioner clinical development and
supervision. This information, although de-identified is also protected by confidentiality and privacy
considerations.
How do we store your information?
The Upside of Me utilises practice management software to store personal client records and data. All
secured data transmitted between the management platform and the end user/practitioner is encrypted
using 256bit encryption with an SSL certificate. This is the same way internet banking data travels. All data
storage infrastructure complies with the Commonwealth Government standards governing the security of
IT systems and infrastructure. To comply with Australian law, all data, backups and offsite backups are
stored within Australia.
Who may access your information?
As a self-employed practitioner in private practice, The Upside of Me holds ownership of client records
and is responsible for ensuring client privacy and confidentiality are maintained.
In general practice, and in keeping with the principles of privacy and confidentiality, access to client
records is generally restricted to the practitioner who created them, for the purposes of delivering client
counselling and support services.
In certain situations, client records may be shared with other professionals or agencies:
Where care of the client is being transferred to another practitioner, or in a multi-disciplinary setting,
where the client has consented to the records being accessed by other professionals to support the
delivery of the service; or
Where this is a legal requirement for disclosure.
There are times when there are exceptions to confidentiality. Exceptional circumstances may arise which
give The Upside of Me good grounds for believing that serious harm may occur to the client or to other
people if confidentiality is maintained. In such circumstance the client’s consent to change the agreement
about confidentiality should be sought whenever possible, unless there are also good grounds for
believing the client is no longer willing or able to take responsibility for his/her actions, or where for
reasons of law, The Upside of Me is bound to report circumstances to other responsible agencies.
This Website and Privacy Policy the use of  “we, us or our” relates to The Upside of Me or Up & About Mothers’ Group. 

This website

Information published on these website – www.theupsideofme.com.au and www.upandaboutmothersgroup.com.au is for personal use only. Information on these sites is not intended to be comprehensive or intended for the purpose of any diagnosis, therapy or provided as an alternative to obtaining psychological or medical advice from a qualified practitioner.
This site at times may provide links to other company websites and resources as a information and convenience to you. We are not responsible for the accuracy, quality or suitability of any linked websites.
We accept no responsibility permitted by law for misuse of information presented on this website by any individual, for the purpose of claims, compensation, litigation, damages or personal problems.
The use of any and all corporate logos and links on this site in no way is intended to imply that we endorse or represent these Institutions.

Cookies

We use “cookies” to collect information about you and your activity across our site between our website and your computer. A cookie is a small piece of data that our website stores on your computer, and accesses each time you visit so we can understand how you use our site and serve you content based on preferences you have specified.
If you do not wish to accept cookies from us, you should instruct your browser to refuse cookies from our website, with the understanding that we may be unable to provide you with some of your desired service without them

Website Security

We take security seriously, and do what we can within commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information from loss or theft, as well as unauthorised access, disclosure, copying, use or modification. That said, we are limited and advise that no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure, and cannot guarantee the absolute security of your data.

Accuracy of Resources

Resources provided on our websites could include technical, typographical, or photographic errors. The Upside of Me or Up & About Mothers’ Group does not warrant that any of the materials on its website are accurate, complete or current. Although we may change information contained in the resources we may complete this at any time without notice.

Privacy Information
Law

We are required by law, as detailed in the Privacy Act 1988 (“The Act”), to comply with a strict code of conduct to maintain the privacy of all personal information on record. This Privacy Policy complies with the privacy principles set out in the Act and explains how we apply them in practice.

Collection and use of personal information

Your information may be collected directly from individual application forms, group registrations, newsletter subscriptions, correspondence, phone calls and e-mails.
The types of personal information we may collect about you include: 
your name;
your contact details, including email address and/or telephone number; Name and title
Full contact details
credit card details
Personal opinions and comments on matters held on record
And other documentary information
We may collect, hold, use and disclose personal information for the following purposes: 
to contact and communicate with you;.

Disclosure

The information will only be used within The Upside of Me and the Up & About Mothers’ Group for the purpose for which it was collected and in accordance with the Act. We will not disclose to a third party, any personal or sensitive information without written consent of the individual concerned.
In the event of a formal ethical complaint against an individual pertaining to conduct, competency or breaches of the law, The Upside of Me may be obliged to disclose personal information to an appropriate third party (e.g. Australian Counselling Association) in accordance with the Act.

Records Security

The entire process of collection, storage, transfer and use of personal information will be undertaken in a secure manner such that it fully protects all personal and sensitive information. On the cessation of services with The Upside of Me or Up & About Mothers’ Group, the personal information will be held securely for as long as it is prudent and disposed of appropriately in accordance with the Act.

Access and Correction

Individuals are entitled to access their own personal and sensitive information held by The Upside of Me or Up & About Mothers’ Group. Individuals are also entitled to change incorrect or out of date information. The request for access to personal information must be made in writing and the request will be processed in accordance with the Act.

Modifications

We may revise these terms of service for our websites or policies at any time without notice. By using this website you are agreeing to be bound by the then current version of these terms of service.
Revised: 01 June 2024