Strength and Strategies Counselling Services is committed to protecting the privacy of its clients.
Our counselling services are bound by the legal requirements of the National Privacy Principles from the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000.
This document describes the policy of Strength and Strategies Counselling Services for the
management of our clients’ information.
As part of providing a service to you, we need to collect personal information which may include
your name, contact details such as address, phone numbers, date of birth, marital status, number of
children you have, as well as details of issues which you have been discussing with your counsellor.
Clients’ files are held in a secure location. The counsellor will be consulting with their Supervisor and information about your counselling sessions may be discussed from time to time. These
communications are confidential and the purpose of Professional Supervision is to enhance the
quality of care you receive.
Clients’ personal information is gathered in order to document what happens during sessions, and
enables the counsellor to provide a relevant and informed service.
Strength and Strategies Counselling Services collects certain information for statistical and
professional purposes. This information is not necessarily considered personal or sensitive
information. Information is only considered to be personal information if the identity of the
individual is apparent or can be reasonably ascertained from the information.
Your personal information may be used in order to compile statistics such as the number of clients
we see on a monthly basis, the number of males/females, the ages of clients counselled etc. This
information may be used to administer, manage or develop our services.
All personal information gathered during the provision of the service will remain confidential and
secure except when:
1. It is subpoenaed by a court, or
2. You disclose information that informs us that you intend to harm yourself or another person or you know of such imminent risk to yourself or another person, or
3. Your prior approval has been obtained to:
a) Provide a written report to another professional or agency e.g. a GP or lawyer,
b) Discuss the material with another person e.g. a parent, partner or employer.
At any stage you may request to see information which is kept on file about you. The counsellor may
discuss the contents with you and/or give you a copy. Requests for access will be responded to
promptly and an appointment will be made, if necessary, for clarification purposes. You have the
right to request amendments if there are inaccuracies in this information.
If you have a concern about the management of your personal information, you should first contact
Graeme Scott on 0423 595 716. You can also readily obtain online a copy of the Australian
Government’s National Privacy Principles, which describes your rights and how your information
should be handled. Ultimately, if you wish to lodge a formal complaint about the use of, or access to,
your personal information, you may do so with the Office of the Federal Privacy Commissioner.