Cancellation and Rescheduling Policy

1. Notice Required

You must provide at least 24 hours’ notice to cancel or reschedule an appointment.

Cancellations can be made via:

• Email: socialworkbybessie@gmail.com

• SMS or phone: 0402 172 043

2. Late Cancellations (Less than 24 hours’ notice)

If you cancel or reschedule with less than 24 hours’ notice, the full session fee will be charged.

This is because the time has been reserved exclusively for you, and it is usually not possible to offer the appointment to someone else at short notice.

3. Non‑Attendance (No‑Show)

If you do not attend your appointment and do not make contact, the full session fee will be charged.

4. Exceptions

Cancellation fees may be waived in circumstances such as:

• sudden illness

• emergency or crisis situations

• significant unforeseen events

Fee waivers are at the practitioner’s discretion and assessed on a case‑by‑case basis.

5. NDIS Participants

Self-Managed Participants

Standard cancellation terms apply. You are responsible for paying the cancellation fee and claiming it through your NDIS plan if appropriate.

Plan-Managed Participants

A cancellation fee will be invoiced to your plan manager in line with your Service Agreement and applicable NDIS guidelines.

NDIS Cancellation Window (for NDIS-funded appointments)

Under current NDIS rules, a cancellation is billable if made:

• Less than 7 days before the scheduled appointment (If you'd like, I can rewrite the policy to fully match this stronger NDIS rule.)

6. Repeated Cancellations

If cancellations occur frequently, we may discuss whether a different appointment time or service arrangement would better suit your needs.

This ensures consistency and supports the best therapeutic outcomes.

7. How to Avoid Fees

To avoid cancellation fees, you can:

• switch to a telehealth session if you’re unwell or unable to travel

• reschedule early

• notify the practitioner as soon as you know you cannot attend

8. Agreement

Booking an appointment indicates that you understand and agree to this cancellation policy.

Complaints and Feedback Policy

I want you to feel safe, respected, and heard in this service. If at any time something doesn’t feel right, you can:

1. Talk with me directly

You can share concerns in person, by email, or in writing. I will listen respectfully and work with you to resolve the issue.

2. Make a written complaint

Email: socialworkbybessie@gmail.com I will acknowledge your complaint within 5 business days and aim to resolve it within 30 days.

3. If you prefer to speak to someone external

You have the right to contact:

• NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (for NDIS-related issues): 1800 035 544 

• Health Complaints Commissioner (Victoria): 1300 582 113 

• Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (privacy complaints): 1300 363 992 

You can do this at any time, with or without raising the issue with me first.

Privacy Policy

Who we are

Social Work by Bessie is a health service provider delivering social work services including trauma-informed counselling, case coordination, advocacy and NDIS supports. As a private health service provider in Australia, we must comply with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), and, because we operate in Victoria, the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic) and its Health Privacy Principles (HPPs).

We also follow the NDIS Code of Conduct, including the requirement to respect privacy when delivering supports. 

The kinds of information we collect

We collect and hold personal information and sensitive/health information, for example: name, contact details, date of birth, Medicare/NDIS details, referral information, health and psychosocial history, progress notes, reports, risk and safety information, communication preferences, and billing records. We only collect what we reasonably need to provide services, meet legal obligations, and ensure safety.

How we collect information

We collect information directly from you (intake forms, sessions, email/phone/telehealth). With your consent, or where permitted by law, we may also collect information from referrers, health and community services, family/carers you nominate, or plan managers. We collect information lawfully and fairly and, where practicable, will let you interact with us anonymously or via a pseudonym, noting limits when we must identify you. 

Why we collect, use and disclose information

We use your information to:

• deliver social work services you request (counselling, case management, advocacy, reports)

• coordinate supports (e.g. liaising, with consent, with GPs, services, plan managers)

• manage bookings, billing, and administration

• meet legal, clinical governance and safety requirements

• improve our services (quality assurance, de-identified reporting)

We only use or disclose information for the primary purpose it was collected or a related secondary purpose you would reasonably expect, with consent, or as otherwise permitted/required by law (e.g. serious threat, child safety, court order).

NDIS participants

If you use NDIS funding, we follow the NDIS Code of Conduct and relevant NDIS rules. If we are unregistered, we can work with self-managed and plan-managed participants and will still comply with the NDIS Code of Conduct and the Privacy Act/Health Records Act when handling your information.

Mandatory reporting and limits to confidentiality

There are times we may need to disclose information without consent, such as where there is a serious threat to life, health, safety or welfare, child protection obligations, responding to violence/abuse/neglect, or as required by a court/tribunal. These exceptions come from privacy and safeguarding laws. We’ll explain limits to confidentiality at intake. 

How we store and secure your information

We take reasonable steps (technical, physical and administrative) to keep information accurate, up-to-date, and secure, for example, encrypted practice software, access controls, secure devices, and staff training. If we store information with reputable Australian cloud services, we ensure appropriate safeguards.

Data retention and destruction

We retain health records for the periods required by law/professional standards and then securely destroy or de-identify them when no longer needed.

Access and correction

You can request access to your information or ask us to correct it if it’s inaccurate, out-of-date, incomplete or misleading. We’ll respond within a reasonable time and may ask for ID. In limited cases, we may lawfully refuse access (e.g. where giving access poses a serious threat), but we will tell you why and how to complain.

How to request: email socialworkbybessie@gmail.com with “Privacy – Access/Correction Request” in the subject line.

Overseas disclosure

We don’t routinely disclose personal information overseas. If we need to (for example, a cloud vendor outside Australia), we will tell you which country (if known) and take reasonable steps so that the recipient will protect your information in line with the APPs. If you consent to an overseas disclosure, you acknowledge the recipient may not be subject to Australian privacy law. 

Direct marketing

We do not sell personal information. We won’t use your details for direct marketing without your consent, and you can opt out at any time (APP 7). 

Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme

If we experience a data breach that is likely to cause serious harm, we will promptly assess, contain, and notify affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), as required under the NDB scheme. We keep records of data incidents and our responses.