Little Window Privacy Policy

Little Window is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of all personal and other information collected through our business and service delivery, including how it is collected, used, stored and disclosed.

Client Information and Agreement/Consent

Your Rights as a Client:

You have all of the rights established by the Australian governing clinical practices, such as:

The rights of consent to treatment,
Of seeking disclosure from your therapist about his or her qualifications,
Of requesting a different therapist,
Of ending treatment at any time,
Of having your clinical record kept private (see “Confidentiality” below)
Of having any tests, procedures, and recommendations explained to you in simple terms, and the right to refuse such tests, procedures, or recommendations.

Confidentiality

What you tell your therapist will be kept confidential and will not be revealed to other persons or agencies without your permission, except when mandated by state and federal statutes, court order, or if there is any concern for your safety. Little Window psychologists are required to engage in professional supervision to ensure best quality practice. It is within these parameters that your case may be discussed; however, anonymity will be upheld wherever possible. Feel free to ask for clarification about confidentiality during your session with your therapist.

Choosing your Therapist

It is important to us that you feel comfortable with your therapist, and we understand that you may connect differently with different therapists. If for any reason you would like to change therapists, please do let one of our Client Support Team know. We will do our best to match you with a therapist who you feel is a good fit for you. You can contact our client support team on 3420 0924, or at info@littlewindow.com.au. Our team is always open to feedback on how we can care for our clients if you wish to provide us with any information about your experience at Little Window.

Professional Records

Little Window is required to keep appropriate records of the psychological services that we provide. Your records are maintained securely in the office or in a secure online location. We keep brief records noting that you were here, your reasons for seeking therapy, the goals and progress we set for treatment, your diagnosis, topics we discussed, your medical, social, and treatment history, records we receive from other providers, copies of records we send to others, and your billing records.

Please note that if you are visiting a therapist for assistance under a Medicare treatment plan, a requirement of this scheme is a brief letter to your referring General Practitioner at the end of the first session, sixth session and upon conclusion of therapy. Each letter will outline the nature of your concern, the findings of any assessments conducted and the clinical opinion of your psychologist.

AI Note Taking

Some therapists at Little Window are trialling the use of AI-powered tools to assist with note-taking during sessions, to those clients who provide their consent to this. This process is designed to ensure accurate and efficient documentation of your care while maintaining your privacy and confidentiality.

AI note-taking can greatly benefit therapists in counselling sessions by automatically recording and organising key details, minimising the risk of missing important insights, and streamlining administrative tasks. This allows therapists to dedicate their full attention to the client, while also enabling easier session review, progress tracking, and report generation. Additionally, AI can assist with identifying patterns or trends or themes in client sessions, helping therapists develop more tailored and effective treatment plans.

Your privacy is our top priority, and we take several measures to protect your information:

All data is encrypted, securely and confidentially stored on servers located within Australia to comply with local jurisdiction requirements.
Only authorised personnel have access to session notes.
Notes are stored in compliance with Australian Privacy Principles and the Privacy Act.

Please note that despite these safeguards, no system is entirely immune to risks and whilst we strive for accuracy, the AI note-taking tool may occasionally misinterpret information. Therapists review and verify all AI-generated notes to ensure they reflect the session accurately.

Your participation in AI note-taking is voluntary. You have the right to decline its use without impacting your access to counselling services. If you opt out, your therapist will take notes manually.

Some therapists prefer to use this program by verbally dictating the session content after the appointment to have the notes then generated into your file. This would be similar to how therapists manually take notes already, however they would instead be speaking into the program to have the notes typed into your file.

Legal Proceedings

Little Window does not provide testimony in legal proceedings, nor do we provide court related assessments or reports. If you choose to subpoena your therapist or your records, however, you agree to pay for any required preparation time, for your therapist’s time out of the office, and for travel at a charge equal to Little Window's hourly rate.

Communication with other Parties and Limits to Confidentiality

In situations regarding your or your child’s safety, your/your child’s therapist may need to enact wrap-around-care as a part of their duty of care and therapeutic assessment of risk and harm. Information may at times, be shared by way of written report, and at various times my therapist may liaise verbally with your family’s GP/Child Safety Worker/teacher/school counsellor/other relevant professionals. Signature provided on client intake and consent forms indicates the client acknowledges the disclosure of personal health information collected by Little Window to relevant professionals involved in your or your child’s health care.

AHPRA Code of Conduct (PsyBA)

Little Window is committed to delivering safe, ethical, and high-quality psychological care. Our Psychologists follow the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) Code of Conduct, which guides our psychologist's work in areas such as client safety, confidentiality, informed consent, professional boundaries, cultural responsiveness, and ongoing professional development. Your psychologist is happy to discuss the code and how this affects your care further with you.

Complaints Handling Policy

This policy outlines the procedures and guiding principles for handling complaints at Little Window, with a focus on ensuring the safety, wellbeing, and voice of children and our clients. It is designed to be accessible, transparent, and supportive to children, families, clients and staff. This policy also outlines procedures for handling complaints at Little Window in line with the PsyBA Code of Conduct, as the benchmark for professional conduct.

We are committed to listening to allclients, taking their concerns seriously, and responding with care and urgency. This policy is written in clear, accessible language and is available in formats appropriate for children, families and adults.

This policy applies to all employees & contractors of Little Window. It outlines:

Concerns and complaints from clients (children and adults), families, carers, and members of the public.
Internal and external reports about conduct that breaches ethical, professional, or legal standards.
Suspicions or disclosures of harm to children.

Key Principles

Child safety first: All actions taken in response to complaints involving children will prioritise their immediate and long-term safety.
Confidentiality: Information will only be shared with those who need to know, in line with privacy and legal obligations, with safety of the client being our first priority.
Supportive process: Complaints are taken seriously, treated with respect and provided with appropriate assistance and follow-up support.
Compliance: We meet all legal obligations under Queensland legislation and cooperate fully with relevant authorities.

Types of Complaints Covered

We respond to all concerns raised, including but not limited to:

Examples

General Concerns

Discomfort with therapy approach, therapist match, admin issues, communication difficulties, process-related concerns, issues with practice-related policies, & staff conduct

Code of Conduct Breaches

Inappropriate language, boundary violations, disrespectful behaviour & breach of AHPRA Code of Ethics

Disclosures or Allegations of Harm

Child abuse, neglect, harmful sexual behaviour, psychological harm

Breach of Privacy or Confidentiality

Sharing of personal information without consent

Suspicions or Concerns

Observations of unsafe or unethical behaviour by a team member or client

Bullying & Harassment

Observations of unsafe or unethical behaviour by a team member or client

How to make a complaint

Complaints can be made in person, by phone, email, or in writing. They may be lodged by:

All clients
Children and young people
Parents or carers
Staff members
Members of the public

Staff must also report any concerns they witness, hear, or suspect about another team member directly to Management and Practice Directors and then to higher authorities if needed.

Informing Families and Carers

Families and/or carers will be:

Informed of complaints that involve their child (unless doing so would increase risk to the child).
Provided with updates throughout the investigation.
Given a summary of the outcome, while protecting the confidentiality of all involved.

This communication will be trauma-informed, respectful, and age-appropriate.

When the Complaint is About a Worker

If the complaint involves a staff member:

They will be immediately stood down from duties involving children (if applicable).
An internal review or investigation will commence.
Relevant authorities (e.g., Police, AHPRA, Office of the Child Guardian) will be notified if required.
Disciplinary actions may follow, including termination of employment or reporting to professional bodies.

Child Safety - Responding to Harm or Allegations of Harm

If a child is harmed or at risk:

Immediate steps will be taken to ensure the child’s safety.
The Queensland Police and/or Department of Child Safety will be notified where appropriate and required.
The child and family will be offered ongoing psychological support.

Where a child displays potentially harmful sexual behaviour:

The behaviour will be responded to in line with trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate procedures.
The safety and wellbeing of all children in the practice will be ensured.
The child and their family will be offered support and referral pathways.

Support for Complaints

We provide the following supports:

Assistance and support from the Practice Managers when submitting a complaint. This will likely be via phone calls or email communication where support is offered.
A clear outline of the process and expected timelines.
Access to emotional support or referral to external advocacy services.
Ongoing feedback and follow-up.

For concerns arising from a child client, they will be provided with a safe space to express their concerns and supported to participate in the process at a level appropriate for their age and capacity.

External Authorities and Legal Obligations

We cooperate fully with all investigations by:

Queensland Police
Department of Child Safety
AHPRA and professional regulatory bodies
The Office of the Queensland Ombudsman or Human Rights Commission

Mandatory reporting and relevant legislation include:

Child Protection Act 1999 (Qld)
Privacy Act 1988 (Cth)
Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009
Working with Children (Risk Management and Screening) Act 2000

Connection to Little Window Code of Conduct

This policy directly links to our Little Window Code of Conduct, which outlines expected behaviours when working with adults, children and families. All staff must: